artist2artist: KidCrusher

KidCrusher is a no-holds barred underground horrorcore artist from Australia. Through dedicated online promotion, and with the help of a sick professional video for his song “Meet the Monstors,” he has gained a lot of attention from Juggalos and fans of dark hybrid music. He was cool enough to give me some time recently and answer a few questions.

joe DOE: You’ve been making music since about 1996. What first made you want to make music, and what draws you to the dark side of art?

KidCrusher: I was always in my own world growing up, throughout school, doing my own creative things, writing and performing when I should have been learning. I would say movies was my first push to want to be some sort of character, other than just another rapper. In early days, the first rappers I looked up to was stuff like Kriss Kross, Run Dmc, Tupac, Spice 1 and The Berzerker. I started recording on double tape decks with friends and I just loved the feeling of a finished product, so I continued to deliver work for my own fun of it. Throughout high school, when I first heard the Amazing Jeckel Brothers, I was possessed by the wicked shit; also fell into alot of metal like Mudvayne, System of a Down, Korn and Slipknot. That’s what really drove me into what I’m doing now.

JD: What’s the horrorcore scene like in Southern Australia?

KC: All over Australia it’s pretty slow, but my shows have been decent enough for me to want to go out every few months and rock it.

JD: Controversial music is always used as a scapegoat by the media and people that are uninformed about certain genres. What do you say to people that think your music might have a negative influence on some of the kids that listen to it?

KC: Well, like I and many say: horrorcore is all fictional entertainment, and to me its nothing different from a kid watching a horror movie. They really shouldn’t be watching it, but shit happens.

JD: For those that don’t know, you’ve been basically banned from the U.S. until 2012. What the hell for?

KC: A few years ago in my city, I got stung buying a bag of marijuana from a house. Got fined $500. I went to travel to America a couple years later for the GOTJ in 2008, but I was denied entry as they want me to wait and be good for 5 years from my fine date before they will approve my visa. Stuck in jail down here basically.

JD: That sucks man. Is there any chance of you signing with Psychopathic Records or Hatchet House, once your legal shit clears up? Is that something you’d be interested in?

KC: I’ve always supported Psychopathic, promoting it to drive my fans to listen to their positive words which changed my life. I would probably have to clean up my act (meaning drive away from so much murder music), but if the option pops up I’ll be keen to run with Psychopathic or the Hatchet House for sure.

JD: Either way, you’re definitely gonna tour the U.S. in 2012, right? I’m sure you have fans here that are asking you to come to their city.

KC: Yes, I will be planning on flying over in August to chill out, then do some shows towards the end of the world as we know it 🙂

JD: Are you working on some new material for release in 2011? When can we expect a new album or another sick video?

KC: I’m always working on something new, I can’t stop… I don’t know why, haha. I dropped a hint at the end of my latest album THE GRINCH on the final track of what’s coming. I will be working with an old friend on the record 🙂

JD: Obviously, horror movies are a big influence on your sound and style. What are your top 5 favorite horror movies?

KC: Braindead, Cloverfield, Tremors 2, Paranormal Activity & The Frighteners. I could go on forever though, as I’m a bit of a freak for movies, haha.

JD: Any last words, plugs, shout outs or fuck yous?

KC: Yeah. Fuck You. Haha nah, much love for the interview. Keep up!

For more info, media & to buy KidCrusher music, check out his official site.

New Years rEvolution

As 2010 comes to an end, it’s time to look back on the year and reflect upon what I did and didn’t accomplish. Business-wise, with Sykophunk Productions, I actually achieved nearly all of my creative goals, including finally getting my book of short stories published. My full-length album, Democalypse, wasn’t exactly a financial success, but a lot of people got to hear it and get a taste of the different artistic direction I’m going in with the new name, joe DOE: still a lot of beats and rhymes, but also more live instruments, more melody, more concepts behind the songs. The album also fueled some very cool remixes for my last release of the year, Seximer. I didn’t land any licensing or scoring jobs in 2010, but I did learn a lot about these aspects of the industry and got a good start on a catalog of music for such purposes. And, as predicted, I had very little time to write for this or any other blog.

Now it’s time to set some goals for 2011. I have tons of material in various stages of completion for more music releases, it just all needs to be organized and prioritized. During the first half of the year, it looks like I’ll be dropping 2 or 3 more EPs plus a mixtape. Plenty of stuff to keep you all fed while I work on my next full-length album, the second part of the Democalypse trilogy. I’ll also be completing my instrumental catalog and focusing some of my time on securing licensing deals and scoring jobs. And I’m thinking of resurrecting some old sykophunk personas, such as Dostah Shilailee and Mother Prick of Misery. Not goals yet, but very possible options.

Besides music, I have some writing goals as well, beginning with finishing my first screenplay. Of course, I have several ideas on the table, but I have one screenplay near completion, at least the first draft. I also have a number of short stories that I’ll be finishing up, possibly working towards another book. And Dark Domain: for the love of fuck, I need to compile my hundreds of pages of stories, outlines and notes into a comprehensive presentation. Dark Domain could be anything: book series, movie, video game – all 3. But first it needs to be presentable to any possible collaborators. This is something I really want to achieve by the end of 2011.

So, there is my ambitious outline of the many things I want to work on in the new year. If you were actually interested enough to read this entire post, thank you for your time and support. Stick with me throughout 2011; it’s apparently going to be another busy year for Sykophunk Productions.

joe DOE – Seximer track-by-track

What’s up world? joe DOE here, reporting from the epicenter of the rEvolution Underground, Sykophunk Productions. My new EP, Seximer, is now available in CD or MP3 format, featuring remixes of songs from my albums Democalypse and Be Middle Class or Die Trying. Here is a track-by-track breakdown, along with some side notes and history.

Epic Awesomeness (badass remix) – I always felt that this song did a good job of summing up my versatility. It’s hard-hitting yet spiritually uplifting, with a hardcore industrial edge thanks to my man Randy Stockton from GrimWitcH. This version gives it a more banging beat and some extra guitar work, emphasizing the hip hop and metal influences at the same time.

Battle Scars (revisited remix) – A collaboration with my homegirl Christel South, and one of my best received songs. Most people are impressed with this one, especially when Christel drops her verse. The subject matter is intense and personal, yet on a level that a lot of people can relate to. This version keeps the gothic hip hop flavor of the original, adding more electronic elements and some fun vocal effects.

2012 (original remix) – This is the original mix of the song – a collaboration created on the site Indaba between myself, Time Traveling Terrapin, Ecks, and Dubby Dub. I did all of the vocals on this version; the others worked together on the beats and music. The closer we get to the year 2012, the more relevant these lyrics are. It’s not all “gloom and doom,” but it’s not nay saying either. Once again, the triangle finds a balance.

Sick Shit (raw remix) – This is the third version of this song. It was originally released as a mixtape track, and then I did a remix for Democalypse. A lot of people seem to dig this song too, which I guess is why I’ve put a version of it on every release since taking the name joe DOE. That’s it though – last time! This version features a stripped down beat, leaving the focus on my lyrics, because they are fucking bad ass.

Shitting in the Lap of Luxury (unplugged) – Here’s a rare treat indeed: an acoustic version of a joe DOE song, for real! Just my vocals, a little piano, and acoustic guitars provided by my old friend Thomas Scott Farrell. I like this even better than the original, mostly because I sung it a lot better on this version. This song really made me want to do more acoustic stuff in the future, so just a warning: I’ve been practicing my strumming!

Life (Will Never Be the Same Again) – This song is the story of my life and the history of how sykophunk came to be. Very close to my heart, but the old version contained obvious samples, so I couldn’t promote it as an original song. With the help of the talented Cherie O providing the female vocals for me, this version is all original music and still just as powerful as it ever was. A positive and heartfelt closing track for the EP.

Listen to audio samples and/or buy Seximer now on CD Baby.

Sykophunk Artists Debut New Songs With Live Performances

With recent talks of a full-length release from both Triple Vision and joe DOE scheduled to drop in early 2011, plus a Triple Vision mixtape going online November 26, 2010, the artists have been giving audiences a sneak peak of some new tracks through live performances. This past Tuesday, joe DOE performed a new song for the first time, “Bleed for the Night,” as well as an alternate version of “Epic Awesomeness,” at the Cubbyhole Coffee House in Poughkeespies, NY.

Last month, Triple Vision performed working versions of three new tracks at the same venue.

The performances and videos are a means to test out new material, as well as to generate awareness of their upcoming releases. Both artists plan on booking more gigs throughout the winter. Info on upcoming show dates and appearances can be found on the Sykophunk Productions Gigs & Events page.

The Current State of the Music Industry

This was a comment I left on an article by Will Bryant on Knocks from the Underground. The article talks about the pros and cons of music piracy/file sharing. You can read the original article HERE. I’ll also add that I’m not saying the independent artist’s path is easy. I know from experience that it can be very rough road.  I just don’t like the industry blaming everyone but themselves for their own failures. Anyway, here’s my three cents on the topic.

As a recording artist myself, I fully recognize the awkward state that the music industry is in today. In the age of MP3s and downloading, artists and labels simply have to adapt or suffer the consequences. Piracy only hurts major labels and their artists, those stuck in the old ways. For indies, file sharing offers the potential of acquiring more fans and in turn more sales. Also note the rhetoric – industry desk-huggers who see songs as potential money makers for the corporation call it piracy, while fans and sites that spread the music for the love of the art call it file sharing. It all depends on perspective and, for artists, how you want to use the situation to further your career.

BTW, “losing money” is misleading corporate language that the industry likes to use. You don’t take money away from labels and artists by downloading music for free, you just don’t give them any. If a major label has invested in an artist/album, it’s generally a whole package including concerts, merchandise, etc. If, in the long run, total revenue doesn’t match projected profit, obviously you need to change your business model. Don’t try to blame the fans, your customers, for your incompetence – you’re the business people. Once again, perspective and adaptation.

Through downloading and social networking, artists today have a more direct connection with fans and more personal resources to spread their music globally. By cutting out middle men, artists stand to make a bigger profit per unit. This means that more artists can enjoy success independently on a moderate amount of sales, enough to pay the bills and continue their careers without compromising their art. And this, I believe, is what the unchanging music industry fears the most: that soon, they may not be needed at all.

Weekly Previews of Indie Music Artist joe DOE’s Upcoming Album

For Immediate Release

After producing 21 full-length albums for various acts and releasing many of them on his self-run label, Sykophunk Productions, hybrid hip hop artist joe DOE is preparing to return with a new solo album entitled Democalypse. DOE is posting preview tracks on the Sykophunk Weekly page of sykophunk.com; a new song every Friday until the album is released, starting February 26, 2010. This will give his current fans and new listeners five full-song samples of this intense, genre-bending album.

joe DOE has described Democalypse as his “most musically challenging album yet.” Though much of his material is still built around the hip hop staples of hard hitting beats and intricate rhymes, DOE also employs elements of metal, electronic, goth, and even melodic pop, in his continuing effort to push the sykophunk sound to the limit. A few contributing collaborators also bring their unique styles to some of the songs. The concept behind Democalypse is a near-future world in which an apocalypse occurs due to mankind’s own selfishness and greed. The content is heavy, occasionally lightened up by DOE’s sense of humor and ultimate belief that such a future can be avoided, even if it takes a revolution.

joe DOE is currently available for interviews. Democalypse will be available for press review and pre-order on March 8, 2010. The street date is March 30, 2010.

Click here to go to Sykophunk Weekly

artist2artist: joe DOE

There is a rebirth occurring over at Sykophunk Productions. For various reasons, artist D-O-E is officially changing his stage name to joe DOE. In the artist2artist tradition just recently started here at DIO, these two personas will have a conversation. Prepare to be confused, hopefully entertained, and maybe a little informed.

D-O-E: What’s up, me? How am I doing? Good, you hope.

Joe DOE: Please don’t do that.

D-O-E: My bad. So, the point of this is for you to answer questions that other interviews you may get probably won’t ask. But let’s start with an obvious one: why the name change?

Joe DOE: It’s all explained in the first song of my new mixtape project Who the Hell is joe DOE?! which will be available for free download on sykophunk.com starting November 13, 2009.

D-O-E: Nice shameless plug.

Joe DOE: I learned from the best.

D-O-E: What can people expect from this mixtape?

Joe DOE: It’s short, only 9 songs, but it makes up for it by being fucking epic! I put as much effort into these songs as I normally would in an album twice as long. I’m trying to show that as joe DOE I’m putting more emphasis on writing songs, melody and variation, not just rhymes over beats. The hip hop element is still very important, but I’m gonna be adding a lot more singing and live instruments.

D-O-E: When will your debut post-rebirth album be released?

Joe DOE: Probably not until spring 2010, which is another reason why the mixtape had to be so epic – I gotta milk it for a while on the promotion tip. But it also gives me time to spread the word about the new name. I got a cool comic book style promo video for the mixtape that I posted online. I might do a little series of joe DOE video comics ‘cuz it looks dope! Something to get out there while the album’s being worked on.

D-O-E: Do you think you will gain more recognition as joe DOE?

Joe DOE: I fucking hope so! At least you can Google the goddamn name! I mean, it’ll take a while to make the full transition, not to mention all the legal shit I gotta do. But honestly, I think this is the beginning of earning the respect that I truly deserve as being the most potentially successful anti-mainstream artist ever.

D-O-E: And what happens to me?

Joe DOE: D-O-E and Doeboy are still my nicknames. My friends who have been calling me that for years aren’t gonna change just because I made a marketing decision. And the D-O-E albums already online at iTunes and all that will probably be available forever. I am thinking of re-releasing Be Middle Class or Die Trying with some bonus tracks under joe DOE. But from here on out, I’ll be releasing all of my music as joe DOE.

D-O-E: All of your music? What about Dostah Shilailee?

Joe DOE: Shit, I don’t know. Where has he been lately anyway?

D-O-E: I haven’t seen him in a while.

Joe DOE: If you do, let him know I said what up.

D-O-E: No doubt. So… what’s with the mask?

Joe DOE: I’m wearing a mask in my promo pics to symbolize the idea of the unknown – you know, joe DOE, John Doe. I ain’t a slave to no identity. Plus I think it looks badass, and I’m having fun changing it up every photo session. I haven’t decided yet if I’m gonna stay rocking the mask as joe DOE or not. I think I’m gonna leave that up to the fans. Then again, if people start hating on the mask, I’ll probably wear it out of spite just to piss people off.

D-O-E: What an asshole…

Joe DOE: Bullshitski, you fat crippled butt-fuck!

D-O-E: Well, good luck replacing me as the primary bread-winner of Sykophunk Productions.

Joe DOE: That’s a low bar to set for myself, buddy. Don’t worry about it – 2010 is mine! To everyone reading this: thanks for giving me your time, get that mixtape on Friday the 13th & bump the shit out of it, stay connected and keep your third eye open for the new flavor! See, I haven’t changed, just the name has. Ghost in a dream, out.

Online Collaboration

Here at Sykophunk Productions, we embrace the unity of different genres and cultures for the sake of making great music and connecting underground fans from different walks of life. And the internet is where it’s happening. Some of our greatest collaborations have happened between artists who’ve never actually met face to face. We’re even starting to network with other indie labels online, promoting each other’s artists by working together on multiple levels.

Indaba is an awesome site that is down with the online collaboration revolution. It’s easy: you join, set up a profile, meet other artists, share ideas, upload files to the site, and add to each other’s work. They also have great contests. In fact, it was through an Indaba contest that our artist Dostah Shilailee got his music played on an episode of The Colbert Report. If you’re looking to collab with other artists or just want to check out some great music you might not hear otherwise, you should definitely check it out.

Our latest collab/remix collection, Deconstruction, is being released for free download this month. The album will be released in three phases of six songs each: phase one is online now until Sept. 10, when phase two will be available. Some of the collabs were created through Indaba. You can listen to and/or download them now @ sykophunk.com. If you like what you hear, please follow the links and support the hard-working artists that contributed to these great songs. It’s all for the love of the music and unifying people through the powerful gift of creativity… enjoy!

artist2artist: Kung Fu Vampire

What’s up, D-O-E here, introducing a new idea to the DIO blog. It’s called artist2artist – I’ll be interviewing other indie artists, trying to pick their minds a little bit and get some behind -the-scenes info. This is my first attempt at this, so here it goes…

Kung Fu Vampire live

 

I found out about Kung Fu Vampire when I was in Cali last year.  I really wanted to check out his live act, maybe even do a show with him. Unfortunately I never made it to the San Jose area where he was doing his thing. But thanks to the internet, I can have this conversation with him now. Enjoy.

DOE: So, your name is Kung Fu Vampire and you make music. Explain the meaning behind your name and the relationship between martial arts, hip hop, and the undead.

KFV: Without a doubt, people ask me that in every interview and I am never upset about answering it, it just always seems to be the first question. I have always had separate lives, my music life and personal life and slowly they became one. I can best describe the relationship as “The Yin and Yang of Fang.” Accepting the inner beast and expressing the truths about the dark sides of myself and life in general. I am on a constant quest for the highest quality protein, I am romantic, a blood luster, and martial arts and the asian culture have been a part of my world since a child. They really unify to make me, all day every day.

DOE: I mix genres in my music; some people love it, some don’t get it. How do people usually react to your gothic/hip hop blend?

KFV: It’s all positive these days. Back in the early 90’s people were super skeptical and either loved or hated it, but now people have come a round a bit. I am pushing Gothic Hip Hop as a viable genre. I even have gothichiphop.com going up officially in October.

DOE: You’ve done some shows recently with Esham and other horrorcore/wicked shit performers. Is the tour still going? How has it turned out?

KFV: We loved the tour – we are picking back up on another tour with Mars, Axe Murder Boyz & Project Born this September, pretty exciting. We were main support for Esham and his fans show us a lot of love and vice versa. We also will be opening for Tech N9ne on a leg of the fall tour for Krizz Kaliko’s release tour.

DOE: Any interesting stories from backstage?

KFV: What happens backstage, stays backstage, although I will say this: I got molested by beautiful women under a waterfall in the grotto of the Playboy Mansion after a show there in 2006.

DOE: How far do you usually travel on tour? I’d love to see you in New York.

KFV: Haven’t toured through New York, but will be hitting Midwest and as far as the Virginia Beach this fall/late summer.

DOE: Your act is theatrical; you look like a pimped out Anton LeVay, which is awesome. How important do you think image is for an independent artist?

KFV: I have been told I look like Ming from Flash Gordon, Anton LeVay, and more than anything else I get told I remind them of LoPan from Big Trouble in Little China. Image-wise I just do what I do. I never think of it as image, although I rarely step out of my outfits when I go in public. Apparently I am gimmicky because I actually put effort into my outfits instead of going to the mall and buying the same shit everyone else is wearing. It’s funny how close-minded some people’s children are, but yeah, I really can’t speak on the image importance thing too deeply because it has hurt my career more than helped.

DOE: Your style would definitely translate well into video or film projects. Anything like that on the horizon?

KFV: We just shot a video that comes out on 09.09.09 for the single “iCount” off of Dead Sexy, also going to be shooting another one in august. Pretty excited, I think people’s heads are gonna really turn when they finally get to see a video.

DOE: The thing I like about being an indie artist these days is we have more control over our careers than ever have before. A lot of underground artists have made successful empires on their own terms. What do you see in Kung Fu Vampire’s future?

KFV: Right now the online CD sales are slow, but they are picking up very slowly and I think just sticking to it will be so much better than trying to seek a big label. I am hoping to get signed to Strange Music within the next year. They have invited me to be backstage with them at Rock The Bells, so that will be fun and I will be networking and fully fitted for whatever comes my way.

DOE: That would be sick! Well, keep doing your thing – I think you’re on the right path. Last words, anything you wanna plug: the floor is yours.

KFV: I want people to make sure they understand that I produce the majority of my own music, I write all the hooks you hear and I sing on choruses as well. I play instruments and I am a composer. So for those out there who are confused or think I am just a rapper, they are now informed. Please log onto KungFuVampire.com or iTunes and buy our new CD “Dead Sexy” you will be satisfied. Much respect to you, D-O-E.

click pic to visit official site

Interview with Tha Advocate

With a slew of mixtape CDs under his belt, collaborations with underground superstars, and a new album being released this summer, New Jersey native Tha Advocate shows how dedication, hard work, and reciprocation can bring success for an independent hip hop artist.

DIO:  Tell us a little about how you got started making music.

Advo:  I always been a fan of music period. But, I am one of those people who can’t sit back and watch someone do something without trying it myself. I am naturally competitive. I just started rhyming for fun, then writing it down, then getting in cyphers in the street, then started hitting studios and the rest is history. Same thing with producing.

DIO:  What upcoming projects are you currently promoting?

Advo:  My personal mixtape, Barmaggedon, and Digital Dynasty 5 with Crooked I. Digital Dynasty is my mixtape series alliance with Ballerstatus.com. To date I have worked with Crooked I, Chamillionaire, Stat Quo, Alchemist, Willy Northpole, Hot Rod, Sly Boogy, Domination, Killah Priest, and more. I am dropping my mixtape in March alongside our Crooked I release. My album will be coming in the summer – it’s called Designed To Be Signed. Right now I have a few features like Big Lou, Stat Quo, Killah Priest, Sha Stimuli and more. The main single is “Where I Rep”.

DIO:  In some of your songs, you say that you’re bringing substance back into music. What is your take on the state of hip hop and the music industry today?

Advo:  I think all the best music isn’t on the radio. The very few good songs that get leaked to radio are so played out you can’t even enjoy them. That’s why with my music I challenge myself. When you hear “Trading Places”,”Soldya Muzik” or “9678” you will see. “9678” is really that important. I recapped 1996, 1997, and 1998, when music was in the golden age.

DIO:  As you mentioned earlier, you have some pretty big names in hip hop all over your mixtapes. How did you get hooked up with guys like that?

Advo:  Just grinding, man. I do more then just spit. I do a lot of behind the scenes stuff. I am in a position where I can help those artists with their music or mixtapes, and they can help me with mine. Over the years, if you keep grinding you will make good industry relationships. Again it depends on how your work ethic is.

DIO:  Other than being a lyricist and a solo artist, you also do work as a producer. Do you find it hard to balance both sides of the creative process?

Advo:  When I am working on my music… no. When I am working with other artists and I have a lot on my plate already… yes. That’s why now I am just working with Shawn Blayze, Sketch Architec, and J.D Artist. I don’t want to get overwhelmed. Once I finish my projects, I will focus a lot more on the production.

DIO:  Has the internet helped your career as an artist?

Advo:  Oh yeah. I think it is the strongest thing in a hip hop artist’s journey. Back in the day it was doing a show or passing your demo tape. Now it’s all about the net. It’s all about traffic and getting your stuff heard.

DIO:  Are you looking to get signed to a major label, or would you rather stay independent?

Advo:  See, the funny thing is I had labels contact me through the years that were major. Things just never fell in place. Now with these two CDs I am working on… I am hoping they will notice that it’s “DESIGNED TO BE SIGNED”. As for a preference, I would take anything that lets me make my Soldya Muzik without compromising my character.

DIO:  You’ve come a long way on your own terms and undoubtedly learned a lot of lessons. Do you have any advice for other upcoming artists?

Advo:  Yeah… scared money don’t make money. Also, watch who you bring around you. I have moved myself away from a lot of so called “friends” over the years. Real talk, the industry is full of scammers and con artists.

DIO:  What are your plans for the coming months, going into the summer?

Advo:  Releasing this mixtape. Releasing my song with Big Lou, Mr. Probz, and Stat Quo. Promoting the hell out of my shit. Shows. Videos. And making more contacts. ‘09 is so mine. Thank you again for the interview. Keep up your hard work too!