Miami’s very own ArtOfficial is beyond busy these days, you know with touring and pumping out those creatives juices! However, we’ve managed to snag a few precious moments with Logics of the “Best Band” Title holders of 2011 according to the NewTimes. We talked about the bands beginning as well as inspirations, what to look out for and of course the ladies. Make sure you sink your teeth into our poll at the end of the interview!
“ArtOfficial came together about 6 or 7 years ago. Me and Newsense were in a hip-hop group. The rest of the guys were in an r&b/jazz/reggae fusion band. Both our groups were kind of plateauing at the time. Coincidentally, we had mutual links between the two bands and that led us to meet up and jam one day on a whim. We clicked pretty quickly, so we took that vibe and energy and kept moving with it.”
What is ArtOfficial music? Its blend of jazz and hip hop is one not many people venture into, how did this sound come about?
“The sound came about naturally. Its not something we tried to force. All of us brought our piece in and they just happened to fit and work well together. We’re lucky that we share some core values and influences. It was never a conscious decision to try and jam all these different elements into our sound.”
ArtOfficial has a great following from attending a couple of shows its obvious you guys vibe with your fans how do your American fans vary from your Japanese fan base?
Logics & Newsense
“It’s a little hard to tell. We haven’t visited Japan yet, so we haven’t seen the reaction in person. We get nothing but love from over there when we gauge the online response.”
A 6 piece band can be hard to please, is there any artist that all of you agree on for inspiration, if so who and why?
“We share a lot of influences. The Beatles, Radiohead, Blackstar, The whole Native Tongues, Soulquarians movement. They are artists who push the boundaries and create new ideas, and those ideas sound good, which is important right? Whats the point of pushing the boundaries if the finished product sounds like shit?”
What was the inspiration behind Vitamins & Minerals and what is the favored track?
“It’s hard to pinpoint one particular inspiration. Musically the inspiration is the need to create
Vitamins & Minerals
something new and fresh, and to make people lose their mind when they listen to it. Lyrically, we pull from the world around us and in us and hopefully that sparks some new ideas and perspectives.”
Being that the band will be doing a bit of touring for the next couple of weeks, whats the best part of touring?
“The best part of touring is the crowds man. Just rocking the shit out of a crowd and having them feel your music in their bones. The second part is the exploration element. Being in a different city, with different people, different cultures, different food. It’s good to get out of Miami every once in a while.”
What has been the most exhilarating show for the band?
“We just did a couple shows in Virginia and in Asheville that were amazing. Whenever the crowd is vibing, we’re happy. Our release parties here at home are always crazy, surreal experiences.”
How does the ArtOfficial from 2007 on the Stranger EP differ from ArtOfficial now with 2011 Vitamins & Minerals?
Keith
“There’s a world of difference. In 2007 it was just us 6 in the studio executing our ideas as best as we could. In 2011 we decided to go big and call our friends to help us make our ideas bigger. More people played on the last song of Vitamins & Minerals, then on the entirety of Stranger and Fist Fights and Foot Races, probably combined.”
What will ArtOfficial be delivery next, any goodies for the fans that we should watch out for?
“We’re hitting the road more these days, so we’re happy to be bringing the music directly to the fans. Currently we got a couple new songs that we are working on and playing out live. As far as releases, it’s up in the air right now. We’ll probably be working on an EP before diving into a big project again. In the mean time, you’ll probably see us doing features and branching out that way.”
Lastly, men will be men so who’s the heart throb of the group? Who’s the father figure? Who’s the younger brother? Who’s the prankster? And who’s taken?
“Man, we are all wifed up. Keith is the most fatherly, being that he just had a kid. He’s always in daddy-mode. The rest of us take turns being one of the seven dwarfs. Heart throb? You’re going to have to poll your readers to figure that one out.”
The Hype Girls would like to thank ArtOfficial and their management for taking the time out to vibe with us and wish the best of luck to ArtOfficial in their future! To keep up with the talented musicians make sure you check out their website.
