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Emerging From The Shadows - Darkjoint |
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Written by Crate Digger (Edited by Aimée)
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Saturday, 30 June 2001 |
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Page 2 of 2 After several delays, Malarchi's debut LP 'Forgotten World'
was finally released in May this year on Gemtoy Records. It has since
received
considerable praise and has also been earmarked as a contender for the
Mercury Music Prize. However, the fickle nature of the UK market is
illustrated by the fact that Malarchi and Darkjoint's material
initially received a frosty reception. "When we first sent out the
album at the end
of '99 to DJs, they didn't want to know," Darkjoint states. " We did
the Mel B show Pure Naughty on BBC2 and we did [Notting Hill] Carnival
2000 with
Tim Westwood on the Radio 1 stage. Then after that, everyone was like
'Yeah, this Malarchi guy is heavy'. When I heard that I got so pissed
cos he
performed the same track we sent them... I ain't gonna mention names,
but there was this fucking idiot who wasn't feeling Malarchi a year
ago. Now
he's saying 'Malarchi is so talented. Darkjoint, is one of the best
producers in the UK right now, blah, blah blah.' This is coming from
the
same DJ who was saying at the time we first gave him the record: 'This
is from the UK - I ain't checking for it'!”
“That’s why we did the 'UK Ground Zero' track,” Roy explains. “The
point
Malarchi makes on that track is - look, this music is from your own
back yard
bredren! If someone passes you something, as a DJ you should at least
listen to it. If you tell me it’s wack and tell me why it’s wack –
cool!
I’ll go back and fix it.”
Another track from 'Forgotten World' that attracted attention was the
venomous collaboration with US rapper Canibus. Darkjoint animatedly
describes how it all came about. "Last year, Gem [the head of Gemtoy
Records] asked Malarchi what he would like for Christmas. Malarchi went
'Well, I wouldn't mind Redman, Method Man and Canibus on my album.' The
next thing I knew, Canibus came down! I was very excited about the
whole
thing. When he came down, Canibus already knew what he wanted to do. He
had heard the original version of 'Da Shock' and wanted to use the beat
as
it was. Even though the beat was four years old, he was still feeling
my shit. He liked what Malarchi had to say and he thought that [the
track] was
nice for what he wrote on the plane on his way down.
"Anyway, Canibus - he's a real professional. All that shit you heard on
Da Shock was done in one take. He went in the booth, did his stuff,
came out
and I was like 'fucking hell this is incredible' but he wasn't happy
with it. So he went back in and once he finished he said 'Yeah! Now
that's what
I'm talking about' and he walked back out - done! We were playing video
games with him for the rest of the day!"
"What I would have really liked," Darkjoint adds "was to get into the
studio together and do a brand new track from scratch. I would have
loved to do
that and Malarchi said the same thing - that he would have loved to
write some lyrics with him. But the track still came out OK."
Darkjoint has recently completed a remix version of 'Da Shock' which to
me sounded even more impressive than the original. Its beat has a nice
bounce
to it and is complimented well by a banging bass line and tingling
piano keys. However, it is uncertain as to whether this track will be
commercially released. Darkjoint has also been busy producing new
tracks for Femi X, D-Lyte-1, B Sharp from the Shadow Cabinet and PQ
from the Social
Misfits. However, Roy sees his main priority to be completing his debut
solo album 'Going For D.E.L.F. (Death Expectancy Life Forsaken)'. "I
can't
wait to get my album out there," he admits, "because it's gonna be more
of the stuff that I'm doing now. People'll get to feel [what I'm doing]
now,
rather than my shit from a year ago. Of all those tracks on 'Forgetten
World', most of them were done between '96 and '99!"
Artists confirmed to appear on the Darkjoint LP include MC D, Moorish
Delta, Outdaville and label mates Malarchi, Christynette and 2Sticky.
In
addition, Darkjoint wishes to get Rodney P, Taskforce, Social Misfits,
Karl Hinds and Estelle involved, but he is also keen to distinguish his
album
from the other compilations that have been made by British hip hop
producers. Roy says "The difference between my album and all the other
producer-led albums [is that] they get an emcee, pass him a beat, drop
some vocals, and mix it down so it sounds phat. My album is different.
I've got
my own story to tell so I'll get the right track to suit the right
emcee with the right subject matter and then they'll tell the story
from my
perspective." He adds "I've completed 15 tracks, but a few of them I'm
not happy with. So I'm gonna keep on going until I've got enough."
Two tracks that are definitely going to make the cut are the follow-up
to 'Natural Substance' from Malarchi's LP which features guest vocals
from soul
singer Christynette and the lead single 'Maximum Pressure', a vicious
track featuring Malarchi alongside the mighty MC D. Once finished, the
'Going for
D.E.L.F.' LP will probably be released early next year. And if
completing his album project isn't enough to keep him occupied,
Darkjoint is already
being pestered to start work on Mararchi's new album.
Roy's busy schedule is obviously a sign of him being a much-respected
and highly rated producer; but the Dark Disciple is not one to get
ahead of
himself. "My experience, ten years in the game, taught me how to do
things the proper way and that's what I did. If you believe in what you
do, go out
there yourself and do it," he says. "But I ain't got a secret to my
success. I live in a fucking 'ghetto penthouse' - that's what I call
it.
This is a council estate, the 24th floor, lovely scenery! I've got a
fridge, two broken chairs and a bust-up studio! And I'm still here
making
my joints!!
mailto:
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http://www.darkjoint.co.uk
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