 
Published: June 21, 2007 8:31 AM EST
By: Isaac Joseph Davis Junior
(Juniorscave.com)
Music Spotlight: KNOTZ
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KNOTZ. | |
One of the coolest aspects of this next group is that the three members are all blood brothers. KNOTZ, which is the group’s name, consists of Dreadchild, Megaton, and Aswad Mikal the Black Angel. But don’t let this fool you, the hip hop have been performing for several years now. In fact, one of their biggest breaks came in a large stage performance in 1995 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana for a BET sponsored event “Catch Wreck ‘95". From there, the group continues to do shows for their fans. In 2000, KNOTZ released a CD Download in December 2000 and continue to push ahead with their unique style to the Hip-Hop genre. We recently got together with them to do an online interview with the magazine.
Special Thanks to Aswad Mikal of Knotz for providing us with the answers to our questions.
http://www.myspace.com/damalirecords
Q. What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
A. The creative part always excites us the most. Just getting the beat or coming up with the concept and going to the studio to see what the product will sound like. The feeling you get after you hear the whole track with everyone one it….. is crazy.
Q. What aspect of making music gets you the most discouraged?
A. I wouldn’t say discouraged as much as frustrated. But, the way radio stations, A&R's and labels, try to format music and set guidelines for what people should like [is crazy]. There is no formula. They [labels & radio stations] just are lazy and don't want to have to take a chance to find out if other things work or not…..everything is about big dollars now and that's understandable but they are also killing creativity.
Q. What are you up to right now, music-wise? (Current or upcoming
recordings, tours, extravaganzas, experiments, top-secret projects,
etc).
A. We are currently working with the Independent Artist Registry, who awarded us the Independent Artist Of the Year award, to take our music to several record labels. We are also getting ready to do a string of shows for the College season. And as always Knotz are in the studio recording non-stop to give our current and new fans a master piece.
Music Now: You heard it here first folks.
Q. What's the most unusual place you've ever played a show or made a
recording? How did the qualities of that place affect the
show/recording?
A. In the beginning days, we recorded tracks in bathrooms and on two tracked beats with no protocols. At the time, they sounded hot and they got us a fan base but if you heard the sound quality of those records compared to what we do now…..they were horrible.
Music Now: You should have seen the way this magazine looked two years ago so I feel you on that one there.
Q. In what ways does the place where you live (or places where you have
lived), affect the music you create, or your taste in music?
A. It doesn't have an effect on the music we create because even though everyone's environment is different……we speak topics everyone can relate to in someway. We speak to the masses (world wide). Our goal has always been not to put a label on our selves.
Q. When was the last time you wrote a song? What can you tell us about
it?
A. Yesterday, It's called the Bounce. Reck, the DreadChild, did this really hot beat and wrote a hook and dropped it off to Me and Megga. Wow, it's fire. I can tell you this: everyone’s verse builds anticipation for the next dudes verse.
Q. As you create more music, do you find yourself getting more or less
interested in seeking out and listening to new music made by other
people...and why do you think that is?
A. I stay the same. At the time of heavy production of music, I try not to listen to anything because it is easy to hear something you like and then next thing you know your joint sounds like someone else’s joint. We aren't clones---we are original.
Q. Lately what musical periods or styles do you find yourself most drawn
to as a listener? (Old or new music? Music like yours or different from
yours?)
A. We are from a musical background/family so all of us like old and new music; Rap, Reggae, Pop, R&B, Jazz ect. or just straight instrumental. We are just about music.
Q. Name a band or musician, past or present, who you flat-out LOVE and
think more people should be listening to. What's one of your all-time
favorite recordings by this band/musician?
A. Red Man- Every Album he made should be a classic. He is an overlooked and under estimated pioneer with lyrical abilities that really can't be matched. My favorite joint would have to be the whole Muddy Waters joint.
Q. What's the saddest song you've ever heard?
A. Sad as in feelings? Or sad as in worst song I ever heard? Hmmm. I'm not sure what the saddest song I ever heard is.
Thanks for your support, our manager Craig Winstead, Danny" Frenzi"Lynch, Daddy,Mommy,Raw-Text, Sonny Hash, Dice, Glaccius, and the rest of the Ruffians, Insomniac magazine, all of our fans
Knotz
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