Lady Blacktronika- beat down but not out

Hidden away in a sleepy city in Northern California, beneath the snow-capped peak of Mount Shasta, resides one of slow-mo's fastest emerging female talents: Akua Grant aka Lady Blacktronika. A self-described night owl, Grant was once dubbed the “First Lady of beatdown” – a label she has since cast aside [just check out the mix she's done for Pulse]. In her productions, her sub-120bpm melodies – such as If Some Rain and Never Everything – are fraught with feelings of heartache and solitude.  Pulse Radio's Ray Murphy stole an  exclusive mix from Lady B and chatted about talent-scouting in the Eastern Bloc, enduring rejection in droves and the challenges of being a female in the scene.  

Pulse:  What does the Lady Blacktronika moniker embody?  Lady Blacktronika: I started singing in 96'/97' with Mattski (Matt Avalos) and began working on tracks with him, but I really wanted to do my own thing. It wasn't until 2006 that I started doing that, making loops on Garageband, Reason, and then finally Orion Platinum (for PC) which I use on my Mac. Most people haven't heard of it but it's straight-forward; it does what I need it to do.

Who were the key figures in getting your musical career off the ground and who assisted you in making the transition from singing to producing?  Claude Young JR was really into my stuff at that time as was Alton Miller, but that didn't go anywhere. It was really Mike Huckaby that helped me. I met him and Debbie Mann from Deep Explorer; they were the ones who really got into my sound. It was also my first tracks that were just posted on my Myspace that got me noticed, back when Myspace still mattered!

What were the main barriers in getting your music out there and who kept you motivated to keep producing, whilst maintaining your own sound?  Mostly Bradley (DJ Tresmanos) from Your Only Friend and Debbie Mann. There have been a lot of people who have been supportive of my music as my career has expanded. I believed in what I was doing despite having faced rejection. I remember feeling discouraged after sending tracks to a lot of different people: People who weren't liking anything I was making.  At first I was desperate for people to like what I was doing, but Mattski encouraged me: “Screw those people” he said. I kept on doing my thing and it finally paid off.  As time went on, I started to resent those people who were approaching me after hearing my stuff and asking me to send them my demos. If I was a man, like Rick Wade or Theo Parrish, they wouldn't ask me to do that. They would just have approached me with an offer. I had to change my attitude and not allow people to disrespect me.

 What's the history behind Cocaine Recordings?  That never really came to fruition so I started my own label, just me: Soundblack recordings. I wanted something to put my own stamp on. I'm getting ready to start releasing some other producers now. For example: SE62 and Brother G, who are both from the Ukraine. I met Yura (SE62) and just really dug his sound. Then I started discovering people from Ukraine, Belarus and elsewhere in that Eastern Bloc area. Their music is amazing and to me, it's like the new Detroit. It's so authentic and that's what I wanted my label to be about: An authentic sound, routed in Techno. Truth, urban grit, struggling and overcoming it all. To me, that's what house music used to represent: Getting over hard times. That's what I wanted the sound of Soundblack to be. It's not about sounding black, it's about sounding authentic.  Personally, I feel that in a lot of ways this has been lost over the past few years, but I think we're returning back to that core-centre of what house used to be about. With the way the economy is, it seems like people are now returning to what's real.

Your debut album on the Your only friend imprint was called Future Blues. What was the thought process behind the title?  I named my album Future Blues because the kind of music I make is the blues; they say you can't really sing the blues, unless you have the blues. A lot of people's music is awful because it's inauthentic. They've never had any trouble and they've had everything handed to them. It lacks grit and reality. These guys [SE62 and Brother G] know what it's like not to have any money and to be disadvantaged in the world, and it's prevalent in their music.

What does beatdown mean to you?  It's that slow, moody sound. I've tried to distance myself from that beatdown label, because of some controversy surrounding it; some people feel like they own beatdown! My version of it blends house, techno, hip-hop, jazz etc. When people try to say that they own a sound, they kill it. The media called me the “First lady of beatdown", but it upset some people and I got some stick for it. I don't want to be associated with that anymore, it puts a bad taste in my mouth.  I still produce the slower stuff, but I'm now progressing toward the classic Chicago sound. I have some projects coming out which, I suppose you could describe as “Slow Rave”. It's slow and has an early 90's vibe to it.

 What other female laptop producers are you feeling?  I've met a lot of female producers, like Dakini9 and Jenifa Mayanja, and it's been really important to forge an alliance with them. We're trying to make music and support each other, not trying to sleep with each other at every opportunity!  Whilst we acknowledge that we're all women, we don't want to make 'The Feminist Album': It's just 'an album'. Let's just make good music and support each other that way because ultimately, that's what we're about. Our music, not being women.

Another critical facet of your music is your singing – how important is it to you?  Sampling manipulation is one of my trademarks, but I also sing and talk a lot on my own stuff. What I talk about is really what is going on with me. When I'm going through a difficult time – which happens often – I talk about it in my music. I think that is what shows through, an authenticity. If that comes across as feminine then great, but that's not my intention. My intention is to be heard, because I feel like I've been told to 'shut-up' a lot in my life. To be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart is important.

 Have you got any releases in the pipeline?  I'm working on a record for Altered Mood recordings and also have an album coming out in December on Harley & Muscle's label. It hasn't got an official title yet, but for now I'm calling it Pieces of My Puzzle. A lot of different emotions and parts of me came together to make this album. I tend to put my personal issues into my music and work it out that way. Back in August, I released The Ghost Spell according to Lady Blacktronika [featuring a 'reshape' on the b-side from Fred P]. It's a play on words...I'm a Nuwaubian, so it's sort of an anti-religion record!

What have you got planned for the podcast and how do you approach mixes generally?  I let the music flow really. When I start the mix, I sort of 'let the spirit' talk to me. I usually have some sort of plan in the beginning but after a while it goes out the window. I hate doing mixes at home by myself, because I need someone to vibe off of.

Do you plan on playing out much over the coming year?  If I had more offers, I'd definitely like to. I live in a small, remote place with no scene. I'd like people to know that I don't just produce – I DJ too! Generally I use Traktor, but I'm trying to “graduate” to using vinyl. People have a tendency to hate technology but for me, I'm glad for it because it allows me an opportunity to express myself in ways I couldn't before.

Listen to Lady Blacktronika on Pulse Radio