Tre’bore’s an artist who’s intrigued me since I first heard Dream$ & Filling$ early last year (check it out in Neoterika vol 9). The track’s resoundingly heavy boom baps layered against a dreamy, almost euphoric melody moulded into something that feels very rich and nuanced. It’s a hard track to find a place for, and that is always a good thing. More recently Honey Frills (that and more in Vol 17) played with a clearer hip-hop aesthetic but once again with a layered complexity that rewards repeat listens.
This mix is a scintillating blend of soul, hip-hop, staccato footwork and jungle beats with some euphoric house and trap thrown in for good measure. There’s definitely a rooftop flavour to this, it’s got me feeling to go dancing in the sun.
I caught up with Tre’bore over email to find out more about his productions, influences and why artist collectives are the way forward – check it below the mix.
N: What was the first song that made a lasting impression on you?
T: First song that made a lasting impression was Jill Scott – Getting In The Way. I grew up on mostly Soul, Funk, Jazz, R&B and Hip – Hop. I would hear Jill Scott, Slum Village & Common now and it would just bring me back and always remind me I was hearing what was the base for beat music from a really early age.
N: How did you first get into making music?
T: Well I first got into making music, when I was studying it in sixth form. I was actually lucky enough to be taught by Tehbis and he started playing me some of his beats, shit I’d never heard anything like it before. After that I got so intrigued with experimenting with sounds and made music while I was actually meant to be doing work.
N: What are your major influences?
T: Major influences are mainly the people making music around me and the stuff I’m hearing that I vibe. Being in Rooftop Collective & Fly High Society is great. Everyone shares what they are in to and I guess that’s always my base to research and be like ‘yeah I’m gonna let this influence me’. Great example is CAL and AracruZ from Rooftop Collective playing loads of Footwork in their earlier shows like a couple years ago and I just got sucked into it. Now I’m working with mixing up lagged and pulled backed rhythms into driven Footwork sections, so yeah goes to show.
N: What’s your process creatively? Where does a new tune start for you?
T: My process creatively is never really solid. Like I don’t think I have a strict process. I normally just open up logic, rack through my drum samples and other bits of audio I like to collect or sample and then start with getting them how I want them to sound and build sections from there. I add the basslines, chords, melodies and SFX. Sometimes I just stick my iPhone on record when I’m out and about and try and use those sounds in my work somehow or I would start my drums and stuff on the iMPC for the iPhone just to get ideas. I’ve also been experimenting with adding more live stuff recently, mainly drums.
N: How did the Rooftop Collective come about?
T: Rooftop Collective came about from us doing other music projects together, we used to be taught by Old Man Diode as well as teaching drums to kids whilst working for the Barbican in London and there was a time when we just realised we all share the love for electronic music and beats. After that we all started speaking more and planned to go to nights that we were interested in. Soon after that, we found ourselves on Jams’ (RTC) rooftop in the middle of East London looking at the most beautiful skyline I know, pre drinking listening to a tonne of tunes before rolling out to Tempo Clash. TC had Kutmah, Kidkanevil, Blue Daisy playing, which blew our minds and a few days after we just thought this is the shit, we need to try it and did.
N: Why do you think collectives like RC are important? Is the need for them increasing?
T: Collectives like Rooftop Collective are important, because they keep the movement going. Artists joining together and helping one another to get something creative out is the greatest thing to happen. There would be a lot of slept on stuff without the collectives that are about now. I think there is such a increase in them now, because artists are spotting other artists they relate to on the internet and actually creating together.
N: How we consume music is changing all the time – do you think it’s getting harder to be a producer, or is finding an audience easier than in the past?
T: I’d say it’s easy to be a producer, because all you have to do is create what you or others would like to hear. It’s the getting it out there and finding the right audience that is hard, because there is soo much shit on the internet and loads of niches. You could make good music, but easily get slept on if you don’t find a good place to put it.
N: You’re also involved with Fly High Society – can you tell us more about that?
T: Yeah that’s all SertOne from Liverpool. I really got into his music like a 1/2 years ago, playing it out on Rooftop Podcasts and had to see what he was about. So I followed him on Twitter, clocked that he was a sound dude, gassed up twitter with him, creased jokes and then soon after I asked if he wanted to make a tune together. That happened and I think a month or so later he invited me to come down to NTS Radio with the rest of the crew that were already members to catch vibes and hear the track we made on air. Not too long after that I became a member and it was honestly the best thing to happen. The crew is so chill and we all relate with each other, which leads to good things creatively. Recently did a mini Scotland tour with SertOne & Not Your Girlfriend from Berlin in January, which was amazing, we all realised we have a lot in common and none of that would have been possible without Fly High Society. There’s such a sense of us being a family already, yet some of the members haven’t met face to face yet. We just know that we are about the same thing and are trying to go in similar directions.
N: What advice would you give someone thinking of starting a collective?
T: My advice would be make sure the circle is tight and be motivated to kill it. Do not back down, just keep the work coming and try to put it in the right places.
N: Who’s making music we should be checking right now?
T: Fly High Society without a doubt, keep your ears to Iglooghost. The kid has got mad skills and he is doing things that I have never heard any other beat maker do at the moment. He’s that new wave that is gonna have everyone like “what the actual fuck”.
N: Finally, have you got anything in the works we should be looking out for?
Yeah I would say stay aware for the AracruZ Remix EP that should be coming out real soon. Also go peep “Fly Thai Green” on the Fly High Society bandcamp. That is that new new.
Big up Tre’bore, thanks for taking the time.
Neoterika 