By Lucio F
Check out our QuickFire Questions with Rebekah Reid from Jazz-experimental collective Täpp. Their rather intriguing debut album ‘i like what i do // i do what i like by’ is out now.
What was the first album you bought?
Well, I bought these two together: The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem and 2001 by Dr Dre. I was 11 and it felt like a real act of rebellion at the time!
Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations and why?
I’ve found inspiration from a broad-range of artists and musicians. As a child Miles Davis was played regularly in the house. His warm, tender tone and talent for crafting beautiful melodies definitely had an impact on my sound and what I listen out for. From the classical world, composers such as Bach, Paganini, Mendelssohn, Steve Reich and Phillip Glass have greatly inspired my writing style. As a writer I’ve also been greatly influenced by Aphex Twin, Floating Points and Four tet. Playing wise I adore Itzhak Perlman for his passionate and flawless violin playing. I also look up to Eddie South, the African- American Jazz violin virtuoso, whose recordings are heartfelt and raw, showcasing impassioned and fiery playing.
What are some non-musical inspirations that motivate your music?
Nature. Its all around you, and provides constant motivation and ideas! You can hear music in nature too and its great when you’re able to capture and express this through a song. I also love a good story – whenever I write or improvise there has to be a story or character connected behind the music.
Tell us about your album ‘i like what i do // i do what i like’
‘i like what i do // i do what i like’ showcases the eclectic musical inspirations of every member of Täpp. The album boldly and defiantly defies genres and stereotypes by effortlessly blending influences from classical music, jazz, hip-hop, electronics, folk/world music, broken beat, bassline and more into an exhilarating sound world. For me personally, it showcases all the musical elements that I love, and for a long time, have wanted to express through music and the violin. For many, the violin is viewed as a classical instrument capable of producing one type of sound-world or style. I believe there is a space for the violin to exist in a more contemporary musical setting and be part of a new, modern music aesthetic.
The album has been a labor of love, spanning 2 years and 3 national lockdowns. It’s the first time I’ve properly explored recording, mixing, and taking the lead role as producer. This mainly came about due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions. I went from being solely a live performing artist to suddenly becoming a sound/recording engineer, mix engineer and producer in the space of 2 months!
As a collaborative project, the album was initially created in 2019 with musicians in Manchester and was intended to be an EP release in 2020. As the restrictions set in and the landscape of the music industry changed, the project evolved, as did I as an artist. I had time and space to focus on developing the concept, and have incorporated every new thing I’ve learned about sound recording (at home and in the studio), using Logic Pro to compose, and producing in unconventional ways. I couldn’t have done it without the support of mix engineer Fi Roberts from Strongroom Studios, who over the past year, has worked with me to find the best sound and create something completely unique. The intention of this album is to transport audiences to a new world, and we hope that we can bring diverse music to audiences, opening them up to a new listening experience.
What have you got lined up the rest of the year (2021)?
There are still many unknowns right now about exactly when live music, concerts, and tours will get back to ‘normal’. Right now we’re currently planning and organizing gigs in the UK for Autumn 2021. Over the summer we’ll be focusing on our live setup and production, and aim to be back on stage performing as a collective later this year.
facebook.com/RebekahReidViolinist
©FM
