Kemastry

Kemastry Talks On Latest LP, Music as Therapy and Taking Action

November 28, 2024 by Kieron Sullivan

Prompted by the release a couple months back of Directors Notes Say Smile, Eyes Say Different from Kemastry, we caught up with the Yogocop alumni and High Focus new-era don for a conversation on life music and radical acts.

Yes Kema! Apologies for longness on putting an interview together…. Hows life? Last time we chatted was at the last Nozstock. Caught you here and there but had descended into a nonsense being by day 2. How was your festival overall?

As always I spent my time drinking herbal teas, doing yoga, reading gardening manuals and asking the djs to turn it down. So yeah lively as always. Shouts to the grease pigs and the Sectioned boys. Kind of mindblowing we got to see Randall’s last set. RIP

How did the rest of your Summer play out?

Like a string quartet of cats serenading a chem sex party on the titanic.

Any stand out live shows?

Marc Rebillet at boomtown, Smuj at Boomtown, me and Vitz hosting for Sepia at Boomtown. Boomtown b2b Boomtown.

Have given the latest LP Directors Notes Say Smile, Eyes Say Different a bunch of listens. Honestly sick from start to finish. Now the projects complete, released and you’ve heard it a bunch, do you have a personal favourite track or tracks that are still hitting particularly hard for you?

Striped pj’s has a special place in my heart. Reminds me of how far I’ve come and how much further I’ve got left to go. All the tracks on the album are 5 to 8 years old, I think striped pj’s was early Eagle Court days before Vitz moved in. I’ve also got a lot of love for Daylight Falls especially the video. Was going through a tough time and shooting the video was really carthatic despite being cold and soaking wet on the downs. Both these songs got me through different relationships and still resonate with me today. Guess that also means I still got some growing and learning to do.

Does that correlate with feedback you’ve had on the project, or are there different tracks you’ve been surprised to find have resonated most with listeners?

Everyone’s taken something different. It’s mainly for my Brighton Gang, it’s a time capsule of my experience there. Its madness, depression and euphoria. I think it’s very visceral for the people that were in the storm with me, whether that’s caught up in the waves or spinning out in the eye of it.

To the uninitiated, if you had to sum up the LP and Kemastry’s sound in 2024 with a few words how would you put it?

A Firework Factory

Feels like the LP is therapy to an extent. A lot of self-deprecation, but putting that stuff into words is a form of taking accountability. Likewise, the unravelling of soured relationships sounds like you processing some anger, taking some blame and making shit of how things went down. As someone who lays depression bare in your music, does the process of doing so help exorcize shit and grow forward a bit less burdened?

A resounding yes. I couldn’t have said that better myself aha. I have a tendency to spiral if I haven’t made music. It’s a healer, it’s therapy, it’s understanding. I think just writing ur thoughts down in a creative way is mad useful.

On the hook of ‘Striped Pyjamas’ theres a chink of hope cracking through the darkness. Is the happy ever after on a beach in the Bahamas a sign you’re looking towards a brighter personal future on the horizon?

Like I said this albums pretty old, so I’m definitely doing much better than when I wrote this project. 5 years of therapy helps as does ditching the powders and benzos. If I was still feeling like how I was when I wrote this we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation aha. But yeah personally I feel I have more tools and compassion towards myself to navigate life.

Themes of looking inward and examining the various darknesses there is a motif that’s been present throughout your solo work. What keeps you returning to finding eloquent ways of wording that analysis?

Music is therapy to me and while NHS waiting lists are overly rammed for a lobotomy I might as well try understand this chaotic world through the lense of myself. All the darkness, mayhem, beauty and light. I don’t really know any other way to write.

As someone who’s overtly vocal on specific political struggles in your personal life… It’s interesting to see the more subtle way that politics momentarily surface in bars on tracks like Parole and Generation Why. Seems like the presence of the political in your music is often in the way the state of the world intersects with and impacts personal realities. Do you think the artistic approach of a more ground level, social reflection of larger issues makes for more relatable, emotive art than more explicitly political music?

I think the best art is reflective of self. So it’s important to leave a part of your essence in anything you write. Whether that’s a polical commentary, a exploration of your dark corners or a hand job about how cool you are. Being authentic is key.

Having the zine as a physical piece of art that compliments the project is a good look. Especially in the digital era where it helps to find creative ways to incentivise music fans to pay to own something. What sparked the idea?

I couldn’t sleep one night and I wanted to emphasize the stories behind the tracks. So stayed up and wrote the zine. Pinged them off to a load of artists I knew and they picked a story they resonated with. They all Interpreted it beautifully. I also think it gives extra depth listening to it with and without the zine.

It’s impressive that you found so many artists with their own unique styles to collaborate on it in a way that still has aesthetic continuity. Like the whole thing feels very unified despite each turn of the page leading to a new artist. How did assembling the artists to all pull in the same direction work?

I guess i didnt want them to pull in the same direction. I wanted them to interpret it however they wanted. The words were the unifying theme. All art is subjective and understood differently and I was really glad the zine reflected that. Each piece of art revealed more to myself if that makes sense.

It’s cool to see that in your HF era theres a continued presence of guest producers and artists from the Yogocop/Brighton pool on the LP. What’s kept that extended family central to the Kemastry creative sphere?

Ahaha this is a yogocop era album tbh. It was suppose to go on ygc. It was always supposed to go there. Shouts to the fam. Again most of the time I only really make music with people I fuck with on a personal level. Too many weirdos in the scene… This album was just the best and most cohesive tracks I made during my time in Brighton. Every track is with a close collaborator and participant in the madness. I think it’s the first time I’d worked with Tzusan tbh. It’s a very organic project I didn’t really think I want this person or that person. I’ve known my brudda Gaijin since primary school and being doing music as Voodoo Collective since we were 17/18 so it was especially sick having him on there.

Any activism bits you can talk about currently?

I’ve been training a hit squad of morally conscious beetroot to work their way into positions of power in order to get my music get played on radio 6 if that helps?

Was sick to see the Jury result for The Teledyne Four in September. Hopefully that sets a precedent that Juries can defy the state and let conscience win. Any news on your case?

Yeah 100 pal action have been fucking smashing it. Shouts to everyone willing to sacrifice their comfort for humanity in whatever way that manifests. My court case has been postponed to March 17th 2025. Need people to pull up on mass as the judge has already ruled out all our defences so very little chance of us speaking meaningful level. The Teledyne Four had similar issues but the jury acquited them on conscience due to public pressure, support and morality.

Any words for people considering taking action themselves?

Action requires sacrifice. In order to facilitate a world that we ALL deserve. A world of empathy, care, compassion, love hope all-day. We need to sacrifice. Whether that’s time, comfort, freedom you decide what you are able to do. Don’t be passive. Be an active participant in your world.

Thanks for your time bro. Any shout outs or plugs for upcoming shit?

Free Palestine, Sudan, Congo! decolonize your mind, buy music you resonate with. Go outside. Tell people you love them. Take accountability for your actions. Forgive. Scream in nature, do better, throw rotten fruit at facists. I’m sat on 3 projects right now so hopefully I get one out before March…mad love to everyone that backs me musically, personally and spiritually.

Directors Notes Say Smile, Eyes Say Different is available to now to stream on all platforms and to buy as digital download with dope printed magazine telling the story behind the project HERE.

A Day in the Life of CMPND

June 30, 2022 by Solomon PM

I recently spent a day with the CMPND boys and haven’t been the same since. With their second LP ‘Long Live the Court’ dropping today, we thought it would be a good time to give a peek into the lives behind the legendary rap gonzos…

8:43PM – CMPND are sound checking ahead of their headline performance at a Brighton nightclub. Wundrop’s mic isn’t working. “Have you tried turning it on?” asks the bar manager-slash-sound engineer. Wundrop spews back “This ain’t our first rodeo, mate!” before diving headfirst into a mess of cables.

9:16PM – 30 minutes later and the boys have produced gold out of a somewhat sorry audio setup. Kema is now getting a haircut directly on the dancefloor as the crowd starts to filter in. Vits is clowning around in the VIP section. Wundrop’s off to smuggle more booze into the venue. CMPND are definitely holding court tonight.

Three years on from their debut mind-bender ‘Eagle Court’, UK rap supergroup CMPND are back with the latest on their wild exploits over eerie production that sounds equal parts horror movie and messy afters (or both, if you listen to the lyrics). Individually some of the most prolific hip hop artists to come out of Brighton in recent memory, and an unstoppable force collectively, ‘Long Live the Court’ is a timely reminder that these Macbethian monarchs deserve their dues.

2:50PM – Earlier that day, CMPND are running their final rehearsal at Wundrop’s place. By which I mean they are clowning around again. Somehow, the hook to ‘Pick A Card’ “All I can do is be me when I hold mics” has morphed into “All I can do is be me when I smoke pipes”. Before I could even tell what was happening, all three members had started remixing their own verses to fit this new theme and had pretty much made a completely different song.

Not long after, the boys are discussing antonyms whilst sipping tinnies in a church doorway. Impromptu rhyming games had made a good deal of the day’s activities by this point and I was well out of my depth. Seamlessly transitioning from men-about-town to literary luminaires at the click of a lighter, Kema, Wundrop and Vits had started to come across as the Hunter S. Thompson’s of the rap world, with a daily intake that wasn’t too far off either.

3:45PM – Kema and Vits are frolicking in a small patch of grass opposite Hollingbury industrial estate. Wundrop wanders some distance behind, trying to remember the name of someone he’s forgotten.

It is in this incongruous yet incredible group synergy that CMPND really set themselves apart, with verses from each of the members covering the full spectrum of rap styles and instrumental pockets. “Who’s the best member of CMPND?” is a debate I’ve heard countless times over the years, and, to this date, a consensus has never reached my ears.

Wundrop aka King Long – Double-time, half-time, Wundrizzy moves at his own pace, rattling off hard-hitting truths and transcendental observations in the physical embodiment of no-fucks-given.

Vitamin G aka Kel Shellington– Explosively delivering delicately constructed syllables, Vits’ energy is unmatched, as are his adlibs. I don’t know which vitamins he’s taking but I’m pretty sure they’re giving him an unfair advantage at this point.

Kemastry aka Donald Surfaces – A poet and early hours shaman when not obliterating instrumentals, a verse from Kema somehow incorporates everything I was taught in A-Level English, and everything I was warned against in PSHE.

In a chance mid-piss stream encounter in the Patterns’ toilets, Kema once told me that I had to use at least one word that he didn’t know in this write-up. After much deliberation, I settled on the natural source of 5-HTP ‘Griffonia Simplicifolia’, a chemical CMPND commonly used to treat the comedown after a euphoric trip. I just thought this would be useful knowledge for any listeners of this latest release.

‘Long Live the Court’ has all the makings of a classic project- a cohesive sound, stand-out lyricism, stand-out features and, above all, it oozes character. The court summons you…

Kemastry – UKHH Bars

December 15, 2021 by Kieron Sullivan

Some pure fire we captured with Kemastry of CMPND a little way back. Dope instrumental by King Boyden.

CMPND – The Culprit

September 20, 2021 by Kieron Sullivan

New CMPND. This ones a bit creepy and has the HF trio going Blair Witch Project on us. Not sure what’s going on in the woods here or if we’ll ever know who ‘The Culprit’ is. Track bangs though. Apparently there’s a new LP currently being summoned through a series of elaborate, forest-based, demonic rituals. Presumably this means it will be good.

NEW EXCLUSIVE SERIES: Kemastry – Words 4 Action

August 26, 2021 by Kieron Sullivan

We’re excited to introduce our new series of bars videos WORDS 4 ACTION…

Seems like the last few years have seen racism, inequality, misinformation and far right politics come more glaringly to the forefront than ever. All happening against the backdrop of simultaneous shit shows like Brexit, the pandemic and pending environmental and economic collapse. We fully believe that now more than ever is the time for the resurgence of the spirit of protest and action that has been at the heart of much of the best hip hop over the years.

While the battle/diss element of hip hop has spawned infinite video series and other core traditions have been celebrated (e.g. JDZ Storyteller), to the best of our knowledge, there hasn’t yet been a bars series (in UK hip hop at least) with the theme of inciting action on issues/causes. As the ethic of resistance and protest has been present in hip hop since its beginning, this seems like a strange void to not already be filled.

We’ve been working on putting this together for a while and have been asking select rappers to choose a cause or issue they feel strongly about and spit meaningful lyrics on the topic. Then to briefly talk about what people can ACTUALLY DO.

We’re very proud to debut the first in this series from High focus/Yogocop/CMPNDs’ Kemastry who has been increasingly active over the last couple years with the Black Lives Matter and Kill The Bill movements.

CMPND – WEAINTPLAYIN

August 6, 2021 by Kieron Sullivan

It’s been a minute since CMPND‘s monster of a debut LP on High Focus and the slew of chem-drenched videos that came along with it. They’ve clearly not been slacking since though, ‘WEAINTPLAYIN’ has Vitamin G, Wundrop and Kemastry levelling up their already dizzying lyricism over a mad instrumental by Wundrop. Dope video by Honey JD.

Donaghy – ‘Wickerman’ ft. Verbz, Kemastry & GI3MO

April 12, 2021 by dylan

As co-signs for newcomers to UK hip hop go, having the likes of Verbz, Kemastry & GI3MO all bombing on your tune is pretty good. ‘Wickerman’ from young Brighton based lyricist Donaghy, definitely makes a mark. Helped also by the fact that beat by GAIJIN is severely hard. Keep em peeled…

Kemastry – What Love Is

October 8, 2020 by Kieron Sullivan

Kemastry on a verbal rampage with a sneaky under-the-radar drop; ‘What Love Is’. Heavy Booms and Baps by Tony See. Mind bending visual chaos by the donnies at Sho Real TV.

NuphZed – Phidgity ft Kemastry

April 24, 2020 by Kieron Sullivan

Dopeness from NuphZed and Kemastry ahead of NuphZed’s upcoming project Fickle Affection. Cop that shit on Digital or Limited Edition Vinyl from April 30th.

CMPND – ‘Eagle Court’ Review

October 10, 2019 by Solomon PM

The sonic equivalent of a night on the sesh, CMPND’s debut album on High Focus is an unforgettable introduction to the vibrant characters that make up the Brighton-based trio. Taking its name from the block of flats in which CMPND’s three members lived and recorded the entire project, Eagle Court is truly brought to life in a murky soundscape furnished with outlandish tales and experiences. Their High Focus backing has only served to further their individuality as every aspect of the project- from the production to the visuals- embodies the Eagle Court aesthetic, resulting in a project that feels wholly complete within its dizzying disorderliness.

To their newfound audience on High Focus, the CMPND’s verses do their own introductions- from Wundrop’s straight-talking vitriol to Vitamin G’s climactic moments of cinematic violence (“True to what I’m full blessed with/put a foot through the door you’re looking for the exit”) to Kemastry’s tripped-out nuggets of lyricism, each outlandish character is on full display. There is also a great deal of synergy to be found in this contrast, as they explore different grooves and facets of the beat to really round out a track: Vitamin G’s breakneck flows are counterbalanced by Kema’s heavier approach, while (King Long himself) Wundrop has a distinct tendency to go at his own pace, speeding up and slowing down at whim.

This capacity for each member to flaunt their best owes itself in no small part to Wundrop’s uncompromising production, which manages to create a space of its own in a UK scene that at times feels overcrowded. From the outright boom-bap track ‘Dusty Ivory’ to the lo-fi inspired ‘Purpatrait’, and even the more eclectic mixes on ‘Paraphrase’ and ‘U Know We Fly’, the instrumentation on this project covers a lot of ground yet somehow stays within the confines of Eagle Court.

Indeed, it is as all elements of the group come together that CMPND really come into their own- verses full of aphoristic turns of phrase and kaleidoscopic flows sit deep beneath vocal distortions in the mix, contributing to a listening experience that is equal parts mesmerising and disorienting. This twisted sound only intensifies as the project progresses and almost seems to tell a narrative- opening with Vits calling someone round to the house on ‘Eagle Court’, the crew proceed to get embroiled in increasingly outlandish exploits throughout tracks like ‘Whatuplayin@’ and ‘Flight 370’ before finally crashing down on ‘Hindenburg’ and waking up to deal with the aftermath on final track ‘Days to Daze’. Eagle Court is a trip in more ways than one and this is actively embodied in its promo run: stumbling around murky streets tinged with filters and distortions, the visuals for the albums four lead singles really bring the CMPND’s environment to life.

Though less surprising for fellow Brighton regulars Verbz, Herb and Nuphzed, it is no small feat how well each of the project’s guest appearances meld into the Eagle Court aesthetic, with Fliptrix and Dirty Dike both donning a coarser demeanour for their verses on ‘Hindenburg’. Brighton local Hutch, too, has a stand-out performance on ‘Illeagle Court’, whose bombastic delivery fills out the corners as the fourth member on the track and definitely lives up to Harvs le Toad’s summation of him as “some fucking jazz prodigy” at Brighton’s Ultrasound event [LINK] earlier this year.

From its twisted soundscape to its extravagant characters, CMPND’s murky world of dimly-lit Brighton streets oozes out of every aspect of the project- Eagle Court is brimming with character, to say the least. Each of the technically impressive trio succeeds in showing off their individuality whilst still staying true to the CMPND aesthetic, delivering a cohesive and immersive experience that is truly one of a kind.

Pre-order Eagle Court here now!

Older News »