interview
14/02/05
brought to you by joe 90
jeremy ellis
freestyle and fusion are vastly over used words. they have become shorthand
for an inability to describe. almost a swear word. jeremy ellis though,
does freestyle fusion like it means something. his previous work as
ayro, and now his new album 'lotus blooms' for ubiquity
recordings is freestyle with the seatbelts and airbags ripped right
out, skin of yer teeth futureboogie, that touches on a sometimes
bewildering array of musical movements. gospel, soul, house, latin, jazz,
broken beat, hip hop. often all in the same five minute track. we likey.
here's what he's got to say for himself.
1. hello jeremy - please introduce yourself for the uninitiated.
what up? I'm jeremy ellis aka ayro, and I am a musician from detroit, mi. i am the king of freestyle electronic music [insert theme music from 'lotus blooms' here].
2. i imagine that most who know your music know you as ayro - is ayro no more?
umm... no. ayro is a more vocal and concept album based side of my personality. i still have plans for 2 more ayro albums. the first is the story of the revitalization of a blighted neighborhood in detroit.
3. it seems a lot of musicians are heading to puerto rico at the moment - john arnold, bugz, quantic - what's goin on down there then, and what is the attraction of bomba styles?
well, PR is hot! in so many ways. i think the main influence in bringing and sharing in quality music is my boy juan (chucky) rojas, of amalgama records. there are others that have brought artists down there, but the same people are selling tiesto dvds, if you know what I mean. cultures trading ideas is a sacred part of our art form. intelligent artists will seek out new styles and ways to communicate their ideas, and therefore will be sought after to help others bring their ideas to life.
bomba is a style a music and dance which directly connects the dancer to the music. the solo drummer literally plays the rhythms the dancer pounds with his feet, or mimics the shaking of the shoulders. as most of us in electronic music make dance music, this interplay between the musicians and the dancers is fascinating and exciting. it speaks of life. another reason we all love PR is the way the rhythms are played. they don't sit in nice little 16th note boxes on a screen, they have room to move and breathe in equal measure. sexy!
4. tell us about the new album then?
i began recording in old san juan, PR in early 2004. those first months were mosly wasted, as my laptop and my backups were stolen while in miami - damn! i'm still a little pissed. but it was a lesson in patience in perseverence, as i recreated what i wanted to and infused newer/truer ideas. it's not the boldly puerto rican/detroit album i expected, but more a detroit/puerto rican record, knowatimean? my roots are here in detroit and it serves any artist best to communicate the ideas that are clearest in their minds. incorporating different styles will always be my style, but detroit soul is first for me.
the album includes straight funk/fusion tracks, house and techno influenced tracks, puerto rican bomba y plena inspired tracks, hip hop to jazz jam tracks, an r'n'b ballad, and some proper broken beat love songs for your ass. what can i say? i am a man who loves all kinds of flavors. yum yum.
5. do you think, with such a strong latin and puerto rican influence on this album you may receive criticism for 'musical tourism'?
from someone who doesn't understand that music is a collision of cultures crossing paths for centuries, i would expect simple minded generalizations. and anyone who knows me knows that i've been studying music of many styles for decades. of course, when one ventures into someone else's musical domain it is something to be taken seriously. intense study and humbleness will open one's ears to the true emotions living in the rhythms and harmony of music. and besides, when my friend pallito, an legendary bass player living in old san juan, could only speak two words of english to me, he laughed and said, "mutha fucka, you a mutha fucka!". this was my favorite compliment.
6. tell us about your 'one man band' live shows?
freestyle! [insert chase music from 'lotus blooms' here] It's all about using the machines to their limits, while testing your improvisational skills to their limits. as a trained jazz classical funk latin pianist and a drummer, i've built a vocabulary large enough to completely create music in the moment - before the dancer's eyes. it includes continually overdubbing beats and bass lines and chords, while simultaneously muting previous beats and bass lines to create a seemless flow of music previously only possible from a dj or a live band. and it's all freestyle! creating in the moment is the surest way to connect with a rooms energy - similar to bomba with it's interaction of the dancer/ solo drummer. did i say freestyle!
7. can we expect to see you in the uk this year?
yes sir!
8. what else is goin on in your world at the moment?
i've just started throwing a party with john arnold in detroit called third party candidate. its a night of complete freestyle, infusing musicians, mcs, and live electronic performance. look out for some samples of the night at brokenbeatradio.com. no laptops sets, for real.
9. the future's bright?
the future is bright because my new album will be exploding in all continents this year thanks to ubiquity records, the best label in the world. i hope my album brings a little pleasure to peoples lives - john beltran called me last night to testify ěthese passing daysî was his favorite make-out track.
10. the future's blight?
its a bit scary at the moment, with the bush dynasty continuing. my feeling is that they'll have destroyed enough of the world through war and pollution that they will be driven from power in shame, ushering an era of world peace and global harmony. i hope. for the record, saying you love freedom and supporting curbing freedoms for your own people is wack. be hopeful. peace. in actions and words. peace respect. jeremy
