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Interview with Kaidi
The long overdue follow up to his 2002 debut album, In Search Of Hope marks Kaidi Tatham’s transition towards a career as a self-contained jazz musician and artist. A rare talent with boundless energy and creativity, he’s as eager to share his new music as people are to hear it.
A new solo album has been a long time coming, hasn’t it?
Yeah, it’s taken me so long. Reason why is partly I’ve been working on so many pieces of music. For five, six years, just learning and honing my skills and writing every day.
You need time to work on your craft, you know. Lock the door, play some keys, play some bass, play some guitar. I just want to learn as many musical instruments as possible so when I take it live I can show people I’m a proper musician. I don’t just want to be labelled “broken beat”. I just want to be labelled a musician who can do all styles of music. I love all kinds of music. I’m a very funky person. I can play on house (records) and stuff and that’s okay, but that’s not me. I like variety in music; music that challenges me. On this album there’s so much information crammed into it. Certain tracks are two or three minutes long, you’ve got to listen to them again and again. You’ll always hear different nuances, different things. Even me, I’m still playing the album. It’s killing me – I’m thinking “is this really me?” I’m surprising myself. The best teacher for me is myself. There’s a tune called ‘Swift Inspiration’ and I can’t play the whole sequence. I can play it halfway but it’s so tense.
Did you have a particular aim when you started writing the album?
It was whatever came to my head. I just had to pay some rent and I was worried about that, man. I write really fast – three or four tunes a day. If something comes into my mind I just put it down straightaway.
This album doesn’t have many vocal tracks but it’s for musicians and people to play along and sing along because there’s a lot of space in it to do what you want. There’re things in it where I’m like “why did I do that? Why did I put that sequence in there?” But when I hear it back it does make sense and it’s all there for a reason, even though when they hear it they might not be able to understand it at first. You just have to listen and sit down and it will get you, man.
It took a very long time. I’m a bit lazy as well. I was just making sure everything’s right, because I’m so critical of myself. Sometimes when I’m writing a song it feels like there’re a lot of people around me. I feel a big energy present and I wonder if it’s really me making the music. It’s really hard to explain. If I’m writing or composing it’s like I’m on stage and I can see people listening to what I’m writing. When I finish I feel I’m normal again, but who was that writing the music?
So instead of using existing material that’s unheard you decided to write new music.
I just started new stuff. It didn’t come straightway. I was still writing three or four tracks when it had to be handed in. I can’t stop playing it, even in my sleep. I leave the computer on with the thing looping around and don’t get bored. And that’s the test, man. If you can put the tune on at any time and you don’t get bored of it, then you know it’s good. ‘Swift Inspiration’ is just not funny. Playing it live, I can extend it, play some solos. Bring on the artillery - that’s when it can kick off. At the end of the day it’s still computer music. We’re trying to make it as live as possible but it’s still computer music. I just can’t wait until all this stuff goes live, man. I can jump up on the flute; two or three keyboard players; two percussionists; badboy drummer. I want people who can play more than one instrument so we can alternate around. Next year is going to be carnage – live music at its fullest. I’m never gonna stop buying synthesizers.
I haven’t been this excited about an album for ages. I’ve got the buzz and want to write more. I’m feeling really ready - it’s my time to shine and do quality music. I’m feeling a bit humble because everyone’s saying “thank you” but they haven’t heard anything yet. This is just a tease.
The funk is coming back. More musical-orientated music, instead of loops and having one chord on one pad and people rocking to that. People make music for the punters and not for themselves – to get a reaction from people who are dancing. That’s rubbish. Make music for yourself - do what you gotta do. I make music based on what I love and what I was brought up on. Proper music. Groove. Lyrics. Good musicians. You can feel them – you can feel the drummer tapping his foot when he’s playing.
I’m so glad that I’ve been blessed with music and I feel I’ve got to push myself and dedicate myself. Talent won’t get you anywhere by itself. You need other things. I found out the hard way and I’m learning. This is what I do - I don’t do anything else. I want to play with the best musicians in the world and I feel I have a right to. I’ve always been around good musicians, but I need someone to push me. I want to have that scary feeling when I’m coming to the session. Push me, because I can push people all day long. I want to be working with the best musicians in the world. I want to work with Patrice Rushen, Herbie, all of them. It’s time to put Mr Kaidi Tatham on the damn map. In what I do I want to bring joy to people’s lives. Make people smile and make you feel what I’m going through.
Do you have anything else to add?
Big love to Kentaro and Freedom School for all their support and for having so much faith in me and so much love for me. I can’t wait to go to Japan and play for them. They understand where I’m coming from, they can see the light.
Zaid Mudhaffer, Spine Magazine. November 2008
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