NOIATT ‘CAMOMILA’ BEAT TAPE

INTERVIEW

AUGUST 8TH, 2021

Artwork by NOIATT

First of all, who is NOIATT? Tell me a little about you, person and artist.

Noiatt, for friends Noia, is a producer and MC from Lisbon who tries to focus on generating creativity in each release, whether instrumental or instrumental with voice. I don't like to say that I do hip hop because I think the genre is quite parameterised. This instrumental album is hip-hop but doesn't fall directly into none of the strands of it. There are instrumentals for all tastes.

What meaning do you attribute to the title of the album, does it have any direct or indirect relationship with the tracks?

It can be said that this album “Camomila” is a sequel to my first album of instrumentals entitled “Sono”. Most of these tracks are created before going to sleep, that's why I gave these names to the albums. More precisely, "Camomila" comes from camomile tea, which is one of the teas I usually drink before bedtime (not a deep meaning ahahah). These instrumental works of mine are always more “laid back”. Most of the instrumentals are sampled based and some have lo-fi characteristics. The choice of samples is cautious, I try to choose samples that will lull the listener, so yes, the title has an indirect relationship with the tracks.

In one of our conversations about this project you mentioned that this would be certainly a reflection of the latest approaches to the more old school strand of hip hop, will it be the last time we hear you in a more boom bap or trap approach?

As a producer for me, yes. I don't totally deny the possibility to others. As I said in the first question, I think hip hop is quite parameterised, so much that I just want to run away from these parameters.

Photography by Tony Sousa

What was your technical approach in producing these themes, did you use any software or hardware for the execution of this beat tape?

I'm faithful to my Ableton, mpd18 and Arturia keystep. I don't need more. I try to be the most minimalist possible. If I think that some sound is missing, I can record it with the microphone. I think the “trick” in this type of beat tape is to reinvent the samples your way, and make a song come out of there. I know it sounds basic and simple, but how many of us have come across samples where we can't do anything with them? Exactly.

We also talked about the transition process that is currently taking place in your production, I think we can also say that this is a phase of exploration that could define your music in the near future, right? You talked to me about footwork in a way that transposes the presence of the electronics, compared to what was done in 'Camomila' as you explain this transition, what made you connect to this genre?

As an MC, I will continue with broken drums, out of time, and arrangements made by me using VSTs from older synthesizers. I can't define this in a “style”, but the grime cadence is the most appropriate. As for my still-debuting electronics side project under the name Kloser2kold, it's going to be based on a footwork mixture with more techno elements. I won't just stick to footwork, but rather, navigate between jungle, rave and more broken rhythms. That influence will be present in my next releases as an MC.

Is there any type of division between the NOIATT that makes beats and the NOIATT that makes rap or do you feel that these are two aspects of which you can manage in order to complement each other positively?

They are two different narratives. As a producer, for me, narrative is always about taking what was not used and creating a story around that. As an MC, it's constantly reinventing myself and doing something different from what I've done before. Constant evolution. I want to be remembered as “that Noiatt like vibe”.

Photography by Tony Sousa

In your most recent album 'Simulacro' it was possible to notice a strong reference of your skill as a producer and MC, there was always this need to produce your own instrumentals?

I think it's essential in my work. It's the whole package. Besides having control over everything, I have the possibility to create my own world. In a project as an MC more than half of the concept is conveyed by the instrumentals, and it's what I try to do in my projects. The narrative is also told by them, without words, the instrumentals already have to speak for themselves. And as I said before, by being the producer, I have the possibility to escape the patterns with greater dexterity.

Knowing that there is always some kind of direct or indirect influence on the work of an artist, I can see that there is a very aesthetic component relevant to the way you look at your music, from the most slappy kicks and snares, from the surrounding textures, to the 808 lines with glide and portamento switches that finally shape the behavior of your beats to a more organic sense, always keeping the determining characteristics of electronics, do you have any reference for this type of approach, any artist or artists who have influenced you to explore these fields?

One of the artists who influenced me most recently, especially for the “Simulacro” was the EL-P (Run the Jewels). I think his production on “The Cold Vein” of the Cannibal Ox is super creative and futuristic. The Streets (Mike Skinner) has also influenced me recently as he doesn't see any type of barriers. The melodies are iconic and irreplicable. Otherwise I've been heavily influenced by grime music, electro, breakbeat, and electronic music in general. However, none of these influences had an impact on “Camomila”, this is mostly a tribute to Hip-Hop.

Since your first releases 'O Eremita' and 'Sono' what changed since then and what can we expect from NOIATT in the future?

I evolved as a producer, writer and as a person mainly. The goals in each release are completely different, however in each of them I try to expel my feelings as best I can. I want to be an unpredictable artist that has the element of surprise in it, and with it I can create magic. My first releases were a learning path, a path that it will never end, but my skill at the time was limited. I currently see no barriers in creation.

NOIATT - CAMOMILA [BEAT TAPE]

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