Skip to playerSkip to main content
Genre-busting alternative duo Alt Blk Era talk us through the bands and artists that changed their lives, from watching videos of Nine Inch Nails at Woodstock to finally seeing Beyonce live #altblkera #nineinchnails #beyonce #billieeilish #theprodigy #ashnikko

Category

🎵
Music
Transcript
00:00The grittiness of the guitarist, for sure.
00:02Yeah.
00:03Oh, that was so good.
00:04No, it was the green light.
00:06Yeah, in Reptile.
00:07In Reptile specifically.
00:09The green light, the atmosphere, the kind of the sun.
00:12Like, oh, what is this?
00:19I don't know how I got into Nine Inch Nails.
00:21I just remember just one day I just turned obsessed
00:25and I used to always watch their Woodstock performance.
00:40And that's actually when I got into guitar playing because,
00:44what's he saying, Robin?
00:46Finnick?
00:47Yes.
00:49He's just an amazing guitarist, so is Trent,
00:51so that really got me into playing guitar.
00:54I remember when Cheo got me into Nine Inch Nails,
00:57it was that same Woodstock performance.
00:59It was really late.
01:00She's like, come and watch this video.
01:01And I was like, no, I don't want to.
01:04I'm in my own room.
01:05She's like, no, come on, please watch this video.
01:07And I'm like, how long is it?
01:08And it's like seven minutes.
01:09I'm like, I have seven minutes to watch this video of that.
01:12And she's like, no, come and watch it.
01:13And then ever since I saw it, I was like, wow.
01:14Like the stage aura had me totally captivated.
01:18And then I became a Nine Inch Nails stan after that.
01:21I feel like it's always the same kind of bands we put each other on.
01:24Like I put everybody on to more like emo and rock songs and you.
01:28I put you on to a lot of like rapper, like alternative acts in general.
01:33Yeah.
01:34I remember when we did, I'm not sure if you've seen the unboxing video,
01:36but we got sent the Nine Inch Nails Doc Martin collab.
01:41And Cheo was just freaking out.
01:42Cause obviously we got like, they came with the signed vinyls.
01:46And the poster.
01:46And the poster.
01:47So Cheo now is in possession of two signed vinyls, two posters,
01:51and two pairs of shoes as the signature Nine Inch Nails fan of our house.
01:55I think just like the rawness and how free they were on stage.
02:01And the grittiness of the guitarist for sure.
02:05Yeah.
02:05Oh, that's so good.
02:06No, it was the green, the green light.
02:08Yeah.
02:09In Reptile.
02:09In Reptile specifically, the green light, the atmosphere, the kind of the sun.
02:14Like, oh, what is this?
02:17That's what I got into Nine Inch Nails.
02:18Yeah.
02:18The Prodigy.
02:19So the first time we got into Prodigy was maybe a year into like our music career.
02:27And we were really, I was feeling a bit trapped in my live performance
02:31because I've always been a really big extra, like 10, 10 all the time.
02:35Bam.
02:36I'm in your face.
02:36But when I was on stage, I kind of felt like I was holding something back.
02:40Like I couldn't be myself.
02:41There was like this weird gap of performing and being like the real Nairobi.
02:46But I was thinking like no one else is weird or is fully expressive.
02:49And I was watching like other like big stars and no one was really fully letting go in the
02:55way that I wanted to let go.
02:56And then my mom was like, oh, um, you guys should check out the Prodigy.
03:00So we were like on, on YouTube and then we watched, was it there?
03:04Rock Amory.
03:04Yeah.
03:05Performance.
03:13And from then just seeing, um, Keith and that expression, I was like, no, that's, that's who I am.
03:19Like that's, I didn't realize that I could do that.
03:23And it was like socially acceptable.
03:25Like I was afraid that being myself was doing to be too much, but they were just themselves
03:30and just in, in every way, just giving the audience a hundred percent of them.
03:34And then that's when it clicks.
03:35So it's like, no, I'm going to give the audience a hundred percent off Nairobi and then Chaya.
03:41Yeah.
03:41So they were like some huge, like influences for our life, like our live shows.
03:45Have you seen the Prodigy live in person yet?
03:47Yes.
03:48We did.
03:49Um, their, their Leeds, Leeds too.
03:51Yeah.
03:51Was it last year?
03:53Um, yeah.
03:54They had the, um, the memorial, the Keith statue, which was yeah.
03:58Amazing to see.
03:59Ashniko.
04:00No, I really don't actually remember when I got into Ashniko.
04:03I've just always really liked them.
04:05I think like from the jungle, like the blue hair.
04:21The, the expression, the, like the rapping as well was like the kind of like edgy alternative beats.
04:27I think, I think with me and Chaya, anyone who was just unconditionally, unconditionally themselves is just a winner.
04:34And we're just really attracted to those kinds of people.
04:37When did you, when did you remember when I got into Ashniko?
04:39I think it was before we did music.
04:42I swear it was.
04:43Was it before?
04:44I think it was, I think it was about 2021.
04:4721.
04:48Okay.
04:48Yeah.
04:49But yeah, no, it was a massive fan.
04:51I got introduced by, um, Daisy.
04:55Oh, okay.
04:56How me and Chaya got into making music in the first instance, it wasn't, um, limited by genre up the
05:02jump because we didn't have a full understanding of genres.
05:05Because we started making music so young.
05:07I mean, what were we like?
05:0814, 17.
05:10Um, it was just like post-school, um, and we were kind of experimenting with sound.
05:14So we didn't, we had no real understanding of like the rock or metal community and all the different sub
05:19genres.
05:19And that like deep dive into the alternative scene at all, because we'd grown up listening to like old school,
05:25um, you know, R&B, neo soul, reggae, and then also whatever was playing on the charts.
05:31And what our friends were listening to, which is like JLS back in the day, um, in One Direction in
05:36the Vamps.
05:36I love the Vamps.
05:37Yeah.
05:37So that's what was popping in 2014.
05:40But because we've kind of grown up making music, like we've experimented, like from our first song in 2022 was
05:48like alternative pop.
05:49And our last song in 2022 was like metal.
05:52So we've really just been free and allowed ourselves to experiment with genres.
05:57And you can kind of like, it's really interesting because as you go through like, especially 2022 is dropping music.
06:02You drop like nine songs and you can really hear what kind of like eras, like musical eras we were
06:07in.
06:08Like when I found trap metal in about May time and then like going into metal, like you can just
06:12really hear the descent into the heaviest stuff, which is really fun.
06:16Um, so I think we've just kept that up, just allow ourselves to be like, oh, we want to add
06:21this in the song and not be like, oh my gosh, the operatic sound.
06:24This isn't this type of music.
06:26We've just been like, if it works, if it sounds good, then it's all for the music.
06:29Billie Eilish.
06:30I think, well, when I first got introduced to Billie Eilish, it was in an IT class with a supply
06:37teacher.
06:37And the guy next to me was like playing, was it Belliache?
06:42One of her earlier ones.
06:53And then I was like, oh, what's this?
06:56And that was like, I think that might've been my first taste into like alternative music.
06:59Like old pop.
07:00Oh pop.
07:01Because back then if I was listening to like, um, like, you know, neo soul reggae and then like little
07:07mix.
07:07So I didn't really understand, um, like the, the depth of alternative music.
07:11So I was like, oh, she's edgy.
07:13What?
07:13Yeah.
07:13This is, this is wild.
07:15Like why, why are we watching this in IT?
07:17She's super edgy.
07:18Um, and then I think it was just.
07:21Yeah.
07:21Listening, listening.
07:22Obviously throughout the years, she's got massive.
07:24Growing up watching like stars, like, you know, Brianna or Ariana Grande or Katy Perry.
07:28And then seeing Billie Eilish is like, that was just so like off key to what we were used to.
07:35And I think that's what really drew me to her.
07:37I was like, wow, she's amazing.
07:39Because I think, um, even though I wasn't used to the alternative scene, I think I've always been really interested
07:44in anyone who looks a bit different.
07:46You know, even if it was hair, outfits, anyone who stand out, I was like, oh, you look nice.
07:50I wonder what's going on.
07:51But I didn't really know what was going on until we joined the scene and we were just like slowly
07:55introduced to other artists and the culture of what it is to be alternative.
07:59Stromae.
07:59So that was, um, that was locked down in 2020 when we were still experimenting with all our different genres.
08:06It actually came from, and we were on colors like the YouTube channel.
08:11And there was another French artist called, um, Luce the Yakuza.
08:14I really like as well.
08:15And then I got into French rap and then I found Damso.
08:18And then eventually Stromae and then finding out how much of an icon he is in France.
08:32How he experiments with so many, so many different genres.
08:36And he talks about really, really serious topics, but also in like a fun way, kind of like what we
08:41do, like straight to heart way.
08:42Like you can have a dance and a party, but there's an underlying, underlying message that's really serious and meaningful.
08:48I think, yeah, I think, I just think he's so amazing.
08:51I'm just so, I'm so in awe.
08:53I'm so in awe of everything that, um, he does, you know, how he carries himself on stage and how
08:58he thought out his process is for like his tours.
09:01Yeah, his life, his life performance is like a proper production.
09:04It's, it's, it's theatre.
09:06Cause we've always been really big on like, uh, drama.
09:09And the fact that he can really show his art, not only, um, audio, but with visuals as well.
09:15It's just, yeah, transcending.
09:18Beyonce.
09:19Beyonce.
09:19I feel like she's, I feel like Beyonce has just always been a key part of our childhood.
09:25I was going to see that.
09:26She's, I don't remember her ever being there.
09:29She's always been there.
09:30But I think that the, the, the moment where we gained a real, real respect for Beyonce was, um, her
09:37documentary and watching her talk about how hard she was.
09:40So when we first came into the music industry, we didn't know much about, you know, touring and how you
09:44have to know everything about lighting and sound and outfits and dancers and making sure everything.
09:49Everything's tight, but watching her and how she runs her business.
09:53So, um, efficiently, she just works so hard and hearing a lot of people talk about her and being like,
09:58no, she's, she really is incredible.
10:00Um, as well as having a family.
10:02I just think she's, she's amazing.
10:04I've got a newfound respect for her, obviously after listening to single ladies growing up, but now I think, yeah,
10:10she's brilliant.
10:11I'm going to go see her on tour.
10:12Oh yeah, we are.
10:13Very soon.
10:23I'm really glad that she's, she's definitely a big influence in regards to how she runs her business, how she
10:29carries herself, being an amazing performer, how hard you have to work, um, to maintain the level that Beyonce is
10:36at.
10:36So yeah, we hope to keep working hard and maybe we'll get a look in to see how hard she's
10:41really working.
Comments

Recommended