Hello guys, your new album just dropped. How is it being back in the game? How has the response been so far?
Argonaut: We took a long time with this album, but during that time we were doing a bunch of shows and working on all kinds of side projects. The response has been great. People have really seemed to enjoy it and happy that it finally came out. We had been talking about it on our site for about a year before it dropped.
Laz Jack: Well we hope to have all the albums fit togther like a puzzle, so that when you take all the albums together you have a wide range. Instead of repackaging the same sound every time. Usually fans punish you for that, they want the same thing you did last time. Our fans are pretty open-eared and the response has been really good for Slow Burn. Scouring the emails most of the folks like it because its a refined and complete album, solid head-nod tracks and soul burn lyrics.
Elon: Most of the feedback we’ve been getting is real positive. I mean we’ve talked about it before, I think when we take our time and put together an ablum, we know its good and usually our fans feel the same way.
The album has a dark mood. Does that reflect your lifestyle?
A: Not really sure. When we started working on the album, all the beats we were picking had an overall melancholy feel to it. We just gravitate towards that. It may be because of our surroundings. The album was created in the bay area where sometime you don’t see the sun for weeks so this music kind of reflects that.
L: Nah, we’re sunny Californians. The album is slow and burns….we’re more getting into the struggle to struggle. California is competitive, you have to work hard everyday. You have to fight for the world when it’s already yours….that may seem dark, but its just the grind, and we’re happy to grind.
E: I think most of our albums have a moody feel to them. My album (Atomik Age) did, Robot Dreams, all the early D6 stuff had a tone or feel. I just think that‘s the music we make best. D6 also has a quirky feel sometimes, but I’d say as for my productions and what I like listening to, I always gravitate towards the moody shit.
They Say is a brilliant track, but sounds differently than the rest of the album. What made you put it as the second one?
L: We wanted the album to be a little top heavy, set the mood right from the start. We also realize this is the "right now“ era. Musicians need to get the listener involved early and often, there’s a lot out there, we need to push our product and grab attention. Like in essay writing when you introduce your topic sentence, we wanted the first songs to capture everything we’re about to talk about.
A: This was one we instantly liked, when Elon dropped the beat in our little studio we all went kind of nuts like we need to do this now. The final mix for Slow Burn was actually our second mix of the record. We made the first mix and started shopping it and Michael at 24-7 said he liked the songs at the end the best and wanted to know if we could put them early. That spawned "After Life" and "They Say" moving to the front of the album. Looking back it was much better to have that song first because to me it sets the tone for the whole album. Big Up to Ehnertia for the great hook.
E: Like Argo said, this wasn’t the orignal sequence for the record. When we first sequenced the records those songs weren‘t so early in the album. We actually sat in a room with the crew and went thru each track and graded them and decided more or less which tracks we should lead with. And in the end They Say and AfterLife were the top tracks.
Never is another interesting track. Tell us 5 things that D6 will never do.
A: 1) Bite
2) Make Money from Music
3) Pay a "known rapper" $5,000 for 16 bars to help sell records
4) Rhyme Party with Bacardi
5) Quit our day jobs!
L: Say never
The production is really on point. Where do you dig samples? What´s your opinion on the on-line digging?
E: I’d have to say that for myself it‘s really changed over the years. When I wasn’t concerned as far as the money I was spending on vinyl. I’d spend $10 or $20 no problem for a record. These days I find myself spending less time in record stores and more time in thrift shops and swap meets, places like that. Now I’m buying dollar records. Amoeba is still the shit tho. As for digital digging, I mean, if you can find dope shit and make some bangers out of it, do what you gotta do. I don’t really get caught up in the code of hip hop production or anything. Do what you gotta do to make your music. I’ve used cds and mp3s before, but I’m still mostly using vinyl.
A: I dig every and anywhere I can. A few years ago I decide that I was not going to spend tones on money on records because at that point I was buys 20 $10 records every time I went out. I decided that I was going to live for .99 cents records, so most of the stuff was from .99 bins. Online digging is just a part of technology in music. I don’t look down on it because however you can get it, get it. I have found some good stuff online but I still like getting dusty at the record stores. I like looking at the covers and reading the labels so that will never change for me.
In most of the songs each of you has just one verse. Why?
A: Its more of a case of how much can you stand from us. These days peoples attentions spans are short so most people will put on the track on and hear the beat then decide if they want to listen more. I have listened to tons of rap and basically the 2 guys each doing 2 24 bars each can get redundant no matter how dope the beat is. We have our epic tracks like "Far Away" and "Deep Slang" but we want people to listen to the whole track and each of us doing one verse seems to work.
What have you been doing since Robot Dreams? I haven´t heard of you except for your song on the Tropic Zone comp.
A: We have been working on a bunch of new music and just trying to get this Slow Burn out to as many people as possible. We are still fairly unknown so we have to work real hard with each release to get as much as we can get out of it.
E: Besides just living life, we’ve been working on lots of projects like Argo said. We have nearly four full albums in the archive, we’re just trying to figure out when to release them and how best to do so. Time just moves so fast these days its hard to keep up…isnt damn near summer already?
The Robot Dreams LP was released on subversiv*rec and Slow Burn is on 24-7. It´s obvious that you are very close to Europe. No interest in America? Why is Slow Burn not released on your own Sunset Leagues International?
A: Robot Dreams was originally recorded for LEX Records but never found a release date. We asked Subversiv if they wanted to release it on vinyl because they had put out the vinyl for Elon’s "Atomik Age" album. At the same time we started a relationship with 24-7 because we did a song on their Dnae Beats release "Eternal Autumn." Basically it all worked and they put out Robot Dreams CD with a few extra remixes and unreleased tracks. Its not that we don’t have an interest in America its just that the European labels are feeling what we are doing. We have tried to shop all of our release to labels in the states but don’t get anywhere. The European labels like what we do and are excited about releasing it. We actually did two releases of "Slow Burn" the 247 overseas release with a bonus track and one we did with our label Sunset Leagues Intl for the states.
L: Well we wanted to nail a concept and we wanted that concept to be something in-line with the D6 style, something that we could do better than other folks. Also we wanted to have the album be on the sci-fi tip but really be talking about basic things like going to work everday, the trials and tribulations of blue and white collar robots. Using a way out theme to talk about a real street level thing. We think we did that. We really try and make a range of albums. We’re fortunate that most of our fans are into all of our music, and most of those same folks have one particular favorite, Robot is that favorite for a lot of cats, the rest may sleep.
According to Accesshiphop.com your last album misunderstood. I think it was more slept-on than anything. How do you fell about Robot Dreams two years later?
A: Robot Dreams was our conceptual baby. We joke that is was our Dark Side of the Moon record. I was going through this Pink Floyd stage and was really wanting to do an album like that, and we had been wanting to make something for LEX that was really creative and stand out. It took us about a year to make, going back and forth with concepts and beats. But when it was done we were really proud of what we made. We felt like we created a fully fluent 42 minute concept album that was a solid listen from front to back. Robot finally found its release 3 years after it was finished, but I still feel very proud of it and wish it would of been received better. Really it didn’t get any attention at all from anyone outside our fans and that was a bit dissapointing. Also that album leaked on soul seek about a year before it came out, so we had to deal with people who already had it. In at positive way it made us realize we didn’t have much music out there, so we knew we had to hustle on getting Slow Burn out.
E: I still think Robot is a great record.
Why did you leave Lex Records?
A: We didn’t leave per say but we got impatient. We turned Robot Dreams in and we thought it would come out quicker then they did I guess. We were young in the game and had never really dealt with a record label so we kept putting pressure on them to release it. In the end they decided that they couldn’t get it out when we wanted to and that they had a bunch of other projects that needed more attention like Boom Bip, Danger Mouse, FOG etc. They did however give it back to us after they paid us for it so I am extremely grateful for that because they didn’t have to do that. Looking back I think Robot Dreams would of gotten alot more attention if it were released on LEX but it just didn’t happen that way. We still have a good relationship with them and continue to send them music and really appreciate the records they did put out by us.
E: If they wanted us to stay, we would have. It wasn’t a question of us wanting to leave, it was more that they were a brand new label, we were their first release, and I think in the end they wanted to put money and energy behind groups that were already established. Or maybe they just didn’t like the record. Hard to say.
You are pretty busy. Jason got a solo album coming out, also Elon.Is has something in works. What can we expect from you in the near future?
A: This is actually some of the most exciting times for us as a crew. Everyone has been working hard on a bunch of music so in the very near future you will see new solo albums by Jason the Argonaut, Lazerus Jackson and Elon Is. We will also have a new Disflex6 EP release exclusively on itunes. Me and Elon have a break beat record we are shopping and also working on a new Disflex6 record for 2008.
E: We have a lot of new projects. hopefully if we can find a way to get all these albums released, we should be back in the consciousness once again. Plus we’re always making new beats and really just trying to keep moving, keep progressing. Releasing them is the challenge.
Play some fucking hip hop. Who came up with that motto and what does it refer to?
E: Pretty sure that’s an Argo creation. It means quit playing some bullshit and play what we want to hear. In that respect I guess we’re some cocky fucks.
A: It came out of a Reno strip club where the dj was playing nothing but classic rock and us being courteous by yelling out our request in the form of "Play Some Fuckin Hip Hop." Now its just a motto for when ever we are in a place and the music is just not up to par! Have fun, say it loud, PLY SOME FUCKIN HIP HOP!! Ha-ha
L: It refers to DJs who don’t play hip-hop even though every time they put a hip-hop record on the place goes nuts.
Elon.Is and Jason produced one track for Roots Manuva. How did you hook up with him? Do you know and listen other european hip hop artists?
A: That track was something last minute we threw together. We have a friend at OM records and he asked if we wanted to do a remix for the Roots Manuva track off the Colossus album. He sent over the accapellas and we went in the studio with nothing and came out with whats on the record. The people at OM liked it so much they gave us the only instrumental on that 12“. That was the first time working with any artist from Europe besides Ewan from the 24-7 compilation Tropic Zone.
E: That was really a remix we did for OM Hip Hop and our homie Jonathan over there. I can’t say I know too many european artists, but I was always a big ninja tune fan and mo wax of course, so I had heard some stuff…mostly just artist that I’m sure out there are considered mainstream like Dizze and the Streets. Roots Manuva is dope no doubt.
Altough there is a strong underground hip hop scene in LA, you work just with artists in
your crew. Why? Why don´t you work with the Shifters, Project Blowedians and others?
A: Its just a family thing. We have grown up around eachother, rapping since high school. We would love to work with other artist and in the future and you will see some Elon and Jason productions on some other artists albums. The new Nelia record will feature both me and Elon, and then there’s the project Elon is producing with super rapper Dublin (Dead Rap Kids/Shotgun Wedding Quintet). Its basically like an audio movie called Red Lake USA. Elon and I have also done productions for other artists as well like Tajai (Hiero) (Raindance Elon.is Remix), Writers Block (Up Above), Z-Man (Gurp City), Psalm One (Rhymesayers), Murs and Jean Gray as well as a few some other underground cats, so we’ve done some shit.
E: I think working with outside crews is just a little more difficult sometimes. I guess its just a matter of getting some type of relationship going besides music and then working into that. Like Jay said, I did 3 songs for Neila’s new album which is also coming out on 24-7 I believe. And I mean that list of artists we have worked with is growing. Also back in the day I did that track with Lucky.i.am from the Living Legends. So we have done a few things. We have tried to build with cats like Subtitle, Tes (Lex) and Mestizo from G4, so we try, its just hard to close the deal sometimes. Hopefully both Mestizo and Sub will be on my new album. Fingers Crossed.
Any plans on touring Europe?
A: We would really like to come back out there and do some more shows again. It has been a while so if any of you promoters want a live show for a fairly good price hit us up!! D62000@yahoo.com
OK, that´s all. Thank you very much for your time. Would you like to add anything?
A: I just want to say thank you to you and to everyone that has been supporting this record. We are fairly unknown so all this really helps spread the word. I think we make good hip hop so thanks for helping us let the world know! www.myspace.com/disflex6
E: What he said. bye bye.
