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posted on 23-5-2003 at 09:11 AM

TREM [Lyrical Commission] Interview

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By Mark Pollard
22nd May 2003

Lyrical Commission’s debut album, “The Stage is Set”, has a good stab at cutting away any frills that people have tried to attach to hip hop. The album represents what they see as the essence of the culture and music – no nonsense, tight lyrics over stripped-back loops. Trem master-minded the project, having released a couple of twelve-inches himself, while Brad Strut (“The Authentic LP”), Bob Balans and DMC team champion, DJ J-Red, rounded out the crew for this particular release (Rob Nat is also a member but just became a father so had his focus elsewhere). They aimed to get a rise out of the local hip hop community with tracks like “Hate the Scene” and recording with Chopper Reid, but you cannot deny the skills and intensity this group have stepped up to bat with.

Trem, who produced the entire album and put it out through his label Unkut Recordings, is currently in the UK shopping the Lyrical Commission (LC) project. Mark Pollard caught up with him to see how everything was evolving.

Tell me about how this album came together. As far as I understand you had your trip overseas planned and took the crew aside and made a serious commitment to each other to finish the album before you had to leave...
Well we'd obviously talked at lengths for the past few years about dropping a release but nothing ever came about. I had my mind made up by about July 2002 that I was going to head overseas by the end of the year, and although both my twelve-inches and Brad’s LP were fairly well received in small circles of the UK hip hop community, I knew it wasn’t where either of us were at by now, so I was keen to take new product of some description to shop around. I put it to the crew that I was going and wanted to take a new release of some kind, be it a Trem or an LC release. The restrictions of getting it finished by the time I left was going to be the biggest hurdle, but everyone was prepared to make the necessary sacrifices and put in extra effort to make that shit happen. Considering the years it took to actually get something started, it spins me out to think how efficiently we got it all together.

With "The Stage is Set", Lyrical Commission seems to consciously try to put some balance back into local hip hop - being no-holds-barred, no-punches-pulled, straight-up, fierce-deliveries-over-tight-loops. What had been building up in your minds prior to this album because it seems that certain events/situations/people led to you taking a few things to issue?
Firstly, LC shit will always be 'no-holds-barred, no-punches-pulled, straight-up hip hop.' That’s as honest as you can get. Expressing yourself through hip hop is what it’s all about, and it’s obvious we were fairly disillusioned by what had been going on. It had definitely come to a stage where someone had to set the record straight. I mean, we had all played reasonable-sized parts in the building and development of hip hop in Australia and probably more so in Melbourne, but when all of a sudden - bang - there’s this big fucking movement claiming to be Aussie hip hop and it’s nothing like you envisioned it to be, it’s like, “What the f*ck is this shit? Did we actually contribute to making this monstrosity?”

Being that you played such a central role in this album, you must be extremely satisfied getting the project out to the public...
Bloody oath, I spent the best part of 5 months on it and I nurtured it and saw it grow. That thing was my baby - from planting the seed, laying the foundations, producing the instrumentals, rounding up the troops, writing my verses, recording vocals to finding cuts to suit, recording J-Red, mixing, mastering with Prowls, to working on the cover art with Ep [Epyk], promo runs, etc. As well as juggling a day job for the majority of it.

What are some of the lessons you learned from it?
Do it yourself, if you want it done right.

What did you find frustrating about the experience?
The most frustrating thing I dealt with during the whole thing was my fucking computer. I bought it to make recording vocals and cuts easier, but for the first four months it gave me nothing but fucking hassles. I gotta say though, having said that, I probably would have got more pissed off dealing with my digital 4 track trying to bounce 3 MC's vocals, punches/backups and cuts.

What did you find rewarding about the experience?
Plenty of good rewarding moments, but the best of all was taking the finished product into Mr Bongos [record store] in London, after only hearing it in headphones for the previous month or two, and them blasting it out loud in the shop on a cranking system.

You produced every track on "The Stage is Set..." Is it fair to say you focused on building fairly straight-forward beats so the MC's and DJ would take centre stage?
I wouldn’t really have it any other way. My production format won’t ever stray too far from what you hear on that album. Obviously we all progress, but I’ll continue to keep my shit straight up forever. My beats are there to complement the dope lyricists riding on top of them, and they hit the spot as far as I’m concerned. I love the raw shit. Now, not all, but the majority of these dudes making weird/abstract so-called innovative shit just use it as a means to cover up the fact their shit is wack. I come from the age when producers dug hard for sick loops. These days every kid in the land with a PC can manufacture beats. I mean everyone knows how to make drums and patterns and chop shit. It does it all for you with these computer programmes and plug-ins. Don’t get me wrong, some do it well, but not many have that hip hop blood running thru them. Not many of them use those sick original loops and basses that make you go "Fuckin' hell, where did he find that shit?"

Are you pushing LC while you are in the UK? What has the response been?
Pushing the LP has been my main objective since I got to the UK, and although it’s been a hard slog, the response has been overwhelming. I’m glad I took the extra time to stay here and build networks, and keep at people, making sure they actually listen to the promos I leave them. Getting it heard is half the battle. Once they hear it, they can make up their own minds on what they think, and so far all has been positive. It’s selling throughout the UK in most hip hop stores, online shops and it’s getting a fair run on stations like ItchFM [UK hip hop radio station]. It’s also copped some dope reviews in publications, and online (ukhh.com). I’m also in discussions at the moment regarding UK distribution to carry and push current and forthcoming Unkut Recordings product.

Will you be doing a national tour when you get back? What can we expect?
Most definitely. Heads haven’t seen us live since the LP dropped, so I hope they’re amped, ‘cause I know we are. Expect the shit to go off. Like the album- no holds barred in your face straight up live hip hop.

Are you going to work on a solo album down the track or are you focused solely on LC now?
My decision on what’s next is ever-changing, I’ve quit my day job, so this Unkut/LC shit is my
sole focus now. A solo LP has been a long time coming and although LC is definitely my major
priority, I can honestly say I think I owe at least a Trem EP to the loyal followers. And when it drops you can expect more of the raw.

For more info check www.lyricalcommission.com

Buy it online at Checkout Wax: www.checkoutwax.com

Lyrical Commissions' "The Stage Is Set" is out now on Unkut Recordings.

Copyright 2003.

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