#kdeath

Me: *is showing my kids GF*

GF: does the Dipper and Mabel vs the Future thing

Kids: OH GOSH I NEED TO SEE THE NEXT EP WHAT HAPPENS

Me: nope time for bed

Kids: IT'S TWO IN THE AFTERNOON

Me: *is freaking out about GF*

Person: Ew it's just a cartoon it's not actually the end of the world get over it

- I was first introduced to the music of Moodie Black by the Fake Four Inc Bandcamp page, when the debut, free EP first dropped. Being a fan of everything that Fake Four Inc has been about, I wasted no time and started listening to the 5 track EP. At the time, I was still making music in a group, that in hindsight could be thought of as NoiseRap, so the sound they had, and KDeath’s voice sold me. Once 2014’s Nausea dropped, I purchased it as soon as I could and digested every dark lyric, heavy, low-end kick, and raw staticky synth. I kept it on repeat for months. 1 year later, and i just purchased the vinyl, because this album is hard as fuck.

Fast forward to 2015, the start of their new weekly Podcast entitled Moodhouse, a move to Los Angeles, and several tours behind them, I sat with KDeath to talk about the show, the new music, his some of history, and his recent disclosure that he identifies as Transgender.

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Moodie Black has been working for the last several years creating heavy handed music that, love it or hate it, is filed under “noise rap”. As an artist with many influences do you hate having to describe, or label your art in that way? And, if we did a DNA test on KDeath to find out how you got to this place as an artist,  what would we see as building blocks to your artistic makeup? Influence wise.

The artist side of me doesn’t care to label it, but I also know that I am running a brand or business. So for business purposes it makes sense to have labeled it Noiserap. That’s why we bought noiserap.com years before death grips and all that happened. I had a vision and knew where the next musical trend was going. We have seen it in glimpses, but noise rap really hasn’t had its day yet. So in that respect we take advantage of the noiserap label because people can identify it easier as a brand of music. I am also trying to expand that to be a lifestyle. It’s also easier for me to just say noise rap instead of all the other contrived things I would use to describe our music. 

As for Influences. I started out heavily influenced by West Coast gangster rap. Coming up in Phoenix that’s all I listened to. So those heavy hitting aggressive NWA beats in retrospect had a big influence on the rap side of MB. Of course, as I grew older and refined musically I got into all sorts of music like The Cure, Labradford, BAUHAUS, DALEK, admittedly because my brother was really into these bands. There was also a brief period of time where I was into indie-rap, yet as I type this I feel some weird sort of shame about that. 

Let’s dig up bones! Most embarrassing rap albums you’ve owned/first indie rap records you purchased!

HAHA. I think I bought that Sisco record with thong song. Used to think that shit was dope. Not really a rap album but embarrassing. As for rap I had all those Atmosphere albums back in the day. One of my first indie rap albums was given to me by my brother it was called ROPELADDER and that shit was dope!

I read that you had worked at a school for autistic children while living in Minnesota,  and you now help run a food truck in LA. Was there a background in special needs education that you come from? And is cooking another level to your artistic game that we’ve not fully seen the depth of yet?

Haha small note, its children with autism. That is the way to be PC about it. I started working with kids with disabilities in 2006. I was just finishing my associates degree and needed a job. My girlfriend suggested getting into the field and I worked at a really shitty day center for kids and then got trained to do Autism work. I had no idea what I was doing and really learned on the job. But I had a natural ability and connection with the kids that I found to be a passion. Kids with disabilities are really inspiring very pure human beings, and I really love being a part of their lives and helping them and their families achieve things they never thought they could. Almost 10 years later, I moved up to being a Behavioral Therapist with the Minnesota Autism Center, one of the top institutions in the world. I miss the kids. not so much the job haha. 

I started to burn out on it and decided I wanted to pursue my passion for cooking. When I am not on the road or working on MB, I cook.  Moving out to LA I was lucky enough to be offered 2 jobs as a cook with absolutely no restaurant experience. I’ve worked really hard on being a good cook for the last 4 years. Anything I am passionate about I want to be the best at and cooking falls into that category. I took a food truck gig and within 2 months I’m the only and lead chef. I have input on the menu and get to create my own tacos. The food truck gig is the beginning of the other part of MB or the Moodhouse brand. We are going to have our own food truck called MB foodhouse featuring burgers and tacos. Could be a lot sooner than people think. I’m interested in pursuing my passions and not working traditional jobs. I figure I might as well do what I love to do than be miserable most of my days until MB sustains me fully.

I listened to “100” from the MBII EP that released back in March, and you said (I’m paraphrasing here) that all your life you’ve been a quarter black, and have no problem saying “the N word”. How has coming up part Mexican, and part Black, and not being clearly identifiable as those specific backgrounds been for you? Did you grow up using the ‘N–’? Did you get pushback for saying it because it doesn’t stand out that you’re black?

Growing up mixed race has always allowed me to have an interesting perspective on how people treat each other based on perceived looks or perceived cultural background. I’ve always been on the outside looking in with both communities until they find out what I am. When black people realize I’m black then it’s all good and that weird tension/stand offness goes away. Mexicans are a little more welcoming, at least to me. Maybe because I look more Mexican. I have gotten all sorts of crazy comments and most people assume I am east Indian, which I am not. I’ve never fallen into any particular crew of people racially my entire life and most of the time I don’t even think about it. I feel like people are always trying to figure me out and often times completely misplacing who I am. I’m cool with that or just used to it. Its taught me that humans are very ignorant and a lot of people need to learn that the best part of living amongst each other is how different we are. Growing up I never used the N word until like college. I played basketball and I joked around all the time with dudes, and that word was used all the fucking time. I never had a problem with it because Mexicans kind of get a pass on the word too. But to be honest. Unless I’m joking around, I have no use or need for that word. In the song its a social commentary on what’s going on, basically saying I see what’s up with the word being a problem and I support the discussions.

And to piggy back off of race right now, I see that you are actively supporting the Black Trans lives matter movement. What is your thought process around the deaths over the last 2 years specifically within the black community, and black trans community?

I think it needs to be talked about more. I think it’s shedding light on the fact that many of these minority cultures need to be educated about being transgender. Too many deaths. Period. I will also say that while I support fully these movements I think we need to be conscious of not becoming victims or giving our power away. Although these unfortunate events occur it is important to represent and continue to advocate for being yourself and not a statistic or member of a group of people. 

Moodhouse is the weekly podcast you recently started up, and a lot of the topics are surrounding the struggles for independent musicians touring, noise rap as a genre, how that label is misapplied to some groups, and also Sean working at Wendy’s/Falling asleep. Why did you feel like a podcast was the next move for MB as a brand? Whats the response been like so far?

Yeah. Moodhouse was built out of that “indie frustration” first off, Moodhouse is a brand. Moodhouse is about culture and advocacy as well as the current climate for all artists as it relates to that. Moodhouse is a new sort of community that is trying to cultivate a space for people that want to exist outside of the internet/facebook. Moodhouse is about offering solutions to indie artists of all types that are frustrated with breaking through the glass ceilings that exist within music scenes. Due to the success MB has achieved as a band in this blog era I feel we have a lot to share and offer to help other young acts navigate the landscape in 2015. So we are having our resources and friends that have years of experience join the podcast and share insights that otherwise would not be utilized. The moodhouse gives listeners an unprecedented look and how things actually work to be successful as a band right NOW, and all of that I’m going to call noise rap. It’s sort of an umbrella term for a new sort of counter culture for 2015 that also happens to coincide with a music that I have appropriated called noiserap. We own noiserap.com.

Let me set this straight. Dalek, and I am sure others, started this movement at least a decade before we reignited it. But make no mistake MB is at the root of this new wave of “industrial rap” now newly minted as noiserap. That said. My approach to creating has always been organic and just happened to fall into this relevant space. I think we are at a point where other people are defining what noise rap is, and since this movement is at its infancy this is how new genres have been created. Therefore, at this point noise rap is whatever we as a culture make it. There is no right way or wrong way to be noise rap as it is currently being defined, but all groups that have enough to be labeled as noiserap are probably worthy of the title. The Moodhouse allows us to be in contact with people who resonate with a shift in consciousness and a way to inspire others to look deeper inside themselves for a resolution to their frustrations. The response has been incredible and unreal. I am having conversations with people that I have never had before. 

So it’s been about 14 days since the Moodhouse with Max Bartko has aired, and you’ve shared your trans identity with the world. How important was this for you to do?

It was important because of all of the trans people being killed especially those of color. With the increased visibility of transgender people, I started seeing really ignorant and hateful things being said. It was hard not to step in and raise awareness about trans issues. I felt it was a good time to stand in solidarity with my other trans people and be an advocate to educate people about what it’s like to ACTUALLY be transgender. It’s something I have dealt with my entire life. I also felt like I didn’t want to have to hide it anymore. I had been going out a lot more in femme and I didn’t want someone to come up on it and tell everybody. I wanted to let people know on my own terms. It’s honestly more important for me to raise awareness on behalf of others, I am content and proud of being transgender and represent one of the many manifestations of that. 

You have a short tour with Oddatee, and the podcast is off and running. What’s on the horizon for the next say…6 moodie months?

We got so much more. Moodhouse TV is set to launch. You’ll see what thats all about soon enough. We have some big time guests set for the podcast. We have more tours and by the spring/summer, the new MB album on MOODHOUSE. 

Ok, so new album (!!), on Moodhouse Music?! Dope! What kind of growth or change musically can we expect on the new album? The changes from the first KDeath albums, to “Sana Sana” have all be awesomely progressive. What’s next?

Yeah. on Moodhouse. I am not sure how many details I can give, but Moodhouse is also going to be a new record label imprint under Fake Four that will house more aggressive, shoegazy, gothy, type of acts. The new album is called L U C A S A C I D. As for how it sounds? I have no idea.

Don’t forget to catch Moodie Black on tour with Oddatee!