Interview with Olu


Q: You've been off the scene for some years. Please tell me why have you parted company with Gee Street and what did you do since 1999?

Olu: Well, Gee Street dissolved and their parent company, V2 Records took over. They wanted me to do another record with them but I wasn't impressed with their marketing/promotional abilities, and I wanted to find a label that was stronger in those areas. Since 1999, I've been living life. For a while I looked for a new label and couldn't find the right fit. So I finally put it out on my own label.

Q: Who or what has influenced you and your music style in this six years hiatus?

Olu: I guess the streets of New York have had a lot of influence on my album "Beautiful Place". Aside from seeing the world I've also spent a lot of time in the city. Seeing Harlem go from a semi-dangerous place with flavor and excitement, to a safe, bland neighborhood with a McDonald's on every corner. It's kind of a shame, they tear down historic buildings to build car dealerships and parking lots. I guess my longing for the real Harlem influenced this record a lot.

Q: You've written, produced and arranged almost everything on your own on your new album Beautiful Place. What was the experience like to be responsible for everything?

Olu: It was great because I could wake up in the morning and just start working. If I wanted to stop in the middle of something and start a new song, I could.

Q: Where do you see your progress as a musician with Beautiful Place compared to your debut album Soul Catcher?

Olu: I'm proud of what I did on "Soul Catcher". I feel like"Beautiful Place" was a natural progression for me. I try to grow as a musician constantly, and record what feels right at any given time.

Q: Songs like Sugar Veins or Angels Call talk about serious issues. Please tell me more about the reasons why you wrote these songs.

Olu: I try not to be heavy handed with the whole drug issue, but it affects a lot of people, so I have to mention it once or twice on this album. I think most of us know someone with a drug problem, if we don't have one ourselves. Sometimes they kill, sometimes they don't. But like it or not, drugs are a very large issue on this small planet we live on.

Q: Beautiful Place is released by AXS Multimedia Corp. Your website says this is a small consortium of graphic artists, musicians and digital renegades. I suppose you're a part of this consortium. Who else is part part of AXS, what is your objective and what can we expect in the future from AXS?

Olu: Artist affiliated with AXS are: The Marksmen (Guerilla Producer Network), Michael Britto (Independent Film Maker), EarthDriver, a high powered New York City based mothership comprised of the some of the hottest musicians on the scene. There are several other affiliates, in creative disciplines that cover the whole audio/visual production spectrum. Aside from more great MUSIC to come, you can expect to see many other exciting things from AXS, in areas ranging from fashion to film.

Q: You sell your new album via paypal and cdbaby. So it seems like the internet is very important for you. What do you think of the advantages of the internet and maybe disadvantages like filesharing? At least major companies always blame p2p and filesharing for a decline in sales. What's your opinion?

Olu: When I grew up we dubbed cassettes, but if I really liked an album, I bought it. If someone likes my music but can't afford to buy the album, I still want them to be able to experience it. If they like it enough, they'll probably go and buy it eventually, or maybe my next album? Maybe they'll come to a concert. I think the major labels spend way too much money on inflated salaries for executives who barely keep the company profitable, if at all. They crank out formulaic artists year after year and wonder why people are tired of it. I think it's a great time for independent artists of all sorts. With creativity and hard work, one can carve themselves a unique niche in a marketplace that's oversaturated with the same old, same old.

Q: Will you promote Beautiful Place with live performances? Maybe outside the USA as well?

Olu: Definitely. I'm going to start gigging in New York over the summer, and go from there. I definitely hope to be overseas by year's end, or early next year.

For more infos visit olumusic.com, cdbaby.com and read my review of Beautiful Place.