BeatRoute Magazine [AB] print e-edition - [May 2018]

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photo: Aron Diaz CARTEL MADRAS brave new breed “In retaliating against the narratives expected of us, we’re saying women can flip the script on sexual swagger, that women can write spicy bars and hooks, queer stories can be rapped, and that ethnic kids don’t need to be apologetic.” Calgary is one of those magical places where a diverse crowd of musicians and music fans can form and impress upon one another, fostering some of the most unique talents that can be seen on a stage. Cartel Madras is one of those unique talents. On the surface, Cartel Madras is a hip-hop duo featuring rappers/ singers/songwriters/sisters Contra and Eboshi Ramesh complete with all the style and flow that can stand toe-to-toe with some of the most seasoned rappers in the city. But once you start digging into their material, you’ll find that there is much more to chew on than catchy hooks and dance-y vibes. Identity means a lot to the two Indian women, as does embracing their heritage, specifically their Tamalian and Keralite roots. Cartel Madras is rebellious at heart, and credits their upbringing as immigrants in Canada as an integral experience that has inspired them to push the envelope, to push boundaries. This can be seen in their work ethic. In their inaugural year as a group, they have been able to garner interest in places like Toronto and Montreal, and even as far as India, but it can also be seen in their music and lyrics. It is no secret that Cartel Madras spit fire not only in their flow, but also with the words they choose. The decision to be inflammatory is not to be shocking, but to comment and critique their expected roles in the world. Let’s start off with a little bit of history of you both. When was there a decision to create Cartel Madras and why did you feel that this was something you wanted to do? We’ve always been looking for ourselves in the media we consume. Das Racist and M.I.A. meant a lot to us, but they’re a part of a very small group of brown cultural chameleons that were pushing the envelope in music. We felt a bit culturally deprived and wanted icons that looked and felt like us in the media we were surrounded by. Cartel Madras is the choice we’ve made to be the people we were looking for. We’ve always refused to stay in our lane and always felt compelled to excel in whatever space we are in. And that’s definitely a cliche. Immigrant kids feel a special pressure to succeed and be ambassadors for their community. We’ve been questioning those pressures our whole life through music, and spent a lot of time rapping in our bedrooms, recording it in secret and passing it along to friends under different monikers. By mid 2017, we were like, “We’re good at this, people fuck with us… ‘Esskeetit’ “. 30 | MAY 2018 • BEATROUTE From listening to what you have in store on your Soundcloud, the sound Cartel Madras has cultivated is both soothing and aggressive at the same time, mixed with some ‘90s dance vibes (HUNNI is a pretty good example of your dancier material, while Area Code mixes that soothing/aggressive feel). Where do you get most of your inspiration from for your music? Also, do you create your own beats or do you have producers and DJs come in and help out with the production side of things? We’ve been curating and sharing music and DJing parties since we were kids. In those playlists there’s everything from MF Doom, Miyavi, Ilayaraja, Ed Banger Records, Lil Kim and Sufjan Stevens. So our music is an erratic mix from all those influences. We work with producers, beatmakers and DJs from all over. Contra and Eboshi do the writing and arranging of our tracks, while DJ EGGLAD (who slept through the 10:30 AM BeatRoute photoshoot and missing on the May cover), handles sound engineering and production and makes sure shit slaps. What’s on our Soundcloud right now are more our ‘basement tapes’. The mixtape we’ve been working on explores house and trap while still keeping a strong lyrical core. From your appearance in shows and on social media, you both seem to be very connected to your culture as Indian women. How important is it to you both to have that identity represented in your style and music? We never miss an opportunity to tell people we’re from India. We grew up surrounded by other people of colour desperately trying to erase their identity to fit in. Representing the Tamilian and Keralite identity (as a part of a greater South Indian context) is so important to us. Reaching women, reaching the LGBTQ+ community, and the POC (people of colour) community through the incendiary content we create is crucial because we belong in these spaces, and people noticing us, is people noticing them. In retaliating against the narratives expected of us, we’re saying women can flip the script on sexual swagger, that women can write spicy bars and hooks, queer stories can be rapped, and that ethnic kids don’t need to be apologetic. This year is a very busy for Cartel Madras, from playing shows at Sled Island and East Town Get Down, to being featured on the cover of a music magazine. What do you think of the success BY WILL COWAN and recognition Cartel Madras has garnered so far? Has it changed some of the original goals for you in any way? We’re surprised and thrilled to see how much love our city has for us. At the outset of Cartel Madras it felt like we were intruding but were still confident that we were doing something vital, and the rate of our growth tells us that hip-hop is the path we should go down. We’re floored by how quickly this has all happened and excited because we’re about to live up to all the hype. Performing in festivals and shows with seasoned hip-hop acts is intimidating, but it is what we want and we’re confident that we can impress our audience. In some ways this has brought our long term goals into the short term. But what more could an artist really ask for? These are good problems and we’re glad that Cartel Madras is moving fast. Finally, where do you want to take Cartel Madras next? Tours, features, videos? What’s on the menu for Cartel Madras in the future? Our May and June are packed with shows that end with Sled Island. We’re looking to show the East some love this summer, too. Festivals and musicians have been reaching out to us from Toronto, Montreal, and India, which we’re especially stoked on. Our first priority is our mixtape look for that this May. We’re going to tour and build videos on that. After that we’ll be gearing up for the LP we’re releasing towards the end of 2018. Our vision for Cartel Madras has always been to think big. We are rappers who can use our music to dabble in a trap banger on one hand and social commentary on the other. Beyond that, Cartel Madras exists in our stylistic choices, our political stance and wanting to put South India on the map. We love the way in which artists like Tyler the Creator, Gambino and RIhanna have pushed their music into fashion, television, film and activism. Cartel Madras would jump at the chance to move in those directions as well. Cartel Madras is an extension of everything that we are and want to see in the world, and we will push that as far as we can. Cartel Madras will be performing at the East Town Get Down with Transit22 and Snotty Nose Rez Kids on May 26, and will also be performing at Sled Island in June. Cartel Madras is also planning on releasing their debut mixtape later this May. ROCKPILE
A Get Down sampler photo: Michael Grondin BAZARABA What’s a music festival without some riff-heavy good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll? With the help of their groovy beats and impressive vocal harmonization, Bazaraba has made a name for themselves in the Alberta rock scene by playing some of the most popular festivals of the past few years, including Siksika’s Moments Fest, Distortion Live Music Venue’s 420 Music and Arts Festival, and Vantopia. The Major Minor Music Project is proud to have Bazaraba on East Town Get Down’s expansive line-up and to have them bring heir special blend of head-banging goodness. KLUSTERFUNK When you think of a large punk band, do you think of four members? Maybe five? Well, Klusterfunk has 11, and they are going to bring the good times right to your face. Mixing ska, punk rock, hip hop, and a whole lot of energy, Klusterfunk is making a name for themselves as one of the most electrifying acts, not only in their hometown of Edmonton, but in Alberta as a whole. Klusterfunk tore up the stage at Punk Rock Bowling and is ready to light it up again at the East Town Get Down. SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS (SNRK) One of the most anticipated acts for the East Town Get Down comes in the form of the Snotty Nose Rez Kids. Based in Vancouver, BC, but hailing from “the Rez in Kitamaat Village” in Haisla Nation, the hip hop-duo brings forth their Indigenous heritage in their music, promoting and facilitating themes of identity, resistance, and politics in a brand new wave of rap that has been taking Canada by storm. SNRK is being brought to East Town Get Down as part of a hip-hop music showcase thanks to the help of IRIM (Indigenous Resilience in Music) and Drumbeat Productions, which will also feature acts like NDN, JPB, Nite Sun, and BLKFT. SHARK WEAK Imagine “Jaws” was not a movie for a second, and instead a hardcore punk rock band hailing from High River. In every sense, that is the recipe for Shark Weak, whose main aim is to take a bite out of your ear drums while mixing their own special blend of humour (any band that is able to make lots of noise and throw in an Austin Powers reference into their music is a-okay). Well engrained in the Alberta music scene, Shark Weak has shared the stage with some of the best talent in the province, including No More Moments, HighKicks, and Ghost Factory. HOLLY CLARK It’s no understatement to say that Holly Clark is one of the hardest working musicians in Calgary. Bringing her own special brand of grunge-era alt-rock flair to her singing and songwriting, she has been able to not only keep up with her own solo material but also front bands Raspberry Jam and Lashes. Her energy and talent has led her to some of the most popular venues in the city, including regular appearances at Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ at Broken City in all three of her acts. ROCKPILE BEATROUTE • MAY 2018 | 31
Page 1: FairyTales Film Fest • Sheer Mag
Page 4: PULSE Art Gallery of Alberta LandMa
Page 8: INTERNATIONAL AVENUE COMES ALIVE!!
Page 11 and 12: THE COLLECTING DETECTIVE Movie coll
Page 13: som. Watch how many energetic influ
Page 16: Double down the depths of hell The
Page 21 and 22: ROCKPILE THE ALLOVERS a tale of two
Page 24: PRE NUP the devil’s in the detail
Page 27 and 28: PALOVERSARY Palomino and friends ce
Page 29: SHOOTING GUNS welcome to flavour co
Page 35 and 36: TG Juice: Fre Tekle Fassil Ethiopia
Page 37 and 38: STUYEDEYED with love from New York
Page 39 and 40: THE HEARTS slightly more sombre, sl
Page 41: MERCY FUNK just wants you to feel g
Page 44 and 45: PICTUREPLANE First discussion of ne
Page 47 and 48: ROOTS JILL BARBER her head and hear
Page 49: ASTRAL SWANS lifting the whole damn
Page 52 and 53: HAMMERFALL architects of the metal
Page 54 and 55: musicreviews Courtney Barnett Tell
Page 57 and 58: While the album is much more spacey
Page 59 and 60: the national anthem as a protest to
Page 61 and 62: PRVIS, Slenderbodies The Palace (Ca

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