Hey Music Mag - Issue 1 - August 2018

AUGUST 2018 

ISSUE 01 

UK’S HOTTEST RISING 

SINGER-SONGWRITER 

HOLLAPHONIC’S 

GLOBAL TAKE OVER 

A.R RAHMAN 

THE MOZART OF MADRAS 

PETER EDWARDS 

THE JAZZ STAR 

LMYW HITS 

LONDON 

LAUNCH 

ISSUE

EDITOR’S NOTE 

Welcome to the first 

edition of Hey Mag! 

Aimed at music 

lovers and music 

makers, of all genres, 

we will be tapping 

into the latest music 

and pop culture 

trends from around 

the world, including 

news, reviews and 

interviews with 

artists and emerging 

talent. 

For our first issue, we speak to RAYE, who is 

conquering the pop world, with hit after hit 

infused with a blend of Afrobeat and soul sounds, 

she is making her mark this year. Hey Mag finds 

out how RAYE has become an accomplished 

songwriter and singer and how she is using her 

Ghanaian roots to create change in today’s music 

scene. 

Hey Mag turns to beat-matching, mixing and 

scratching masters Hollaphonic to find out what 

the British DJ duo have planned for 2018, and we 

catch up with Dan Greenpeace to find out how he 

became a renowned radio presenter. 

Following the success of LMYW in Dubai, we 

kicked off the first series of LMYW LDN earlier this 

year, and it’s been a whirlwind. LMYW LDN has 

offered the ideal hub for all music fans and music 

creatives to come together for a great night. 

Check out page 14 to see Liam Bailey, Black Josh, 

Laura Roy, and more. 

AASHA BODHANI 

PUBLISHER 

Hey Music 

EDITOR 

Aasha Bodhani 

aasha@heymusic.com 

MARKETING DIRECTOR 

Darren Haynes 

darren@heymusic.com 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Aiez Mirza Ahmed 

aiez@heymusic.com 

Daniella Millership 

daniella@heymusic.com 

Sophia Nyananyo 

sophia@heymusic.com 

Seham Kably 

seham@heymusic.com 

Nick Stephenson 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Nathan Evans 

nathan@heymusic.com 

Darren Haynes 

Justin Higuchi 

Adam Scull 

Rose Hartman 

Pieter-Jannick Dijkstra 

Jason Persse 

Ultomatt 

LOCATION 

London 

@heymusicofficial @heymusictweets @heymusicofficial @heymusicofficial www.heymusic.com 

Hey Mag is published by Hey Music. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. The publisher regrets that they cannot accept 

liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views within this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers or editors. 

All credits are accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. 

2 HEY MAG - AUGUST 2018

CONTENTS 

14 

4 

RAYE 

UK’s hottest rising singer-songwriter 

10 

PETER EDWARDS 

Talks Jazz 

10 

14 

LMYW 

Goes on tour 

4 

17 

22 

DAN GREENPEACE 

Vinyl & radio master 

HOLLAPHONIC 

Dynamic British DJ duo 

24 

24 

A.R. RAHMAN 

Mozart of Madras 

30 

CASH KINGS 

Jay-Z tops rich list 

30 

34 

DAD ROCK 75 

Ultimate Dad rock playlist 

22 

10 16 

22 

22

RAYE - born Rachel Keen - in a way, embodies a presence of mystery. On 

the surface we see her edgy style, voluminous rose gold curls and a bubbly 

personality that matches her warm, yet mischievous smile. But who is RAYE? 

Raised in Croydon, South London, RAYE’s natural beauty and musical passions stem 

from her mother’s Ghanaian-Swiss heritage and her English father. Born into a 

musical family, she naturally followed suit: “I had been writing songs from the age 

of 7 or 8 years old, and they were so bad,” she says laughing. “But it was always in 

me and my dad was a massive part of that. I used to watch him play keys and write 

music, so you know, it came naturally.” 

RAYE is an artist who strived to establish her songwriting art first, and by the age 

of 14 she enrolled at the infamous BRIT school, majoring in music and minoring 

in dance. It’s no secret that two years later the star dropped out after she felt ‘too 

confined’ to one sound. She now describes her sound as a mix of pop music with 

Afrobeat influences. 

“I mean, I’m Ghanaian,” she says. “Growing up, my grandma was at home with us and 

there was a strong Afrobeat culture, she’d play all the riddims, and my music has a 

lot of that influence.” 

RAYE is only 20 years old, but she’s been an unstoppable force since her BRIT school 

days. Shortly after she left, she had her big break when Olly Alexander from the band 

Years & Years heard her R&B jam, ‘Hotbox’ on HypeMachine. “He [Olly] was talking 

about it in interviews, which was so weird and really crazy for me, and it kinda helped 

me get my record deal with Polydor.” 

“Years & Years invited me to support them on tour, it was really epic.” She then 

recalls her first touring experience: “If you had seen me before, compared to the way 

I like to do shows now, you know I was really nervous. I was chained to the mic the 

whole time, I was a bit worried. But you know, practice makes perfect.” 

Obsessed with songwriting, RAYE grew up listening to Nelly Furtado, Jill Scott and 

Natasha Bedingfield, who are all prolific female songwriters. That inspiration has led 

RAYE to rack up a list of writing collaborations for some of music’s top dogs, including 

Stormzy, Nas, Little Mix and John Legend. “Most of this industry is just kinda luck, 

right?”, says RAYE, as she humbly talks about how she co-wrote Charli XCX’s ‘After 

The Afterparty’. 

”We ended up in the studio at the same time and ended up getting in a session, we 

just really clicked and wrote three or four songs in one day. I wanted to put out one 

of the songs we did and asked her to direct the video, and she was like ‘yes’, and off 

the back of that, she asked me to write for one of her projects. 

“She’s great, so hardworking,” she adds with admiration. 

RAYE doesn’t shy away from exploring other genres, whilst she describes her sound 

as Afrobeat pop, it hasn’t stopped her from venturing into the grime scene. “Stormzy’s 

my bredrin, I love him,’ she says, smiling. 


RAYE 

HEY MAG - AUGUST 2018 

5

6 HEY MAG - AUGUST 2018 

IT WAS VERY DAUNTING TO 

CREATE MUSIC IN A CERTAIN 

WAY AND WRITE A CERTAIN 

TYPE OF MUSIC AND THAT 

PEOPLE WOULD LIKE A BIT 

MORE IF IT WAS WHITER OR 

A BIT MORE POPPIER

“Stormzy is just one of those lovely guys who is never afraid to compliment or reach out and make 

someone feel good. He followed me on Twitter and was like ‘Yo RAYE, you’re doing something sick, I 

love it’”. The pair have since released ‘Ambition’ and she also made a cameo appearance in his video 

‘Big For Your Boots’. 

RAYE’s writing creativity saw her team up with producer Jax Jones, and unknowingly to them, their 

house anthem, ‘You Don’t Know Me’, was an instant hit. 

“None of us saw that coming, it was really insane. It was the way we wrote the song, it was natural,” she 

recalls. “We ended up in a session together, because we have the same A&R label, we had one day, and 

you know we were drinking and having a party and it was mostly freestyles and vibes. 

“He [Jax Jones] took it away and put the Booka Shade’s bassline on it, and I was like ‘sick’, but I just had 

no idea it was gonna do like it did, so it was very cool.” 

And cool it was, the song dominated the charts, hitting the number 3 spot and it was nominated for 

‘Best British Single’ at the BRIT Awards in 2018. 

RAYE’s talents are also seen through her own music, bringing her own sound to the music scene she 

aims to ultimately diversify the charts. “I kinda got down about it for a while, back home is very whitefied 

but things are ready to change,” she says frankly. “It was very daunting to create music in a certain 

way and write a certain type of music and that people would like a bit more if it was whiter or a bit more 

poppier. 

“I realised that that’s not me and not what I want to do, so I have been working really hard to do both, 

and I’m excited to see what people think.” 

The budding songstress released her first EP ‘Welcome To The Winter’ in 2014 on SoundCloud, followed 

by ‘Second’ and this year’s ‘Side Tape’. Her newest six-track EP features a versatile blend of artists, 

including Kojo Funds, RAY BLK, Nana Rogues and Mr Eazi, who have all contributed to her rare sound. 

RAYE’s EP is a mixture of sultry love songs, catchy dance tunes and girl power themed rhythms. Let’s 

take ‘Decline’ for example, the singer takes Ja Rule and Ashanti’s ‘Always On Time’ hook and reverses 

the meaning to empower women, she also teams up with labelmates R&B singer Mabel and MC Stefflon 

Don for ‘Cigarette’. 

RAYE also dropped the video for ‘Confidence’, the track itself features Maleek Berry and Nana Rogues 

and offers subtle Afrobeat sounds yet Latin beats. The video sees RAYE alone dancing seductively in 

casual clothing teamed with Nike Cortez – a style which she is most confident in. “I like to mix and 

match, I’ve always been quite boyish, I’ve probably worn one skirt in my life,” she says jokingly. 

RAYE is also calling out for girl solidarity: “What’s up with all the girl hate girl shit...?”, she sings in her 

new track ‘Friends’. Produced by Mark Ralph and Kyle Shearer, and alongside Fred Gibson, the energetic 

summer tune calls for females to support each other and to drop the negativity. 

The artist has now cemented her name in the industry, both songwriter and singer, RAYE has certainly 

made her mark, but she still has some words of wisdom for her younger self. 

“I’d tell her to calm down and trust that everything will be okay. It’s so easy to overthink and be worried, 

and when you’re putting something out publicly, you just wanna get it right. I need to relax and keep 

doing my thing, the doors will open when they are meant to.” 

The doors are certainly staying open for RAYE. Right now, the star is touring across the UK, as well 

as playing numerous summer festivals, and with rumoured studio sessions with Drake, Hey Mag is 

watching out for RAYE! 


7

1 

RAYE 

A LONG WALK - 

JILL SCOTT 

2 

LOOK WHAT 

YOU’VE DONE - 

DRAKE 

3 

SAY IT RIGHT - 

NELLY FURTADO 

4 

FOUR WOMEN - 

NINA SIMONE 

RAYE reveals 

her favourite Top 5 

songs exclusively on 

Hey Music’s YouTube channel. 

Full interview coming soon. 

www.youtube.com/heymusicofficial 

5 

SOULMATE - 

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD 


PETER EDWARDS 

TALKS HYBRID JAZZ 

PHOTO CREDIT: PETER EDWARDS 


UK JAZZ MUSICIAN PETER EDWARDS ON HIS LOVE FOR 

THE GREATS AND HOW TO MASTER THE ART OF JAZZ. 

WORDS : AASHA BODHANI 

Peter Edwards has, by anyone’s standards, a multifaceted craft. From the 

tender age of six he began to learn the art of becoming a pianist. Shortly 

after he added composer and musical director to his portfolio. Despite the 

early start, Edwards was in his late 20s when he made the decision to turn 

his musical hobby into a professional career, and it was a risk that has since served 

him well. 

It would be fair to say that music ran in Edwards’ blood; his parents provided him 

and his siblings with endless opportunities to find their own creative flair. But it was 

his brother who gave him the inspiration to develop his own style by introducing 

him to legendary musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis, jazz pianist Johnny 

Parker and composer Herbie Hancock. 

“One of my heroes was Herbie Hancock, he was classically trained and an incredible 

improviser. I think overall that is what got me into jazz, seeing someone who was a 

world-class improviser,” he recalls. 

Once he found the sound he aspired to, his mission was to find other artists and 

absorb live music, citing that he fell in love with the idea of being able to 

create in the moment. 

“I thought it was magical the way musicians would generate music, you know, off 

the cuff. The curiosity of how they did that is what won me over.” He describes his 

style as a hybrid of jazz, mixed with soul, Carribean grooves, Latin tones and gospel. 

“These are the sounds that are rhythmically impulsive and 

interesting,” he says. 

He adds: “I grew up in the 90’s and at a time when acid jazz in the UK was big, but it 

also had a mixture of that older stuff from the 60s to newer sounds where jazz was 

seen in the likes of Jamiroquai, Incognito and Jason Lyon.” 

Edwards isn’t limited to composing, he speaks fondly of working with his band 

and working on various commissioned projects. “I like the flexibility of either 

performing, directing or writing, they are all different,” he explains. 


11

Last year, Edwards was commissioned to form a 15-minute composition that celebrates 

the year of 1917, which was a defining year for jazz. Named ‘Journey with the Giants of 

Jazz’, it sees the births of some of the most well-recognised jazz musicians, including 

composer ‘Tadd’ Dameron, singer Ella Fitzgerald, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, pianist 

Thelonious Monk, drummer Buddy Rich and percussionist Mongo Santamaria. 

Taking inspiration from the classics, Edwards pieced the six greats together and 

incorporated 100 years of jazz into 15 minutes, to form an episodic creation of their 

different styles of music and characters. 

“When I was given the commission, the first thought was ‘how can I do all of that in 15 

minutes’. Sometimes it takes a couple of days to get my head around the project and 

come up with ideas. I create the context first, and the science and form will come from 

those jazz artists.” 

“From there I would sketch ideas on the piano and record it, but I wouldn’t question what 

I do too much, I just continue to record. Later I will go back and refine it by finding a way 

of putting different strands together and structuring the beginning and end,” Edwards 

says. 

One of my heroes was Herbie Hancock, he was classically 

trained and an incredible improviser. I think overall, that is 

what got me into Jazz... 

- Peter Edwards 

He goes on to say that a project of that size typically takes two months from the 

beginning to rehearsals, and even then, he may scrap the idea and completely start 

again. 

April marked Jazz Appreciation Month, but is there enough jazz influence in today’s 

commercial music? Edwards talks of combining his jazz sound with other genres, but he 

explains jazz solos are usually heard during the Christmas period when the likes of Nat 

King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald become more commercially present. 

Whilst jazz influence in today’s music may not be so obvious, Edwards does mention that 

there are hints of jazz, whether it be Bebop, blues, funk or Latin, coming through. 

With years of experience in the music industry, Edwards offers his take on how to 

master the art of jazz. 

He recalls his first time at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, where he sat in on a jam 

session and listened and would search the Internet to find the song and form his own 

sound. 

“I would say at the beginning of a career in jazz, aim to work with different types of jazz 

musicians, or even any type of musician. Try to find opportunities, go to jam sessions, 

gigs, and be seen. It’s all about networking.” 

Edwards points out that new musicians need to master the basics. “You must be easy to 

work with and [be] on time. When I first started, I didn’t feel like I had the confidence, but 

I knew I was reliable and that’s how I began to build a network of people. It’s important to 

have that foundation early on.” 

One thing is for sure, Edwards shows no sign of slowing down. Following the last show of 

‘Journey with the Giants of Jazz’ at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, he will now tour with 

Mica Paris and Zara McFarlane and continue to take on more commissioned projects. 


1 

PETER 

EDWARDS 

GREENSLEEVES - 

JOHN COLTRANE 

2 

ROUND MIDNIGHT - 

MILES DAVIS 

3 

THE MAZE - 

HERBIE HANCOCK 

4 

LUSH LIFE - 

CHICK COREA 

5 

BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED - 

ELLA FITZGERALD 


13

WORDS: SOPHIA NYANANYO 

The first LMYW LDN (Love Music Your Way - London) series kicked off in May this year 

and it’s been a whirlwind, from famous faces to energetic audiences, and even open 

mic sessions, LMYW LDN has offered the ideal hub for all music lovers and music 

creatives. 

BLACK JOSH 

LMYW LDN is a platform for artists ready to launch their careers and a testing ground 

for them to showcase their talents in a room full of like-minded creatives. Taking place 

in the cosy basement of The Book Club in Shoreditch, London, DJ Darka got the place 

heated, with banger after banger and host Shezar had the crowd laughing, dancing, 

and singing to the top of their lungs. 

Named as Complex’s ‘One to Watch’, Jamilah Barry hit the stage with her delicate yet 

powerful vocals, followed by Black Josh, who rapped his latest tracks. LMYW LDN’s 

second event saw Pier James fuse grime with hip-hop on stage, along with singer / 

songwriter Riiver. 

For the finale, plenty of familiar faces were in attendance, and a few friendly music 

industry faces too, including BBC Radio 1’s Benji B and one of our favourite vocalists, 

singer / songwriter Maverick Sabre - who was celebrating his birthday. 

Manchester’s HMD pronounced ‘Hamdi’ opened the show with his laid-back soulful 

falsetto vocals, followed by Laura Roy. She performed her latest single ‘Temporary’ 

which had the crowd singing along, it’s fair to say they both gained new fans. Host 

Shezar introduced special guest Liam Bailey and in true Liam style, he interacted with 

the crowd and had everyone bopping and singing along to his reggae rhythm for 

‘When Will They Learn’. 

LMYW LDN will be back in September, new and improved! Watch this space... 

JAMILAH BARRY 

THE HOST 

THE BAND 

LAURA ROY

GRACE CHATTO & YASMIN GREEN (CLEAN BANDIT) 

& FRIENDS 

LIAM BAILEY 

PIERS JAMES & TIA SACKEY 

MAVERICK SABRE & 

TACHIA NEWALL 

PIERS JAMES 

RIIVER 

HMD 

SHEZAR 

DJ DARKA

LISTEN NOW 

TO THE FIRST 

SET OF 

PODCASTS 

HOSTED BY DAN GREENPEACE 

AVAILABLE VIA

Q&AWITH 

DAN 

GREENPEACE 

DAN GREENPEACE IS A RADIO PRESENTER, PRODUCER, OBSESSED CRATE- 

DIGGER AND MANAGES DUBAI-BASED BRITISH DJ DUO, HOLLAPHONIC. 

THE DYNAMIC DUO, OLLY WOOD AND GREG STAINER, ARE SIGNED TO SONY 

MUSIC AND RECENTLY LAUNCHED THEIR LATEST SINGLE ‘NEW ONES’. 

HEY MAG SITS WITH DAN GREENPEACE AND HOLLAPHONIC TO FIND OUT HOW 

IT ALL BEGAN. 

Q: WHEN DID YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY START? 

DG: My earliest music memories come from my parent’s vinyl collection. My father was 

into The Beatles, ABBA and Wings and my mother leant towards early R&B and Jazz like 

Jimmy Smith and Booker T, so that formed my musical DNA. I used play with vinyl a lot and 

make little mash-ups using our record player and cassette deck. That was probably around 

1982/1983 when hip-hop as a genre started to emerge. The rest is history as they say. 

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR SOUNDTRACK IN YOUR TEENS? 

PHOTO CREDIT: DAN GREENPEACE 

DG: The first act I discovered and really embraced was Adam & The Ants around 1981 and 

I was 10 years old by that point. I was pretty fanatical about them and feigned illness one 

day to skip school then persuaded my grandfather who was looking after me that day 

to take me to Woolworths to buy the new Adam & The Ants single. The next step was a 

full-on immersion into every aspect of hip-hop culture. I inherited both a pop and ‘urban’ 

sensibility from my parents’ so when Chaka Khan released ‘I Feel For You’ featuring rapper 

Melle Mel (of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) it really blew my mind. That’s when 

the switch flicked, and I was hooked. I feel lucky that I was the right age to have formed 

musical tastes by the time hip-hop emerged because I lived every day of its progression, 

single by single and album by album. Every week was a new exciting sound throughout 

my teenage years. 


17

Q: WHEN DID YOU FIRST FALL FOR THE TURNTABLES? 

DG: My father had a decent turntable, but it wasn’t actually until I was 21 that I could afford a pair of Technics 1200s. 

Before then, I had a makeshift setup of my father’s turntable, another cheap addition and a really basic mixer, but it 

forced me to learn the basics and make do with what I had. In 1983 the movie Wildstyle came out and there was a part in 

the movie where DJ Grandmaster Flash performed ‘Adventures on The Wheels Of Steel’ live in his kitchen. It was utterly 

mind blowing to me and probably thousands of others. 

Q: LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR MASSIVE VINYL COLLECTION... 

DG: How long have we got? Ok, let me give you a topline. I have a lot of hip-hop, that’s been the backbone of my career. 

I was a professional broadcaster on London’s XFM for several years, so I amassed a lot of music during that time. I have 

many of the original rap records I bought as early as 1983 so some of my vinyl is 35 years old but as hip-hop and music 

technology embraced sampling record from the ‘60s and ‘70s, I discovered a lot of that music too, so I have a large 

collection of old Jazz, Funk and Soul. As I was also a working DJ for many years I also have all the R&B, pop and rap hits 

from the ‘90s. I have pretty much every record needed to rock a party if I had to. Recently I’ve been visiting India and 

Lebanon a lot for business as I promote shows there, so I’ve been immersing myself into old Indian music whether Jazz or 

Bollywood albums. I’ve discovered some amazing music and part of that journey has been going to old authentic record 

dealers in Delhi or Bombay and getting to know them. I’ve loved going on that journey so my vinyl collection is going in all 

sorts of new directions lately. Essentially my collection is a musical journey of discovery that I hope never ends. 

Q: HOW DID YOU FIND BEAT-MATCHING, MIXING AND SCRATCHING? 

DG: I’ll be honest, I’m a great beat matcher and mixer as I have a natural sense of rhythm but I’m not the best scratcher. 

That’s an element of the culture that requires real dedication like learning to play an instrument. If you liken it to playing a 

piano, I’d say I’m a very confident Grade 5 DJ. Not technically perfect but I could and have played in front of 10,000 people 

and pulled it off. For me it’s about music selection, reading the crowd and taking them on a journey but also giving them 

a bit of what they want too. Recently I’ve been doing more vinyl sets, playing to a hundred people rather than thousands 

and I’ve been enjoying that much more. 

Q: WHAT WAS A PROUD MOMENT FOR YOU? 

DG: Around 1988 I started getting involved in pirate radio in my hometown of Leeds. I loved the medium of radio 



and sharing new music with people. Fast forward to the year 2000, my friend Zane Lowe was already a presenter 

on MTV and XFM and his passion for hip-hop lead to us getting a dedicated hip-hop show with our mutual friend Theo. 

That moment was pivotal for me when a passion became a profession. I didn’t think about it at the time as we were in 

the moment but looking back it was a proud moment. A more recent proud moment was when I organised Ed Sheeran’s 

first Middle East and Indian tour. Again, I’d been booking and promoting artists for several years but that felt like a pivotal 

moment where all my hard work was suddenly validated. Those are just two that spring to mind but as I look back I’m 

happy with my contributions. As long as I’m contributing, I’m happy. 

Q: TALK ME THROUGH ABOUT BECOMING/BEING A RADIO PRESENTER? 

DG: Becoming a professional radio presenter was pivotal and opened many doors, which lead me to now being a concert 

promoter. It also helped me become an artist manager, record label owner, journalist, publisher and so many other 

things. Some pre-dated radio but the move to professional radio validated everything. I interviewed and met some of 

my music heroes and I got to break new artists. I was literally the first UK radio presenter to interview Eminem and I 

played some records first that became global hits. It helped me understand the music industry on so many levels. I 

was presenter in a largely pre-digital era, which meant live radio was so thrilling. We had a genuine connection with our 

listeners. 

Q: YOU’RE ALSO AN ARTIST MANAGER - WHAT IS THAT LIKE? 

DG: Becoming a manager was a bi-product of radio. I was already running a record label in parallel to the radio show but 

inviting new artists on my show made me realise there was a gap in the market for great UK rap and hip-hop. I met new 

cutting edge artists and could not only offer them radio airplay and exposure but also marketing and distribution for their 

music. In turn that lead into actually managing them. 

Q: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU? 


DG: As long as I continue being passionate about music I’ll hopefully be lucky enough where I can continue to generate 

enough income to give my family a nice life. If the future continues on that trajectory, I’ll be happy. I want to get back into 

music production so that’s a personal goal. I’m also working on building a podcast network, which is the natural, modern 

equivalent of what I was doing with radio back in 2000. I’ll always buy vinyl and discover new and old music. I also really 

enjoy managing the artists I’m currently working with and watching their careers develop. 


19

DAN 

GREENPEACE 

1 

BUGGIN’ OUT - 

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST 

2 

OBSESSION 77 - 

OBSESSION 77 

3 

NICE AND SMOOTH - 

GREG NICE & SMOOTH B 

4 

WE CAN DO THIS - 

RED ALERT 

Check out the 

Hey Music YouTube 

channel to hear Dan 

talk about his 

ultimate Top 5 tunes 

5 

www.youtube.com/heymusicofficial 

BIG BEAT - 

NICK INGMAN 


Q&A 

WITH 

HOLLAPHONIC 

Q: HOW DID HOLLAPHONIC COME ABOUT? 

H: Two musical guys introduced in a nightclub in Dubai; one producing and one songwriting, 

both missing each other’s skills... fast forward to today and we’ve got a No.1 album under 

our belt and share the creative process having taught each other and found a groove. 

Q: WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR LATEST EP - SPACESHIP? 

PHOTO CREDIT: HOLLAPHONIC 

H: Adventures to London and meeting new artists, we created Spaceship as a metaphorical 

love story about a pure relationship knowing no bounds, not confined to the world we live 

in, but a story told about the endless search for ‘The One’ ... we have this one, some funk 

and live R&B vibes, and enjoyed every minute. They use it to teach English in Thailand and 

we’ve been in their top 10 since December 2017... it’s definitely the track that has changed 

everything. 

Q: HAVE YOU PLAYED AT ANY FESTIVALS THIS YEAR? 

H: This year has been about new music, so we’ve taken a short break from performing 

to gather a completely new sound for Hollaphonic; much more soul, more lyrical content 

and a real sunshine vibe. The latest representation Hollaphonic can be found in our single 

‘New Ones’ which is out now!! 

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE EMERGING TURNTABLE TALENT? 

H: Dance music is shifting into a new phase of artistry, DJs are as much selectors again as 

they are technically capable. James Hype is doing some special stuff across the board so 

that’s exciting to see - to us it’s about creating your own sound from edits of existing music 

to writing and producing your own, from that perspective we’re on an exciting path as live 

electro is starting to push through again. I’m interested to see where it goes next and we’re 

trying to be ahead of the curve. 


Q: YOU RECENTLY TEAMED UP WITH LA PERLE FOR A MUSIC VIDEO - WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? 

H: It was awesome, having the chance to have such amazing performers interpret your sound into physical 

movement, dance and acrobatics was breathtaking. The end product was spectacular, as is the show itself, 

and we’ll continue to work with them on new ideas. The video is now on all Emirates airline flights, so catch 

it on ICE when you next travel! 

Q: HOW DID THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN HOLLAPHONIC’S AND FILMMAKER MOHAMMED SAEED HARIB COME ABOUT? 

H: Mohammed and his studio Lammtara are responsible for some truly groundbreaking work, we have 

searched for such a partner to take our sound and visualise our brief. He absolutely nailed it and the 

wicked cover for Spaceship was the product. This has now been seen by over 4 million listeners worldwide 

so we’re really happy about that, the collaboration was so successful for everyone involved. Mohammed 

is such a dude, as are his team. 

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN A PROUD MOMENT FOR YOU BOTH? 

GS: When I catch my daughter singing the words to our songs or watching our videos on YouTube, family 

is everything. 

OW: We love the fact Thailand has adopted us with such a welcome and the fact our lyrics are teaching 

people English is a real honour. 

Q: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR HOLLAPHONIC? 

H: New music, we’ve got some great stuff coming out in 2018; new sounds with Thai artists, Japanese 

artists and some more music with both BXRBER and Aaron Camper. We couldn’t be more excited; it’s 

about focus and honing in our performance into a live show to take across the planet... so we can’t wait 

to be everywhere VERY soon! The passion for what we do is contagious and our energy is relentless... Hey 

Music industry! We’re ready! 




23

PROFILE: THE MOZART OF MADRAS – 

A.R. RAHMAN 

WORDS: DARREN HAYNES 

When it comes to dinner party discussions 

about music in Indian films, there are a couple 

of initials and a surname that you must quote to 

demonstrate some semblance of knowledge - 

A.R. Rahman. 

To call him a ‘prolific composer’ is an 

understatement. A.R. Rahman has composed 

the soundtracks for over 100 films, resulting 

in sales of over 200 million albums worldwide. 

Remarkably, he’s also the only Asian in the list of 

the world’s top 25 bestselling recording artists. 

Time magazine dubbed him “the Mozart of 

Madras” and placed him in its list of the world’s 

100 most influential people in 2009. His Tamil 

fans simply call him “Isai Puyal” (English: the 

Musical Storm). 

He has won numerous awards, both in India and 

further afield. At the 81st Academy Awards, he 

won two Oscars for Best Original Score and for 

Best Original Song, making him (at that time), 

only the third Indian to win an Academy Award. 

Rahman must have a very wide mantelpiece 

in his home (or homes plural) to display his 

dizzying array of awards. Sitting alongside those 

two Oscars for 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire are: a 

Golden Globe, a BAFTA, two Grammy Awards, 

six National Film Awards, fifteen Filmfare 

Awards and seventeen Filmfare Awards South. 

In 2010, the Government of India awarded him 

the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian 

award. 

Let’s just say that he’s a massive star in his native 

India. What’s bigger than massive? Humongous? 

He’s that word. Or bigger. 

Allah-Rakha Rahman was born in Chennai to a 

Hindu-Tamil family. In actual fact, A.R. wasn’t 

born Allah-Rakha Rahman at all. His birth 

name is Dileep Kumar but he converted to 

Islam in 1989 and assumed his present name. 

His father, R.K. Shekhar, was also a film-score 

composer, arranger and conductor for Tamil 

and Malayalam films and was supportive of 

Rahman’s musicianship until his death when 

Rahman was just nine years old. 

Rahman took inspiration from western music as 

well as more traditional Indian music. He recalls 

listening to Jim Reeves and the Carpenters 

alongside the work of Indian film composers 

such as Madan Mohan, Naushad Ali and Roshan 

(who wrote in Hindi) and Tamil composers 

including K.V. Mahadevan and Vishwanatiian 

Ramamurthy. 

As a music director, his big breakthrough came 

PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA 

when he scored the 1992 Tamil movie, Roja. It 

was an instant hit, with Rahman’s soundtrack 

taking the country by storm and starting him 

on his personal journey to multiple awards and 

global fame. 

Over the years, India has produced many 

legendary film composers (or ‘music directors” 

as they’re called in the Indian film industry). 

For example, alongside Rahman’s, you could 

namedrop Naushad, R.D. Burman, Shankar- 

Jaikishen or Ilaiyaraaja. The main difference 

between them, is that Rahman has gained much 

wider international acclaim, has transitioned 

back and forth between Bollywood and 

Hollywood, conquering the Western world and 

bringing Indian music to the Western masses. 

But hang on a second. Calling him “The King of 

Bollywood Music” shows ignorance and sells 

him a little short. The generic term, ‘Bollywood’ 

refers to Hindi language films. But Rahman 

is a veteran composer of scores for not only 

Bollywood but also Hollywood in English … and 

Tamil … and Telugu … and Malayalam … and 

even Mandarin. 

British composer and previous collaborator, 

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has been quoted 

as saying “A.R. Rahman is nothing short of 

a melodic genius. I admire his unique sense 

of harmony, his staggering rhythms and his 

melodies that take an unexpected twist that no 

Western composer would dream of.” 

It’s impossible to argue with that tribute. 

A.R. Rahman can do no wrong. It seems that 

everything the composer-songwriter-singerproducer-multi-instrumentalist 

touches turns 

to gold. 

Indeed, he is credited with single-handedly 

revolutionising Indian film music and has 


himself become one of the Indian film industry’s 

biggest money spinners, virtually owning the 

industry for more than two decades. That’s 

not an overstatement. His staggering musical 

brilliance can make or break a film in India 

and Indian producers swear by him. “In Indian 

cinema, the music is such an important part of 

it, that music can save a mediocre film. With 

Rahman, it happens frequently” says film critic 

Jai Arjun Singh. 

Constant praise, fan adoration and commercial 

success must bring a heavy responsibility in 

terms of maintaining a high quality, prolific 

output. In an online interview with Vijay Amritaj, 

Rahman explains his philosophy: “If you have a 

very strong mind and will, you can do anything. 

For me, I was always learning so I was moving 

from one thing to another thing. Now I have 

the respect how do I keep it up? How do I learn 

more to keep the love which people are giving 

me? I’m grateful to God, to family, to my fans, 

to music and musical skills.” 

And does he ever think of turning his duo of 

Oscars into a trio? “I made my mind realise that 

two is enough for a lifetime and anything else 

comes as a bonus,” he says. “Your mind is not 

thinking about awards, it’s thinking about art.” 

TOP 10 RECOMMENDED VIEWING & LISTENING 

1. Roja (1992) 

2. Rangeela (1995) 

3. Dil Se (1998) 

4. Lagaan (2001) 

5. Rang De Basanti (2006) 

6. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) 

7. Couples Retreat (2009) 

8. 127 Hours (2010) 

9. Rockstar (2011) 

10. Viceroy’s House (2017)

THEIR LIFE IN SONG 

NICK STEPHENSON MEETS FOUR SONGWRITING 

LEGENDS TO DISCOVER THE STORY BEHIND THEIR 

SONGS. 

BARRY MASON was a leading songwriter of 

the 1960s, writing many songs in 

partnership with Les Reed. He 

earned numerous awards 

throughout his career 

including five Ivor Novello 

Awards. His songwriting 

credits include “Love 

Grows (Where My 

Rosemary Goes)”, “The 

Last Waltz” and “Delilah” 

which was made famous 

by Tom Jones. 

BM on songwriting ... “I’m 

interested when people 

use imagery in their songs. 

My stuff is so simple. I seem 

to write like a story. I feel that 

every word’s got to be in normal 

conversation. I did an interview 

once for one of the broadsheets. It was 

very flattering to get it. It was in my heyday 

with stuff in the charts and feeling no pain, you 

know. And the guy said ‘Barry, you’re amazing, 

you just know how to put your finger on the 

pulse of the everyman, of the common man’. 

Little did he know, I was writing to the absolute 

limit of my intellectual capacity. My style is very 

simple.” 

BM on the song, “Delilah”: “The inspiration ... 

my first pop hit as a child was Frankie Laine 

singing Jezebel ... a naughty girl song. I tried 

Salome in my mind, you know, trying to think 

of naughty girls but Salome was a difficult word 

and not edgy enough. Then Delilah came in my 

mind. I was trying to do a story from history, 

you know, Samson and Delilah. It was going to 

be about him losing his hair and everything but 

I didn’t get that far. I ended up with a whole new 

story.” 

GRAHAM GOULDMAN is best known for his 

work with 10cc, penning classic hits such as 

“Dreadlock Holiday”. In 2014, he was inducted 

into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the 45th 

annual induction ceremony. 

GG on songwriting … “I’ve written songs on my 

own and I collaborate a lot. I’ve been very lucky, 

I’ve had great songwriting partners, particularly 

Eric Stewart from 10cc and the late, great 

Andrew Gold.’ 

GG on the song “No Milk Today”: “This is a song I 

wrote in the ‘60s. My late father used to help me 

with lyrics and often came up 

with song titles as well. 

I’ve told this story eight 

billion times but I’m 

going to tell it eight 

billion and one now. 

He went round to 

one of his friends’ 

but his friend wasn’t 

in. He turned on the 

doorstep and he saw 

an empty milk bottle 

with a little note in it. 

He came back to me and 

said “Graham, you should 

write a song called ‘no milk today’. I said that 

is a TERRIBLE idea. He said it’s not going to be 

a song about the fact that people don’t need 

any milk that day, it’s what the empty bottle 

symbolises; it’s the fact that love has left the 

house. Anyway, I did write it.” 

GG on the song “Dreadlock Holiday”: “The phrase 

... the song title was given to me by somebody I 

was talking to. I was on holiday in Jamaica and 

we were talking about sports and I talked about 

Manchester United, obviously. I said “what 

about cricket? Do you like it?” And he said, “No, 

I don’t like it”. I said “Oh” ... surprised. He said, 

“No, I love it” and that was it. I got back from 

holiday and we were writing at my house - Eric 

and I. Eric had been on holiday in Barbados, I’d 

been to Jamaica and we started talking about 

our holidays and we started playing this thing 

and that was it, off we went. Quite simple and a 

really quick song to write as well.” 

MIKE BATT is a singer-songwriter, musician, 

record producer, director, conductor and 

former Deputy Chairman of the BPI. He is 

best known for creating The Wombles pop act, 

writing the chart-topping “Bright Eyes” and 

discovering Katie Melua. His awards include five 

Ivor Novello Awards. 

MB on the song “Bright Eyes”: “In 1976, I was 

commissioned to write a piece of music which was 

to change my credibility rating out of ten from 

one to whatever it became, at least temporarily 

anyway. The song was commissioned by the 

[original] producer of ‘Watership Down’. John 

Hubley, the great director, said to me ‘write me 

a song about death’. He didn’t really want songs 

at all, he wanted a dark film. I thought, wow, that 

really is serious, that’s going 

to be a heavy song and I 

really worried about 

it for a while. Then, 

I was sitting at the 

piano and I thought 

actually it’s one of 

the most important 

things in our life. 

What happens 

afterwards? 


It’s not the death, it’s the afterlife or whatever 

you might believe in. I wrote three songs, two 

of which were chucked out. “Bright Eyes” was 

chucked out three times and luckily got put back 

in three times. Two weeks after the session with 

Art Garfunkel, the director John Hubley died on 

the operating table during open heart surgery 

so when he commissioned me to write the song, 

death must’ve been in the forefront of his mind.” 

RAY DAVIES - often referred to as ‘the godfather 

of Britpop’ - was the lead singer, rhythm 

guitarist and main songwriter for The Kinks. He 

was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for 

services to the arts. 

RD on songwriting: “A great song structure is 

very much like a great short story. Have a great 

opening, compelling verse, take them into a 

story, have a ‘because bit’ which I call the bridge, 

take them into another verse and a chorus and 

you’re out of there. I love 

writing to deadlines. It 

brings me to life. I think 

deadline imposes a set 

of thought. You can 

think to yourself, 

what shall I write 

about? Everybody says 

Ray go on a holiday, 

write an opus but the 

real opus is written 

when you’ve got ten 

minutes to deliver it.” 

CLASSICAL FOCUS 

NEVER TOO LATE TO START 

Not all of us can claim Mozart’s “child prodigy” status (writing ten symphonies 

before his teens - the show off!) but as our infographic shows, some of the best 

pieces in a composer’s career don’t always occur early on. Whatever your 

age or level of fame, it’s never too late to start composing, so put pen to 

paper, right away. Research by Nick Stephenson

CASH KINGS 

IN HIP HOP 

FORBES RELEASES ITS ‘FORBES FIVE: HIP-HOP’S WEALTHIEST ARTISTS 2018’ LIST, AN THERE’S A NEW CASH KING. 

WORDS: AASHA BODHANI 

Jay-Z has finally dethroned Diddy as hip-hop’s number one cash king as he enters 2018 with a 

$900 million fortune. 

The Brooklyn-born mogul, who has remained in the top five since 2011, upped his riches by $90 million over the past year. 

Though Jay-Z released his ‘4:44’ album in June last year, along with his substantial stakes in Roc Nation and TIDAL, it’s his 

investments in ‘Armand de Brignac’ Champagne and ‘D’Ussé’ cognac that gave him the needed boost. 

In March this year, Forbes released its ‘Forbes Five: Hip-Hop’s Wealthiest Artists 2018’ list, which saw heavyweights Sean 

‘Diddy’ Combs and Dr. Dre in second and third place, respectively. Followed by Drake in fourth position and Eminem 

cementing fifth place due to Birdman’s supposed liquidity problems. 

Since Forbes began accounting the riches in the hip-hop world, Diddy has secured the top spot, but this year his estimated 

worth was $825 million. Like Jay-Z, he also has investments in the booze business where he saw a steady growth in his 

luxury ‘DeLeón Tequila’ brand, however Diddy’s interests in premium vodka brand ‘Cîroc’ took a slight hit. 

Despite dropping to second place, Diddy took to Instagram to share a picture of himself alongside Jay-Z with a message 

empowering black excellence globally. 

West coast giant Dr. Dre is a non-mover in the Forbes list, but has a net worth of $770 million thanks to Apple’s $3 billion 

purchase of ‘Beats by Dre’ in May 2014. Additionally, Dre’s fortune over the next year is expected to grow substantially 

once his Apple stock is fully vested and depending on the tech titan’s share price the amount could be over $100 million. 

If this is the case, Dre could surpass both Jay-Z and Diddy. 

The last two places see a massive drop, down to $100 million to be precise as Drake and Eminem tie in fourth and fifth 

position. 

The Toronto-born rapper has acquired more than $250 million since 2010, and after taxes and spending, Drake hit the 

$100 million net worth mark. The young rapper has an extensive real estate portfolio, with properties in Canada and 

California, as well as an equity stake in Virgina Black whiskey. 

Though Eminem isn’t perhaps regarded as a business mogul, he is the best-selling rapper of all time and from any genre, 

during the 2000s. Furthermore, his 2017 ‘Revival’ album release incurred strong music sales. 

The consumer shift in alcohol preference has certainly given Jay-Z an edge, and if the market continues to lean towards 

cognac, whiskey and tequila, the newest cash king could become the first billionaire hip-hop star. 

Forbes complies the ‘Forbes Five’ list by analysing assets and financial documents, plus speaking with analysts, attorneys, 

managers, industry players and the moguls themselves. 


PHOTO CREDIT: PIETER- JANNICK DIJKSTRA 

PHOTO CREDIT: THE COME UP SHOW 

PHOTO CREDIT: JASON PERSSE 

PHOTO CREDIT: DOD NEWS 


31

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ULTIMATE 

It’s been 42 years since Thin Lizzy released 

‘Boys Are Back in Town’ and as songs go, 

this is dad music at its finest. Dad music 

or the better-known term ‘Dad Rock’ has 

a distinctive sound, but defining it isn’t 

easy. Whilst there is no straightforward 

explanation, it is typically tied to classic rock hits 

from the ‘60s and ‘70s, with dad vibes coming 

through Steely Dan, Queen and AC/DC. 

Dad Rock is one of those ‘once you hear it, you’ll 

know it’ genres; the bass guitar takes centre 

stage, along with the heavy drum beat and a 

strong hook. The lyrics, in most instances, are 

filled with masculine-themed, edgy lyrics instead 

of soft, romanticised vocals. Dad Rock isn’t just 

hardcore rock ‘n’ roll, but all are certainly wellconstructed 

songs. Dad Rock shares a familiar 

‘feeling’ or ‘groove’. Maybe it’s more than a 

feeling? 

This new ‘genre’ is enjoyed by all age groups but 

Dad Rock (for us) conjures up images of white 

middle-aged men, wearing Levi’s 501 Originals, 

rocking hairstyles inspired by Led Zeppelin or 

Whitesnake. Nothing wrong with that! Think 

Jeremy Clarkson in his Top Gear heyday. 

In honour of dad rockers everywhere, Hey Mag 

has put together a list of the Top 75 ultimate 

dad tunes. 

‘A Horse With No Name’ - America 

‘Ace Of Spades’ - Motorhead 

‘Africa’ - Toto 

‘All Right Now’ - Free 

‘All The Young Dudes’ - Mott The Hoople 

‘American Pie’ - Don McLean 

‘Another One Bites The Dust’ - Queen 

‘Baba O’Riley’ - The Who 

‘Black Magic Woman’ - Santana 

‘Born In The USA’ - Bruce Springsteen 

‘Born To Run’ - Bruce Springsteen 

‘Boys Are Back In Town’ - Thin Lizzy 

‘Broken Wings’ - Mr. Mister 

‘Brown Eyed Girl’ - Van Morrison 

‘Cat’s In The Cradle’ - Ugly Kid Joe 

‘Chelsea Dagger’ - The Fratellis 

‘Crazy Crazy Night’ - Kiss 

‘Crazy On You’ - Heart 

‘Delta Lady’ - Joe Cocker 

‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ - Simple Minds 

‘Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey 

‘Down Under’ - Men At Work 

‘Eye Of The Tiger’ - Survivor 

‘Fight For Your Right’ - Beastie Boys 

‘Foxy Lady’ - Jimi Hendrix 

‘Free Bird’ - Lynyrd Skynyrd 

‘Go Your Own Way’ - Fleetwood Mac 

‘In The Air Tonight’ - Phil Collins 

‘Johnny B. Goode’ - Chuck Berry 

‘Kashmir’ - Led Zeppelin 

‘LA Woman’ - The Doors 

‘Layla’ - Derek and the Dominos 

‘Live And Let Die’ - Paul McCartney & Wings 

‘Lola’ - The Kinks 

‘London Calling’ - The Clash 

‘Love Is The Drug’ - Roxy Music 

‘Lust For Life’ - Iggy Pop 

‘Maggie May’ - Rod Stewart 

‘Money For Nothing’ - Dire Straits 

‘More Than A Feeling’ - Boston 

‘Mr Blue Sky’ - Electric Light Orchestra 

‘Oh Well’ - Fleetwood Mac 

‘Paranoid’ - Black Sabbath 

‘Pinball Wizard’ - The Who 

‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’ - U2 

‘Rebel Rebel’ - David Bowie 

‘Reelin’ In The Years’ - Steely Dan 

‘Rock And Roll’ - Led Zeppelin 

‘Rockin’ All Over the World’ - Status Quo 

‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ - Neil Young 

‘School’s Out’ - Alice Cooper 

‘Seven Nation Army’ - The White Stripes 

‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ - Pink Floyd 

‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ - The Clash 

‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ - Rainbow 

‘Smoke On The Water’ - Deep Purple 

‘Stay With Me’ - The Faces 

‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ - Stealers Wheel 

‘Sultans Of Swing’ - Dire Straits 

‘Summer of 69’ - Bryan Adams 

‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ - Guns & Roses 

‘Sympathy For The Devil’ - The Rolling Stones 

‘Take It Easy’ - The Eagles 

‘Teenage Kicks’ - The Undertones 

‘The Joker’ - Steve Miller Band 

‘Two Princes’ - Spin Doctors 

‘Under Pressure’ - David Bowie & Queen 

‘Up The Junction’ - Squeeze 

‘Walk On The Wild Side’ - Lou Reed 

‘Walk This Way’ - Aerosmith/Run DMC 

‘We Will Rock You’ - Queen 

‘Werewolves Of London’ - Warren Zevon 

‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ - U2 

‘Wild Thing’ - The Troggs 

‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ - AC/DC 


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Hey Music Mag - Issue 1 - August 2018

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