Music has the ability to connect people in a very powerful way. It is the meeting place for melody and creativity that allows us to express ourselves in an endless variety of emotion. Today, it’s allowed me to conduct an interview with Prime Ape Got The Blues from across the globe. The duo (N for Nois and S for Shuriken) have been making music together for several years out in Sweden and took some time out of their day to chat with us, check it out!

OR: How are you doing today?

S: Just fine, thank you.

N: All good. ‘Though the evil, air born pollen is trying to slay me through my nose (and it’s doing a good job).

OR: For those unfamiliar with your music, describe what “Prime Ape Got the Blues” is?

S: Prime Ape Got the Blues is a hip hop duo in love with the soulfulness of the blues, I guess. When a blues man performs his songs there is an element of sincerity that comes through that I believe we’ve been trying to adopt in our music. The blues don’t sugar coat stuff, but tell it like it is, like it’s perceived.

N: And also it’s a banging piece of tankalicious hip hop!

OR: Where did the name of this project come from?

S: ‘Prime Ape’ refers to the leader of the pack, with ‘leader’ referring to the inherent responsibility that comes with being a man and growing up – which is totally not fun and many times leads to the Prime Ape Getting the Blues.
Also, the ‘Prime Ape’ makes his own way through the music world, exploring the wilderness where no being has trodden. Even though he was spawned by different forefathers he must become a self sustainable creature, making his own unique mark on the world. Prime Ape Got the Blues is that journey.

N: ‘Prime Ape’ also refers to the human race as a whole. Very pretentious, I know (I blame it on youth). I prefer the updated version Shu’ gave.

OR: What kind of impressions do you hope to leave with someone when they hear your music?

S: Me personally, wouldn’t want people to ‘take advice’ from what I say in my lyrics, or have been saying, because it’s so disharmonious most of the time. And I wouldn’t want people to be dragged down into the blues neither. I like happy people.
When the Prime Ape progresses through life and finds his way, his outlook on things must inevitably change, and so I very much hope to leave a more positive impression on people in the future.

N: I actually have no opinion on this matter. But to follow up on what Shu’ said – to me there’s no direct correlation between saying things that might be considered negative, and leaving a negative impression on people. I’ve always loved Shu’s lyrics; the blatantly truthful and almost naked sincerity. Listening to someone screaming out their pain can give the listener a valuable sense of release, ‘though it might not be as fun for the screamer if the pain doesn’t subdue. So ultimately – if Shu’s lyrics get happier, I’ll be happy for him, ‘cause it’ll mean he’s happier.

OR: What is the Hip Hop scene like in Sweden?

S: Don’t really know actually. Last couple of years it’s been kind of slow and boring and so we switched our focus to other music. We like to be inspired by Tom Waits, a common hero of ours. The Swedish hip hop scene does however deliver from time to time, which is wonderful when it happens.

N: It’s good, I think. I actually rarely listen to music at all. But sure, there’s a lot of hip hop, the scene is bigger then you might think – but then again Sweden’s a small country, and so the hip hop scene can only be so big.

OR: What is your take on mainstream hip hop?

S: Usually I don’t have an opinion about it. People do what they wanna do and the companies support who they wanna support and I don’t care, it just is. Usually it’s too boring to get my attention though

N: Same here. Also, it’s hard to say what’s what. But I just don’t care. Getting to old to care. I make the music I want to make, and I switch the radio channel when shit comes on.

OR: In your own opinion, what’s the ultimate hip hop/rap song?

S: Kool G Rap – Blowing up in the world

N: That changes from day to day. But right now it’s probably ‘Shazam’ by Serengeti. Freakin’ masterpiece.

OR: What is it about music that first appealed to you?

N: Hard question. Weird question! But I guess; everything. What first appealed to me when I started making music, though, was probably the feeling of expression. I painted a lot as a kid, then stopped, and needed something else. Now I try to do everything I can. I’ve never done any graffiti though. No idea why.

S: The sound of it, the melodies, pretty or cool voices, screams and shouts. All the instruments and the rhythm, the catchy words, all of it.

OR: Where did the name of your latest album – Invite the devil in – come from?

N: It’s kind of a rock album title, more then anything. But at the same time the title was set with love, and humour. Wasn’t meant quite as dark as it might seem, when it was thought up.

S: ‘Invite the Devil in’ I believe refers to a sense of bondage which is very much expressed on the album.
In hind sight you might say that I invited the sense of bondage and acted with rage from it, and the music followed and enhanced my emotions which it so often does. So the title is very suitable for the album.

OR: Favourite track you’ve made so far?

S: Right now, probably ‘Adventures Beyond the Body’, off our latest album. But we have one unreleased song that I like more that’s really my favourite.

N: I really like some of the tracks from our debut album. They were so spontaneous and cartoonish. But off the latest album it must be ‘Never Mind the Bullshit’. It’s got that really explosive feel to it. Shortest song we’ve done I think. Short and explosive.

OR: What was the inspiration for the punk rock influenced “Never Mind the Bullshit?”

N: Shu’ came to me and asked me to do a beat for him and another friend (Pausitive). They’d talked about doing a punk / hip hop track together. But after recording the hook Pausitive dropped out and we decided to make the track a PAGTB-track. If you listen closely to the hook, though, you can hear that it’s actually two voices ripping it; Shuriken and Pausitive.

S: The inspiration for the track came from a childhood full of punk rock. When I was a kid there was a “war” going on at my school between punk rockers and hip hopers, and I was punk rock. It should be noted that the so called hip hopers at my school mostly listened to euro techno which they confused with hip hop. But when I heard ‘real’ hip hop for the first time, I instantly fell in love… Think it must have been GZA, Liquid Swords. Anyways, I wanted to let the hip hop and punk rock similarities show, and at the same time get back to the school days when these styles were of extra importance in the search of ones identity.

OR: What has been the biggest setback for you as an artist?

S: A break-in to the studio where they stole a computer with one year of working on our debut album.

N: Yep, our studio break-in. They broke open three doors and stole our life. The worst thing was that – just that night – our backup-drive was sitting right on top of the computer they stole. So that went too. Who the hell breaks in to a dirty, underground studio run by a bunch of kids with no money? And yes they probably knew who ran it, we’re from a very small town, and so if they knew it (the studio) was there, they knew who owned it.
They didn’t even have the brain power to get the chords off the mics, and so they cut the chords off with a knife. F*ckin’ idiots. See – I’m still pissed, and it was a long time ago.

OR: What was the first album you ever bought?

S: Dia Psalma – Gryningstid; it’s a Swedish punk rock band with a mysterious northern folklore feel to it.

N: I honestly have no idea! The first one I got from my parents, though, was a copy of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book” on vinyl. Still have it, of course.

OR: What are you currently working on?

S: We have a few different things going on but it’s too early to talk about.

N: I’ve got a few things going on. Just started working on a little project together with Abstract Artform; a bluesish, dirty thing, where I almost exclusively use a mic and a loop-pedal whilst making the music. It’s great fun. Dirty fun.

OR: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

S: Do whatever you feel like doing, do it good and make sure it’s fun. 

N: Yep, same here. But also just do it. Keep on working. It can’t always be fun – but those late hours will pay off, at least in spirit.