Interview: Knifehandchop, Maestro of ‘Bastard Pop’,

Interview: Knifehandchop, Maestro of ‘Bastard Pop’,

8 July, 2008 | 3.36PM

• Written by: Amanda Connon-Unda
• Filed under: Music News: knifehandchop, tigerbeat6

Knifehandchop (Billy Pollard)’s diversity and bricolage-like collection of original productions in various genres is duly noted.

He is known to produce what has been called ‘bastard pop’ by drawing on elements from ragga, techno, hardcore, hip-hop and electro.

From the multi-cultural urban centre of Toronto, Canada, where many cultures collide and only sometimes blend together, his eclectic music (perhaps even attention deficit generation-inspired) makes sense in this setting.

Having recently played at Mutek Festival, he started producing music at age 18 and has released on such labels as Tigerbeat6 and Irritant. Needless to say, he’s fairly accomplished.

Catching up in Toronto recently, Knifehandchop explained the connection between the world famous London nightclub ‘Fabric’ and his track by the same name that came out on Mutek Festival’s 2008 CD compilation. 

“When I started writing that track, I noticed it was the most straight house dance thing I had ever written,” he told Beatportal.

“So about halfway towards finishing it I thought it would be fun to play the track at that club.

“To this day I still haven’t played there and I still want to!  Sometimes things in London can get trendy but Fabric seems to keep a fun vibe in spite of that.”

As far as his appearance at Mutek, he performed to a larger number of people who had not necessarily heard his music before some of whom as he says, “…only like specific genres that wouldn’t have given my music a chance otherwise.

“I noticed some people just wouldn’t budge,” said Knifehandchop.

“They like their minimal techno and just wouldn’t accept what I was doing, but there were others that seemed to really enjoy hearing something different than what they usually get at Mutek and I got some emails saying that.”

While a lot of music aficionados specialize in one or two genres, there are plenty of others that tend to indulge in whimsical genre mash-up productions (where everything is fused together).

Knifehandchop falls into neither camp.

He produces tracks in one genre at a time, but his genre production range has been wide – from booty, drum n bass, and electronica, to hardcore and electro house.

He explained, “I make anything that I like.

“The most inspiring thing for me is hearing music coming at me from everywhere.

“I just let it all influence me and take me wherever I feel like without over-thinking why I’m doing something.

“Even if I am being influenced by a specific sound, the end result still sounds like me, but I structure the beats in a new way.

“I’ve always wondered how most people can only produce within one genre.

“Don’t they ever get bored of doing that?”

As unconventional an approach as this may seem, perhaps there really is a lot to be said for the influencing factor of Knifehandchop’s personality mixed with his hometown, Toronto, and its distinct urban and suburban landscapes.

His track entitled ‘Going Back to Scarborough’ actually references the journey between the inner city and the suburb where he lived.

He said, “Everything about Toronto influences my music.

“I think what really influences the musicians here isn’t the music scene but the overall atmosphere and personality of the city.

“Since Toronto is so multicultural, I find that nothing is ever out of place and then I start to see music that way as well.

“Mixing together opposite styles of music seems natural when you view where you live as that same kind of patchwork.”

For the moment the maestro of Toronto’s bastard pop sound, Knifehandchop, is working on a 5-tracker EP.

He revealed, “I have been playing so many shows with a heavy influence on the dance floor, so I think it would be good to get some tracks down that represent what I’ve been doing.”

In the meantime, curious readers can check out Knifehandchop’s most recent records, ‘knifehandchop vs modeselektor with ninjaman’ - “weed wid da macka” on SHOCKOUT RECORDS, and “dirty new york” on TIGERBEAT6.

• (3) Comments
• (1231) Views
• Knifehandchop on Beatport