No ‘ice’, no ‘making it rain’ or any other cliché. Just one man – Allen Mask – his rhymes, and his beats. A listen to the tongue-in-cheek track ‘Feedback’ (…Host a making the band /Have an island where the women write my name in the sand /I’m thinking – no more ramen and payless/Honey take the car and spend wherever they can take a black Amex) might have you thinking otherwise but Allen Mask’s statement is not forced through a particular expectation of what it means to be a hip-hop artist today. Instead, his statement and audience appeal is made through his music, and his body of work points towards a richer variant of lyrical content and slick production, greater than any stereotype or formula could ever express.
Find out what the aspiring artist has to say about creating his own stamp on the current hip-hop sound with his debut record, ‘Pilot Season’.
How did you get into music?
I was introduced to music as a child, listening and learning from my grandfather who was a Jazz Pianist. I grew up around musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Wes Anderson, Walter Blanding Jr. Eric Reed and Marcus Roberts and developed a deep love for Jazz at a very early age. Throughout the years I was an avid listener to soul, funk, oldies and pop, and was introduced to Hip Hop and R&B after spending several years competing internationally as a youth slam poet.
I starting taking piano seriously as a high school student and began writing, composing and performing with several recording groups before coming to college. As a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill I combined my passion for music and lyrics with songwriting and publishing opportunities that refined my ear and personal touch as a writer. After working with countless artists as a producer, I am now a full-blown solo artist pursuing and creating my own principal material.
What would you say is your most creative song on ‘Pilot Season’ and why?
I think my most creative song on Pilot Season is Gallerina. That was the first song that I recorded for the album, and it was composed around a melody that had been stuck in my head for several years before I decided to put it on wax. Gallerina is about a lover’s dream sequence and it was inspired my relationship with a college art hand who was an intern at a New York City art gallerie in the summer of 2009.
I recorded the song with two very talented engineers in Concord, North Carolina (Tom Harling and Bobby Shoemaker) and I wrote and tracked each part note for note in the studio, which I don’t always do. Those sessions at The Shop were among the longest I have ever worked. We were pulling 14 hour days tracking that one tune and experimented a ton with sounds and vocals to see what fit the mood.. It was the first time I really experimented with singing on my songs and the lyrics how a power and energy that I have yet to recreate on another record.
There is always something special about the first song you write and record for a project. It more or less sets the mood for the movements which to me makes it the most important song.
What stage are you at in the recording of your new tracks, and how will these songs differ from those on ‘Pilot Season’?
I am very far along with a ton of new music. Since Pilot Season’s soft release I have written and recorded approximately 20 or 30 new songs that will be spread between two to four new records over the course of the next few years. Pilot Season still has a lot of life in it. We are in the process of shopping it for a more major distribution deal so it can have a fair shot at promotion before we move on to the next set of music. The new tunes, depending on which record they are for, have very different sounds. Most of them are bigger and more electronic, however my listeners will still be able to appreciate and sense the style and feel I was experimenting with on Pilot Season.
‘Pilot Season’ showcased your production skills. Will the new songs highlight another aspect of your musicality?
Yes. The new songs, depending on the record, focus on different things. I am doing more co-producing on the EP’s and the LP is more geared towards commercial sound and story development than a production showcase. I am cutting “new sound” records with two of my heroes Eric Sim and Andy Stavas, and have gotten a lot more up-close and personal content wise on my next full-length than I have with previous projects.
You’ve chosen to title your second LP ‘State of Art.’ Does the title have any particular significance?
Originally it did. That project has changed a bit. State of the Art was supposed to be my attempt to personally address what I feel is the current state of hip hop within the context of its current sound. I had planned on using new tools, tricks, toys and techniques to put together a story of sound that would walk listeners through my interpretation of our generation’s signature feel. As I started to work on that album my creative juices took a turn and I had a change of heart with the direction I wanted to take. All I can really say about that record at the moment is that it is under style and title construction. The music is finished and the final product is quite different than I had originally pictured. I believe it is some of the best music I have ever touched.
What do you mean when you describe your music as “guilt-free” hip-hop?
I call it guilt free music because anyone can listen to it without feeling guilty or compromised by foul language or questionable content. All of my music is original, fully composed and clean. It’s fresh, innovative and friendly for listeners of all ages. Many of my biggest fans range from the age of five years old to 60 years old. I get fan-mail from elementary school students as well as senior citizens. It’s nice to know that all of my music can be played worry free by anyone anytime anywhere. It also keeps me out of trouble with DJ’s and the FCC.
How do you write your music? Is it autobiographical, drawn from others’ experiences or imaginary?
It varies. For most of my own songs I start with the music and let the lyrics write themselves. I always compose from a piano and I always play every single part possible using a keyboard controller. When I write for other artists I usually have an idea of what kind of song I want to write for them. However, when I write for myself, it’s always led by the mood of the music that comes to my fingers. More recently I have been writing about personal experience, specifically that of my love life. Otherwise, my content can be all over the place though I always revisit faith and love.
How did you balance your musical pursuits with university life and how will you balance music with your new job?
You just have to do what you can and fit it in where possible. Life, school and work are very busy but the good Lord always finds a way to help me make time for my passion which is and will always be music. The reason I am recording so much now is so that I have material to release while I am away on Wall Street. It is my hope that one day there will be a big enough opportunity for me to pursue music on a more sustainable level. That will be up to the people.
What’s your favourite album and why?
That changes often. Three of my favorite albums right now are Square by Square, MuteMath by MuteMath and Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix. These records have such a musical and progressive sound to me. I love alt rock. It is my second biggest influence after jazz.
What’s the best piece of musical advice you’ve been given?
There are no wrong notes just poor choices. Space will give you more sound than stuff.
What’s next for Allen Mask?
Promotion. I have been working extremely hard for the past year on material and now is the time to start pushing my sound, image and feel. The music is ready and so am I. The next step is to tell the world why I matter as an artist.
Get Allen Mask’s album at www.thinkopation.com and follow him on twitter @allenmask
