KURSA CHATS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING IT REAL[INTERVIEW]
Every so often, we get the opportunity to work with an artist who has been a direct source of inspiration for our team. London’s experimental bass mastermind Kursa, is one such pioneer. For over a decade, Oska has solidified his position at the forefront of bass music with his genre-bending production style that blends elements from a myriad of sonic dialects, including trip hop, jazz, classical, jungle, and techno.
An artist’s impact can often be measured by the number of lives they’ve touched through their music, and Kursa has left an indelible mark on the underground scene from coast to coast and across the globe. As we look forward to aligning paths with Oska this Saturday at The Meadows, when he arrives alongside Two Swords and Combine, we spoke with him about his creative process, how rave culture has evolved over the years, and the tour rolling through.
SMACK: In an industry that can be driven by trends and social media virality, you've maintained an undeniable presence at the forefront of experimental bass music. What do you think is the key to your longevity?
KURSA: I think it can be important to be aware of what’s currently trending but just following trends and appeasing an audience without looking inward is never going to be artistically fulfilling. At the end of the day, the unique thing about you is your life, interests and experience so you might as well share that if people are already listening to you. I guess just keep it real and try to remember what makes you an individual through everything will keep people interested and also not burn you out! Just be an artist :)
SMACK:You've mentioned that your live hardware sets are always evolving and that you utilize new equipment almost every time. How has that process developed over the years, and what are the benefits of that approach rather than a DJ set?
KURSA: It’s mostly been a battle of figuring out what do I need pre-prepared and what can I improvise on the spot. Recently, the synthesis and processing side has evolved quite dramatically to a point where all I have pre-programmed is some backing drums and I can create everything else on the fly. The overall goal is to do everything from the ground up - all drums too. Then you can hear completely live something being created from effectively nothing!
SMACK: Coming up in London during the 90s, experiencing the inception of rave culture, do you feel that elements of that classic sound and culture are still prevalent in the scene today?
KURSA: The overall sense of community is still there, even if a little fractured down to the level of corporate interest in the scene / venues / covid and a myriad of other factors. The whole premise was a bunch of people coming together to celebrate completely welcoming community and expression. It’s been sad to see so many venues disappear over the years as larger corporations and prices make operating nearly impossible for a lot of us to survive but I have faith that the ones that stick in this game have something driving them beyond financial gain and that’s something you can’t manufacture.
SMACK: This current tour, Expats of Bass, brings three heavy-hitters together on one lineup. What unique qualities do Combine and Two Swords bring into the mix, and what can fans expect from this curation?
KURSA: Ken (Combine) has been a solid friend for years and funnily enough has had absolute weapons of tunes in the works for over a decade but only recently started to push his work to labels… pretty much as soon as he did, every single DJ, including myself, has been absolutely rinsing his tunes. I think you’d find it difficult to find someone playing 140 / dubstep stuff that isn’t playing his tunes right now.
Matt (Two Swords) and I developed a friendship back in Bristol when we lived pretty close together and just hung out grabbing morning coffees, playing video games, eating food and chatting about life! Conversationally, and in his music, Matt always manages to throw me a really satisfying curve ball regularly. He’s got a unique approach to life and writing that makes him sound like nobody else. He was already a prolific dnb producer as Hyroglifics but the new Two Swords alias has been a welcomed change to usher in less genre specific tunes and more experimental bangers.
Together, I feel we are three producers and DJ’s that have our feet firmly in the underground with almost an inability to follow the norm. It’s an honor to play along side these guys and we can all bring something very different to the dance floor. None of us will be playing the same rinsed out tunes you’ll hear 90% of other DJ’s playing. Nothing against them for doing it but we all crave something different, something new.
SMACK: You've often collaborated with artists outside the realm of electronic music, like your latest album 'Nisky Hill' with violinist Alicia Kiah. How does that desire to incorporate sounds across myriad genres overlap with your love for gathering new pieces of production gear?
KURSA: Funnily enough the process of recording, processing, mixing, and mastering music with violin became such an exciting challenge! There was a whole lot of experimenting going on there to make sure it didn’t just sound like tunes with some violin but rather music with sound design you wouldn’t even expect to be harvested from jams with the violin. Quite a lot of sounds ended up coming from pitched down, granular and spectrally morphed violin takes. Alicia has just got herself an electric violin also so a live looping project is well underway with that now!!
GRAB TICKETS TO SEE KURSA WITH TWO SWORDS & COMBINE AT THE MEADOWS THIS SATURDAY DECEMBER 6!