YOUNG BRITS DOING BITS: NINE8 COLLECTIVE
Art/Culture
YOUNG BRITS DOING BITS:
NINE8 COLLECTIVE
NINE8 are an emergent creative collective hailing from West London. Whilst West is ingrained in their identities the collective, with their unbridled approach to pursuing creativity, are putting themselves firmly on the global map. Comprised of musicians, artists, designers and all-round creatives the collective has an almost unique feel, a DIY aesthetic and a passion for doing fuelled by curiosity and ambition. We caught up with three of the members of the collective to learn a little bit more about their roots, their approach to creativity and the importance of putting West on the map.
Words:
Luc Hinson
Imagery:
Tom Shotton
In a day of workshops, and creative expression at the Westbank Gallery NINE8 collective exhibited their fiercely D.I.Y aesthetic. It runs through everything the collective does, from designing clothes, making beats or writing lyrics. The collective functions seamlessly which is somewhat surprising given their contrasting sounds, influences and approaches. Underpinned by close connection and friendship everything the collective puts out is based off of their close relationships and understanding of each other. Their origin stories with the collective vary and offer glimpses into what makes each member tick. I caught up with three members of the collective as they hosted a day of creative workshopping at Red Bull’s Music Festival, eager to share their stories and journies I sat down with Biig Piig, Mac Wetha and Lorenzorsv to learn a little more about what it means to be in NINE8.
Biig Piig, is an Irish Born, Spanish raised singer and songwriter based out of Hammersmith. Having moved around extensively from an early age she knows the importance of being your own safe space. Through open mic nights and subsequently the collective Jess has experimented more and more with her sound and style. After meeting Lava and Mac in a music tech class at Richmond college an organic friendship ensued, their work, as a collective is based off of the close bonds of friendship that were forged long before any ideas of stardom materialised. Jess, through her work and the collective hopes to build their network to span countries and continents, in the hope of linking up with like-minded young creatives. Our full Q&A with Biig Piig follows below.
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IT’S JUST COOL FINDING PEOPLE YOUR AGE WHO ARE ABLE TO COME TO A SPACE AND BE VULNERABLE AROUND EACH OTHER WITHOUT ANYTHING BEING WEIRD.
PHOTOGRAPHY: LUC HINSON
How did you get involved with nine8 in the first place?
BP: I went to Richmond College and met Ava and Lloyd there in a music tech class, we hung out a lot at school and we’d make tunes, it was nice and we had a little friendship group. We left college and Ava had a party one night after a show, I went down and there was a cypher going on in one of the rooms. We’d also hang out a lot at Lloyd’s house, he had a little mic and we’d hang out there, he had a little mic and his MacBook and we’d record songs, Lloyd would make beats and we’d do whatever over it.
I was shy with it at the beginning but everyone was mad encouraging, we just started making music just for fun, we made a lot of tracks and we’d upload some onto Soundcloud. It was cool, it was an escape I suppose you know? It’s just cool finding people your age who are able to come to a space and be vulnerable around each other without anything being weird. That’s how I came to know it.
BB: What influence has growing up in Ireland had on your sound and approach to music?
BP: I was only there for 6 years in total from the age of four, then I moved to Spain until I was 12, and moved back to Ireland for a year or two. I feel like moving around, in general, you get into this mindset of being your own safe space, your own kind of home. A lot of the collective have the same mentality, I think there’s something in that which makes you want to find those spaces and communities where you can be yourself, without feeling guilty or weird about it.
What influence has being in London had on you, how did that change things for you creatively?
BP: I came here when I was 14, so I was too young to go out. I was just at home making tunes, and that became an outlet for me. London as a place can be so hectic, it can be mad intense I think with that intensity comes isolation as well. It’s so easy to feel like so much is going on around you, and to feel out of the rhythm of it. That’s what makes it so special when you find somewhere where it feels right, a hub or home you can come back to. London as a whole, there’s so much inspiration around every corner, so many different cultures and experiences and pockets, everywhere feels like a different place, a different town within the same city.
BB: How do you balance personal aspirations and careers, and your involvement in the collective?
BP: At the start it was difficult, you don’t want anyone to feel that they can’t pursue anything, but there’s the fear of “will this change something in the collective?” We all have our own projects, everyone has their own thing, but you look at the collective like a different outlet. We can just experiment and do whatever we want. We all support each others solo projects too, we go to each others shows and stand in the front row you.
BB: What are you trying to achieve through the collective, what’s the end goal?
BP: I see it as spreading that mindset that we’ve already got inside the collective and spreading that as far as we can it would be sick to extend that to people in other countries, relating with people from other parts of the world with the same mentality. I want to work with people my age and have conversations and change stuff in small ways that make a big difference. Being able to spread that mentality and that kind of safe DIY space where, if you want to come and chat or create you’re more than welcome. Especially now there’s so much chaos right now and it’s important to have that as things can be shit, it’s confusing, there’s a lot going on, even small things like social media they’re isolating people more. They make people feel like they’re part of a community online but you need to come physically to things and chat with people.
BB: West, is an area of London brimming with talent but that often falls behind East and South as centres of creativity, Is there a desire to put West on the creative map for you?
BP: Yep, I think so much so, I’ve had write-ups before where people say I’m from South London without even consulting me, people always want to box people off. Like you can do this if you’re from here but not from here. It’s important for us to say no we’re from West and to inspire other kids from West to make them think they can do this too. There’s so much history here that people ignore a lot too. It’s cool to bring it back here.
BB: What does Home mean to you?
BP: Love. Home means a place where you don’t have to explain yourself, you’re just who you are and everyone accepts it. Yeah, Love, that’s it, just love.
PHOTOGRAPHY: LUC HINSON
PHOTOGRAPHY: LUC HINSON
Lorenzorsv
Americanised in both sound and by his influences, Lorenzorsv adds to the already diverse set of talent within NINE8. Whilst honing his craft and working on his already sharp lyricism Lorenzorsv waits readily for the come up of hip-hop in London, having seen a music scene dominated by grime and now drill there’s a patient stillness as we chat, I feel he’s ready to burst into life at any second as he recounts his influences and inspirations. A product of his lived experiences having growing up in Chiswick Lorenzo identifies the leverage he now has, ambitious, but tied by duty to his community Lorenzo aspires to one day be in the position to invest and give back to the next wave of emerging artists. For him, giving back isn’t a noble gesture it’s seen as essential as that’s “the only way that music is going to be able to progress.
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BEING AROUND EVERYONE IN NINE8 TO ME, THAT I CAN CALL HOME, THIS IS WHO WE ARE, THAT’S IT, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE GONNA GET.
BB: Who or Where do you draw your individual creative influences from?
L: Me personally, I don’t know, a variety of people and places. People like Michael Jackson, not necessarily my sound but how they branded themselves, Michael Jackson, Travis Scott. MJ’s branding was o huge but he was such a character, Travis Scott is so psychedelic and the way he carries himself his energy, he’s so reserved, but when you need to see what he wants you to see you’re like wow, your brain expands all his ideas and creative processes inspires me to find an idea, a concept and just do it.
BB both of your influences are very Americanised, how does that fit into the London aesthetic of NINE8?
L: It’s weird we’re all very different individually at first when you hear all of our solo songs and learn that we’re in a collective together you’d think oh that’s weird how does that work. But because we’re all different it just naturally works in a way, we start experimenting and it encourages us to get out fo our comfort zone. So me having this sound, it’s like cool, how can I apply this to something that’s more organically British but in a way that’s not forced and naturally works. It comes together naturally I can’t really describe it but it works.
BB: How do you balance personal aspirations and careers, and your involvement in the collective?
L: They work well together because a lot of us, even on our individual projects we still work together, I just dropped a project called Vibes that features Lava La Rue. Me and Nay and Bone have been having a few singles together, it all works and naturally balances. Mac Wetha who produces, me and him could be working on some stuff, it might not be NINE8 stuff but as he knows us and knows my sound it helps. We all dip in and dive and help each other whenever we can.
BB: What are you trying to achieve through the collective, what’s the end goal?
L: As a collective we always have a goal of owning our own space, having our own record label as we know there’s so much underground talent within London that gets looked at every now and then, but it’s just to be able to be like we actually really like those people and to be able to help them, most of the times underground talent is given light for the wrong reasons, a lot of corporates clock onto them and think right this is where the money is coming from. It’s about partnerships, we want to do partnerships with people that are authentic and genuine and benefits both sides.
My solo vision is very similar to that where I just want to get to a position where I have made enough money to be able to give back and invest in other talents. People like Pharrell, the way they’ve just started doing their own thing and thought they were weird they’ve managed to solidify themselves so well in the industry even now you’ll see artists in the younger generations featuring Pharrell or with Pharrell on the production credits, it’s about giving back and that’s the only way that music is going to be able to progress.
BB: West, is an area of London brimming with talent but that often falls behind East and South as centres of creativity, Is there a desire to put West on the creative map for you?
L: For me personally I would agree 100%, you get talent from West but it’s sometimes looked at for a split second or it just doesn’t stick around, I believe everyone always talks about the South and the East and it’s like where is West? It’s time to show that, We have people who have been around but it’s been that grime sound, its been here from back in the day but when London was getting its shine it was always about people like Skepta. Then we saw the come up of Drill, and then it’s like okay when is it going to be hip hops turn, actually and properly. I’m not discrediting either genre, that space for hip hop gets shut down. Loads of people on comments of hip hop tracks will always say “he’s trying to be the Uk version of …..” I want it to get to the point where there’s no split its just the sound, and us from West I think we’re going to be the ones to make it happen
BB: What does Home mean to you?
Home means somewhere where I can just be myself, in this day and age there’s a lot of pressure on social media. You go to a party and people are there posing in a corner, back in the day people used to go out to enjoy themselves. Now it’s more people going out as a statement, I’m with so and so, I know so and so it’s more of a poser thing. Home is somewhere I can be where it’s none of that. Being around everyone in NINE8 to me, that I can call home, this is who we are, that’s it, this is exactly what you’re gonna get.
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EVERYTHING WE MADE FROM THE BEGINNING WAS MADE OUT OF FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, AND A LOVE FOR THE ARTS.
Lloyd who goes by Mac Wetha, is another member of the collective who spent many of his childhood years abroad. He grew up not far from Biig Piig, spending a sizeable chunk of his childhood years in a remote farm town in Spain. Mac’s father passed down an appreciation of music that burns brightly in his son, now a gifted producer, DJ, composer and multi-instrumentalist Mac sits at the beating heart of everything the collective does. He adores West for the creative scene and bustling Spanish community that surrounds him here, his dad a big QPR man used to guide Mac through the streets of West London, a key landmark, of course, being Loftus Road. A love for west clearly courses through the family veins.
Emblematic of their D.I.Y approach Mac produces, makes beats, masters and mixes for the collective, his obsessive love of music keeps the collective from needing to outsource much of what he does, through this, he’s gained a deeper understanding and knowledge of what makes his co-collaborators tick. But viewing them as much more than just collaborators, Mac views everyone within the collective as close, close friends. For Mac, every piece of work, every beat, every song has originated out of friendship: “Everything we made from the beginning was made out of friendship, love, and a love for the arts.” The last of our Q&As with Mac Wetha follows below.
BB: How do you balance personal aspirations and careers, and your involvement in the collective?
MW: I’d say they’re quite harmonious, when I’m making this music in a collaborative sense, the music just happens and I’m never really that concerned about where particularly it goes in terms of my stuff as Mac Wetha or the collectives stuff. It happens really naturally but I can’t explain how, my project is definitely different to the NINE8 group stuff, but I can’t pinpoint how or why as it’s made in the same way. With the bands and stuff I had to get good at timekeeping, I mix a lot of stuff and record it and engineer it and I think when you’re constantly working and switched on it just comes naturally.
BB: What influence has growing up in London had on your approach to creating?
MW: I actually grew up in Spain, when I was quite young. My whole family on my dad’s side are all from Shepherds Bush and my mum’s side are from Ickenham, Ruislip way. They’ve always wanted me to grow up in London and felt it was super important for me to grow up in that kind of environment as before, I’d grown up in an isolated farm town in Spain. When we came back to London, I remember my dad taking me around London, taking me to Loftus Road he was a big QPR man. I remember him taking me around West, taking me to all the markets. Showing me the Spanish communities in West which is one of the reasons I fucking love West London. A big-time music influence was my dad not that he’s a musician but he loves music and was born and raised in London, through him a love of music has naturally been passed down to me.
BB: What are you trying to achieve through the collective, what’s the end goal?
MW: I think to keep things running as a platform, to bring up art we otherwise we wouldn’t have heard, to meet people we wouldn’t have necessarily met. NiGE is from Kentish town, and that’s an area I never would have hung out without being in NINE8. SO that being a continued thing, whether it be events or things like today more crafty workshop stuff. Ava’s goal has been for all the creatives in London to meet, not to be pocketed off.
BB: West, is an area of London brimming with talent but that often falls behind East and South as centres of creativity, Is there a desire to put West on the creative map for you?
MW: I don’t know man, it’s rep where you’re from, obviously, but a big part of NINE8 was trying to eliminate this whole, boxing off of different areas. People love boxing things off, but it’s all hella related to each other and bounces off each other. I think the duty is to collaborate with your fellow artists no matter where they’re from.
BB: How would you say you balance everything you do as a collective, the music and garments and the platform?
MW: Me personally, what I’m interested in is the mixing, mastering and production of the music all of that side of things. People like Ava and NiGE are really passionate about the clothing and the art, everyone has these different creative outlets outside of music. Everyone has their own niches and ways to be creative as the collective.
It’s kind of weird how it works and how successful it works, I almost think at times in coincidental that these 9 people balance each other out. Like, if I didn’t have such a passion for mixing maybe we’d have to outsource that, if Ava wasn’t as passionate about the arts and design, maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today as people wouldn’t have a visual reference for us.
NINE8 are no longer an emerging talent, they’re no longer waiting for a seat at the table the collective have firmed up their place as one of the driving forces in London’s creative scene. They’re featuring on bigger and bolder lineups from Red Bull to Boiler Room NINE8 are making the step from the local to the global. As they grow and develop, their network will flourish, their talent is undeniable, but there’s an extremely human characteristic to the collective. They’re relatable, organic and more than anything else, authentic. A true breath of fresh air on a creative scene becoming increasingly saturated.
You can follow the collective here: @nine8collective
Keep up to date with their latest release here: NINE8 Collective
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