Feature: Legend In The Making
It's been said that modern music has come to a standstill, with everyone looking back instead of forward; particularly with the increase in sample-based genres, retromania is becoming almost impossible to avoid. But even artists who break away from current trends still need inspiration; artists such as Mitch Stevens, known to the world as Silver Bear Recordings prodigy Cholombian. And who better to get those creative juices flowing than a legend, an innovator – somebody who did what nobody had done before?
Thrust into the public eye back in 2013, when he took a turn on Bestival's main stage, Stevens' subtle blend of atmospheric wonder and deconstructed hip-hop instantly made him one to watch. If legends don't follow the herd, then Stevens is certainly no sheep.
“A lot of the artists I consider legends don't sound like they've had a huge influence on my work,” confesses Stevens. Typically for one with such an open-minded approach to music, Stevens believes the term itself is completely subjective: “[It's] just as open to interpretation as music is. If their work has impacted you enough for you to remember forever, they're a legend.”
So who are Stevens' hidden heroes? If they aren't obviously reflected in his work, how is it that they've impacted on him? Perhaps most surprisingly, he turns to Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast first off. “I'd never heard rap music like theirs when I first heard it,” he enthuses. “They're one of the most consistently perfect hip-hop groups in the world.
“Kanye West is also a legend to me,” he continues, admitting that it may be controversial opinion, but he believes the Yeezus rapper is truly gifted. “He's constantly changing the landscape of hip-hop and someone that revolutionary deserves to be praised, not berated.”
Looking further afield, Stevens turns to that most purple of legends: “No one can craft music like Prince. That man is a genius. He has the ability to make me feel so many emotions and I genuinely have no clue how he does it.”
An interesting combination of acts, and although not directly related to Stevens' own work, all have clearly ignited his creativity. In the upcoming months alone, Stevens has fresh music on the way along with a brand new live show, set to debut at the inaugural Common People festival, the latest brainchild of Rob da Bank, taking place in Southampton in May. Describing the new material as “darker and more destructive” than his previous work, Stevens tells us: “There's still the serene elements from before, but now there's this foreboding atmosphere that wasn't present before.”
Not content with all that, Stevens is also preparing for the launch of Limited Health, a collaborative project with close friend Luke McFarlane. “With music sales dwindling somewhat in recent years, we've felt like the value of music amongst people isn't quite what it used to be, so we've changed the emphasis a little,” explains Stevens. The pair plan to release a compilation in early summer, which although available for free, will encourage downloaders to donate money to Research Autism. Perhaps then, Limited Health will be the defining moment for Stevens. Although not designed to increase his fame, the project will surely impact people's lives – Stevens' own definition of a legend. In that light, although he would never admit it himself, Stevens is already becoming a force for change, a legend in the making.
Ben Hindle