Haich Ber Na

I’ve always enjoyed both visual arts and music from a young age. So, technically I’ve always been doing both. I mainly used art school as an excuse to move out and give the music thing a proper go. I didn’t particularly throw myself into uni life, but after I graduated I realised the whole arts education experience had really helped me understand out how I can build the visual world around my music.

I’ve actually been producing for over 10 years now. I was making grime, rap and R&B instrumentals from like 13-18. I guess as I got older, hanging out with friends from different backgrounds, we’d connect over music, this helped me discover and appreciate a lot of different genres. From like ages 19 to 22 I spent a lot of time developing a sound that felt more like the broad range of music I was listening too.

There was a sense of comfort making that tune. Like we were expressing how we felt about a lot of the madness for the first time. Its a challenge to channel the energy of the world at the time, whilst trying to make something which won’t age badly. I try not to write lyrics which are too bait, like “I’m stepping on the train rocking my surgical mask” isn’t a lyric that will age well.
It’s always hard to write lyrics which a lot of people can relate too, but not being so vague that they feel empty. It was the moment we added the “It’s not the end of the world” vocal sample when it had that world crisis feel. I imagined that voice being Dexter's Lab computer comforting him through some sort of ordeal.

Thank you, I’m glad you thought it worked! If I’m honest not a Jay Kay super fan or anything but I have always enjoyed his music and that video in particular. I guess at the time we were in the height of lockdown and I thought the idea of a three-person rave would be fun.
Me and my friend Richard Wilkins, who produced the two music videos, we’re interested in building an exciting space we could experiment inside of, and we decided on a room on wheels. After Richard had programmed the lights it really gave the video its own flavour – it makes me want to perform the song to a crowd bad.

The music was written and produced by me and my long time friend True Diesel, who you can see in a lot of the artwork these days. We’ve got a song on the EP with the amazing Rodel who’s a vocalist and producer I’ve been working with for a few years now, she’s insane. The two videos were a part of a commission I did with Mansions of the Future, an arts space in Lincoln. They were so great last year, it’s so nice to have support from places outside the traditional music sphere.
The videos were shot in HQI, White City. HQI has been kind of been like my second home over the last two years. It’s an arts space with a music studio and insane club space upstairs, they also helped me release the music. The team who brought the videos to life were my friends. Jesse Crankson who I work with a lot did all the photography. Richard Wilkins developed, and produced the concepts and also put on his graphic design hat for all of the artwork. My brother Josif was assistant director and my young buck IVOR Alice was Director of Photography. Very much a family affair and as you can see all my friends are very sick.

Ah thank you, I appreciate that. I change my methods with every project. For example, the 2018-2019 stuff I did a lot of mood-boarding using Are.na, the website, and research into different movements, architecture films etc from different eras. Whilst with this new project, I didn’t mood-board much at all, most of the ideas just came from conversations and reacting to those initial thoughts quickly, which was much more of a challenge (laughs). One thing I learnt in university was to "Take inspiration from everything, including day to day things," not sure if that’s the exact quote, but I definitely live by that sentiment.

When I moved here I started working with people in ‘proper’ studios a lot more. I even rented a studio in Hackney with my friend for half a year. But I always come back to the home/living room style set up; one because paying for a studio can be expensive, and two... Maybe I can’t let go of the childhood feeling of the home studio? I always feel like I’m in my own head when I’m making music, so the city hasn’t influenced my sound directly but likely it has indirectly, through what friends play me or whatever I’d hear out (back when we could go out!). Releasing music since I’ve been here has definitely been easier due to the relationships I’ve made and the communities I’m apart of. But with the Internet,I think you can kind of be anywhere and release music at this point. If it connects with people, it’ll reach them and you’ll keep growing.

I was listening to a lot more pop music whilst making this EP. I’ve been trying to understand why some pop music feels so good, and figuring out the science of it all. I was listening to a lot of Blur, Prince, Gary Numan etc. Generally, I don’t have one place I’ll go to for inspiration when something moves me and I’ll get slightly obsessive with it. Basically, I binge-listen to a specific artist's whole discography, watch all their documentaries and interviews in a week. Once I have a general understanding of them and there work, I’ll chill out and maybe just enjoy it for what it is. But like I mentioned above, I’ll try to find inspiration in everyday things and conversations more time.

Yes, you’re right. This EP feels like the space between where I’m at musically right now and where I want to be on my debut album. The other meaning behind the title is based off a long phone call I had with Richard about visual work, Instagram and nostalgia. We were talking about how a lot of artists, especially in music, hide behind nostalgia (me included).
I mean, there is no way of understanding the future without looking back at the past right? So we always need to look back. But I’m making more effort to look forward. Or at least extract the energy from the past, rather than borrowing the aesthetics and sound of that time. I’m not quite there yet, and maybe I’m a big hypocrite… Just watch the 0594 Help video. It’s a discussion which never quite had an ending, and although sometimes it can feel bleak, the future of music and visual culture still excites me so much

Thank you! It’s one of my favourites too. I wanted to make something that’s catchy and clear but at the same time fucks with your brain a bit. You know? My last projects were so fun to make, but I realised my own friends weren’t even wheeling the songs back. They’d tell me they’ll listen once a month or so because the way they were structured we’re so 'intense.' That was such great feedback, and made me start to find that middle ground between the weird and consumable.

That's so nice that you felt uplifted! I’ve never heard anyone say that about my music. A lot of my previous music was very introspective and dark – borderline depressing. I never really plan a ‘mood’ for a project/song, but I think uplifting and fun is something we need more of right now. Not taking ourselves too seriously, especially since the world feels very serious right now. I like that the music can provide a momentary escape for people, that’s kind of been my goal from the start.

More music, more visuals, hopefully, some live gigs if the universe permits it. Personally, learning to cook more dishes, I’ve fallen in love with cooking over the last two years or so. Hopefully, I'll be able to work with other artists too, collaboration is something I don’t do enough of!