Interview: satele + gtb + dunn deal promotions

Columbus, Ohio producer Satele presents “Memory Of A Sweet Soul”, an instrumental recreation of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Bonita Applebum”. “Sweet Soul” features on Satele’s debut EP ReQuested, a series of instrumental Tribe recreations out now on J Rawls’ imprint Polar Entertainment. ReQuested is his debut solo release, but he has dropped two EPs with his group theFWD (listen). “Giving the classic tracks a modern facelift would bring back that feeling of refreshment that classic Hip-Hop lovers could remember when listening to their first Hip-Hop song,” Satele says. “I aspire to inspire how those before me inspired me”.

What do you think is the greatest instrumental hiphop album of all time and why?

Not too familiar with HipHop instrumental albums, but I can say one of my favorites would have to be Hudson Mohawke's Butter album. I think he really blends HipHop and Electronica well. I'm also a very big fan of branDun deShay's beat tapes which had some very different sounding beats.

What do you think separates a good beat from the kind of beat that can hold its own without a vocalist?

Usually a beat that can hold its own and doesn't need a vocalist are beats that convey the message without actually attaching words to the work. I believe that vocals are an instrument and sometimes you don't need that instrument to deliver the message. You have to let the music itself speak to you. 

Are there any popular songs you’d like to remix and if so, which and why?

I definitely would love to remix one song by a singer named BANKS. I love her voice and I feel like my style could compliment her tone well. I would also love to remix one of Rashad's songs, who is also a Columbus native. It's just one thing I have on my to-do list.

What do you think has been the greatest beat of 2015 and why?

I would definitely say “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. Pharrell made a banger and it blends perfectly with Lamar's style. From the saxophone/trumpet riffs to the harmonies sang, it's just a great beat overall. 

What’s next for you?

In October, my labelmate Ceezar and I will be performing at this year's A3C Festival. So, I'm super excited to perform at that event due to how much history has been made for HipHop in recent years. I would love to tour and travel across the globe so hopefully this will open more doors. Definitely in the works of new music and possibly a new beat tape. Wherever God leads me, I'm cool with.