Iyer
by Mister Mime
6th November 2020
Unabashedly eclectic yet firmly rooted third culture artist Iyer has released his latest album ‘Farewell’, a collection of tracks that are equal parts of booty shaking as well as nostalgia. With a wide range of influences that include Tamil film music, 90s Bollywood, dancehall, hip-hop and pop, all of which are sewn together with threads of footwork and an undying love for artists like DJ Rashad and AR Rahman, Iyer has juxtaposed his varied tastes together and augmented them with his own life experiences of being a 'third culture Tamilian’ to create a sound that keeps up his own identity with the fast paced cultural changes that every generation is exposed to. All in all, ‘Farewell’ happens to a be a highly gratifying aural culture clash.
MM: What is the concept of ’Farewell’?
Iyer: For me, the music is what you want it to be. I don't really start out to make tracks with explicit motifs. I try to enjoy the process of making tracks and it often reflects the state of mind I'm in. That being said, I need to be at peace when I want to put together a collection of tracks like "Farewell", and it comes off the back of a challenging period of life where change has been the only constant. I think of these releases as a time capsule, a reminder of my evolution through time, acknowledging that these changes are inevitable and that I need to accept them, and put them behind me as I say "Farewell".
MM: Can you tell us a bit about the artwork for ‘Farewell'?
Iyer: I met the artist, Anam (@yojello on instagram), through a mutual friend, at a barbecue in Toronto about a year ago. As we stayed in touch, it became clear to me that we had similarities in how we thought about our existence and preferences as young brown people in the West - dealing with belonging, identity conflicts and a desire to make our mark and speak about our experiences. I spend time in my own head a lot and I tend to think I'm the only person going through what I'm facing. That is true to a degree, but there are similarities between what I'm facing and a lot of young people coming into this ever-changing world today, especially from our kind of backgrounds.
I reached out to her to see if she would like to work together on the visual direction for "Farewell" since I wanted to support another up and coming artist, and I felt it easier to jive with her on the themes and concepts in my head, without having to be outwardly explicit about what I was looking for. I'm really proud of her work and feel blessed that she came up with what she did - it represents her individual creativity, and is in line with the melancholic direction I wanted to take "Farewell" toward.
MM: What’s your take on the concept of ‘genres’ in music? How do you draw from a variety of generic influences (pop, footwork, hip-hop, dancehall, bollywood, tamil music, etc.) to craft your own sound and vibe?
Iyer: My father is a deep lover of music and cinema. I picked up a lot from his diverse musical tastes - he loved all kinds of music. His open minded nature to the arts made me appreciate the breadth of music out there. We're big on music in my family, but I grew up in a different era from my mother and father. So it's imperative that anything I do represents my identity as honestly as possible. That emotional connection to the music I like makes it easier for me to think about how I want it to sound. After that it comes down to practice and process - just keeping at it, knowing what works and what doesn't, and trying to stay in sync with the new sounds that emerge in this exciting new time for global music.
MM: Who are some artists that you are really into right now?
Iyer: There's a current crop of diaspora musicians I'm really into, but the duo that really stands out to me is Cartel Madras, who wear their hearts on their sleeves, unabashedly - they are versatile, talented, hilarious, and intelligent - there's a lot to like about them. "Yaaru" is another, a really talented Tamil rapper from the UK, he's the only guy I know who flows over those UK drill beats with arrogant ease and a refreshingly eloquent grasp of the purest Tamil itself - it's like listening to Yogi B and Dr Burn, but for 2020. To be honest, global rap is a common theme on my playlists, language no bar, and if I had to start naming each one, there would be too many to name, but "Farewell" covers my tastes very well.
MM: What are your interests outside of music?
Iyer: I watch a lot of football. Recently, I've been playing FM 2020, trying to see if I have the capacity to simulate a football club - it's an interesting exercise in delegation and motivation, a fun but casual challenge. I've been thinking about film a lot recently as well - I always liked writing, and the challenge of scriptwriting is very appealing to me. The work ethic to finish a script is not in place at the moment, but I'm working on it!
MM: What advice would you give to up and coming producers to make musically exciting and culturally relevant tracks with their own unique personal flavour and taste?
Iyer: This is a really hard question. I grew up in a fiercely Tamil Singaporean household. A deep love for my mother tongue and my culture was inculcated in me by my mother and father and my extended family. I'm proud of it, but not everyone grew up with this kind of connection to their background. In fact, sometimes I feel limited by the fact that my passion for music is tied too deeply to my cultural connections. Yeah, I am who I am, I'm not ashamed of it, but someone who doesn't feel as connected to their culture shouldn't feel bad that they aren't. They should remember they are the future, and what they have to say is more important than paying homage to where they come from.
I think the easiest way to make exciting music is to think consistently about what you listen to and think to yourself - are you hearing the full spectrum of what you really want? When you analyze art that way, you'll quickly see that you can always contribute something different to the creative landscape, and that should whet your appetite to go full steam ahead with your beliefs and approach. I think it's fundamentally necessary to recognize that trends come and go, but your art stays with you till you die, and that should inform the journey you want to take. After that, it's process, and practice.
