Introducing: Manofue Wurdz
We are finally out of the snow - the warmer weather is settling in... I'm sitting here thinking constantly how I ended up in Annapolis Maryland of all places... The desire to be somewhere else, to work somewhere else, to exist somewhere else is so present in my mind.
Novaturient is the latest split cassette release by Feend and Manofue Wurdz.
The c41 is being released March 18th. I had the opportunity to spend my Sunday talking through Twitter to Manofue Wurdz. I wanted to get to know him - the man with a reputation of saying little is full of integrity and passion. Below you will read what we talked about in one of the most enjoyable interviews I've had. Be sure to check out his latest single "Gets No Love" xo
ihaa: Who is "Manofue Wurdz"!
Manofue Wurdz (mw): Dj/Beatmaker from Murrieta, Ca. I'm a quiet guy hence the name.
ihaa: I was told of your reputation of quietness. Do you think your music speak the volumes that you don't express verbally?
mw: It all depends on the mood I'm in while making a beat or that "sample" I hear on a record. I think a lot of the stuff I make fits my personality. Soulful, mellow. Music you can smoke to hah
ihaa: The overall tone of Novaturient takes on this mellow soulful vibe. How does the philosophy of Novaturient direct the movement of this album?
mw: The title for the tape actually came after the project was done. We wanted a name that would fit us as people but also tie in with the music I'd like to leave it up to the listener to decide which journey the music takes them thru, whether it's hating their current living situation, breaking up with a loved one, starting a new life or whatever the case may be.
ihaa: Novaturient translates to "desiring change in ones life" if I'm not mistaking... Something many of is can relate to. How do you and Feend know each other?
mw: FEEND and I actually went to the same high school but we didn't become friends till years after we graduated. Me and my homie TPHR had this weekly hip-hop night at this coffee shop in town and we did a scratch Dj showcase where FEEND was invited to I then discovered his beats on MySpace and I was really diggin them. We started hanging out more and became good friends
ihaa: Myspace! I love how so many people started out there. Remember the top 8 drama? There is like a group of like minded people around you right now tho, is that true?
mw: People got really butt hurt over not being in the top 8 lol. Nowadays people get offended from an "unfollow." Most of my friends have similar taste in music but I think we're diverse in the style we create. FEEND, Ultragash, Mogli, Whipple, Maskarade just to name a few. There's a lot more creative people in the city. I just don't know them personally.
ihaa:
Your friends do maintain distinct styles. What do you think sets you apart in style and influence?
mw: I don't know how to play any instruments so I do a lot of sampling from records. Hip hop is my first love and once I started learning about how beats were constructed in the "golden era" of hip hop, I found it very interesting that you can take music and flip it the way you want it to sound. Being a sample based artist opened up my mind to different styles of music from all over the world.
ihaa: What gear do you use?
mw: I use an sp-303 sampler, Ableton software, midi trigger finger and a turntable
ihaa: I felt like I was hearing some turntablism on this album. I'm always happy to hear people diving into more traditional methods opposed to laptop djing.
mw: That's funny you say that cause I started djing before the digital era and I was really into scratching and interested in turntablism as opposed to being the party rocking Dj.
ihaa: There is something about being able to physically handling music... One reason why I love running ihaa is we do all the tape work in house so my hands are all over these tapes... I feel there is a craft to it, it's irreplaceable. Thinking about formats- I know you are drawn to vinyl, but how do you feel about the cassette as a format for music?
mw: I love cassettes. I owned cassettes in my younger days and I remember when we used to have cassette singles. I enjoy the sound you get from listening to a tape as opposed to an mp3 or cd. It's raw, warm and more enjoyable to me just like vinyl. I know the tape culture has been around for awhile now but it seems like it's getting more popular now and I love it. It's also a great collectors item
ihaa: I don't like calling it a comeback- but in a sense that is what is happening. It's just something that's fun to play with.
So not to sound too "interview typical" - I wanted to hear about some of your influences. Not only musically but socially too.
mw: I have too many musical influences but Madlib and Mndsgn are 2 off the top if my head. Outside of music I'd say I'm influenced by my surroundings whether it be the environment, people I'm around, a break up from a relationship. Hating the 9-5 life. That's the beauty about making music. It's an outlet to get away from all that shit and go somewhere that people will understand or not If you like the music you make and have fun while doing it, that's all that really matters.
ihaa: Do you have any other albums out there? How can one find out more about what you do?
mw: I have a beat tape I put out years ago as a free DL entitled "Don't think. Feel." That you can find at http://manofuewurdz.bandcamp.com . I also have beats you can check out at http://soundcloud.com/Manofue-Wurdz . You can also find me on twitter and IG for music updates
ihaa: Ok last question : How can the net amount of entropy of the universe be massively decreased?
mw: To save myself from sounding like an idiot, I'll leave that question for a scientist to answer lol.
Check out the track "Get No Love" from the upcoming album right here: https://soundcloud.com/ihadanaccident/manofue-wurdz-gets-no-love
