Gotta Believe

November 29, 2019

SINGLE: ‘How Much Do You Want It?’ – T8PES (feat Mike 110) 29.11.19

Words by Matthew Robinson / Photo by Matt Wilson Photography

It’s a wet, dreary morning in late November. I could have been on my way back from Amsterdam, however I had to turn the trip down to stay at home and let some builders start work on the house. DAMN YOU SPONTANEOUS GETAWAYS. I need something to ease my head, and in his latest single Birmingham artist T8PES asks the question ‘How Much Do You Want It?’ So, I’ll guess I’ll find out.

The first bar whisks me from my dark, rain-battered Stratford living room and plonks me straight into the lights and madness of an Ibiza rave pool party. It’s warming and contagious. I find that typically in most cases of ‘crossover hip hop’, lyrics are all too often forgotten. It seems the art of lyricism is getting harder to find in hip hop enthused genres – however this song simply takes that allegation and throws it with a ‘boom bap’ straight back into my face. The lyric, “as I channel the spirit of John Lennon at the Caver,” just warms me. These are clearly students of the game; T8PES and Mike 110 love music, and it’s easy to hear in this single.

The beat continues to fuel the song as I find myself skanking just listening to it. After the first hook I force myself to pause the track so I can go and get my speaker, to play this louder. I think perhaps more emphasis could be placed on the hook of the piece from a production point of view, as the volume is fairly one dimensional (taking into account that is typical of rave music), but it feels T8PES has more than enough ability to adapt this song into his own fusion genre of rave and hip hop. It’s clear that homage is being paid to old school rave culture and the breakdown of the piece shows T8PES donning his cap to perhaps my favourite element of classic hip hop… disk scratching. The scratching perfectly delivers the samples used into the track and it sounds effortless.

‘Howe Much Do You Want It?’ is a track with so much inspiration, it’s almost like looking through a photo album, picking out your favourites, and creating a collage of memories (or in this case a symphony of sounds). It’s a stamp on hip hop culture saying classic still exists, and that’s a beautiful thing.

‘How Much Do You Want It?’ – T8PES (feat Mike 110)

‘How Much Do You Want It?’ by T8PES is out on general release from Friday 29^th November. For more on T8PES, visit www.t8pes.com

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NOT NORMAL NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

If you have been affected by any of the issues surrounding sexual violence – or if you want to report an act of sexual aggression, abuse or assault – click here for information via the ‘Help & Support’ page on the NOT NORMAL NOT OK website.

June 17, 2019

INTERVIEW: T8PES

Interview by Abi Whistance (To the Local) / Pic by Matt Wilson

“When you don’t fit in a box, how do you target your audience? How do you target your demographic?”

T8PES released his eponymous debut album on Friday 24^th May, following a rafter packed launch party at The Castle & Falcon in April. But the man behind the moniker, Jimmy Davis, is no stranger to a stage or two – having been a stalwart of the Midlands music scene for years, with artists including Ed Sheeran citing him as an influence.

Now recording and releasing as T8PES, his new 8 track LP stretches from rap to hip hop and rave to grime – featuring collaborations from Luke Truth, Ricardo Williams and Holly Fitzgerald to name but a few.

Flowing with honesty, self analysis, harsh truths and dark humour – alongside the occasional roll call of Birmingham’s evolving club scene – T8PES is a deeply personal journey and a melodic memory lane stroll through the highs and lows of Davis’ bittersweet life experiences.

Having reviewed the album for Birmingham Review back in May, Abi Whistance and the Leeds based music magazine To the Local invited us along to their interview with T8PES – ahead of his support slot for CityLightz at the O2 Academy Birmingham.

To read Abi Whistance’s Birmingham Review of the album T8PES, click here. Or just sit, click back and watch, as T8PES himself talks to Abi about the inspirations and impetus behind his new material:

T8PES is out now on general release. For more on T8PES, including links to online sales, visit www.t8pes.com

For more from To the Local, visit www.tothelocaluk.com

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NOT NORMAL NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL NOT OK campaign, click here.

May 24, 2019

ALBUM: T8PES – T8PES 24.05.19

Words by Abi Whistance / Lead pic by Matt Wilson Photography

There’s a reason I struggle to get into grime et al, and I know I’m the top dog of sweeping generalisations when I say this but it all just feels a bit shallow. For me there is nothing relatable about gang tiffs, stacks of bills and a burning desire to be a Hugh Hefner-type. And from the mainstream circuit this is pretty much all I’ve picked up on.

I’m no expert in the realms of trap, rap and hardcore either. But I think that’s probably a good thing. So with little emotional investment in the genres, I can objectively say that T8PES is on to a winner for both novices (like me) and your more well-established grimeheads – with this debut album feeling exciting for a sound that I thought was one swift kick away from the bucket.

Walking the tightrope between love and hate treacherously close at times, T8PES has crafted something that perhaps shouldn’t work, but just does. Acid house and grime don’t exactly go hand in hand at first inspection, but the combination leaves me questioning why the hell I hadn’t heard this kind of thing before.

In actuality, I guess I have. But it’s the nostalgia and familiarity of this eponymous album that earns it the title of ‘a good listen.’ Fans of The Avalanches gather round and bring your 12” of the Mondays’ ‘Hallelujah’ whilst you’re at it, T8PES is mixed with enough pre-millennium dance hits to keep you going all night… even without those eccies.

But it’s not just the familiar nineties sound in tracks like ‘How Much Do You Want It’ and ‘Gotta Believe’ that gives this album the wistfulness of a time gone by, it’s the discussion of the trials and tribulations of teen-hood too. A mature reflection on growing up, T8PES has written a record that’ll strike a chord with most – tackling difficult themes of drug use, alcoholism and the effects of bad influences, featured on an album that feels like a coming-of-age tale.

I think it’s important to note that this may be one of the most well-produced debut albums I’ve heard in a long time too. Home cooked electronica and remixing have been polluting the scene for a while, making it a bit too easy to publish rubbish and a hell of a lot harder to find the gems. And I’m not saying that a Soundcloud system lockdown needs to be put in place to stop the sick bucket of low-quality artists from (God forbid) overflowing, it is pretty indisputable that the cornucopia of self publishing platforms have made it more difficult to identify the best of the best.

I can’t really whinge on about that for too long because the cream supposedly always rises to the top, and T8PES has sailed right up onto my radar with this debut album. But what it truly boils down to is a radio-friendly combination of EDM and rap that manages to keep a hold of the substance so many others lose in the process – with stand out production, and some solid variation in sound that leaves something for everyone here.

Not to blow anyone’s trumpet or anything – but I think we’ve just hit the grime jackpot.

‘Hope & Pray’ – T8PES featuring Holly Fitzgerald

T8PES is out on general release from Friday 24^th May. For more on T8PES, including links to online sales, visit www.t8pes.com

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To learn more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here. To sign up and join the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK campaign, click here.