But if it has a melody, which defines the essence of what dancehall reggae is all about the song should have lasting appeal. If there is no melody, the song will eventually become dated, fitting only that musical climate when it was written. It is essential to the longevity of the song. The rap and hip-hop feel will always be a part of the music we do, but for this record, we wanted to concentrate more on melodies. Where he is more of a hardcore rapper, I tend to reflect the styles of jazz/reggae crooners. The vocals styles of SA and myself are very complementary. On the last album, I had a rap on almost every song, whereas for Transistor, I have only two raps on the entire album. “Personally, I have been listening to more singers than rappers. As a result, the music can be enjoyed by almost everyone. Simply stated, Transistor is a quasi-musical cocktail of funk, rock, rap, and reggae with a few other spices thrown in. There are some rock songs, others that combine hip-hop beats with dancehall vocals and a 60s-style surf guitar sound into what has become a unique 311 formula. Each song is so completely different and unique, though no one descriptive term can accurately describe the whole album. Our style for this record is a combination of the two. It satisfies the whole band because of the intense rhythms of rap music and also the melodies that reggae music provides. “Reggae and dancehall music have always been such a love of ours that we felt compelled to play it as well as try and bring some much needed attention to the whole genre. Why shift to more of a dancehall reggae sound? There is a stark contrast between the last album and Transistor. If we kept true to ourselves and our musical goals, we believed eventually would get our day in the sun.” But nothing ever stays the same for to long. Therefore, a rock/rap hybrid probably would not be very well embraced. “When, Music, our first album, was released, the whole music vibe was caught on the Seattle grunge sound. Ultimately, the biggest benefit came in the re-examining of the songs on our other two albums as well. This helped to open the door for some of the other material on the album. The album might have been close to a year old at the time radio discovered the song ‘Down,’ but the important thing is the song received the attention of radio. Does this type of delay in the recognition and exposure of the music frustrate the band? We constantly push ourselves past where we have been so that new doors of sights and sounds can be experienced.”Īlthough there was some support, for the most part radio wasn’t “Down” with 311 until almost a year, and three singles, after the album was released. The end result is that the music, the artists and ultimately the fan suffers. If we rest on our past successes, then we really aren’t doing anything new. Making music that will be enjoyed for years to come is our biggest priority. Our only job is to constantly and consistently push our own level of creativity to the limit. Over all, we feel very fortunate to have all these fantastic things happen to us. There is a lot of hard work and dedication on all our parts, the band and everyone associated with us, that has helped to achieve the success that we have. In addition, the album has sold several million copies as well. We then received quite a big surprise being voted the top song in KROQ’s ‘Best Of’ year-end countdown. The song ‘Down’ alone went to #1 on MTV as well as at Alternative Radio. The popularity of our last album, 311, was amazing. But, at the same time, it really doesn’t seem like we took any time off either. Nicholas Hexum: “So much has happened in the last year. On the eve of their departure for a European tour, 311 leader and resident guru Nicholas Hexum and I sat down, in his new home high atop the Hollywood hills, for a very candid conversation about the struggles and frustrations of the last year, dancehall reggae, their longform video and the new album.ģ11 have always been very active, yet the band has been off the road for almost nine months. Hopefully, you’ll want to do a little of both. It can make you want to jump around and act stupid or it can make you think and want to change your life. It’s about noise, volume, speed and the sheer intensity of the music. Hailing from the midwest, the five guys of 311 are as close as we get in America to a “voice of the people.” Whether you like their music, you should listen up, for 311′s attitude runs the full gamut of their sound. Although they operate in the “commercial” arena of the alternative movement, that doesn’t mean they should be taken less seriously. The Album Network magazine – August 8, 1997Īlthough 311 have become both mainstream and commercial in their appeal, they have managed to maintain, with the utmost care, the integrity and power of their message.
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