Virgin

• free download: One eskimO ’s live performance of Amazing - exclusive to music.virgin.com (right click and save target as)

Kristian Leontiou is the man behind One eskimO, a band that maps its musical landscapes in animated form and accompanies their gigs with an overhead projector displaying Japanese-inspired cartoon stories. Having already supported Tricky on tour and now working with the people behind Gorillaz and Faithless, they take on the form of various animals and, of course, one eskimO. But before this move into creative freedom, Leontiou was a chart-conquering solo artist on a major label. Having generously given music.virgin.com a free download of the brilliant Amazing, we caught up with him to find out how it all came about and why on earth a giraffe is playing percussion…

Greg Rose: Right, so you’re an Eskimo, and the rest of the band is made up of a giraffe, a monkey and a penguin. Explain?

Kristian Leontiou: It started off just as a logo and developed into a character. It felt like we needed to be a band, it was nice to show our different personalities. Some of the animals match the band members well, especially visually – it’s nice to have a giraffe in the Arctic!

GR: So what can people expect onstage from this animal band?

KL: It’s a loose setup we have. We have lots of little triggers, but everything is live and everyone is multitasking. We’re going to carry on adding to that sonically and visually.

GR: So where does the animation come into it all?

KL: The Snowman was the idea, the inspiration – it feels like the 2009 version of The Snowman. It’s got this dreamy feel to it, it really worked. We worked with the Gorillaz creators, though we’d already developed some characters ourselves by then and got a British Animation Awad for one on a shoestring budget. That got the attention of the investors.

GR: How does the visual side affect the music though?

KL: The Snowman feel definitely comes into the music. It’s very live, but has electro, filmic sounds – it’s all purposely geared to one vision.

GR: You were on a major label and marketed to a pop audience as a male Dido. How is it now having more freedom?

KL: This is weird for me. You know what, I’m such a stubborn person and I know what I want. It was so hard the first time, it’s nice to have people on board that care this time. Everyone involved in One eskimO is here because they get it, not for a paycheck.

GR: Looking back, are you glad you gave being a major label solo star a go?

KL: I’m glad I did it as an experience, but while I was doing it I hated it. It was a horrible time, but it’s all worked out now. I can step back from it all and know how it works. It’s been an uphill struggle but its made it all come together.

GR: You work with Rollo Armstrong from Faithless on the album – how did that come about?

KL: He’s a friend of mine, he’s a magical person, working with him was an amazing experience. We have a track with him on the last Faithless album too. He’s an influence not just for the sound, for everything, my outlook on things.

GR: Are you all for collaboration between musicians then?

KL: This is London, it can be a very supportive place, people get involved, it just has that sort of atmosphere.

GR: What has had an influence on One eskimO  then?

KL: I really like the Whitest Boy Alive at the moment, and Four Tet. I listen to Bonobo, The Fugees back when. It’s a mixture, where my head is. I really love animation, not even the gory ones, the beautiful ones. Japanese animations, they’ve got real magic, it’s a big influence.

GR: What do you think about music videos being taken off of YouTube in the UK?

KL: What? No way! I hadn’t heard about that, that’s terrible. The whole idea is to support artists, with downloads as well, I think if people want to hear your music, let them hear it, I don’t care how. We had 50,000 hits on YouTube, without that things would be harder.

GR: You’re quite innovative in the use of an animated story to accompany your music. Do you embrace technology in other ways?

KL: Of course, but I don’t really blog. I find it difficult. I don’t thing there should be a gap between artists and fans, but I struggle to open up on a daily basis. I say what I want to say on songs.

GR: So what do you want to say in your songs?

KL: I spend time not making it too obvious. It’s taken me a lot of time, lyrically, to get it together. It’s personal, but it’s there for people to interpret how they want to.

GR: You seem pretty content with it all at the moment, like this is exactly what you want to be doing – is that accurate?

KL: Life is full of ups and downs all the time. I feel like there is a lot right at the moment. I feel like I’ve been allowed to do what I want, like a kid. It’s brilliant, sometimes I feel like a kid, sometimes like I’m 45. But I guess everyone gets like that. All I know is I am proud of what we are doing.

• free download: One eskimO ’s live performance of Amazing - exclusive to music.virgin.com (right click and save target as)
• visit One eskimO on MySpace
• oneeskimo.co.uk

One eskimO’s album All Balloons is released on 1st June. 

The story of the eskimO and his band – the giraffe, monkey and penguin is told across 10 episodes to each of the album’s 10 tracks.  The animations will form a short film about the eskimO and his plight.

Full list of live dates are –

May tour (with All Thieves and Bailey Tzuke)

6th                           The Lamp ,2 Norfolk Street, HULL HU2 9AA,
8th                           MohoLive, Tib Street, MANCHESTER M4
9th                           Brudenell Social Club , 33 Queens Road, LEEDS, LS6 1NY
10th                         Hare and Hounds, BIRMINGHAM, B14 7JZ
12th                         The Royal, DERBY, DE1 1EQ
13th                         Bodega, 23 Pelham Street, NOTTINGHAM NG1 2ED
14th                         ICA, The Mall LONDON SW1Y 5AH
16th                         The Hippo, 9 Bath Street, PLYMOUTH
17th                         Louisiana, Bathurst Terrace, BRISTOL, BS1 6UA
18th                         The Joiners, 141 St. Mary St, SOUTHAMPTON, SO14 1NS
19th                         The Cavern , 83-84 Queen St EXETER EX4 3RP

It’s hard not to be a little overcome in the presence of afrobeat originator Tony Allen. After all, Brian Eno has described him as “perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived.” Since the early sixties he’s been a pioneering force in contemporary African music, and his influence can be heard across a broad spectrum of musical styles. I asked Tony what first inspired him to pick up the drum sticks.

“I wanted to create my own style of music. God gave me a gift, and I followed my own path.”

He pauses to reflect for a moment, and adds “I always wanted to be different than other drummers, that’s why I’ve never tried to do anything else than afrobeat.”

Afrobeat was borne of an aim to provide social commentary on the inequalities inherent in African society. As a part of Fela Kuti’s Africa ‘70, Allen was a foundational force in its development. He is quick to note that the problems afrobeat confronts are not exclusive to the continent, and in fact much of the drive behind the movement was motivated by struggles overseas.

“The social problems are not concentrated in Africa. Don’t forget that Fela had to go to the USA in 1969, meeting with the US black people to start to realize his Africanism.. As soon as we came back from the states, he started his fight against the governments and the dictature.”

A thoughtful expression crosses his faces as he muses “One sometimes has to move away from his own country to be completely aware of his home.”

Rather than adopt the same style of protest that his American contemporaries were developing, Allen states that he was always drawn to create something unique.

“I always wanted to sound different than U.S. jazz or hip hop artists. I hoped that maybe this alternative music vision would be able to effect someting in our society.”

With such a long history, I ask Tony whether he feels afrobeat might have lost some of its political urgency. I wonder whether it is still as politically charged.

“As long as African people will suffer of many diseases, there will always be artists fighting for them.”

His influence on popular music cannot be understated. The past twenty years have seen him collaborate with many big name artists. It would seem he has a soft spot for Blur and Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn.

“My aim has always been to fuse afrobeat with other styles of music and to spread it all over the world. I love to experience my drumming with others, like my different collaborations with Damon Albarn.”

His work with Albarn has included drumming on The Good, The Bad and The Queen album released in 2007, and he assures me there will be more to come from the pair, among other works.

“I am currently working with Damon Albarn on a new album project with other guests. I am also involved in Africa Express, a series of events promoting African music. We’ve had some hectic shows at Glastonbury, Liverpool, Lagos and Kinshasa, and there’s more to come in 2009.”

The world of music has changed a lot since Allen first taught himself to drum, but he remains optimistic about the industry as a whole. Whatever some might say about music losing some of its soul, it remains essential to him.

“It is vital for me. I don’t care what people may say about it.”

Allen shows no signs of retiring as time goes on, with his many collaborations in the works as well as a new album ready for release.

“My new album “Secret agent” will be released next June under World Circuit Records. But I won’t play my new album in this Australian tour.. next time for sure!”

Allen is touring Australia in March. For more info head to his myspace page.

Musicfeeds - Tighter than a nun’s schedule!

Yes - the news that all Oasis fans have been waiting for - Blur have confirmed that they are all set to reform in 2009 and will play Hyde Park, London on July 3. This will be the first time the original foursome have played together since naughty Graham Coxon left a few years back. Kinks’ fan Damon Albarn has been busy being the sound behind the animated Gorillaz, working with Clash man Paul Simonon on The Good, The Bad & The Queen and resurrecting Monkey magic in time for the BBC’s Beijing Olympics stings. Cheese fan Alex James has been busy on a farm somewhere, writing columns for British newspapers and trying to conduct an orchestra for a BBC reality TV series (and the less said about Fat Les and Wig Wam the better). Um, frankly I don’t know what drum fan Dave Rowntree has been up. But I bet he’s glad he’s got some big dates in his diary now for 2009.

Tickets are on sale from 9am GMT on Friday 12 December from livenation.co.uk.

If this doesn’t make some Blur fan happy enough for Christmas, then how about a promo of The Kinks’ CD boxset, tickets to see the Ian Dury play or The Clash book, CD & DVD?