The Bassment is a weekly article bringing you coverage of the best in Hip Hop and Electronic music from around Vancouver. Weekly interviews, event coverage, album and concert reviews that show how awesome our city’s electronic and hip hop scene really is. If you think there is someone or something that needs coverage in this city in regards to the Hip Hop / Electronic community then get in touch with us.

This week I discuss politics and Hip Hop with Vancouver’s Hidden Fortress who is comprised of DJ/Producer UsdNeedls and lyricist “nofutureface”. They have been together for a long time and are still making music despite a 4 year interlude while UsdNeedles played and made music in Tokyo. Their latest album “WHITE VIOLENCE”, is an independent release that portrays life in a city where “drugs and death go hand in hand and corruption and filth are the politics of the day.” UsdNeedls provides a dark production for the “morbid and melancholy” lyrics of “nofutureface”. Their ties with music and the world around them are very outspoken and provide an image of a possible apocalyptic future.

Q – How do you describe your music to people?

A – I usually describe it as alternative, experimental. It’s pretty electronic. It gets described by other a lot of other people as electronic, dark or apocalyptic. Definitely not apocalyptic in my lyrics at least not my intention. Definitely more about things that are important in my life; Meditation, consciousness, and alchemy and all these different interesting subjects that i’ve researched over the years.

Q – What type of music did you grow up listening to?

A – I listened to a lot of Hip Hop from the early 80’s. I was around 12 in 1986 so Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Eric B and Rakim, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys. In particular Public Enemy was my favourite group. Listening to them opened up a whole new world of things that a young white kid in Canada doesn’t know about. A lot about politics.

Q – What kind of music did your parents listen to?

A – My mom listened to a lot of Diana Ross, The Beatles, Meatloaf, Sly and The Family Stone. A lot of Funk stuff.

Q – What inspires you?

A – Basically a search for my own truths. I try to find that through different techniques like I said. Meditation, psychedelics or whatever. Science meeting the spiritual. Quantum physics meeting shamanic.

Q – Who inspired you?

A – People that were doing something different. In the 90’s when independent people were doing really different stuff like Non Phixion and Jedi Mind Tricks. Boogie monsters really blew my mind. I don’t know if you remember them. I think I was in grade 12 so it was like ‘92. That album was really huge for me. Dark Sun Riders brother J from X plan that was really really big.

Q – How did you guys start?

A – Me and Usdneedles met back in ’97 and just became friends. I was always into rap and writing lyrics but had never done anything with them. Usdneedles had equipment from his dad. A synth and other stuff. We just started messing around together and making stuff. It wasn’t till way later that we decided to see what other people thought of it instead of just making music for ourselves.

Q – What was the first instrument that you learned how to play?

A – The only thing that I ever played briefly was a Bass that my dad had and my cousin taught me how to play the bass line to Judas Priest’s Breaking the Law. Haha. That was the only thing that I learned how to play.

Q – What was the favourite place that you have played?

A – The show in Toronto was fun because when we went out there we got to meet Moduloc who is on our album. I think he is one of the best rappers in Canada. A lot of other guys like More or Less and Fresh Kills and those guys that run the show. It was fun to play with other artists.

Q – Where can people access your music?

A – Hand’Solo Website, Reverbnation, Myspace, Blog, Youtube

Q – Pet Peeves?

A – People’s willingness to believe whatever is told to them. In particular whatever comes through mainstream media. People don’t research for themselves and they don’t think for themselves all the time. I think it is incredible what is happening now (in Egypt). It goes to show that people become more awake to the deceptiveness of the governments. Hopefully that means we will be able to lead our lives the way we want to.

Q – Why Vancouver?

A – Vancouver has become home. I have thought about living somewhere else but I don’t really know where else that would be. Usdneedles is living in Japan right now. There are a lot of things that keep me here.

Q – What kind of changes have you seen here in Vancouver?

A – When I was younger I used to go to a lot of Hip Hop shows. I was a big fan of The Rascalz. I don’t know if it because I am older now but it seemed like there was more energy about it. Maybe it is because I am older now and feel a bit more removed from the scene. The community is there it just needs to come together. More open to different types of music. People collaborating together regardless of the sounds or affiliations. Growing that community base.

Photo: Joel Levy