kidkanevil

Not long after the release of his debut album ‘Problems and Solutions’, I bumped into Gerard ‘kidkanevil’ Roberts in a bar in Leeds. I was surprised to learn that he had already completed half of his follow-up record, prompting me to remark that he didn’t seem to be wasting any time.

He grinned from beneath his trademark beanie and said ‘there isn’t time to waste’.

Since his arrival in 2007, Kid Kanevil has upheld that mandate. As centre forward for Aly Gillani’s First Word Records, he has already released two critically acclaimed albums and is poised to release his third, ‘Basho Basho’, in January 2010. His super-tight beat programming and penchant for global sound sources have given him a characteristic style that is rooted in hip-hop but looks further afield for its emotional scope. True to form, his new album promises to challenge fans’ preconceptions and take them somewhere starker, as he elaborates in this interview. He is also a member of the 5-piece Stateless, who released their debut album on !K7 last year and are currently working on the follow up.

Roberts recently moved from his native Leeds to a leafy district of South London, moving in with some friends who also happen to have an enviable collection of musical instruments. Sitting amongst the amassed equipment, the voracious sound scavenger clearly feels settled in his new creative environment.

Photos by Matt Piper

At what point did you have an inkling that you wanted to be a music creator yourself?

I always wanted to do music- I don’t remember having to make a decision about it. It wasn’t even just music, generally creativity was what I always enjoyed. I always used to draw all the time and I still do- I keep meaning to do my own artwork, but it’s just time man, just time. At some point I wanna do a series of EPs and do all of the artwork.

My dad’s a working musician, my uncle is too. My dad, my uncle and granddad are all record collectors as well, so I was buying records before I even had a turntable. So it was all quite hip-hop when I think about it, without meaning to be. So it was all pretty natural. In terms of making a living from music, it’s just something that’s gradually happened as a result of wanting to do it all the time. I don’t think that when I was younger I particularly thought I’d be able to do that. I just wanted to do loads of things- make artwork, make a computer game and shit (laughs).

What I really enjoy is really getting into a vibe and mood. So the new album is definitely like a dark samurai movie in my head, I can get into loads of adventures and stuff in my mind. I think the most direct and effective way for me to do that that is through music. Art, creativity and things of that nature….that’s what means something to me.