Soca Chronicles
Monthly Soca Podcast - Hosts Arkayo and Sharnz explore the people, history, and unforgettable moments behind Soca music and the Carnival experience – from legendary artists and DJ's to personal stories from the road.
Soca Chronicles
Malta’s ISF Vibes & Nurturing New Talent
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🌟 Tune in as we dive into the vibrant energy of the Ibiza Soca Festival in Malta and discuss the crucial topic of fostering young artists in the Soca music scene. Don’t miss this beat! 🌟
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Welcome to the Soka Chronicles.
SPEAKER_08Toka Chronicles with Charns and Arkayo. Welcome to the 33rd episode of Soka Chronicles, the podcast that brings you everything Soka. I'm Arkayo and I'm digitally sitting next to the one and only Charns.
SPEAKER_02Yo Yo Yo.
SPEAKER_08I'm waiting for a day that you know you run out of these ways of saying yo yo yo. But uh never gonna happen. That day is not today.
SPEAKER_02Never going to happen.
SPEAKER_08Never at some point you're gonna just use AI or something to find your new yo-yo yo's.
SPEAKER_02Never going to happen.
SPEAKER_08This month we will sadly not have an interview, but we do have plenty to discuss on other soca-related topics. So let's just get into it, shall we?
SPEAKER_04I think we should.
SPEAKER_08Well, let's go. Soka Chronicles. First off, and maybe the most important topic of this month. It was your birthday party, wasn't it, Sharns?
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah, it was. How was it, AKO?
SPEAKER_08Because you know you feel to the LDS. It was brilliant.
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_08I'll be honest, I haven't seen the inside of a club for a couple of months due to you know newborns being newborns. But uh this was a good, you know, getting back into the club vibe. It was good. I enjoyed it. The vibes were good, the people were nice, the music was great, DJs were awesome. Yeah, man, I enjoyed.
SPEAKER_04That's good, man. I mean, I enjoyed, and um as you know, I was a little bit drunk. Just a little bit.
SPEAKER_08If you mean with a little bit that you couldn't get up the stairs with only your legs, then yes.
unknownHa ha ha ha.
SPEAKER_08Jesus.
SPEAKER_04Hey, listen, that's actually wild. I genuinely don't remember crawling up the stairs. So when you said to me that I did that, I was like, yo, I knew I was drunk.
SPEAKER_08That just shows it shows even further how drunk you were.
SPEAKER_04I know, I know. I remember the part up to the Uber. I remember getting in the Uber, but everything after that is shh blackout.
SPEAKER_08Listen, I tried to give you water in the club, you were just rejecting it. Yeah, yeah. Like continuously. Said, no, but you need some water. No, keep it away from me. No. And at some point I even said, Oh, but it's vodka. You get you got it back then. You you took a sip, you noticed it was water, you gave it back. It's like, that's a lie.
SPEAKER_04That is a lie. Because if you said it was vodka, I don't like vodka, so that wouldn't have worked. You would have to say it was rum, but then even white rum. Yeah, exactly. I'm not a fan of white rum, so where do we go from here?
SPEAKER_08I should have mixed the water with uh like Coca-Cola or something. Jesus. Anyway, summary was you got wasted.
SPEAKER_04Yep, yep, yep.
SPEAKER_08Yep. But it was it's just another sign of a good party, you know?
SPEAKER_04No, I know. But I I wouldn't say I was wasted, wasted, because I wasn't like like nobody had to carry me or anything, guys. Like, don't think I was like rolling on the floor and doing foolishness, like you know.
SPEAKER_08The only thing that's rolling right now is my eyes.
SPEAKER_04Oh Jesus.
SPEAKER_08You could not walk in a straight line.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but at least I could walk on my own unaided. I mean barely. Hello, let's not exaggerate, okay?
SPEAKER_08You know what? Alright, I'll give it to you guys.
SPEAKER_04Maybe not in the straight line, you know, just a little stagger here.
SPEAKER_08However, I was fighting and I've lost my voice, guys.
SPEAKER_04There's a video, I didn't even put the video on my Instagram, but the video of me, I took the mic at the end of the night, and I decided to chat absolute nonsense on the mic, as I do anyway, during the podcast, like you guys know, and my voice is like cutting out. I'm trying to put on a Bajan accent, like it was terrible. I was a mess, I was a mess. But uh, yeah, maybe I will put it on my IG so that you guys can see. Maybe. Yeah, why not? Depends how nice I'm feeling.
SPEAKER_08Oh, you're always feeling nice, right?
unknownHmm.
SPEAKER_04This was true.
SPEAKER_08There we go. So have a look at it on Instagram. By now, it should be online.
SPEAKER_04And thank you to everybody that wished me a happy birthday. I honestly had an amazing birthday, and I think I'm gonna lead on from here to Ibe for Ahsoka Festival on tour in Malta.
SPEAKER_08Oh yes.
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah. Should I get into it, RKO?
SPEAKER_08Oh, I cannot wait to hear the stories and the review. Let's go.
SPEAKER_04Alright.
SPEAKER_06And this is Soka Soka Chronicles.
SPEAKER_04Right. So the day after my birthday, I flew to Malta, and this was my first ever time in Malta, guys, okay? And this was my IBFA Soka Festival debut. I've never played there before. I've been before, but I've never played. So this was my debut. I was nervous as hell because there were a lot of big DJs on the lineup. Number one.
SPEAKER_08International DJ Charles.
SPEAKER_04Hey, let's not do that. Okay, slow down, you know. It's gonna go to my head. So slow down, okay? Thank you. We had Freeze on the lineup, Freeze International. We had Big Man. Big Man. We had the DJ Sinister, we had DJ Gell was there as well.
SPEAKER_08Hey, one of our old interviewees.
SPEAKER_04There we go. We had a selection of UK DJs, we had some other US DJs, but Freeze, Sinister, and Gel are like the ones that you know really stuck in my head. I mean, I absolutely love Freeze International. Like I have a newfound love for that man as a DJ. I mean, I love Gel as well. Gel's my boy, love him to bits, but I think we've discussed it before. From like Freeze's posts on Instagram, you know he's like no nonsense. No, do you know what I mean? He he he just he could be Dutch. Yep, he just speaks his mind. And obviously, I thought, hmm, you know, I don't know if you know me and him would get on. Bro, we got on like a house on fire.
SPEAKER_08We got on like a house.
SPEAKER_04That's my bro. That's my bro now.
SPEAKER_08Nice, nice, nice, nice. I love it, man.
SPEAKER_04But it was epic. I mean, I played all of my sets were early sets, but there was one set in particular I played a little bit later than usual, and a lot of people got to actually hear me play, which was nice. My main goal for IBSoka Festival was for visibility and networking. So I have like a few new fans, you know, that I made while I was out there. Little fans, yeah, you know, um Freeze heard me play, even though I told him don't listen to me play because I'm scared.
SPEAKER_08The pressure, exactly, too much pressure.
SPEAKER_04But he secretly listened and was like, Yeah, you know, it was you're good. So yadaw. And then other people heard me play and they were impressed, and I was just like, yo, yo, yeah. So yeah, it was a regular one. Yeah, that was impressive. It was regular regular, yo yo, yo. But the events were good, the pool party was good, they had there was one event that I missed though. I'm not gonna lie to you. I was so tired, I was like, let me take a nap. I set an alarm.
SPEAKER_08Oh, you never woke up anymore.
SPEAKER_04No, I did, but the joke is I set an alarm, I woke up, and I was like, hmm, maybe I can have you know an extra half an hour, and then I didn't wake up till like 4 a.m. and the party was already finished.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, so classic, classic chance.
SPEAKER_04Classic chance, it's it's giving grenade.
SPEAKER_08Yes, that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. Like, like dribbling on the couch.
SPEAKER_04Um, hello, hi, stop chatting my business.
SPEAKER_08Thank you. Had to fucking yank your shoulder before you woke up.
SPEAKER_04Oh my god. Okay, and even then, talking to my Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_08I'll stop chatting your business then. But uh yeah, you sleep through alarms, alarm clocks pretty easily, I've noticed, especially when you're tired. But who doesn't in the end, you know?
SPEAKER_04It's not when I'm tired. It's when I'm intoxicated with alcohol. When I've been drinking, like let's say I've been drinking hard, hard, hard. That's when I sleep through alarms. But other than that, I don't but I didn't sleep through the alarm on this occasion. I did wake up, but my eyes were very heavy, and they ended up closing again. So that was sounds to me like an excuse, but you know. I know, I know, but it is what it is, and I got to see Problem Child again. Hey, another big man, yeah, and he was like, Janine. I'm like, it's shans, and he's you did you drive him around like the other times? No, that's reserved for only for Barbados that driving around. I I wouldn't do that in any other country, but Barbados. So he knows anytime he's in Barbados and I'm there, he knows he's got a designated driver, he knows he's got a chauffeur. That's me.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's my job.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, so he spoke to him briefly. Father Phyllis was there, caught up with Father Phyllis. Um, what other artists? Skinny was there. I didn't speak to Skinny, even though I was literally in the same area as him. But I was thinking, Ugh, I don't want to bother him.
SPEAKER_08You were not intoxicated enough because I'd never talked to you before when you were drunk.
SPEAKER_04Exactly. I wasn't I genuinely wasn't intoxicated enough. I was like, Yeah, I don't want to annoy him. So I was just like, Shans, just play it cool, keep walking. So I just kept walking. Bungie Garling was there. There was also one party that I was at where Bungie was right there, and I kept like looking over at him. I was quite um kind of tipsy, and I kept looking over at him like, I want to talk to him and take a picture. But then I was like, nah, Shans, don't do it because you're probably a bit too drunk right now, and you're probably gonna annoy him. So yeah, left it. Um, Jab King, yo, Jab King was there, his performance was good, yeah. And it's like I forgot how many hits that man has.
SPEAKER_08Oh, yeah, 100%.
SPEAKER_04Yo, it was just like banger after banger after banger. I was like, yo, yeah, honestly.
SPEAKER_08Grenada is not effing around, you know. I'm telling you, honestly, jab job season.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, jab jab season for real boy. Nessa preppy was there. Um, didn't really watch her performance too much. I think maybe it I went to the bathroom or something at the time, I can't remember.
SPEAKER_08Uh yeah. Um this is what I do like about ISF. Like, yeah, it it's it has a massive lineup. Like, it's I don't know where they get the money from to to fly over all these artists, but it is epic. It is like the place to be for when you're from Europe to get a taste of the Caribbean if you don't want to go to the Caribbean yourself.
SPEAKER_04Well, I know where they get the money from. From the people buying their packages.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, but I mean, apparently it works, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but there was definitely over a thousand people there. Definitely. Ah, yeah, exactly. So think about it, thousands of things.
SPEAKER_08Well, it needs to be, it needs to be.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but a thousand people spending about 300 pounds on their wristband, 250, 300 pounds is a lot of money.
SPEAKER_08Um, it is, but it's a lot of money to fly over, like I said, fly over all these people and get them a hotel and of course, you know, cater to their needs, of course, get them chauffeurs or designated drivers like Janice. It's all very important, you know.
SPEAKER_04Janine, bro, Janine. If you're gonna get my fake name right, I mean get my fake name right. Just get it right.
SPEAKER_08I'm dead.
SPEAKER_04I'm dead, literally, but um, yeah, but it wasn't even just people from Europe there, there was Americans there, like literally people from all over the world. There were like um Bajan influences there, there were Trini influencers there. Like, yo, when I tell you there were people and I was networking with all of them. I was so proud of myself, honestly. Well done, so proud of myself, but yeah, it was great, absolutely great. So if you've never been or you didn't go this year, I really do suggest that you go next year. I'm not sure if it's gonna be uh back in Ibiza or if it's gonna be in another European country, but guys, please, I recommend you go to IB for Soka Festival. The only issue that I had with it being in Malta was that the clubs were really far away from the hotels. So the club, yeah, you couldn't walk, you literally had to get a taxi.
SPEAKER_08Oh that's that's money that you probably didn't uh like reserve or budget for.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so the the cost of the taxis added up. I was lucky, um, they had a really good system, so any DJs that were playing, they would have a transfer set up for you, which was fantastic. Yeah, so they would pick you up, they had staggered pickup time. So I would say like the first three DJs that were playing, they would all get picked up, and then the rest of the DJs would get picked up maybe like a couple of hours later or something. So yeah, that was that was fab. But they they really looked after the DJs, they really did, like they had drinks for us, um all of that. Like, honestly, big up to the IB for Soka Festival team, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. And I'm available next year, so you know, hit me up.
SPEAKER_08Hey, I need to be there as well.
SPEAKER_04Next year, bro, you'll you're gonna be there.
SPEAKER_08It needs to happen.
SPEAKER_04You're gonna be there.
SPEAKER_08It needs to happen. I'm gonna make it happen.
SPEAKER_04Whether I need to pay for your flight or whatever.
SPEAKER_08Oh, hello. Hi, hello, sorry.
SPEAKER_04I'm listening. We we gonna make it happen, bro. We're gonna make it happen.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Because I need a videographer.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I can do that. We can do that for all the things that you were promising me to do to give. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's it. You'll be like my plus one everywhere, you know. I'll bring you with me. I'll be like, this is my my hype man. Do you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_08And my Dutch hype man?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Yo, yo, yo, hello, I'm the Dutch uh talker, uh, I'm the hype man.
SPEAKER_04Uh yeah, but you could also just speak a little bit in Dutch because the Dutch soccer lovers were there. They they were there. Oh yeah. There were quite a few of them there, yeah.
SPEAKER_08Fair point.
SPEAKER_04So you could be handy.
SPEAKER_08Yo, for that select group of people that's there.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, minor. You could just say a little, like I'll play like a I don't know, like a little Dutch segment. So it'll be like meet me by the bar, I tell you meet me by the ba.
unknownAh ah ah.
SPEAKER_08Ah yeah.
SPEAKER_04And all those songs like ooh wak up, uh-uh-uh-uh, ooh, what's silent, Dutch.
SPEAKER_08There you go. Play with those.
SPEAKER_04You can like say stuff in Dutch to them, and I'll be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, hood, hood, hood. Because that's as far as my Dutch goes. You know what I mean? Wait, listen.
SPEAKER_08I have a year to prepare, so that's what I'm saying. That should be good.
SPEAKER_04We'll be unstoppable, honestly. Yo, bro, next year it's on.
SPEAKER_08It's on. Alright then. Well, before we continue with the next topic, I just want to know what was your favourite event in ISF on tour Malta edition.
SPEAKER_04My favourite event, I would say, was probably the it was between the pool party, the second pool party that we had.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04Or the sneaker gala with Bungie. Because Bungie performed there, and Bungie's phenomenal, bro. Like phenotypes. 100%. Honestly, so it was between those two.
SPEAKER_08Fair enough. Sounds good. Yeah, I think we need to just make sure we're there next year.
SPEAKER_04100%. I'm there regardless, bro. As long as you know I don't have a bun in the oven, which you know is very unlikely to happen because I'm not gonna allow it to happen. But we shall be there. Well, I'll be there, and I'm gonna try and make plans for you to be there too, bro. Because we can't make this happen, yo. But yeah.
SPEAKER_08Nice.
SPEAKER_04Nice!
SPEAKER_08Alright, cool. Well, one other thing that happened uh last well this month actually, was Atlantic Carnival.
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_08Well, and I was hoping I would be saying, like, yeah, something where I went, but no, obviously, no, I didn't go anywhere. Um but uh Atlantic Carnival, I did see some things on Instagram, your favorite um gossip channel, followsoka, oh yeah, costumes we're not ready on time, money was spent and requested back because of this, crazy drama. So, you know, it's it's it's a bit of the same. We've discussed this before, so we're not gonna go into too much detail. If you are one of those people, and don't get me wrong, I'm one of those people as well, that is interested in all this gossip and all this this drama, just go to Followsoka on Instagram and get your your daily dose of drama, honestly.
SPEAKER_04But the one thing that baffles me is that this happens at like every single carnival.
SPEAKER_08Every single single time.
SPEAKER_04Why does it keep happening? Like, do these people not learn from previous years or from other carnivals? Like, honestly, I don't get it. Like, I really need to get one of these, or we need to get one of these band leaders or whatever onto the podcast to just discuss like how does this happen? How does it happen?
SPEAKER_08How does it work? What do we not see? Why why is it so difficult? What was happening? Yeah, good point. We could do that, yeah. Honestly, that's actually not a bad idea.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think that would be great. I'm gonna look into it. I'm gonna look for a band leader for us, whether it's a UK or US or wherever. We gonna make a Ooh, Brian. Brian from colours, bro.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, that's a good idea. Let's get him on a podcast, man.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, by the way, if you guys don't know, colours is the band that myself and RKO jump with in Barbados. So we do 4D with them, we do Kadoomant with them. So we're gonna look into that band leader, see if we can get him on the show to give us a bit more insight.
SPEAKER_08But yeah, yes, great idea. Yeah, yeah, man. Let's do that. Let's make it happen.
SPEAKER_04There we go. Let's make something happen. Let's make something happen.
SPEAKER_08Let's make something happen.
SPEAKER_04Wow!
SPEAKER_08Wow, wow. Um, I think it's time to move on to the future.
SPEAKER_04Not yet. Because they're not the future yet.
SPEAKER_08What did I miss? What did I miss?
SPEAKER_04Hello Summer and Jam Juve were on the same weekend as Atlanta Carnival, bro.
SPEAKER_06Same weekend. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. So Jam Juve. At the time that we're recording this, Jam Juve has not happened yet, guys. And I'm going to Jamaica.
SPEAKER_08Why I mistakenly put it in the future. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So I am going to Jam Juve. It's actually happening tomorrow, so I can't discuss it and be like, oh yeah, it was really good or whatever. So I shall do that in next month's episode. How about that?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, let's do that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. But Hello Summer is happening right now and it's looking pretty lit from what I can see. A few performers, lead pipe, sadist, Peter Ram, Vol not Vol.
SPEAKER_08Leadpipe beseters have a new song out, by the way, with just J.
SPEAKER_04Yo. Yo.
SPEAKER_08It's not bad. Yo. Fully toxic, right? It's called.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. And then the song with Saddis by Times 2. Bro.
SPEAKER_08Yes.
SPEAKER_04The music coming out of Barbados this year. I'm loving it. I'm gonna make my crop over mix soon. It's coming soon, guys.
SPEAKER_08I was gonna say, like, again, this is too much to discuss. Uh, if you're interested, go on like SoundCloud. New mixes will be showing up regularly right now because we're getting back into this uh in the season. My favorite time of the year because I love it when every time I open SoundCloud and there's a new mix to listen to with new music. Oh, it is my favorite time of the year.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I've not actually found a cropover mix on SoundCloud yet. Um, there is one that's on YouTube. Um, guys, type in Ignite Zen the DJ, and his cropover mix will come up, but he's only got it on YouTube, so check that out to hear the latest songs that are coming out of Barbados right now. Nice. You won't be disappointed, I promise you.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, nice. Um, but then we should talk about uh near future by the time of release of this uh podcast. Socamaza! We've been twice now. Yes, they're still back at it again in uh Gran Canaria, back at it again with the Gran Canaria. I knew you were gonna do that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah man, so I will be DJing at Socamaza in Gran Canaria. Hey it's not too late to get a package, guys. If you're interested in an extremely last minute booking and last minute trip, then please just head to my Instagram, go in my bio, click the link there, and you'll find the link to grab yourself a package. Or otherwise, DM me at DJ Shans, that's DJ S H A R N Z, and let me know. How you can book, but it's gonna be a movie, guys. So I would really recommend checking it out if you've got that time of work.
SPEAKER_08And that's the 6th till 10th of June, right?
SPEAKER_046th till the 10th of June is correct.
SPEAKER_08Alright, so book your flights if you didn't do that yet. Even if you book like half a session there, the island is beautiful, the sun always shines. You're gonna have a time anyway.
SPEAKER_03100%. 100%.
SPEAKER_08I've enjoyed it. I'm I can't make it this year. Like so many other events that I cannot make this year. Uh but I am exactly. But next year, I am keeping an eye out.
SPEAKER_04Next year you won't sigh. You won't sigh like wet claws. Okay, also with a baby.
SPEAKER_08So it will be a different type of uh party holiday. But you know, we'll make it work.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we we can make it work. We definitely can.
SPEAKER_08100%, 100%.
SPEAKER_04God damn.
SPEAKER_08I think it's time to talk music because we already like talked about it a bit, but there's a bunch, a bunch of new good music out. Um there is a rhythm that we want to highlight, and then I think we should also add the song of the month in there. Uh what's the rhythm that we want to highlight?
SPEAKER_04The rhythm, the rhythm that we want to highlight is called the pressure rhythm. Okay, so this rhythm has just come out, okay? It's not been out that long. The rhythm is by Super Nitro, one of our previous guests, and the guy that does a little outro for all of our episodes. So it's super nitro and DJ Vibes. So they're the Vibes, Vibes. So DJ Vibes, if you don't know, he's the one that produced the back ass rhythm, which is what active by Jaguar is on. So active by Jaguar is on the backhands rhythm, which a lot of you do not know. Okay, so he produced that rhythm. Big, big, big young, talented producer. But pressure rhythm is what I want to highlight, okay? We're not gonna play it on here. We're not gonna do that because there's just too many songs. But what I am gonna tell you to do is I'm gonna tell you to head to YouTube, Apple Music, any music streaming platform, and just type in pressure rhythm and listen to all the songs. I believe there's six songs on the rhythm. It's walks, super nitro with Marsville, Jaguar, Father Phyllis, Peter Ram, and Stabby.
SPEAKER_08Stabby is also full Bayesian uh lineup.
SPEAKER_04Yep, except Nitro, of course.
SPEAKER_08Of course. Well, you know, just gonna add him to the Bajans now.
SPEAKER_04There we go. He's an honorary Bajan, just like you are.
SPEAKER_08Exactly. Well, I mean Nitro already did more in that rhythm than I have ever done for uh Barbados, except for winding up. But uh, you know.
SPEAKER_04Listen, bro, don't small up your ting, yeah. You've done a lot for Barbados, okay? You provided a lot of entertainment, a lot of goodness, okay? Don't small up your ting, yeah? Alright, cool.
SPEAKER_08I appreciate that. I appreciate that. Please continue though. Definitely.
SPEAKER_04Definitely. But please, guys, check out the rhythm. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
SPEAKER_08Pressure rhythm.
SPEAKER_04Pressure rhythm. That is the one.
SPEAKER_08And then the song of the month. Because I think there is a bit of a link between the song of the month and this rhythm.
SPEAKER_04Well, this month's song of the month. Before we get into the song of the month. I don't know if you guys are ready for the song of the month. Do you think they're ready, RKO?
SPEAKER_08I mean, they're gonna have to because they're already listening to this podcast.
SPEAKER_04This is true.
SPEAKER_08Alright.
SPEAKER_04Well, let me discuss Song of the Month.
SPEAKER_08Please. This is the Song of the Month.
SPEAKER_04Song of the Month this month is a song by Supernatro and Mersey. Mersey is a UK soccer artist from Grenada.
SPEAKER_05Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_04And the song is called Bend. Okay? This song, bro, this song is epic.
SPEAKER_08And you have some experience with it, right? In uh in the Ibiza Soka Festival.
SPEAKER_04Yes. Malta. Yes, so let me get to when I first heard this rhythm. So I first heard this rhythm last year at Sokamaza. We were on a boat party, and at that point it was just a demo. It was like a minute-long demo. And I think Super Nitro played it on a on the boat. There was a boat party, Nitro played it, and it went off. Like people were like, yo, this rhythm. But at that point, Nitro wasn't on the on the song. It was just Mersey.
SPEAKER_08Alright.
SPEAKER_04So fast forward a year later, Nitro is now on that rhythm. And the rhythm, the the song slaps. It absolutely slaps. But I'm doing too much talking right now. Can we please just listen to it? Because I'm ready to fling bumper and get on stink.
SPEAKER_08Let's go. Yeah. You've excited me now.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, come on. Fling that song on. Let's go, let's go. Muzzle again.
SPEAKER_07Take a fill in it. Bring the button up. When one of the fits in them. Take a win the window.
SPEAKER_06But I'm in the middle. Come second. When you look at the middle down stretching when I go down a picking up. When I tell you when they look like a bridge, we don't stop. I want to tell the window comments to me.
SPEAKER_07I want to come in the comment when I'm going to come and speak to me. Bring the batch in up. They can put the two hand in the patron.
SPEAKER_04Yo, that song.
SPEAKER_08Big big tune. Big tune. I can see that it's gonna do well this season.
SPEAKER_04Hundred percent. And then it got premiered at Ibi for Soka Festival, and the girls were loving it. Like Bamsi was flinging everywhere, yo. I was like, yo, this is sick. So me, I am promoting the hell out of this song, I tell ya. And obviously, you know, Supernatural is our brother, so I will support him forever.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Guys, stream that song, download it to what you need to do. But yo, check it out.
SPEAKER_08100%. And there's always something that uh DJ Puffy says during his live streams, maybe unrelated, but it's related to this. If you don't share, if you don't tell a friend to tell a friend, you're not a good friend of the podcast. This is this is true.
SPEAKER_04It means you hate us.
SPEAKER_08It is basically what other reason could there be? There's no other reason.
SPEAKER_04Exactly. Emotional blackmail at its fight.
SPEAKER_08Emotional damage. Sorry, that's something else. Yeah, 100%.
SPEAKER_04Yo.
SPEAKER_08Alright, well, we've had a song of the month. We had some some past and future events discussion. There is one topic that I want to talk about still before we could call the day on this episode. And that actually started with a discussion between our colleagues over at The Soka Analyst, another Ahsoka podcast. If you don't uh know them, check them out. They're also very active on Instagram these days, so doing a good job on that. Um They were talking about young up-and-coming artists. Do we just want to play the like the audio of the clip of the of the segments? Yes. Is that maybe fun?
SPEAKER_04I think we should though.
SPEAKER_08This is Jel like explaining um the lack of young up-and-coming artists compared to other musical genres. Well, I'm I'm explaining already. So let's just have a listen.
SPEAKER_00Tomorrow, if I decide I want to be a dancer or DJ or a dancer artist, the market one is bigger. And then two, there's less fight down. In so good, there's all these gatekeepers and all these people regulating things that really are stunting the growth of other young talents. And in order for a genre to be successful, it's as successful as the young talent that you have. In Afrobeats, there's a young artist coming up every day. Dancewell, forget about it. I learned about five new dance artists last week that I never knew existed before. But I can't say the same for Soka, I can't even list 10.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, and I think gel really hits the nail on the head here.
SPEAKER_00Yep.
SPEAKER_08Because other genres, like especially dance or like you said, every week there's new artists coming out, every second there's new music coming out, there's no seasons, it just keeps on coming.
SPEAKER_05Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_08Soka, there's I mean, obviously we've had like uh up-and-coming artists in our uh podcast.
SPEAKER_04Of course.
SPEAKER_08But I feel like somehow they are they don't get the spotlight that they might deserve, if you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_04Yep, yep, yep.
SPEAKER_08And I'm not sure if it's gatekeepers or the the the soca mafia is also a word that keeps on being mentioned. Um I don't know what we do different in the soca scene compared to the dance of scene, but it's something that is like clear as daylight.
SPEAKER_04It's true. It definitely is true. Um, so I d I don't know what what could it be? Is it the fact that you know, as we've mentioned before, soca is just seasonal, even though it shouldn't be, because soca is just amazing. Is it because obviously the the mafia or whatever? Because as you see, it's just like the same sort of artists that we're hearing music from during you know, when music is being released, you know what I mean? It's like if the artist is not known, I don't know, I feel like they're just overlooked, their music, and I'm guilty of this. I'm not gonna lie to you. Like when I go on um music platform music downloading platforms, yeah, and I see a name I don't recognise, I don't download it. I don't really listen to the song. I tend to like look for the artists that I recognise already, and then I'll download their songs. Yeah, so I need to stop doing that. And actually, recently, like a couple of days ago, I was downloading music and I actually listened to music from like artists I've never heard of. Yeah, and one of the rhythms, so it's a rhythm, it had four songs on it. I I from off the top of my head, I can't remember the name of the rhythm, but I listened to it and I was like, yo, it's good, yeah, exactly. This rhythm slaps, these songs slap. So I really need to I need to do better.
SPEAKER_08Give them a chance.
SPEAKER_04100%. Yeah, I really think we should. And what's the name of the artist again, RKO, that we saw and we loved the song that he he posted?
SPEAKER_08Oh, yeah. So this was actually uh up-and-coming artist out of uh Grenada.
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_08Um that's um like was doing a little like introduction of himself. He's called Triss Official. But he did it, he really did a like a little hello, I'm Tris Official. I'm an up-and-coming soak artist. Please take some time to listen to my song and then place a song for like a fragment.
SPEAKER_04Yep, yep, yep.
SPEAKER_08I love that, man. That's that's the creative way of doing it.
SPEAKER_04Definitely.
SPEAKER_08And I've been I've been thinking about this a lot as well, Sharons, and yes, that that is definitely one of the issues that you mentioned. Like, we we don't shine a light ourselves as well on these uh uh artists. But what I also I can come up with, and that's actually something that Jel mentioned briefly, the size of the industry, right? Yeah. I mean, if if there's two bakers in a small town making cupcakes, you know, if there's 20 people buying the cupcakes, then two bakers is more enough. Yeah. If there's two million people buying cupcakes, then two bakers is not enough. And you need more more artists to get more music out, to get more, you know. So it might have to do with that, that that it's just not the size, it's just the size of the of the of the genre, so to say.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_08But it's like uh it's like a loop, right? Because you want to grow Ahsoka, but how do you grow Ahsoka by having new and interesting music? Exactly. One way or the other, new and interesting music normally comes from the newer group of artists because they have to be different than what has already been done. Yeah, that's how music grows, you know, in the end, or evolves at least.
SPEAKER_04Definitely, definitely, but something needs to be done about this because this this is like something I'm very passionate about. Like I love soaker music with every bone in my body, absolutely love it. So I just think us as DJs, we we need to start, even if it's just like picking one song from an unknown artist or like an upcoming artist or whatever, just pick one song and play that one song in every single one of your sets.
SPEAKER_08Yep.
SPEAKER_04And then try and get other DJs to do the same thing.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, 100%. And as a podcast like host or whatever you want to call it, we have this little platform here. I'm not saying it's reaching millions of people, but the people reach we should just keep interviewing these up-and-coming artists, 100% get them known to the people who who have the time to listen to this podcast, and do our work that way, you know.
SPEAKER_04No, 100%, 100%. Um, but I saw in in Malta, so the cat attack rhythm, the song Slip In by is it Gio?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, it's very big in the UK, I think that song.
SPEAKER_04I mean Would I say it's very big in the UK? I mean that I I wouldn't say it's very big in the UK.
SPEAKER_08I'm gonna go away and say it is at least it's well known. Let me put it that way.
SPEAKER_04I mean Is it not?
SPEAKER_08Am I mistaken? Could be.
SPEAKER_04I don't really because the thing is like the parties that I've been to, yeah, um, there's like one DJ in particular that literally plays that song in every one of his sets. One in particular, I know that. But it was like when I was in Malta, the US DJs started playing it a lot. So I felt like when they were doing that, the other DJs were catching on. So then when I was on the boat at the boat party in in Malta, I heard that song about three times. And you know the boat doesn't even go on for that long, the boat was like three, four hours long, and I I heard I heard that song in like almost every set.
SPEAKER_08Wild, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Fair enough. Yeah, so that's popping off. Yeah, so that song there, I feel like it was very popular in in um in Malta. Very popular. Yeah, exactly. But I'm I'm not saying that the song's not popular in the UK, but it's not as popular as let's say, I don't know, DNA, or let's. No, exactly.
SPEAKER_08I hear it.
SPEAKER_04I don't know. Um whatchamacallit? Uh, what's that song again? Oh, it slipped my mind, my mind's gone blank, I don't work well under pressure. But yeah, like other songs, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hear it, I hear it, I hear it.
SPEAKER_04But you know what rhythm that I genuinely barely hear DJs playing? I think in Malta, I feel like I was the only DJ that played this rhythm. Can you guess the rhythm, RKO?
SPEAKER_08Is it your favourite rhythm?
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah. Oh yeah. What she won't, she won't get she won't get it.
SPEAKER_08She was last year already.
SPEAKER_04Bro, the song is old. I get it. However, I'm hearing I wanna give it to you, which is what, 2018?
SPEAKER_08Big tune.
SPEAKER_04Or 2017, 18, 17, whatever it is.
SPEAKER_08Classic tune. I I know that you consider your tune as a classic tune as well, so don't get me started on that. But there is a difference between classic, yeah. I don't know.
SPEAKER_04But it's a big song, and I'm hearing obviously 5, 10, 15, 20, all of them Zest songs, they're they're old as well. But Van Grand Rhythm is a big rhythm. Like I feel like it doesn't get played as much as it should. That rhythm is so underrated and it buns my chest because you know, I have to say this is what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_08You are very passionate about that song. Other people are passionate about the other songs, right? So, uh as a DJ, you're always bringing your own flavour, and I get that as well. And the other thing I do want to mention is DJs at an event almost always end up playing power songs. So, what do we do about the groovy songs that need attention?
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Um, boy.
SPEAKER_08But the thing is, you can start more radio shows or something like that. Yeah, but Sunday afternoon radio shows.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but a lot of groovy was played, like a lot of groovy was played in Malta. I mean, there were like three back-to-back sets where no power was touched at all, just groovy, groovy, groovy, groovy, groovy. What I've noticed is a lot of DJs.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_04How often do you hear a DJ? Well, obviously in the Netherlands this might be a bit different, but how often do you hear a DJ start their set with power? It's normally they start with groovy and work their way up to power.
SPEAKER_08I've no, I get that, but there's yeah, there's definitely songs that are just not like event-worthy, meaning they're not like they're not bad songs, it's just they're too calm or too slow to even count as a warm-up song, if you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_04Uh I don't but I don't know if I agree with you.
SPEAKER_08Like Marcel Montano's like uh fast wine, you can count as groovy-ish, but it's upbeat, it's like it can warm you up for something faster after that. Um but uh like I can come up with so many songs that are actually nice. There's plenty of songs that that aren't like qualifying as that. They're very nice songs, the lyrics are good, but it's just not a song you play in a club to warm people up. It's just a song that you want to listen to on a Sunday afternoon in your garden, you know, under the sun, whatever.
SPEAKER_04I hear what you're saying, I hear what you're saying, but I don't know, even if it's a warm-up, you can still throw those songs in. Like, what's it called? That one-on-one song by Jimmy October. One on one, one on one, uh-uh. That song, I played that during one of my warm-up sets, and people were actually rocking to that, bro.
SPEAKER_08Fair enough.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, they were vibes into it. Obviously, not like getting up and going crazy, like it was in the wata.
SPEAKER_08No, but you that that's fine, but that's a different type of uh like expectation as well, of course.
SPEAKER_04But literally, and the set that I played it in, well, I played it in in a couple of sets, but the one set that stood out to the DJs and stuff, I played it in that set, and they were like, yo, like no one plays that song. I'm so glad you played it.
SPEAKER_08Exactly.
SPEAKER_04So that's what made me stand out.
SPEAKER_08But this is this is what I'm saying, right? They they don't play it for a reason, they don't dare or whatever. So if you do it, good on you. But it's not something that normally happens, is what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_04No, I know. I get what you're saying. I get what you're saying, but this needs to change, bro.
SPEAKER_08No, I hear it, I hear it, I hear it, I hear it, I hear it.
SPEAKER_04But what's we do?
SPEAKER_08It's uh exactly. All we can do is talk about it every now and then.
SPEAKER_04Exactly.
SPEAKER_08Hope that people listen to it and listen to some music. That's actually all we ask. Enjoy yourself while listening to some new music. Exactly. Uh yeah, man.
SPEAKER_04Exactly. All I can do is play the songs in my sets.
SPEAKER_08Exactly. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_04But even still, like, I I don't even need to play it long. I'll play like a either just a chorus cut to a next song that they know, or chorus verse cut. You know what I mean? Like, there's levels to it, and we've discussed this before, but it's just like oh, it's like banging my head against a brick wall.
SPEAKER_08It's going too slow for us.
SPEAKER_04I'm telling you, but what I want to do. Yeah, go on.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. Well, I was gonna say, I'm still gonna, I'm still telling everybody I know the Netherlands is not a Soka capital, it is not very known like as a genre. I'm telling everybody who listens to me, Ahsoka will break through here in the Netherlands. It's it's coming more and more. It's not gonna be new music, but like um uh family, like all these these well-known songs, they they are being played now constantly at any event that is not Ahsoka event, like a hip-hop event or like uh a dance hall event. These songs show up, you know. Hello from cast, they show up, and people are growing to it, so they they are getting to know you know the genre. It's gonna I believe it's gonna be a matter of time. Not saying months, but I'm saying years, and it will happen. And it will probably be like that in other countries in Europe as well and in the rest of the world.
SPEAKER_04Hmm.
SPEAKER_08It's gonna blow up.
SPEAKER_04I hope so. I really hope you're right, but you know me, I'm Miss Polly pessimistic. Pessimistic poly. That's me. You know, sinister chance. Actually, no, sinister is not a very good word. Um let's just keep it as pessimistic poly. Another name to add to uh my list of fake names that I'll probably pronounce wrong. Poly. Yo, but yeah, man. But who I really want to get freeze on this podcast.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, definitely. Let's do it.
SPEAKER_04I am gonna make it happen. I'm gonna make it happen.
SPEAKER_08You know, you know, I'll probably not be able to say anything because he's my favourite DJ, so I'll just be fangirling behind my microphone the whole time. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_04Yo, yo, yo. But I actually told him, I said to him, yo, my best friend is the one that basically introduced me or showed me who you were. Because he's a big fun. So, bro, bro, bro, I'm gonna make it happen. Just for you. I'm gonna make it happen.
SPEAKER_08Let's go. Come on, just be prepared to ask all the questions for me.
SPEAKER_04I mean, no, bro, you're gonna have to snap out of it at some point. Don't we have to fly to the Netherlands and give you a kick up your backside?
SPEAKER_08Might be necessary.
SPEAKER_04You're gonna have to snap out of it. But no, bro, but you know I have faith in you. Do you know why I have faith?
SPEAKER_08We'll make it work, we'll make it work.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but do you know why I have faith that you can make this work?
SPEAKER_08Why? Why?
SPEAKER_04Remember when we were in the car with Problem Child and you acted normal.
SPEAKER_08It took every cell in my body to not act like an absolute fangirl.
SPEAKER_04But you did it. You and you were drunk as well. Bro, if that's not an achievement, I don't know what is.
SPEAKER_08I remember I just remember we we pulled up and he was talking to um Kwin. Uh yeah, Kerwin, exactly. I just lost my shit there and then. I was like, well, can't get better than this, so I might as well just act normal.
SPEAKER_04Yo, we have been through some stuff, like we've experienced some stuff, bro. Like 100%. Our lives are amazing, guys.
SPEAKER_08Yep.
SPEAKER_04We we need to like make some sort of film about our lives or whatever, and you guys would love it. Honestly, it would be like a process.
SPEAKER_08To be honest, um bit entertainment. Earlier in this episode, you said something about not getting it through your head, like not making it go to your head, but I guess we're too late, guys. Too late.
SPEAKER_04Oh man, come on.
SPEAKER_08Alright, Charles, it's time to you know shut this episode down. We have been talking for way too long already.
SPEAKER_05Oh no.
SPEAKER_08It is time to wish everybody a happy rest of the month. Um, thanks for listening. Is there anything that we've forgotten so far, Charles?
SPEAKER_04Not that I can think of.
SPEAKER_08Alright, then that's it. We're just gonna listen to uh Super Nitro one more time.
SPEAKER_01Make sure you check out Soka Chronicles, tag a friend, tell a friend, share the podcast, let people know that this exists because it's good for the culture, it's good for the vibe, it's good for the energy, it's educational, it's fun, it's funny, it's plentiful, and it's good for you to just know a little bit about the people that's making your music and the people that you're involved with listening to.
SPEAKER_08And every word he said is true. Thank you guys for listening again to this 33rd, whatever you pronounce it, 33rd. I love my accent. Episode. 33rd episode of Soka Chronicles. Yeah, man. No, I love it. Thanks for the support, and we will see you next month again. Stay safe.
SPEAKER_04Please, guys, look after yourselves and tune in again the last Friday of June to hear what madness has happened. Peace out, people. Take care, bye bye.
SPEAKER_06Bye. You have been listening to the Soka Chronicles Chronicles.