WHEEL ME OUT - AFTA-1

AFTA-1 creates sounds to take you away from this world

Interview by Victoria Ford

You grew up listening to classic soul on the radio. What was the music scene like in your home town? Did you have any mentors? Influential sounds in my life have gone through constant progression, so I can’t necessarily say that soul music alone was responsible for inspiration. I’ve gone from bumping gangsta rap when my folks weren’t listening to falling asleep to classic soul and slow jams, all of which i searched for on my own and had to, since the music scene in my home town was pretty dead. No real venues or places dedicated to any kind of art or recreation besides bowling and movie theaters...had to do our own thing.

What’s in your record collection? Too many things to accurately represent the collection. Stuff from Lonnie Liston Smith to Tangerine Dream to Herbie Hancock, some psychedelic, some reggae, some Brazilian funk...a little bit of everything. A good chef keeps his seasoning cabinet well stocked.

If Aftathoughts Vol.1 is a soundtrack, what’s the visual? Well, I would say it is a soundtrack intended for the listener to create their own visual. I think different people resonate with different elements within the music, so an accompanying visual can never be just one thing.

You made an instrumental album to get people to really listen to the music. What do you think people are usually caught up in? I feel that the absence of lyrics allows the listener to meditate on their own life, as opposed to being saturated with someone else’s story. It makes space for clear thought.

Are there any new artists you’re listening to? A lot of Muhsinah, some Fly Lo, J Davey...

You said that music can change the world. How can it do that? I believe people make change, the music provides a platform for all to communicate universally. So the music can spark the change if it allows people to become in tune with themselves when they are listening. WMO

Have a listen at:

www.myspace.com/afta1