This second
month of the year sees Kenny Larkin's long awaited return (under the
Dar K Com Edy guise) after a 7 year hiatus. We'll never tell you enuff peeps
how this has been worth the wait, being provided with a new LP (our
Album
of the Month) which, no doubt, should be reminded in the years to come
as a pure treaty of modern (Black) music fuelled with influences varying from
blues to soul, funk and the likes revamped with a very contemporary perspective.
We've managed to get his responses to our Q's right before having him in Paris
for a DJ performance on Fri, Feb.4th…
Hey Kenny,
wassup ? Quite an eternity without hearing from you Sir. How come this long ?
Took a break
from recording to keep up with a busy DJ schedule. Also, got very bored of the
“techno” sound, and where it was going. There came a point where it got too hard
and fast for me.
What has
decided you to record this new album after such a long time ?
I moved to
L.A. 3 years ago, and got inspired from my new surroundings. I basically moved
here to start with a clean slate, and start a new life, or at least go to the
next chapter in my life. Which included me making a recording that would push me
musically.
Has West
Coast finally be the way you imagined ? What has decided you to get there ?
The West
Coast turned out to be better than I imagined. The weather here is phenomenal
!!! The people aren’t as friendly as Detroit, but I didn’t come out here to make
friends. I came here to pursue a career in Stand Up Comedy, and acting.
Would you be
up to come back to Detroit one day or another ?
Is there anything that you
currently miss from the (Motor)city ?
I can’t see
myself going back to Detroit to live. It was nice to grow up there and to make
the good friends I have, but Detroit doesn’t provide what I need to go to the
next level in my life. Los Angeles is the place to be with what I’m trying to
do. The ONLY thing I miss from Detroit is my very good friends: Derrick May,
Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig, and Stacey Pullen. I never get to see them anymore.
Has it been
hard for you to get back to work musically speaking ?
It was very
easy to get back to it. I actually never stopped making music. I just stopped
releasing music. But, my new love of recording has me writing a ton of new stuff.
I am close to finishing another album !!!
Do you see
common points between acting and making music ?
Not really....
Is there a
Detroit sort of trademark/spirit/state of mind ? If so what is it ? And do you
feel like you still have it ?
It’s very
hard to define the feeling or emotion Detroit artists put into their music. It’s
more than “soul”. It’s closer to a spirit in the music. And once you have it,
you never lose it
People mainly
know you as amongst the 2nd generation of techno producers. Do you
feel like there's still this label on you ? Could it be that you've somehow
wanted to get rid of it, being unactive for seach a long time productionwise ?
The label
doesn’t bother me. Especially because it’s true. I came in the second wave…
Does this
album mark a sort of rebirth ? Or is this the result of you being caught up by
your past ?
I would say
both. It is definitely a rebirth in the sense that I have fallen in love with
making music again, but in a different way. I didn’t want to do the same style
of music over and over, so I decided to do an album that reflected my past and
the music I grew up with, which is jazz, blues, funk, etc... Once I decided to
pay homage to my musical upbringing, it was easy to do the album.
You're quite
aside from the expected formats if I may say so… Any comment ?
That was
exactly the point !!!
You mention
house music right at the beginning of your album. What does it represent for you
as compared to techno ?
My music has
always had a house feel to it in a lot of the songs I do
It's somehow
surprising how most of the people have a precise idea of what techno is when for
me it can take so many different forms… History now tend to pretend that Juan
Atkins has been the first one making a techno record, although the first time
this term has officially been used was in 87/88 with Kevin Saunderson under the
Inner City guise which to me was quite close to the NYC sound. Any comment ?
Juan is THE
Godfather of this sound PERIOD. I was listening to Juan's music in high school
in 1984. His music, even then was futuristic and soulful. His contribution to
techno is without question fundamental to its existence, and I’m not talking
about electronic music from Europe in the early 80’s. It didn’t have the same
feeling as what was titled 'techno'.
Refering to
some of your titles of your songs, one is "Telling Lies"… Have you suffered from
people doing so with you ? If so, what kind of lies ?
People always
tell little lies to make themselves look better to other people. They also tell
big lies that destroy lives in the process.
What about
this "Dark Moment" ?
A little
intermission between songs.
"Chicken
Blues" ?
Silly song
about a guy named Chicken, who hasn’t made music in a long time.
Your album to
me stands as a testament of modern black music, pushing the boundaries as very
rare people did in the past like Prince for instance. Have you ever seen him as
an exemple ?…
Of
course...There aren’t too many artists like Prince, Black or White, who have
accomplished what he has. Been a fan since I was a kid.
Some people
have kept on telling me along these last years that it was still hard to be
Black in America. I'm thinking about Jeff Mills and more recently Glenn
Underground… How do you feel about it ?
No harder or
easier than it was 10 years ago. I think hip hop has maybe gotten us more
exposure. But, it hasn’t made it any easier to get more respect than we use to
get. If anything, it’s made it harder, since a lot of people are “hating” on hip
hop and it’s dominance in the world today.
Could the
blues be the translation of such a feeling ?
Precisely why
blues was discovered. To bitch and complain about what is fucked up in your
life.
What about
your new life as a comedian ? Your goals ?
To be the
next Eddie Murphy !!!
Your
forthcoming projects ?
Just finished
the next Kenny Larkin album. Will be released in spring/summer.
Welcome back
and see you in Paris on Feb 4th. Peace !
DAR K COM EDY Funkfather :
Music Saves My Soul LP (Art Of Dance Records/Poussez!)
Kenny Larkin @
Paris/l'Amnésia (02/04/2005)
INTERVIEW
