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1200 Techniques.
1200 Techniques took their name from the Technics 1200 turntable, and it’s an appropriate name for a group that blends so many outside influences into a single act. Nfamas, the lyricist for the group, certainly doesn’t mind it since it makes for interesting crowds.
"They’re really different from most crowds I’ve seen, we do get a definite blend: we get some straight b-boys, we get people who aren’t into hip-hop will come down and feel the groove and have a good time... We seem to touch a lot of different people. I mean, I’m sure there’s plenty of people who don’t like our stuff, but those that do, the mix is very big, it’s very cool."
A large reason for this is the eclectic make-up of the group: to start with, two Italian brothers, a guitar player and a DJ. "[DJ] Peril, he’s a b-boy in every element: DJing, breaking MCing, a bit of graf, it’s all he’s ever lived and breathed. Kem [Star] too, to an extent, he’s into a lot of that rock stuff... He loves all the old-school elements of hip-hop, but not really where it’s going. Me, I’m a fair bit younger than those two; I’m pretty much a b-boy, but not as much [as Peril]. I mean, I just write rhymes and kick it, I love hip-hop, but I listen to a lot of jazz and blues and soul and funk." Then there’s Nfamas, the buff, dreadlocked rapper whose televisual claim to fame used to be that he was the original genie in the Tim Tam ads.
Add to this mix guest appearances from acts like Koolism, Rodney P and Motion Man, and their latest LP, ‘Consistency Theory’ can cater to many tastes. Because they’re still signed to an independent label, Rubber Records, these collaborations were not motivated by label politics but were simply a product of friendships that formed. Thankfully, this process wasn’t taken to extremes with guests on every track, as some hip-hop acts have done. Not that there weren’t any offers... "If we could have more guests we would, but there’s only so much room on our album, and I can only give up so many verses."
It’s even harder for other producers to get onto a 1200 album: they are strictly used "for remixes, not for 1200 Techniques. Peril is the producer, he makes the beats well. We don’t really need to: Peril’s a great producer, he’s one of the premier producers that I can think of just generally, he’s just not too famous. Kem’s an amazing bass player and guitarist, plays some great keys, comes up with some great beats as well... When we do remixes, for sure, we get different people on the tracks, and I mean, if I did a side project, I’d hook up with some dudes."
Having said that, Nfamas also has a wish list of producers that he dreams about working with: Jay Dee, Ninth Wonder, Roots Manuva and Hi-Tek are high up on his list. "I mean, I could say of course I’d love to jump on a track with Dre or Premier, but that’s never gonna happen. The other guys probably will never happen either, but it’s still a nice thought."
If a few of the names don’t sound familiar, it’s because a lot their releases are hard to find, Nfamas only having heard some of it because "I happened to come across some stuff because I was in New York and LA about 6 or 7 weeks ago and I just picked up stuff that won’t get distributed here." It’s not a problem that is unique to America, though, with a lot of local artists also going unheard. "I mean, there are local cats that I haven’t come across yet that I’m sure are amazing, that I’ll probably come across and be like ‘dude, get on a track!’ You don’t have to be from overseas or famous to get on a track. You just gotta have the vibe. There are local cats I know that no-one knows about that I’m trying to work with."
It’s something 1200 Techniques don’t have to worry about anymore with distribution through Sony. "It’s cool not to be in it for the money. I mean, we’re not making money, so we’re not really in it for the money, but distribution just means more people can hear it. You can stay underground and just keep letting 100 people hear it, but there’s so much time and effort put into it, I think it’s worth more than just the couple of hundred people that might come to a couple of shows."
On their third Big Day Out now, things are only getting bigger.
Alexis Buxton-Collins
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1200 Techniques play the Big Day Out Green Stage at 4.30pm and ‘Consistency Theory’ is out now through Rubber/Sony – see Prize
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