THE INFESTICONS – BONAFIDE EXCLUSIVE

The Infesticon trilogy is set for its denouement with Bedford Park. Following the earlier installments, the Infesticons resistance and underground informed Gun Hill Road and the bling-decadence of Beauty Party, the Majesticon’s nouveau riche reply, Bedford Park is the sound of the aftermath of the battle. An exploration of musical styles, all set to an ‘anthem’ theme check this exclusive for an insight into the aural handgrenades that are being thrown out in Bedford Park.

Bonafide caught up with Infesticons figurehead/ringleader Mike Ladd. A man of many guises, Ladd is a seriously talented individual dividing his time between musical collaboration, writing and lecturing on Black American literature and producing documentaries. Always against the grain. Always worth listening too. Checkit.

10 years on from Gun Hill Road, comes the final installment of the Infesticons trilogy in the shape of Bedford Park. Although there is a dark side to the LP, the overall ‘anthem’ theme seems to be uplifting and reflective and the sound looser straying into jazz, punk and blues. Was this record always the plan and what has informed and influenced the Infesticons sound and approach over the past 10 years?
ML: This record focuses more on songs, less on themes or concept. I guess the Infesticons learned a little something from the Majesticons, kinda like the Russians learned a little something from the Germans and came back to kick their ass (if it’s not too guache to use white tribal war as a metaphor).

I went back to a lot of music I was listening to when I was younger – short and tight was what I liked best so I tried to do that. I tried to make tracks minimal.

Bedford Park, sounds like a suburb in London… but research reveals that it’s in the Bronx. What made you chose the name for the album, is the area significant for you?
I lived on the corner of Bedford Park Blvd. And Grand Concourse for almost eight years. It was my best memories of living in NY and it also just south of Gun Hill Road, so the idea is the battle kept raging going back and forth over the North West Bronx and at some point the Infesticons Marching Band jumped in a bunker on Bedford Park and didn’t come out until now.

Of the records you have produced, which is the one that you derive most satisfaction from?
Welcome to the Afterfuture and Vernacular Homicide the Vinyl EP

Who is the most exciting musician/act you have toured with over the years?
I learned a lot from touring with Cold Cut and John Spencer. I was a fan of John Spencer Blue Explosion so it was craze to do a show with him, I’d never done that before. Blues Explosion was one of the influences for the record among the usual suspects, Electric Mud and the Charles Stepney Howlin Wolf album.

Touring with Rob Sonic, Bus Driveer and Beans was hilarious. Touring with Infinite Lives is uplifting. Touring with Juice Aleem is genious.

Sticking to this theme, looking through the list of people you have toured with the group that I would have loved to have seen live are Cannibal Ox. What were those shows like?
Only did two shows with Can Oc on the road but shared many a stage with Vaste Aire in NY.The best thing about both of those guys is they talk just like they are rhyming so you can never tell what’s a conversation and when you are getting rapped at. I feel the best emcees are like that.

You now live in Paris; if I’ve got the day there what non-typical tourist things would you recommend that I do?
Go to the hobby shop near the train station it will keep you away from drugs. If you want drugs, find some cute girls, lie, tell them you have drugs, be really cute, funny and entertaining and eventually they will give you theirs.

Welcome to the Afterfuture…when you started out did you envisage technology fragmenting the way music is made and how do you see things panning out in the future?
I always made records like I was making a mixtape (old school mixtape, with actual Maxell tape and different songs). Shufflemode on iTunes is kinda the same thing or better yet all the mixes people make. In that sense, yeas. I always found myself arguing with the record companies that were afraid it wouldn’t fit in a genre and I kept saying that it didn’t matter. Now everyone is broke but understands.

On this tip, Bedford Park is coming out on vinyl but not on CD, is this the Infesticons making sure that they having the final word? That they will not conform and will do it their own way?
CD stores are dead, vinyl shops are still around. Also everyone is broke now so it was either or, so I chose vinyl. What type of returns would you rather have sitting in your basement? Vinyl.

Finally will you be touring Bedford Park and what kind of live set up will it be?
Yes we will be touring. The record was built to play live. Might be me, a drummer and keys/guitar which is the set up for my band or there might be three emcees and a DJ.

Ideally it will be all of the above. There is a super versitile collabsable/expandable team who are gonna make tis work. Shout outs to all of them. Tahiti Boy, David Aknin, Creature, Seraphim, Juice Aleem…the list goes on.

INFEST0 AKA MAESTRO  9

Filed under: Bonafide Exclusives, Rap, Record Cover Design by J.G.