Speak no evil: Troublemaker Josh Kouzomis
Josh Kouzomis (a.k.a. Troublemaker) may have indie roots, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at his production resume. After kicking off his career as DJ and music director at Ohio University’s college radio station (ACRN), he moved back to the west coast and joined the marketing and radio promotions group at iconic L.A. punk label Epitaph. In 1998, he co-founded Celestial Recordings, one of the most respected underground hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass labels of the day, and has been busting boundaries ever since.
His first solo album, The Maestro, is set for a July 28 release, but you can download some of his classic remixes from the likes of Johnny Cash (“Straight A’s In Love”), De La Soul (“Oooh”), and Silversun Pickups (“Panic Switch”) on his website. I caught up with Josh on a recent trip to Nairobi, Kenya with the HOPE campaign (Helping Other People Everywhere), where he rocked crowds, shared his craft and love of music with the local community, and recorded tracks with Kenya’s biggest MC. He's also offered up an advance track from The Maestro called "Work It Out," available through the player below for .60 cents. The proceeds will go to benefit the HOPE campaign and the advancement of the arts in Kenya.
Celestial and Konkrete Jungle are such staples in the LA drum 'n' bass scene, and for me personally such a big part of Eastside LA/Hollywood music culture. Likewise, Epitaph is a Los Angeles institution, although its reach is definitely global. How did those two stages of your life inform your musicianship? I listen to a track like “Louder” and it totally has a drum 'n' bass style to the bass line, and the album overall has a very punk attitude.
Troublemaker: I really appreciate this question. Epitaph was incredible for me. It helped shape and mold my knowledge of the industry and continued to evolve my musical knowledge. Plus, it provided me another place to draw inspiration from when it came to making music. Celestial and Konkrete Jungle were my first “babies” as far as starting a label and a club night. Additionally, Celestial was the true beginning of my production career. With both of them we were really on some sh*t back then, and like you stated, they definitely help mold what is now a scene of itself on the eastside of town. As far as “Louder” and my album, I’m glad you picked up on the drum ‘n’ bass and punk rock feel. I like the idea of fast/hard songs, short albums, runnin’ thru you like a freight train, very punk rock. And the more and more I continue to make music, the more people say there is a d ‘n’ b influence, which I love, ’cause I’m all about the fat bass and hard beats.
How did that indie upbringing inform the way in which you approach business? You've done some serious remix work that falls well outside of what many would consider “indie.” How do you borrow from both worlds from a business perspective?
Troublemaker: In the beginning I was very indie about everything and such a pompous little pr*ck about it. The older I got the more I realized—and still realize—that it only matters what’s in your soul. My background helped me understand this. Plus, many don’t choose where they fall. You make music ’cause that is your love and passion, and you hope people like it. I never make music for the money. I hope it comes from my creativity, but I cannot force that. Also, I have always been open to everything and thus everything has been open to me. So, why not do it all and enjoy yourself rather than worry what others think? When I am dead and gone the only voice I will have is my music, and I like to talk, so I better have a deep catalog to support that.
How did you go about choosing the MCs for The Maestro? How do each of the vocalists manifest a different side of Troublemaker?
Troublemaker: Well, speaking of the business, I had a choice to work with signed artists and figure out ways to pay them and have labels sign off on them, or I could work with independent and new artists and build something fresh. Each vocalist on the album I met in a different way and each song was made uniquely with them. I am very proud of this, in that I don’t feel I had to go use some name to help my career and we could just do what we did and help each other.
You’re in the midst of doing a bunch of shows in Kenya for the HOPE Artists Festival. Can you tell me a little bit about that? How important, in your opinion, is it for artists to understand the importance of global, almost philanthropic outreach to other musical communities of the world?
Troublemaker: Wow, I'm sitting here in Nairobi, Kenya now doing this interview and it’s amazing. HOPE is a collective of artists and creatives who go to places “in need” and collaborate with locals on projects that benefit all. While I’ve been here I've taught a DJ class, recorded with Kenya’s biggest MC, done countless interviews on the radio, and embraced their culture to the fullest, on top of all the shows. I feel it is our moral obligation to be informed to the global community. Everyone must travel and never turn down the opportunity to help and work with others. The fact that music has taken me around the world is a blessing I can never forget. And who doesn't want to be recognized internationally? If Tom Waits is big in Japan, why can't I be big in Kenya?
There are so many acts these days that take hip-hop and blend it with this very tongue-in-cheek, flossy, and borderline kitschy hipster electronic style. (Kid Sister, Spank Rock, and Chromeo come to mind.) What do you think this new wave in hip-hop brings to the genre, both good and bad? I know many "purists" that come from that PE, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD era that can't stand to listen to any of this new stuff. What's your take on it all?
Troublemaker: There is something to being naïve when it comes to music making, which I appreciate with the new stuff. I don't think they know this or realize this, so it is almost cute. And like all music, there is some I like and some I don't. I definitely think most of the newer stuff is wack and has no soul. There are definitely some new ideas of production I appreciate and embrace, and there are fresh new vocalists who are very talented, but, at the same time, some of the lyricism is just awful and you can see right through the rainbow of flavor Skittles outfits, as Dante Ross put it. But at the end of the day, I'd rather listen to the Beastie Boys, De La Soul, or Public Enemy.
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