Soca Chronicles
Monthly Soca Podcast - Hosts Arkayo and Sharnz explore the people, history, and unforgettable moments behind Soca music and the Carnival experience – from legendary artists and DJ's to personal stories from the road.
Soca Chronicles
Closing off 2024 with Mad Skull
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This last episode of 2024 features an engaging conversation with Mad Skull as he delves into his journey in Soca and the inspiration behind his hit "Sound check." With discussions about the song of the month and insights into the collaboration within the Soca scene, listeners are invited to celebrate the festive season through the vibrant lens of Soca music.
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Soca Chronicles Podcast Episode Summary
Speaker 1Welcome to the Soca Chronicles. Soca Chronicles with Sharns and RKO.
Speaker 2Welcome to the 40th episode of Soca Chronicles, the podcast that brings you everything Soca. I'm RKO and I'm digitally sitting next to the one and only Sharns.
Speaker 3Yo ho ho ho, yo ho ho ho, yo ho ho ho.
Speaker 2It is indeed Christmas season, oh yes, and you've been waiting to drop this yo, yo yo, for I swear about two months, three months, oh yeah.
Speaker 3One hundred one hundred.
Speaker 2Any plans for the Christmas season? Listen to some Perang.
Speaker 3I did not plan to listen to any Perang. In all honesty, this was the episode.
Speaker 2I'm gonna quit it now. Thank you very much. Come on, man.
Speaker 3Don't do this to me, man. Exactly. Nah, bro, just spent time with family. Got a few DJ gigs Between now and the new year.
Speaker 2Nice.
Speaker 3And yeah, that's it really man.
Speaker 2Fair enough, that's it.
Speaker 3What about you?
Speaker 2Well, I'm gonna Spend most of my time Listening to all these new mixtapes that are dropping. Oh sugar, yes, it is a festive season Because Everybody and their mother Are dropping Like early 2025 seasonal mixes, and I'm loving all of them. There's a lot of new music coming out. Every mix has some new hits in them, so, yeah, I'm living my best life at the moment.
Speaker 3Yeah, no, 100%. My only issue is that a lot of them they don't have a track list. It's true and it's like, oh, I need a track list, yep, because I want to drop my.
Speaker 2They don't have a track list it's true and it's like oh, I need a track list yep, because exactly, shazam is still not up to the standard of soca. So now it's a lot of searching, luckily. What?
Speaker 3I always do is I just look for like the, the, the chorus, like line with oh yeah, that, that. That works a lot of the time, but not all the time. Sometimes it's just like, yeah, it's not happening I did last word like a song.
Speaker 2Uh, it goes like testing, testing and I found out it was actually called soundcheck, and with that, I think it's good to also say that we have an interview this episode oh, with none other than the artist of that song, mad skull. I'm in the ghetto. No, we had an amazing interview with that guy. Um, nice guy. Um, yeah, that song, man soundcheck.
Speaker 3Oh, what a banger massive, yeah, massive, massive song, massive song. But the interview is kind of long ish so I think we should just get right into it, okay, yeah I hear it.
Speaker 2I hear it. We'll wait with the happy christmas and a merry new year, or whatever way you want to put it. Uh, for after the interview, then right yeah, buddy but before we go into that interview, I do want to just do the song of the month, if that's okay with you yes, sir because this song of the list I've told you already so much good music dropping and I think this one is one of my favorite but also your favorite at the moment oh, this song has so many people in a chokehold right now.
Speaker 3Oh my lord 100 I.
Speaker 2I actually played it to my daughter, to everybody in the house, to be honest like, look, this song is so awesome. I'm a total fanboy about the song, so let's uh, let's, get into it so what is the song of the month RKO.
Speaker 3You've not even mentioned what it is.
Speaker 2I'm already saying it in my head, no need to introduce it. The song of the month of December 2024 is Young Breda with the Greatest Bandover.
Speaker 3Massive tune. Let's listen to it, RKO. I'm eager to hear it.
Speaker 1This is the song of the month what are you doing?
Speaker 4she said. She said, she said, let me get out of you. I say get out of me. She said just relax and let me get it in. Let me give you the theme. No, no, no. She said take it easy, I will do the work. You don't have to Wind up yourself. You don't have to Wind up yourself. Oh, she said take it easy, I will do the work, you don't have to Wind up yourself. You don't have to Wind up yourself. Oh, and if she bubble and she bubble and she bubble and whine, pushpan is the greatest man o' Pushpan. Roll your waist and bend over Pushpan.
Speaker 4Oh, miss Lady, bubble and she bubble and she bubble and whine Pushpan. Give me the greatest man o' Pushpan. You a di making this man o' Pushpan Whine. I wanna whine on your bumper. I know you like steam, I know you like vibes, I know you like speed. Club work. Yall bend down, touch your knee Is a new wallpaper for my iPhone screen. She said let me cater to you. I said cater to me. She said just relax and let me give you the ting. Yes, girl, I wanna give you the ting. She said take it easy, I will do the work. You don't have to, you don't have to wind up yourself. She said, take it easy, I will do the work, you don't have to wind up yourself. And then she bubble, and she bubble, and she bubble and wind. Push back is the greatest man. Oh, push back. Roll your ears and bend. Oh, push back.
Speaker 2That was the song of the month, the last song of the month of this year.
Speaker 3Oh damn.
Speaker 2Yeah, because time is flying. As you said, we have a very long interview interview, so let's go into the last interview of this year damn, let's do it. Soca chronicles we are back with the last interview of this year, and it's not just any interview or any artists that's joining us this month. We have Matt's call in the building welcome.
Speaker 4Sharns is also the building.
Speaker 3Welcome, welcome.
Speaker 4You are starting off with.
Speaker 2The biggest hit you've already out there. Everybody knows you from that song, this year at least, but you've been in the scene for a long, long time already before that.
Speaker 6How did you get into the? Scene so back then, back in primary school, secondary school, you know me and Wetty grew up together. There we go, us and everything.
Speaker 2I had questions on this, but yeah, there we go.
Speaker 6Wetty used to do. They have what do you call her again? Junior, junior, soka, monarch and stuff. He used to go into that and I I used to watch him go brave, and you know what. He was an entertainer from a child.
Speaker 6So this is new to him, but I used to tell myself I could do that too. So that is where I get the inspiration from, and it also comes from loving Soka music as well. Since I was smaller, I always loved soca music, so that that's how it come about see you, you've answered a lot of my questions already, because I was gonna ask.
Speaker 2I see a lot of songs. Even all that you have are co-produced or produced by wetty beats yeah, but that explains it all yeah, yeah it's.
Speaker 6It's just this family we have together. You know it's just good and he understand. If I tell him something, he can understand where I'll be coming from or with the ice or something like that. So yeah, that's it. Yeah, that helps a lot, but that don't mean I'm not looking to work with different pigeons out there, yeah, with different producers.
Speaker 2See, that will be my next question. Stop answering them before that. No, no, no, no, it's perfect, he's doing my job.
Speaker 3No, I get that but it's always nice to have like when there's like a producer that you work with regularly it's like they know your style so they can kind of tailor the beats or whatever to you yeah, exactly I've seen that with other artists and producers etc. So that that's a nice thing, but obviously you know any producers listening out here exactly yeah, matt's goal is is he's ready to work?
Speaker 6yeah, I'm ready to work. I'm I just I need beats I need a feed of beats coming into me. A feed of beats coming in to me. If I get a feed of beats coming in, then ideas will keep flowing, because I always have ideas. I always have ideas for songs, you know. So I just need that beat you understand.
Speaker 3Yes, okay.
Speaker 2Exactly All right?
Speaker 3Well, I'll see what I can do, because you know I'm connected in certain places day she hustling literally. But to be fair, you might end up in barbados because that's where most of my connections are. Yeah, well, that's good, there we go, end up on a bashment soca track or something like that. But yeah, do you know what I'm gonna get to work? Um, and yeah, because I got a lot of juice.
Speaker 6I look empowered. I'll be looking out for some message or something coming.
Speaker 3Yeah, man yeah, all right, I'll try, though don't don't like this. Yeah, I hear it and I just realized what I did there. But disclaimer, i'ma try because obviously if you record your song on that beat and it's trash, I can't help you.
Speaker 2I can't it's gonna be trash and that's totally calm and then, if it is a hit, I do expect some sort of circle chronicles drop on that track you know, oh, 100 percent, yeah, yeah, 100 percent. Can't wait for that To happen. Man, that's amazing. So I'm a Chronicles.
Speaker 3Are you not me?
Speaker 1That's all I hear Straight up.
Speaker 2And now I expect nothing less. I got y'all man.
Speaker 6I got y'all.
Speaker 2That's epic.
Speaker 3Thank you.
Speaker 2So we have a top three from your songs and there's a lot of discussions. I want to have no discussions. There's a lot of things that I want to discuss on those top three because, um, I knew you from soundcheck.
Speaker 2I didn't know a lot of songs from you before until I started to do my research and starting to listen to some songs and that's some bangers like you've been dropping since years that I feel like weren't really picked up like yeah, but you know, that's why we're here, that's why we're going to listen to some of them and hopefully people will find out about your music and you have a few more listeners in your uh, you know your team, yeah so charlie, do you want to get started with number three?
Speaker 3I shall, sharla. Do you want to get started with number three? I shall, okie dokie. So these are not based on popularity or anything like that. It's literally just our favorite three. So at number three we have a song called Good Morning. So talk to us about that song. How did that song come about? What sort of inspiration did you get when you made it, etc.
Speaker 6Etc so good morning come about there. You see it all mostly all my songs, not no. So all the latest songs came about when I'm driving for some reason.
Speaker 6Okay always have that inspiration when I'm I'm driving, you know yeah it was an early morning, I was driving going to work and I was listening to pata ranking. Have a song, um and a bulio, a blue or some, some, some, some, some song I forgot what the name of it, but you know, from from africa, from Africa, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, nice. So I was listening to his song and then I think, when I was, I look for the instrumental because I like the beat he sings, and then I start playing the beat and then it was morning time, so I just keep going. I even have a video on Instagram with that same morning.
Speaker 3Oh, nice yeah.
Speaker 6That's how Good Morning comes about, and I just linked my producer, power. That's his power music. He's from Grenada, but I think he lives in America. So, I linked him and then we done the song together.
Speaker 2That's how Good Morning come about. So it's not a Weddy Beats production. No, no, no, it's a Weddy Beats production. Exactly, there are others. No, I liked it and like it has a groovy type of style to it, like it's really nice to listen to when you're just waking up in the morning.
Speaker 6And another idea. So this is basically so songs that I wrote it come from different ideas. So I was thinking, okay, kes could say hello, okay, yeah, you know hello. And people could say different, like hello, bye, you know. So I just say, okay, well, if you're walking down the road, we're going to tell somebody in the morning. Good morning, you know. Back in the Caribbean. Yeah, of course.
Speaker 3Yeah because in the UK that's what happens. Not really, not that much, but that's another part we come about.
Speaker 2Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice. Should we have a listen to this one I?
Speaker 3think we should.
Speaker 2The suspense is killing us all, all right let's go Wake up All you know me Wake up Good morning, good morning my people, my people, good morning, good morning my people, my people, my people Go away.
Speaker 1All the bad mind people go away. All the negative people go away. Now, all the bad mind people go away. All the negative people go away. Now is morning. Go say a prayer and let me jump up today. Go away. All the bad mind people go away. All the negative people go away. Now is morning. Go say a prayer and let me jump up. Today I woke up feeling so happy. Nobody can spoil my joy. I drink a cup of whiskey and I start to jump up for joy. All right, you didn't make it to you in the afterlife, but if you woke up, open your right hand. Good morning, good morning, my people, my people. Good morning, good morning my people, my people go away. All the bad night people go away. All the negative people go away. Now it's morning, go say a prayer and then we jump up today. Go away. All the bad night people go away. All the negative people go away.
Song Reviews and Recording Process
Speaker 2Now it's morning that was our number three from the top three of mad skull songs. Good morning banger 100. Moving on to number two, which I have very high in my ranking, but yeah, our number two I think you should introduce number two okay that's fine dying to introduce number one yeah yeah, that is absolutely fine. So on number two, we have band up from a 2022, I think it was, yeah, 22. Tell us tell us more about that song, because, again, it's a groovy, it's just a few roots.
Speaker 6It's a, it's a, it's, it's a, it's a power soaker. But is that more melodic?
Speaker 2yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 6But better when I've come about. Bro, how's been I've come about. I didn't say, I think I. I got this idea a long time, but I just stole my ideas in my phone, like when I get, when I, when I, when I got an idea, I'll just record it.
Speaker 6Or okay for wetty, or yeah yeah yeah david, send it to myself, because I have two phones, so I'll just send it to myself, so I could just keep the idea. Yeah, so, um, I had the idea, but this idea is more like you know, you, you went out and then you drink your drink, and then you don't know when you drink and you're drunk, you, you, you in the back seat, and then it has to have a double meaning yeah, you're better I'm giving you a meaning, you understand.
Speaker 6So when you go on, you're drinking, you're drunk and you you're in the back seat. You know, you, you kind of been up sleeping, oh yeah, yeah, it can't stay still, yeah. But if you listen to the song she in the back seat being up me and she in the back seat, which you know been up, you know, yeah, big people think, big people think yeah, yeah. So that's that's how that come about. But, um, I to Holland and record this one with Westy. Oh, you recorded it in Holland Aye.
Speaker 3RKO, you recorded it in your country you mean the Netherlands, holland, oh, so Holland. Yeah, in the Netherlands.
Speaker 6Yeah, netherlands, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3Yeah, that's where he lives. Yeah, I'm from there.
Speaker 6Okay, okay, I didn't know that. Because, I be over there a lot, though, really. Yeah, I just go over there and do some recording. I just use SD Productions, which is in London here, and then, yeah, you know.
Speaker 3SD Production innit yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I do ST beats Because. I do not do too, much studios to go and record.
Speaker 3Okay.
Speaker 6That's how that came about. Still the Bend Up song.
Speaker 2Nice. See, it's always something new, you learn.
Speaker 3There we go, there we go.
Speaker 2But we haven't listened to the song yet.
Speaker 3We haven't. All right, let's have a listen.
Speaker 1All right, let's go bend up mad school You're getting it, you're getting it Isn't even the feeling catch me, You're getting it. You're getting it. What it's. One set up, burn up, burn up. I in the box, it end up, burn up, burn up. We drink until we fed up. Burn up, burn up she in the box, it end up Between me and you. What it is.
Speaker 1You think that half we there? Eh eh, what an appitite. And a sticky, sticky I what it is. You think that have we there? Eh, eh, what an apity. Ah, sicky, sicky. Eh eh, I wasn't ready. I have no more energy. Eh, eh, what an apity. Dong in chi belly. Eh, eh, I wasn't ready. Ya know what you Tek, tek, tek, tek, tek, tek, tek tek.
Speaker 1We yo get. Because the rum no trouble yo, the rum no trouble. Yo Tek, tek, tek, tek, tek, tek, tek tek. We yo get. Because the rum not trouble you the road, not trouble you Anybody feeling catch way, you're getting it, you're getting it. Is anybody feeling catch way, you're getting it, you're getting it. It's what it is. Burn up, burn up. I in the backseat, burn up, burn up, burn up. We drink until we fed up. Burn up, burn up shit in the backseat up better, better. We drink until we fed up better, better. She in the backseat and up between me and you. What it is you think that have we there? What an appetite and a sticky sticky. I wasn't ready, I have no more energy. What an appetite down in she belly I wasn't ready.
Speaker 2Be ready again. That was our number two, band Up by Mads Kohl Sharns. Please have the honors. I'm so excited.
Speaker 3At number one. At number one, we have Soundcheck Featuring Wetty Beats. Testing testing, Testing, testing testing, testing.
Speaker 6Are they hearing me from the front? Are they hearing me from the back?
Speaker 2That is such a big tune.
Speaker 3If you can hear me get on, if you can hear me get on, but testing, testing, sorry, yeah, I love you, I love you, I love you, carry on. Yeah, exactly, if you want to do the whole song.
Speaker 1We can ask for a performance you know, but love you, I love you.
Speaker 5Carry on, yeah, exactly, If you want to do the whole song, we can ask for a performance. You know, but you know if you want to do it, that's fine.
Speaker 3Listen what you don't understand about me yet is I get carried away with things, so it's better for me to stop now because, yeah, let me not, let me stop now, but yeah, that tune. That is the song that opened my eyes to you. That is the song that opened my eyes to you. That is the song in a good way obviously in a good way.
Speaker 4Come on, if it wasn't in a good way, do you think you'd be?
Speaker 3here, right now you wouldn't come on now, I'm playing. I'm playing. That's rude but that after that song and then I obviously went to search you on Instagram then realised we're already friends on Instagram. So then realized oh damn, I actually knew you way before that song, but never knew that you did music. Imagine that.
Speaker 6Yeah, a lot of people, a lot of people on the circus scene, like even some of Nitro and these other, like Tate and what this guy from what is um dj? From solution him, um, um, is he?
Speaker 3based in saint lucia.
Speaker 6No, no, no he basically in the uk he's lightning dj no, shy boy when I went to um soak a karaoke. He does work alongside with um lj karaoke.
Speaker 2He does work alongside with um lj a lucian. Are you sure he's lucian?
Speaker 6I don't know, I don't know, I just suddenly put this thing out, sorry. He's the dj for um triple m, triple m. How can I forget triple m?
Speaker 2yeah, but anyways, he's trinity no, but it makes sense because he's Motto's DJ.
Speaker 6So that's the link I just suggest oh, you may be Trini, but I mean sorry, my bad, I didn't know.
Speaker 3You understand that's fine, we all make mistakes, it's okay, but I spoke to him.
Speaker 6I spoke to so much DJ and you know one of my mates I still have a video on my phone One of my mate was telling triple him you need to listen to mike. You know he was hype, he was a bit drunk. What he said yeah, you're gonna be the next biggest thing because that's my mate. We know he know me music, what I have, because when I go, yeah, bring him along with me. So he's telling him well, I spoke to a lot of different djs and artists will know me. Djs and artists will know me. Artists know me from before because you know we all do music together. But DJs, you know those are the ones that I needed to get connected with. But I never sell myself when I came to the UK as an artist.
Speaker 6I just sold myself as a normal civilian 100%, because that's how I knew you.
Speaker 3You used to really trouble me in the parties.
Speaker 6Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was back then.
Speaker 3Always had something to say, yeah yeah, something smart to say You're lucky, I didn't fight you back then. Now, I'm playing. Then we're here now. Yeah, no, but we got on, that's the thing we got on back then because that's why we were friends on instagram. If not, I would have blocked you from a long time, but I always thought you were cool, but I just I didn't know who you were.
Speaker 6That's crazy yeah, yeah, I didn't know the true small world I just knew civilian you yeah, that's crazy I, I always wanted to to get on the uk, the uk soccer scene, because I'm saying to myself you know what, I live here. But, for example, like Vibes King, I'm saying Jab King again. Vibes King he does inspire me a lot. He's a person he go, go and he will be in all effect from all.
Speaker 6Yes, doing this exactly see, I want to promote myself in a UK and do stuff. I don't want to be too much like like always being there, being a being, the eyes, and I like I will be there, but I want to be missed. If people seeing you all the time, all the time, yeah, and then they'll get fed up, they will say yeah again, yeah, yeah, yeah, you understand. So yeah that's.
Speaker 6That's what I want to get on the UK scene on a level, because I'm living here. I'm from St Vincent and the Grenadines, that's where I represent, yes, but I live here, so I want to promote myself here and back here as well no, but on that point, before I ask you about soundcheck etc.
Speaker 3Just off that point there. So I get what you're saying. Like you don't want people to constantly see you everywhere to possibly get bored of you. But that is what you need to do. You need to be visible so that people get to know who you are. It's the same thing goes for a DJ. If you're a DJ and you want to get more bookings, you have to be everywhere. Whether you're booked or not, you have to be there. You have to network with the right people. Obviously, for you it's going to be all the DJs. Make sure the DJs have your music. And do you know what I mean? Just djs, make sure the djs have your music. And you know? I mean just get them to be playing your music and then, boom, people get to know you. So you have to be everywhere. Once everybody knows who you are, then you can kind of start to ease down and you don't need to be everywhere so much. But to begin with, that's just my advice yeah, be everywhere.
Speaker 6It's a good advice where you say you know you, you need to be there and connect it with the DJ and stuff like that. But you can't compare a DJ with an artist, because they have few songs, while a DJ only playing people's songs.
Speaker 6Me personally, I am learning. I think I told you that yesterday I want to learn more about because my brother is one of the big dj back in my country. Um, so I want to learn. These are stuff that I'm interested in and I think I can do it. I want to learn how to dj and I want to. I think I could mc and could come naturally. Yeah, I want to learn how to dj. Yeah, yeah, that's one of the thing, and you know, doing music. Music is always my my first love, you know.
Speaker 2So, yeah, yeah, maybe maybe on on that point as well, because, sharon's, I do agree with you to some extent. But then again, you know, one soundcheck song comes along and people will be asking, you know, for you to come play, instead of you asking if you could play like it all. Like for an artist, it takes one song that breaks through and then you don't have to ask anymore. But for a dj, you know, either you are famous or you have to. You have to build that really like you don't have something your own, except for your skills that you can, you know, be known of.
Speaker 3If that makes sense, yeah, just go yeah no, I get that but if you're trying to make it in a certain place where people don't know you for example, black boy, black boy. You see black boy everywhere, so everybody knows who he is. Do you see what I'm saying? But I'm not saying you need to do that forever.
Speaker 6I don't want everybody to know no, no.
Speaker 1No, no, no. But Shurence, shurence, I want to be out, shurence, I want to be out. What was his biggest song?
Speaker 2this year, sorry. What was Black Boy's biggest song this year, this year? Exactly, wait, wait, wait, no, exactly, exactly, you don't know. No, no, no, wait pause.
Speaker 3Pause song that I play the most from this year is boom flick with jaguar. That song slaps, true, but yeah, I'm not gonna lie to you. This year black boy's not really been about as much as he used to be musically or present as in present in fets. I've not seen black boy in a while, but I used to see him regularly but, that's what I'm saying. So once you've done it and everybody knows who you are, or you've got your music out there enough exactly then you can kind of ease back.
Speaker 3That's what I'm saying, but obviously I get what you're saying as well. But that's just my opinion, yeah yeah, I will be more I will be.
Speaker 6I will be more on the scene, please. But I will be more on the scene, please, but I will be more on a performing Like I'll come out and perform. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but that's what I mean. That's what I mean.
Speaker 3Because I've not seen you since, probably like 2018. Yeah, I've not seen you and I used to see you in parties all the time, but obviously you were just there, because I just take I just life, just take a different turn.
Speaker 6I hear it To me. I just think sometimes If the party too crowded and you can't get space, I just don't like these kind of stuff anymore. That's why I go VIP and if the VIP too full up, it's just the space. Sometimes I get it 2025.
Speaker 3Not even 2025, starting from this year, because there are a couple of parties Between now and the end of the year and you need to be there.
Speaker 6Because, obviously.
Speaker 3Soundcheck Is starting to get Real rotation in the UK, so you need to capitalise off that, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 2Exactly, I think most important Perform your songs, that you have Record new songs. I think that's as an artist. That's.
Speaker 6New songs always on the way, man.
Speaker 2New songs are there we go. That's what I like to hear.
Speaker 6New songs always on the way. Definitely that's one thing I never out that Ideas.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3Good songs, you know that's it also when you're out. Of course, everybody Well, not everybody, but people are getting to know Soundcheck Perform other songs as well. I was thinking that, so they can get to know that.
Speaker 6Because when I did Soca Karaoke, you know, triple M asked me If I wanted to oh yeah, you were there, but I wasn't there.
Speaker 3Okay, yeah, sorry so.
Speaker 6He asked me if I wanted to Perform the other songs, but I just wanted to perform the song that when people know the greater way, the best way To perform All my other tracks which I think that I can sell it In a better way. I love performing with a band. If I had a band.
Speaker 4Trust me.
Speaker 6I could sell a song with a band. Yeah, but I will do it. I will. I will try to push the other songs, like the songs on them that I had before, and try push them now. Still, I will do it and just regardless if the crowd in gian while.
Speaker 3But listen yeah, pick, pick two. Don't have to perform, bury them, just pick two and then sound check. That's three songs you're performing. Yeah, so maybe start with sound check and then we go into your other two that aren't very known and then end on sound check boom performance done. You don't even need to perform for more than six minutes Done.
Speaker 2Also, if you need a manager, Sjarn is ready for you.
Speaker 3Thank you, thank you.
Creating "Soundcheck"
Speaker 2Come on. But maybe on that topic, because this is actually a question I did have Seeing the songs that you made in the past, because we're going full back to the music now, by the way, yes, so past, because we're going full back to the music now, by the way. So, yes, um. So, seeing the songs you've done, they're all their power, they're upbeat, but they're still um no, okay exactly there's, there's something.
Speaker 6I got what you're saying.
Speaker 2I get what you're saying, that's right the style that I got from the songs that I've listened to. They are more to the rhythm and groovy parts. Then, compared like comparing to soundcheck, it's like a new, a new mascot. I've seen, like you know, the energy you you bring to to soundcheck is is triple the size normally than what I've seen in like bend up or, uh, good morning, like you're really. You know you're going for it. Is that a new?
Speaker 6something you've done is not so. You see, I personally think that the reason why it's different is because song check wasn't recorded by wetty, because what he does record, like you just want to take your time and just recall the song. But yeah, put some back vocals and things yeah heavy, but song chat, no, I just I recorded by sd, sd um studio, so yeah, I just go in and start to hammer it. Just give it the height, I just hammer it, and that's why it's so high. What?
Speaker 6yeah, I think it's a different difference in the um the producer you know that's excellent point.
Speaker 2I love that because you can also see that from from Wetty.
Speaker 6Wetty has a style and this is a bit different because of that Just calm yourself and just sing the song, and then you're just filling in with back vocals.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, I love that, I love that. Yeah, that is cool.
Speaker 6That's why it's like that. But before, like, I had a song called Family and All you Know Me. That is how I started, like how testing recorded. That's how I've done the first set of music, the first set of songs, power songs. Then that's how I've done it.
Speaker 2Right right, right right.
Speaker 6I put it back to me original way of singing.
Speaker 2Exactly Nice. Well, it's paying off.
Speaker 3Definitely where you're um singing exactly nice. Well, it's paying off.
Speaker 6Definitely, definitely, and on that, note before we forget, tell us more about soundcheck, please, so soundcheck come about. Same driving so others, others um. You know lorries, you know what is a?
Speaker 3lorry, yeah, do I know what is a?
Speaker 6lorry, yeah, I know because okay, truck, let me say truck, just yeah, for for the americans yeah, yeah for the listening listening people like me, insurance.
Speaker 6I don't know what a lorry is come on man, it just had a night and for some reason and Songcheck didn't what he had this beat we sent to me. When he know Billy, he sent it to me and just tell me, write something for him. So I had the beat for a while, like maybe a couple of days. But when I get a beat and I love the beat, what I do is just play it, like when I drive in trucks, I just play and they could be running for two, three hours. Okay, I get the idea. Yeah, but this idea come, I saying because, okay, I'm, I'm in the british army and I'm leaving the british army. So I wanted, and I was going back into doing soccer on a full time, or I don't want to do it part-time, but but I was going back home to my country, which I haven't done carnival in like eight years, oh, wow. So in my mind I was saying, regardless, when I go home, people still show me love, people still treat me like I'm the same Matt's called when I go.
Speaker 6Yeah. So I was telling myself I need a song so people can hear me. You know, I want people to hear me to get the response, just to let them know that Maskell is back.
Speaker 6Yeah, so, and I don't know how this testing I don't know where I got the idea from, but it just come in one night driving truck and I keep saying me, when I write in, if I get one word, I will repeat that word over and over and over and over and over again, and then everything else will fill in, like I'll keep saying testing, testing, testing, testing. Oh, I think I was listening to this. Anyways, forget that. But I keep repeating testing.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 6Then all the KM in front front, all the KM in front back, and you know I almost forget this, like I was going for my phone to record it. Because when I said it and it sound wicked when I go in for my phone because I hustled to get my phone to go and record it. Because when I said it, and it sounds wicked when I go in for my phone because I hustle to get my phone to go and record it now I was trying to remember exactly what I was saying, but actually because sometimes the idea could come and then it's just gone.
Speaker 6You just yeah the way it just said yeah, yeah, that's, that's how that come about. And then I just keep so, testing, testing the whole hook. I kind of do the hook voice on a different beat and then I send it for wetty. But I send it for wetty, I normally send the voice note with his song playing would be playing in the background. And then what he say yeah, he didn't like it but I never. I never wrote any verses on it. Um, I recorded, I went to sd and funny thing is I never named the song song check, you know.
Speaker 6Oh I never named it, song check, because it's testing, testing yeah it's mic check, I just went on mic check. Yeah, I recorded a song. Esty recorded a song and then Esty just named it song check. I never.
Speaker 2See the side of this, is it now?
Speaker 6Just named it song check. Yeah, big up to Esty, Same way. Yeah, he just named it, song check. Which is it come up? Testing? Testing would have been more easier to find, but song check, it's still shot. It's still shot. Exactly but that's just how it come about. So the verses, the verses then. So I start writing the verses and then you say I said to myself you know what? I don't have a strong hook, I don't want to put too much stuff in it and then water it down.
Speaker 6Of course yeah, I'm not a mate. We all grew up together. I'm a bit older than him. He's a bit young, but he lives in Canada. A senator in my name is Maxwell, but I think everybody's friend is his social media name. He does the comedian stuff and stuff like that. Okay, okay, but I senator him and tell him do the voices. And then he, just, he, just I say listen to my song. Um, all you know me like, listen to my songs, what I used to do back, then yeah to them and then you will get the back, them voices and it's shot yes trust me, it's good 100.
Speaker 6One thing I realized when you go to a party, if you ask anybody how divorce is, them go. People don't know divorce people. All people know testing.
Speaker 4This is true, you know what? What it's?
Speaker 2so true, even all these hits from any big Soca hit. You hear the verse everybody knows, or the chorus, everybody knows. But then there are songs that I don't know. The second verse of it has two or three verses. Djs play the first first, move on to the next one. You know, yeah, yeah. And at some point I'm on my spotify, whatever, or my youtube. I have this song and I'm like oh, wait, there's more.
Speaker 6And that happens so much, so much you know it's such a waste of writing. Yeah, that's why sometimes it's it's put your your strongest verse after yeah, the beginning yeah, a hundred percent, a hundred percent. And then, whatever happens after, happens after.
Speaker 2Yeah, to make a complete song, but at least your part for the mix is there, you know, definitely, definitely, yeah, go on.
Speaker 6Testing. Testing was built on a different beat and then, after I sent it to Wetty, the time that I sent it to wetty, because if you look on my instagram, again.
Speaker 6I have a clip with a different beat playing okay since last day I was telling, I was saying that on instagram I said this song is going to mash up the whole saint vincent and the grenadines, uh, and the whole caribbean. But what he, what, what he done is he? He sell the beat to somebody else, which I think different big art is gonna be on it, because I wanted to release it this year and the people and them was taking too long to release it. What you just we're gonna do, we're just do over a whole different beat and on the computer. Well, we was on the phone, I was listening. Yeah, I keep telling him it has something. I was saying that you have an instrument in it. I said, boy, that instrument, they have a demon in that instrument.
Speaker 6Yeah, yeah kind of giving you this kind of vibes. Yeah, but that instrument they have a demon in it. Boy, and I say yeah, and it's all. He built a different beat and, trust me, I love it, I love it.
Speaker 3Yeah, it works, it works, it works it works gone yeah, that song is gone boy yeah
Speaker 2you can still. You can see all the skill that's involved in this right, because you said somebody wrote the verses, somebody made a whole new beat on it, you just came up with the rhythm while working basically like the hooks. Yeah, it's like so many things happen from start to finish I didn't really want it.
Speaker 6Sometimes it's, it's good to I know people want to. If it feels a good writer, yeah. But sometimes I think I just overthink writing. Sometimes, yeah, I to me personally, I think I go that right like hooks okay but with, with creating a good hook line, you know, for the chorus yeah, yeah but getting the verse.
Speaker 6I might kind of overthink the verse or I might being repetitive is good sometimes in a song because you find pretty big songs, kind of be exactly. But I would advise anybody don't think somebody is writing, just send it to somebody that's writing on here don't overthink it.
Speaker 2There's good advice in general. Yeah, trust me and a simple song.
Speaker 3Those are normally the ones that blow because it's like people can remember it and then it's like very catchy and just in their head like I think obviously bungee is an absolute great artist, but I feel like his verses a lot are just a bit too complicated, like it's too. It's too much and that's.
Speaker 6That's the same. That's me, and Wetty was having this conversation. Yeah, because Wetty is hilarious. Wetty will put a lot of work that they made.
Speaker 4You're saying too much things yeah exactly yeah, the proof is all in the fish.
Speaker 2Do you miss me? Yeah, I'm sitting on my toilet drinking drinking whiskey yeah, exactly, I get like as a ex-producer, I get so annoyed when I listen to that song because at some point there's like a blank, like there's just a beat. It doesn't even make up words anymore in that song. It's just empty. I'm like you just gave up there, but still it's such a big hit at the moment it's a banger.
Speaker 3It's a banger. It's a banger, it is.
Speaker 6And there are a lot of great songs out there that don't get pushed. So yeah, this is how a song could become a hit. You could sing the world song out and one popular person Start facts rings in that song Yep, everybody else, or if you're in a party and he did the city crowd game bad, because the DJ is going to hype up the song.
Speaker 6Yes, yes, he's like this, so he's gonna hype it up. And then the crowd when what? As long as you hype it up, you're gonna get that energy from you. Of course I want that song play. And then somebody else gonna see that and somebody is gonna say, oh, so that's how that's really and that's how it, yeah, yeah, with everybody else, you know but there are a lot of good songs out there that really don't get played played 100.
Speaker 3That's the sad thing, man. Yeah, that is the same.
Speaker 6I think me personally. I think I was. I actually I was. I was made to do music, I believe, so I was made for this. What I'm doing now it's in me. Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah. Now it's in me, yeah, exactly yeah. I feel it's in me Because some people, they could be good, they could be great, and it's just a working for them.
Speaker 6But, for me. I think it's all to deal with my personality. You know the way I carry myself and stuff like that. Definitely it's just me Because I think. And it's not just me let me, let me just make it plays is also because you know II. I think he knew you know, yeah, so that's what I want to say. Nice, I think we should really have a listen to soundcheck now. Sorry, testing testing.
Speaker 2I mean not not soundcheck, we're gonna have a listen. Yeah, let's go our number one from the top three mad school songs, because this song 1, 2, 1, 2, Mic Check 1, 2.
Artist Influence and Social Media Strategy
Speaker 1Get on back, turn up back, Mic Check, Mic Check 1, 2, 1, 2 Back. Turn up back. Testing, testing, testing, testing. All the goodie on me from front, all the goodie on me from back. Testing, testing, testing, testing. All the goodie on me from front, All the goodie on me from back. Testing, testing, testing, testing. All the goodie on me from front, All the goodie on me from back. If you could hear me get on, If you could hear me get on back Testing, testing, testing. If you could hear me get on, If you could hear me get on back Testing, testing, testing, testing, Testing, testing.
Speaker 1I ain't coming to rampant skin. I want you move anything. I know why you stand up still testing one, two mushroom fed, that's nothing new. I want to see all them crew get them back like they lose and screw, shake, break, run, jump. All the gala them bend their back back, teeth shell flat. If you could hear me just mash up that. All the goody, hear me, all the goody, hear me, all the goodie, hear me, All the goodie, hear me, All the goodie, hear me, All the goodie, hear me. Testing, testing, testing, testing. All the goodie, hear me from front, All the goodie, hear me from back. Testing, testing, testing, testing All the goodie, hear me from front, All the goodie hear me from back. If you could hear me get on, If you could hear me get on back Testing, testing, testing, testing.
Speaker 2If you could hear me get on, if you're gonna let me get on by testing, testing, testing, testing. If you're gonna, let me get on, if you're gonna let me get on by testing, testing, testing. All right, we're moving on to our final question.
Speaker 3Sharon's your favorite yeah yeah, my favorite question, right. So if you were stuck in a studio or in a studio, it's a studio. I was gonna say the old question that got changed, that I didn't like. But anyway, if you could be stuck in a studio with any soaker artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why? And before you answer, when I say stuck in a studio, I mean that there's something happening outside and you're like locked in, the key broke off in the lock, there's a blizzard outside, you can't leave. There's World War Five going on. So if you step outside you're going to get shot and killed. You cannot leave the studio. Don't ask me for how long, I don't know, but you can't leave. I don't know, but you can't leave. So if you could be stuck in the studio, just one, why do people want to?
Speaker 6come with more than one it's just one.
Speaker 3Okay, just one, please. One who and why see, it's not an easy question. When you can only think of one, I could say Wetty, you understand.
Speaker 2But he doesn't count you can be in the studio with him anytime.
Speaker 3That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2Anybody from the Soca scene Could be, bungie could be, marcia Montano Could be, I don't know. Anyone dead or alive.
Speaker 3It could be blacks. It could be Marshall Montano, could be I don't know Anyone dead or alive. It could be Blacks. It could be anyone Dead or alive.
Speaker 2Old school, new school, you know.
Speaker 3Anyone.
Speaker 2Producers.
Speaker 3No, no, no, no, no, actually, no, it can be actually.
Speaker 2It can be producers just anyone from the Soca scene.
Speaker 6Yeah, you see, see, it depends on and how we take in this, because, um, I would say problem child, yeah, okay not a bad answer that one before.
Speaker 3Okay, talk to me why problem?
Speaker 6problem is a problem right now, right now I, I just kind of study. Probably, you see, I'll just study. So I build myself. When I, when I was building myself, when I was getting, you know, I used to look look at bungee marshall and skinny.
Speaker 6So I kind of built the way how I perform based on these free person you know different elements and things that I take from them and make me on the page writing the way I work, because skinny skinny is a person he will cut the beat, not not cut the beat while the beat playing in the back to the crowd and still catch back the beat. And hi, yeah, yeah I kind of learned that from him. Bungee are always doing a little freestyle and thing on stage.
Speaker 1And I do it.
Speaker 6so kimono and stuff like that, and Marshall, just as an entertainer, just as an entertainer in general, talking to the crowd, doing some. You know, there are certain things I see he done on a Donathan stage and it works for me as well, yeah yeah. And so now it's like problem child problem, challenge just this, this writer who I I just to just analyze, just study the way. Yeah, right, you know, because I want to get to that.
Speaker 2You know level, okay, I hear it that makes sense yeah, that's good ambition as well, because that man is everywhere and always, always, ever I'm, I'm impressed, I'm, I'm very impressed with you.
Speaker 6Know some of the songs and stuff well, you know he creates, so yeah definitely and study him. So that's, that's the personal I will.
Speaker 3Okay, can't remember that, and another thing Problem that guy just drops song after song after song. I cannot keep up. I even said to him like commented on Instagram one time I cannot keep up, yeah.
Speaker 2The man's like a shotgun, you know. He's not like a pistol shooting off, he's just, you know.
Speaker 3This is songs, just pat song. New song for you.
Speaker 2Pat, pat, pat, pat pat. 15 new songs. Here you go, have fun I'm just like yo making a hit.
Speaker 3Too many bangers I can't keep up. Yeah, I hear it, I hear it, but I love it, I love it, I love problem as well.
Speaker 6He's, yeah, he's epic because this yeah, I could just decide it. Okay, I could do, I'll just drop six songs for the year. Yo, that works, yeah. But if I get any more beat coming in and yeah, yeah, okay, well, release it then yeah, exactly, yeah yeah, which is decent definitely but people I'm from, sorry, I'm from st vincent and the grenadines based. Based in Union Island.
Speaker 6Union Island, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, I'm from Union, Nice, but still St Vincent and the Grenadines. But I live in Grenadines, you know. So big up to all my people and them in St Vincent. Yeah, mic check, testing, testing. I hope I'll go out and stream, stream all my old song because I think I put them up on all streaming platforms and then, okay, nice, yeah, um, yeah, big up all yourself and big up to the uk. I soon come out and the uk silk has seen a mashup.
Speaker 3Yeah, you're better you're better, you're better, you're better, you're better. How do we find you? Yeah, I was literally just going to say that while you're at it, tell them all your social handles, instagram, the X which formerly known as Twitter, wherever people can find you. Tell them, please.
Speaker 6Instagram is the mad, one, mad skull, which is T-H-E-m-a-d one, not o-n-e, just put one t-h-e-m-a-d.
Speaker 3The mad one.
Speaker 6That to make it easier, because I forgot I forgot that already mad one mad skull, and yeah, it's just instagram and tikt think TikTok is the mad one yeah the mad one. I don't really do. I used to love social media, but yeah that's a whole other story, because I I've social media. Social media is just, you know, it's work it's a living lie it's a living lie.
Speaker 6I used to try to Like. I used to see my friends and them and seeing different people doing certain things on social media and in my mind I'm thinking I want to do that too, but they're doing whatever they're doing and sometimes it's not even real and I fight for working hard and spending my money trying to keep up with them, which is, nah, it's not even real and I fight for working hard and spending my money trying to keep up with them which is dangerous but yeah, that's a whole different topic, but it's dangerous.
Speaker 3You're right, no, I hear you but as an artist, you need to be active on social media. You have to.
Speaker 6I do, but yeah, I'll get someone to do it, because sometimes I could be very someone to do it, because sometimes I can be very lazy to do it oh, can't we all?
Speaker 4I know I can be very lazy as well that's just normal big up to Soca Planet, big up to Soca Chronicles.
Speaker 6And thank you for having me today testing, testing, can you hear me? No, I appreciate it now.
Speaker 3I appreciate your time, yeah trust me thank you so much, and thank you for being prompt, even though I was a bit late I appreciate you putting me to shame but yeah we're gonna link up for sure. All right, awesome, we'll have a wonderful christmas yeah, and happy new year yeah, and have a prosperous new year yes
Speaker 2you too thank you very much, appreciate you. Thank you very much for the nice interview. Yes, all right, yeah, man, thank you bye bye peace this is Soca Chronicles that was our very last interview of this year with Madskull. What a guy. There is a lot of like future music coming from that guy and if you know a producer or if you are a producer, be sure to hit him up because he is looking for them.
Speaker 3Juicy beats oh yeah, and with that I think we Be sure to hit him up Because he is looking for them.
Speaker 2Juicy beats, oh yeah. And with that I think we should finalize this last episode of the year. I'm saying lost a lot this year. This year. I'm saying lost a lot this episode. That's what I'm trying to say but yeah, we hope you had a great Christmas and are going to have a happy new year.
Speaker 3Definitely. So, whatever you're doing, guys, be safe, enjoy and we shall be back in 2025.
Speaker 2Yep, with more interviews, more Song of the Months and maybe some other stuff that we come up with.
Speaker 3Maybe, maybe we'll even return with A return of the Soca Chronicles Fet. Who knows?
Speaker 4Tune in In 2025.
Speaker 3To find out more.
Speaker 2Then only one last thing to do, and that's to listen to our dear friend super nitro make sure you check out soca chronicles.
Speaker 5Tag a friend, tell a friend, share the podcast. Let people know that this exists because it's good for the culture, it's good for the vibe, it's good for the energy, it's educational, it's fun, it's funny, it's bantiful and it's good for you to just know a little bit about the people that's making your music and the people that you're involved with listening to, and with that, thank you for listening and we will see you next year.
Speaker 3See you next year. Bye-bye.
Speaker 2Bye, you've been listening to the Soka Chronicles.
