A Chat with ELMNT (21.12.2020)
ELMNT, the Fitness and L.O.T came together in the most organic way to create Adultes, an album full of hip-hop and soulful vibes. The reflective feelings inspired by the music will have you vibing to the tracks. We sat down with ELMNT to talk about the album, challenges, pack animals and much more!
OSR: How did you meet and decide to make music together?
ELMNT: We met at Ausgang, a venue in Montreal. Myself and the rest of my FREE.99 collective were neighbours with the Fitness at the time, L.O.T just so happened to be at a session of ours one day through our friend and fellow producer Truwayz.
Initially, it started as a big session, and Fitness went next door to work on some beats while Bedandclouds, L.O.T and myself were finishing off a single for our label. Next thing we know, we’re in the other studio completing our first single off what was to become a whole project.
OSR: Your music draws on hip-sop, RnB and soul, was this sound a conscious decision or did it evolve over time?
ELMNT: It definitely stems in those genres from time. Everyone brought their own inspirations to the table and we captured a sonic display of nostalgic hip-hop and RnB that reminded us of our adolescence.
OSR: Is there a backstory or theme to your album Adultes?
ELMNT: It’s kind of a reflective record, viewed from the perspective of us now reminiscing on what it was like back then when we were in high school. The first love’s, heartbreak, friendship, just issues we felt were the cornerstone to us when we were younger.
OSR: What was your creative process for the album? Did you start with a concept or a single track?
ELMNT: I believe the first track we made that night we all connected was ‘Be The Reason’. Once we had the beat more or less locked in, L.O.T and I worked back and forth on the lyrics and the top line, building on each other’s ideas and finishing each other’s words (laughs). We’ve worked a lot like that.
OSR: What is the one thing you would like people to remember about this album?
ELMNT: How it made them feel. It’s not my most lyrical project, I personally dig it because of it’s authentic feeling.
OSR: Is there a track that you found easier or harder to create than the others?
ELMNT: The last track on the project, ‘Funny How It Changes’ was the easiest. I was in the perfect vibe, The Fitness pressed record, I freestyled and the rest is history.
OSR: If you were pack animals, what would you be and why?
ELMNT: Wolves! Probably because of their loyalty to the pack and ability to keep their strength when alone.
OSR: Having released solo work before, how different was it working with others?
ELMNT: It’s always different, the workflow changes, people have to be more aware of other peoples inputs/outputs, these variables will always make the track sound a certain kind of way than you making music on your own could make.
OSR: What is the biggest challenge you faced when creating this album?
ELMNT: I’d say the marketing, because it’s not natively easy to learn, you constantly have something you got to tap into, to keep your audience engaged.
OSR: What else can we expect from you in the next 12 months?
ELMNT: I bunch more singles, features, hopefully, an EP or two, who knows, maybe a whole project even. Dependent if the world social climate allows, a tour.
Thanks to ELMNT for chatting with us! You can find more about him on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
