Four New Beats
#Slanguages has collaborated with Rozart from Handsworth, Birmingham to produce four new musical compositions. Rozart was inspired by our Slanguages projects, having attended the ‘Sounds Like Harlesden’ film screening and discussion at The Yellow community space in Wembley Park on 6 March 2020. His four new beats are crafted in the spirit of #Slanguages, particularly through his creative use of the languages of popular music and digital technology to interpret multilingual and multicultural identities. What is produced are layered sounds and beats that communicate with each other in a number of ways. Rozart also believes in supporting fellow artists and on one of the tracks he has collaborated with Syed Naqvi from London.
Beat 1: Bol (Speak)
In my younger years my main musical influences were bhangra and grime and in my adolescent years trap music became the main music I listened to. The concept of Slanguages is an inspiring one and I really like the idea of different languages and their associated identities coming together, creatively, to form something new. In that spirit, this track has a generic bhangra feel to it, combined with trap drums to add my own signature and it celebrates the togetherness of two or more cultures.
Beat 2: Magic
For this piece I decided to challenge myself, I tried to combine three different cultures together: Caribbean, Latino and British Afrobeats. The main melody draws inspiration from the Caribbean with the marimba sound, the British Afro-swing influence comes in with the drum sounds and the 808 bass, and then I mix in the Latino vibe with the way the snare drums and other percussive instruments add to the tradition of the reggaeton drum bounce.
Beat 3: Dil (Heart)
I collaborated on this track with Syed Naqvi. As hip-hop producers we understand that inspiration and influence is a major factor in our art form so we decided to include our eastern identities and cultures whilst staying true to the idea of a journey that hip-hop music can take you on. Here, this was achieved by the use of eastern sounds through the use of the flute and in conversation with the accompanying beats. The track is upbeat and in the key of A minor and evokes a transcendental sonic feeling.
Beat 4: Slanguages Summer Swing 2020
In producing this composition I wanted to combine elements of quite a few different cultures. I experimented with multiple drum sounds such as the tabla which derives from South Asian cultures, sounds such as the hi hat, rim and clicks which are part of American trap music, combined with the kick and snare pattern which adds to the reggaeton vibe. The bass and bell melody are sounds which are commonly used within genres such as dancehall and American rap. While attempting to bring into conversation more than a few cultures together, not least during a summer in lockdown due to Covid-19, I have attempted to create a cosmopolitan summer sound that hopefully brings people together to reflect and relate with one another.
Album cover by L E Ludtke (2020), from a photo courtesy of Sarah Doffman (Unsplash).
About the artists
Born on the eve of the millennium, Rozart (@rozart_producer on Instagram) was raised in Handsworth, Birmingham. He listened to early Bollywood and bhangra on the radio as well as noughties hip hop and RnB.
During his adolescent years, Rozart went on to discover more 2010s hip hop, UK drill and trap music. Rozart cites artists such as Jay Sean, Juggy D and Dr Zeus as his earlier influences, and then producers including !llmind, Carns Hill and Boi1da later on in life. With all these influences combined, Rozart aims to pay homage to all of them through his music.
Rozart is currently studying his Music Production degree at the University of Westminster and takes inspiration from the work of Steel Banglez and Mist, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, as well as 21 Savage and Metro Boomin.
Collaborator on ‘Dil (Heart)’ – Syed Naqvi (@therealnaqvi on Instagram)