AAJ: At one point you almost lost your life. Was this while singing? What happened?

AK: I almost lost my life on the day job. I used to be a locomotive engineer several years ago. One night in 2001, my train and another train nearly collided. Besides during all I could do running as fast as hell and hoping the two trains wouldn't collide. I survived it though and after several back surgeries I am talking to you today. I was one scared ass that night. To this very day I don't do trains.

AAJ: How did an interest in woodworking and furniture building lead to your first discovery of electronic music? Woodworking and furniture building was something you did in the evenings, while you worked on the railroad during the day.

AK: One day in Dallas, Texas, around about the year 1992, while looking for a place of business that sold woodworking equipment, I stumbled across another place of business in the location of the shop I was looking for. The place of business turned out to be a company that sold pianos that were hooked up to the computer. Being fascinated by the personal computer, since its introduction to the public in the early 80s, and already being recognized for years among family and friends as being a pretty good singer, I was immediately drawn in to this new way, to me, of making music. And ever since that day I have been creating my music.

AAJ: You eventually sold off your woodworking equipment to raise money to buy your first electronic equipment. What was the first piece of electronic/musical equipment you bought?

AK: The first piece of equipment I bought was a mint condition Yamaha DX-7 that I wish I had today

AAJ: How long did it take you to master this equipment?

AK: Master, did you say Master...those are the kind of words I associate with Mr. Jones, Mr. Duke. No I am still learning and no way can I say I haven't mastered anything. This electronic and digital music thing is so revolutionize that I find it very difficult to say I have mastered something when there are so many versions to software. Hell, just about every year the major players in the digital music game come up with a new and improved version. Now, I will admit I am quite familiar with the technology and that is it. That is my final answer.

AAJ: It was almost a full 10 years before you started performing professionally. What was that first gig like?

AK: Actually there has not been a first gig. When I started the Un-Kid-i-fide Project. I honestly had no idea that the vibe would be so receptive. So thanks to my friends on the Net, we're beginning to look at things like distribution and touring much more aggressively.

AAJ: How long did it take you before you started experimenting with recording?

AK: In reality it was about the same time that I got into electronic music. See during those days there was only MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) and thinking I could sing, I had to have my voice recorded. And that's when I discovered some pretty cool little tape recording gadgets. My first recorder was a 4-tracker, then I went to an 8-tracker. And that's just about when the capability of recording directly to the hard drive came out. At that point, as far as I was concerned, the 8-tracker was obsolete.

AAJ: Do you work with live musicians now?

AK: Actually, I do. My next project will consist of several musicians from Memphis and around the world. How about that?

AAJ: Do you have your own in-house recording studio now?

AK: Of, course. Hell, it's been rumored everyone in Memphis has one.

AAJ: How do you describe your sound today?

AK: Un-Kid-ifide. Today, my music will be like a lot of modern day blues and rhythm artist. But there is always an attempt to bring substance to my music. As an artist I feel it is my responsibility to record the times. Go to any point in history and listen to its music and it will tell you what the culture was like and what life was about. You might say we record time. In real time.

AAJ: Where can we catch you performing?

AK: Right now we're not sure. We have put our EPK out to do several festivals in 2008. If we're accepted at any of them, we will for sure be doing those venues. Besides that we (family) are also trying to work out a scheduling where I can still maintain things on the home front and still do this music thing as well.

comments powered by Disqus