Commonly known by his stage name Danny!, Daniel Swain is not your average rap artist. With an impressive catalog that encompasses seven studio albums, three instrumental albums as well as three compilations, Danny! has been the flagship artist to Questlove's re-launched Okayplayer Records. His latest offering 2012's Payback marks the eclectic conclusion of his trilogy of concept albums and displays his vast understanding of different sounds and genres. Moreover, the self-produced, largely overlooked opus offers the artist's emotional palette that functions as a response to the dysfunctional music industry. However, there is also love for Danny! within the musical landscape. His production credits reach to artists such as Danny Brown, Lil B, Wale and even German jazz musician Till Brönner. In addition, he has been a member of The Recording Academy. And last (but not least), Payback made it to the Top 10 of HYPETRAK's Top Albums of 2012 list. More than enough reasons to catch up with the South Carolina native.

What does the "!" in your name stand for?
I added it for emphasis years ago. You know, “Danny” by itself looks plain on paper. The exclamation point gives it a sense of urgency, it makes you want to know who this guy is that has the audacity to punctuate his name. That, and I couldn’t think of any other names that begin with “Yung” or “Lil” that weren’t already taken, or horrid.

Your album Payback was one of the most outstanding music releases, yet again, it seems like it was largely overlooked. What is your perspective on that?
I really appreciate you saying that. I put a lot of work into that record, which isn’t to say that I don’t put work into all of my albums, but that in particular because I had a lot going for it. Okayplayer, you know, they were re-launching their label and I was their first act – I feel honored to be a part of that. But, you know, it kinda sucks when you drop a record that only your core base is checking for. Of course they’re gonna like it, or not, but I put out albums in the hopes of gaining new fans each go-round. Say what you will about the record’s promotion but I think that the word-of-mouth that used to bring critical acclaim my way doesn’t work as well as it used to back when I first started getting buzz. I remember reaching out to Pitchfork to review [“Payback”] -- which they still haven’t and likely won’t -- and they were like “yeah I remember Danny. I remember when he was poppin’ on the blogs.” Like, people think I’m a relic and I’ve been consistently putting out music for only a few years now. But because it’s so saturated it’s hard to command that sense of urgency like I used to. So yeah, I think the record was overlooked mostly because people are just indifferent. They hear it and they see it, I know they do because I see the stats and the money, but they just don’t go out of their way to shout about it from the mountaintops one way or the other.

You were also invited to the GRAMMYs this year. How do you feel about that? What does it personally mean to you?
Well I’ve been a member of the Recording Academy for about seven years. [My album] “Charm” helped me become a member because it was the first record I was able to put out commercially. Therefore I was eligible to take part of the awards show. When I first started I wanted to get a Grammy so bad, I must’ve felt like actually attending the show would give me good energy for later [laughs]. But looking back, I think all I wanted all along was just acknowledgment from someone other than the four walls in my apartment, or my homeboys…basically someone who had already “made it” that I was talented and to keep me encouraged, to let me know that I wasn’t crazy in pursuing my musical dreams. That’s happened a dozen times over at this point in my career and I am quite content. I think I used to feel like winning a Grammy would’ve validated me but I can certainly say I understand now that there’s more to feeling fulfilled than having an award. Having said all that, the GRAMMYs are always cool to go to and I always have a good time. I kicked it with Dice Raw and Questlove while I was in Los Angeles that weekend. Dice is hilarious, great guy.

You seem to be super busy these days. You are doing a producer panel at the SONOS Studios. Can you share some details on this involvement? How did it come about and what do you hope to reach with it?
I linked up with Thomas Meyer of SONOS while I was in Los Angeles for the GRAMMYs. He’s a cool guy that’s been hipped to my music thanks to my mentor [Questlove] placing it in a commercial, so him and I have been talking about some things. I told him I’d be in the area GRAMMY weekend and he invited me to sit in on a panel with Deadmau5 and Tommy Trash. It was fun. I was hoping to enlighten up-and-coming producers because I know a big part of me becoming who I am today was just from watching cats I idolized like Questlove or Just Blaze doing their thing, and then seeing Just speak at a similar panel. I love to give back the knowledge I've been blessed to learn so it can help some other savvy artists looking for a way in. Hopefully me and SONOS will be cooking some more stuff up later this year. It’s a great company.

You also linked up with Adult Swim to create music for a few commercial bumpers. How did this come about?
Well I haven’t officially had any placements yet, but [head of A&R] Jason and I finally sat down and talked about it. I sent him some tracks and I’m just waiting to hear back which ones he wants to use. He’s a fellow Savannah College of Art & Design alumni, but we didn't link until my Def Jux days. We’ve literally been going back and forth for like four years and we’re just now starting to get things off the ground. Just a note to any of my indie artists reading this, patience does pay off. Dude’s super busy though but he’s a fan of Danny and a fan of dope hip-hop in general so I know it’s only a matter of time.

Do you feel aligning with brands, or maybe even the corporate world, is something today's artists need to do in order to sustain themselves?
Absolutely. I wouldn’t say it’s a necessity necessarily, but things are definitely changing and you have to adapt with the times. Corporate alignment is nothing new to hip-hop but it’s definitely way more prevalent now. And you obviously have to be smart about it. I think Warren G partnered up with some sex enhancement pill company a few years back. Like, what the hell? Aligning with a brand is fine as long as it’s relevant and it can be mutually beneficial. There’s nothing I enjoy more than knowing that two entities can come together and want to mutually build each other up.

What artist have you been enjoying the most lately?
It’s really hard to say. The industry is so saturated now and everyone sounds the same as the next person. Nothing coming out is exceptional or mind-blowing, but ironically enough people say the same thing about my music [laughs]. I do like Chell from Detroit though, and Jahshua Smith. Collette is dope too, check her out.

You talk a lot about Jay-Z's co-sign on the album, who else's endorsement has really stuck with you?
Do I? You know I actually took the time to count how many songs I allude to the Jay thing on “Payback” and I come up with four. Four is a lot? Far be it from me to share with the world something very exciting and personal for me on my album, so excited that apparently I couldn’t contain myself. If it were every single song I could understand, but four? On a 17-track album? No offense intended to you, this is mostly for the lazy reviewers that said the same thing, that I talked about the co-signs a lot. Shame on them for making me feel ashamed of one of the biggest things to ever happen to me in my career, especially when cats like A$AP Rocky make the same song over and over but no one gives him flack for that [laughs]. People will say I’m “hating” with that last remark so can you put it in Hello Kitty font so niggas’ll know I’m not mad? [laughs]

Anyway, to answer your question there’s a lot of people who endorsed me publicly and privately. I wouldn’t want to sit here and name drop since that’s apparently tacky if you do it more than four times, but there are lots of people that are high up on that ladder that have reached out to me, you know, and given me props. The fact that hip-hop is so infatuated with the co-sign disgusts me, but when I finally play into it and mention Jay now I’m told there’s a limit? Oh, okay.

What was your first thought after realizing you had a collab track with Blu and Lil B. How did the track come together. Were all three of you ever in the studio together?
I mean, Lil B and Blu are my dudes. Lil B is like my little brother, he looks up to me and is a fan. Blu always shows love when I’m in his city, B does too. My first thought? I didn’t really have a first thought, it was just “this is a dope record and I’m glad my peoples are on it”. But that’s how I felt about all of the songs on “Payback” with collaborations. Along with co-signs, I don’t understand hip-hop’s obsession with collaborations. Like, “whoa, I wasn’t going to check for this song until I saw MC Suck-A-Dick was doing adlibs”. I blame the “Buddy” remix. [laughs] But that’s part of why “Payback” exists, to prove a point and exploit the consumer’s stupid fascination with collabs.

What have you lined up for 2013?
I’m really excited about a lot of things I have lined up. I’ll be finishing up a collaboration album with Von Pea [of Tanya Morgan] very, very soon. I feel like I say that in every interview. Not sure what’s in the future for Okayplayer Records but if they’re down to put out another Danny! project then of course I will be, that’s the home team. And this is my first time mentioning this but I’m literally one negotiation away from signing on with Diddy and Bad Boy’s Hitmen as a producer with a publishing deal through EMI. Super grateful to Harve and Gwen for setting that up, and of course Ahmir [Questlove] for rolling the proverbial snowball down the hill to ignite the interest in the first place.

From his early beginnings in San Francisco to his time on Rosewood Ave. and cosigns from The Alchemist and Evidence, up-and-coming musician Alexander Spit has made a name for himself in the underground rap scene. With the release of his new album ‘A Breathtaking Trip to That Otherside,’ Spit showcases an attention to detail in both his rhymes and his production, resulting in a medley of unique sounds and auras. At a glance, Spit’s body of work displays not only a dedication to his craft, but also a considerable degree of progression. As his fanbase and audience continue to grow, Spit, likewise, continues to cultivate his own sound and pave his own path. We caught up with Alexander Spit in his home studio in LA as he speaks on the aesthetics of his new album, stories about E-40, what he does on his free time, and some future projects.

A Breathtaking Trip to That Otherside. What was the idea behind that title and the album?
I always like to do something that has multi-faceted meanings. I wanted to parallel it to my progress as an artist, and serve as like a platform for my worldly views, my personal views, spiritual, and emotional. When I’m working on an album title, I’ll sometimes just write the title a bunch of times on paper, and I liked how it looked; it was very much fitting to what I wanted to portray. Most importantly, it was about me trying to expand myself musically and as a person.

E-40 is on the remix of "B.N.E (Best Night Ever)." How'd that come about? Are you a fan of his?
I’m a huge fan of E-40. I grew up on E-40 with a small circle of friends before his mainstream presence. He was the person that me and my friends would consider a pioneer of a style that was original. Growing up I remember we would just find some of his raps hella funny and outlandish, but he was the only one who could pull off that style. Nobody could ever mimic or imitate that. When it came to the remix, I felt like it was one of those tracks that any MC could spit a verse about some “best night ever” shit, you know? And it just so happened that E-40 was on our list and he was down so it pieced out perfectly.

Speaking of the Bay Area, what are some of the influences that have affected you and your music?
Man, I really like anything with some soulful vibes to it. Even if it was like some dance party music from the Bay Area, it has soul and funk flavor to it, you know? But beyond just Bay Area rap music, I like people that are just outlandish and are outcasts in a way that you wouldn’t expect to see in a normal life setting - like Portishead, Morrissey, Jay-Z, and 2Pac. Listening to hip-hop kind of expanded my horizons of what I like to listen to.

You've been very involved in the production side of your music. When did you start to make that transition?
Actually, it’s been hand-in-hand with me with my writing since pretty much from the beginning. I started rapping when I was 10 or 11 and by the time I was 12 or 13 I was making beats on my computer on Fruity Loops. It started out as a necessity due to the fact that I didn’t know any producers at the time growing up, and I wasn’t trying to rap on other people’s beats. To me, my production is a big part of my artistry.

You've worked with Bago on a number of tracks. What's your relationship to her?
Bago and I met through a mutual friend in San Francisco a little over 2 years ago when I was doing a show with this band, Tenderlions. I had this song at the time ‘Mimosa.’ It was probably one of my first singles I ever put out, and they presented the idea of having Bago sing on it. They said she had a killer voice, and I was open to the idea. We ended up performing that song together, and I just remember her having an amazing voice. The response was really good so we just continued to make stuff together.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not making music?
Man, lately as of the last six to nine months literally has been strictly music. If I’m not working on music it’s usually I’m just eating food, or I’m drinking, or getting fucked up. So pretty much around the clock I’m working, thinking, and conceptualizing some form of my music.

What can we expect from Alexander Spit for the rest of 2013?
Man, it kind of always changes in regards to my ideas because once things start coming into fruition, it happens on a timeline that sometimes I can’t even predict. I’m really pushing right now to put out a follow-up to an instrumental project I did in early 2012 called Mansions. So I’m trying to make Mansions 2 right now, which is gonna be a collection of instrumentals and beats and whatnot. On top of that, I’m working on an EP/Mixtape project with KT the Terrible, who I really vibe well with musically. So I’m definitely working on some new projects.

This week marks the arrival of Outrun - the long-awaited debut album from Vincent Belorgey's, publicly known as French electronica artist Kavinsky. Taking inspiration from Czech producer Jan Hammer and his synth-fueled composition that has carried iconic 80s tv shows, such as Miami Vice, Belorgey made a name to himself due to his distinctive electronica sounds and his Ferrari Testarossa-driving Zombie character Kavinsky for years. Accordingly, his music serves as the audio companion of Kavinsky's dark, sad but romantic adventures that immediately captures the imagination of the listener. His most famous song to date, "Nightcall," carried the Ryan Gosling-powered motion picture Drive by Nicolas Winding Refn, thus garnering global recognition. Outrun signifies a perfect representation of Belorgey's musical legacy so far. Reason enough to sit down with this talented artist and talk about the production of the album, his affection for Ferrari Testarossa, Zombies and of course Don Johnson.

Let's talk about your new album Outrun. You've included some songs from your previous EPs Blazer, 1986, Teddy Boy for the album. How does it sonically adapt to your previous efforts?
That is correct. This album is not too different from my EPs. Obviously, I reworked some of the older tunes, such as "Testarossa Autodrive" or "Blizzard" for instance, and we employed the same energy when we first started working on this project. That's why I decided to feature four of my older songs because I regard them as some sort of ID for my music. It did not appear as a risk to me to include a certain part of my older material since it was only exposed to a small circle of aficionados that were familiar with my entire catalog until then. On the contrary, I think it's a great overall representation of my musical legacy so far and I let my heart speak for itself.

What made you decide to take "ProtoVision" as the lead single? How does it represent the album?
I did not want it to be the track that carries the whole album, but I felt it was an accurate representation for the LP's overall dynamics. And I hope it makes the people curious about the rest of the LP.

Boys Noize and Blood Orange did remixes of the song. What are your thoughts on both renditions?
All remixes that I have heard so far are great. Usually I choose the people who work with my music. I also listen to my heart when it comes selecting the right musicians to re-interpret my songs officially. Boys Noize was obviously a great choice since his remix was punchy and energetic. As for Blood Orange's version, I didn't even ask Dev to do it but when I heard it, it made me think of Don Johnson riding the Ferrari Testarossa in Miami Vice which is an overall stylistic inspiration for my music. That's how I knew that he understood the energy of the song as it perfectly conveys the spirit of Jan Hammer's art. It's a great voyage.

Where does the album story of a man crashing his Ferrari Testarossa resulting in him becoming a zombie come from?
When I first thought about the persona that carries my music I did not want the visual theme to merely consist of pictures of myself doing different poses. Hence, I was looking for a character not only to portray my sound but also to be the main focus/inspiration for it. This someone had to be reminiscent from '80s tv shows that I enjoyed watching while growing up, such as Miami Vice, A-Team, Magnum P.I., or even Fall Guy. I thought a hip, sexy, flamboyant type of Zombie would be a fitting representation for that. Obviously I took inspiration from Don Johnson's character in Miami Vice, Sonny Crockett.

Why Ferrari Testarossa?
When you look at all these TV shows, you notice that all the protagonists, all the heroes have an impressive car by their side. Obviously, I could not let my Zombie just walking around, or moon-walking, which he actually does, or using a skateboard. No, he needed an adequate vehicle that accompanies him through his adventures, basically the coolest vehicle that Don Johnson was driving in Miami Vice. And a red Ferrari Testarossa is matching this requirement perfectly.

When you first made "Nightcall," did you know it would become such a big hit?
No, of course not. I think no one could have anticipated such an impact. I really wanted to create a ballad, to design a cold, sad theme between the Zombie and the woman. She thinks he is dead. And he is out to find her but the nature of things won't let them be together anymore. While touring together, I approached Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo to do a song with me on this theme and he was into the idea. So we had this really powerful motif that we came up with in rather normal times but somehow hit the nerve of the moment.

How did the feature on the soundtrack for Drive come about?
Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn approached me and wanted to use the song for his new movie, which can be seen as a stylistic succession to his amazing Pusher-trilogy. The plot of the movie perfectly resonates to the content of the ballad, so it was a beautiful thing that happened to the song to be linked so closely to such a great movie from a great director.

What was your reaction when you saw the movie for the first time?
I was amazed. Especially the opening section, when he was cruising by himself by night. It reminded me of my animated music videos with the Zombie driving around. From an animation perspective, scenes like these are always hard to recreate. I always wanted to try out such a scene with real cameras, and when I saw the opening scene of Drive it made me realize that this shot is the perfect video for "Nightcall." That's why I decided not to do another, official music video for the song, because this scene with Ryan Gosling is already classic, famous enough. I figured an additional clip could take away some energy from this part of the film. I don't even have a problem when people think that the song was made especially for the movie or originates from the film. That's absolutely cool with me. I think it's a perfect marriage.

Outrun is out now. Get your copy here and follow Kavinsky on Facebook and Twitter.

As one of 2012's most successful music newcomers UK indie collective alt-J has conquered the masses with a sound that some refer to as "heavy yet romantic novel sound." With their compellingly genre-defying debut offering An Awesome Wave the Cambridge quartet has successfully fused literary references with understated yet pervasive rock sounds that earned them prestigious awards such as 2012 British Barclaycard Mercury Prize, as the bookmakers' favourite, as well as BBC Radio 6 Music Album of the Year 2012. In addition, the band's video work further indicates their creative potential with subtle yet surprising special effects that further positioned at the helm of the "British band resurgence." Reason enough for us to have a chat with the band.

What do you say about the great response your debut album An Awesome Wave? How do you feel about it?
I don’t really know, It's quite strange, having a concept then one day getting the chance to make it. Never really expecting it to get the reception of the day, then taking it all in and trying to enjoy the vibe of it. Somewhat overwhelming and unexpected really.

How did the album title come about?
It's a line from the American Psycho book when Patrick Bateman tries to book a table at a restaurant with some friends and he starts chanting off. We quite liked the idea behind that scene, you'll have to watch it to know what I mean.

What did feel when you first heard about the Barclaycard Mercury award nomination and what did you feel when you actually earned an award?
On the night, we watched all the other bands play and it really felt like there was no clear winner. Anyone at all could win it. I mean, you sit there and your watching each other play and it's all extremely amazing, followed by being quite drunk and without having an idea that they've just announced your name, then being shuffled straight into a big press conference and interviews for the next hour- it was quite weird.

Your videos for "Fitzgerald" and "Something Good" usually have a visually demanding, sophisticated style. How do you approach your videos?
There is a website called Radar where you can put up a brief and a budget for a video as a band. It's very much like a forum and a lot of amateur but also professional video makers sign up for it and recommend you different commissions. Then they submit treatment for a deadline. So this is what we have done so far, we have basically set our budget in advance and posted an offer with a deadline on that site. Consequently, then we get loads of video treatments from different video directors. We go through all of them and select some sort of final five and approach and analyze each top five treatment thoroughly and select one. We don't really get involved in the creation of the video per say but we are very involved in the selection.

Is this something you'd like to continue with your feature videos?
Yes, probably yes. Music videos can be difficult to make and it's hard to get it right. It's not necessarily just about the video but it gives the director to come up with a concept, short film or idea that at first doesn't seem to fit the theme of the song or relate to it but it can turn up becoming integral to the song. It's a chance for artists to collaborate with us.

You have a lot of film and literary references in your songs and videos. how does this connection to your music come about?
A lot of cultural things are connected and they should not be forcefully separated. There's a lot of literal reference and film reference simply because we like reading and watching films. You can write songs about quite personal experiences, but if you do that and reference a film that others might have seen --or a specific moment in the film to describe the narrative within the song-- then you might have more impact with the audience, making the song a more accessible piece. This way, you use film or literature as a vessel, resonating with people a bit more because they're already familiar with that literature through personal experiences.

What inspired you to mash up Dr. Dre and Kylie Minogue?
Dr. Dre's 2001-cut "Still D.R.E." is actually one of the first tracks the band performed together. It was just an instrumental version which was probably quite boring. One day we were walking down the street and Gus started humming Slow by Kylie Minogue and it occurred to us that the melody of Slow would fit with Still Dre perfectly. So we've had the idea for about a year, but never had the time to see if it could work. We had the morning off last time we were in San Francisco and decided to experiment with the idea, and Gus was right it did all fit together.

You are about to tour the United States. What can the American audience expect from you?
This will be our second real tour of America, it isn't a very long tour because we're just going back to do the West Coast. In March, April we'll be back to do a bigger American tour. We’re touring so much and haven’t really stopped at all year. Every time we go back to the places we've been to, we just get a bit more confident and when we're confident we'll play better, we're at ease on stage which means the songs sound better. We're predominantly playing our album live, but I'm sure there will be Kylie Minogue cover in there somewhere, in addition to trying out new material. Because we're so busy on tour, we haven’t had the time to write and record so we've been trying to compose during sound check etc. We have a pretty basic set up live. We don't have any backing tracks, every sound you hear is delivered via someone in the band so there's not much to hide behind if something goes wrong. Therefore, it's quite an honest performance.

What is your favorite album release in 2012 other than your own LP?
There's an artist from New Zeland called Princess Chelsea which most people haven’t heard of, but recently suggested to us. Shes recorded an album called Little Golden Book. I'm not sure how to describe it, it's an interesting development from indie music. It's kind of dark, progressive and takes you to a different world. I also really like the new Hot Chip album In Our Hands.

What is your goal for 2013?
That's a hard one. We didn't really have goals as a band. We just met at university and we were doing it as a hobby then we graduated from our degree and gave our shared interest a go and decided to form a band. We didn’t really have any more of a goal then chancing it. So I’m not sure if we've got any goals for 2013 other than carrying on what we're doing, working on our second album, and seeing where that takes us.

Interview: Selina Tan