Knowa Knowone is an incredibly gifted, creative, and passionate artist/label owner. I had the distinct privilege of speaking with him a couple weeks ago for an interview about his label, and about his most recent project; West Coast Bass. I was quite impressed with what I heard from this extraordinary artist, and I can’t wait to hear what he will have next. Check out Street Ritual’s latest compilation, along with the full interview below! Enjoy!
Knowa, what pushed you to found Street Ritual?
I founded Street Ritual because I wanted to have a vibe and feel to how I was releasing and promoting my music that I didn’t see out there, and I still feel like what we’re going for is unique and special. I wanted to help my friends to produce and promote their music, and to get attention for artists, styles and sounds that I felt weren’t getting enough attention. There’s a bigger vision to Street Ritual than just putting out bass music, its about community and culture.
What do you look for when compiling tracks for Street Ritual releases?
I look for uniqueness, creativity and quality. There has to be a certain sound and production quality, and I like to put out original releases, whether its a new sound for a particular artist, or a new artist that’s doing something different. I like it to be obvious that it’s that particular artists best work and that they’ve put the time and thought in that it takes to make a great release.
Tell me about your most recent project- Street Ritual Compilation, West Coast Bass.
The West Coast Bass Culture Compilation was a project spearheaded by our booking agency, Street Ritual Artists, which is a division of the Street Ritual brand and has a small and tight roster of artists that are available for live performances worldwide. The Compilation features the leading artists on the booking agency, and was a way to introduce the artists and the booking agency to the public.
You can check out the artists that are on the agency roster at www.streetritualartists.com, get in contact with us, we’d love to come and rock with you.
Where did you find the artists for the compilation? What sound were you going for?
This compilation represents a quality selection of listening material for the artists that we’re handling booking offers for though the Street Ritual Artists agency. These artists are always evolving and have a diverse selection of music, but we were looking for something smooth and comfortable for people to download for free and make a part of their lives.
You’re all over the place in your personal musical style, how do you approach creating your original music? What do you like most about your sound?
I like to follow my own creative path and play and create what I’m inspired by in the moment. I’ve been producing and DJing for 15 years so I’ve seen a lot of sounds come and go and I like to be self directed as an artist and not just jump on whatever trend is hot on the internet. I tend to focus on the drums, beats, and dance rhythms, and let the beats and bass carry the tune. Its why my live sets are so much fun and people are always dancing.
Who’s your favorite artist that you’ve collaborated with to date?
I’ve collaborated with so many amazing artists its hard to pick favorites. The tune I made with Ill Gates is one of my favorite collabs and we made that in one night. I love the vocal stuff I’ve done with Seasunz and Wiseproof, and I’ve done some things with Ill-esha that I really like, she’s such a talented musician.
We love the quote on the Facebook page: “Street Ritual is a conduit for sounds, media, images and ideas that interact with one’s perception, inspire and enlighten. The ritual connects us to our tribal roots, as we dance around the fire of old ways, burning what now does not serve us. Through this ritual we birth a new, global consciousness. You have reached a point on this path, the dance is your own destiny.” Tell us about what this means to you and how it affects you in your work.
It means that we’re conscious artists that are aware of our roots and our place in global culture. We’re not promoting pointless or commercial pop music, not that there’s anything wrong with that or whatever vibes people are putting out there, but we’re asking ourselves, our artists and fans to step up and really create media that touches people and inspires us to be more creative, happy and integral people.
What’s next for Knowa and Street Ritual?
Well, Street Ritual is moving deeper into some very exciting art and music projects, unlike any others currently out there. I’m also playing at the Eclipse festival in Australia (www.eclipse2012.com) and we’re going to be making much more of a presence internationally next summer, so stay tuned for that!
On the personal note, there’s some big news on the Knowa tip coming in the fall 
Anything else you’d like to mention?
We’re definitely looking for new music and artists that want to be a part of the community. We really appreciate all the support for the idea and vibe we’re creating and looking forward to making conscious music and art a part of global culture.
Connect with Knowa Knowone
