“By this time next year I think it’s going to be hard to pin me down,” says Rarelyalways. The fast-rising Hackney-raised artist released his debut Baby Buffalo in 2020. That EP received raves from the likes of Pitchfork and Fader, with Billboard writing, “It made my jaw hit the floor the first time I heard it.” Raised by his father to a soundtrack of Afrobeat, jazz, and Motown, the ambitious artist synthesizes his influences into an intoxicating brew.
Manic is the first Rarelyalways release with collaborator Hanni El Khatib. Its 4 tracks comprise a multi-genre mind map where Rarelyalways’ idiosyncratic flow coasts atop soundscapes by turns claustrophobic and calming. The artist opens up about his eclectic influences, the unpredictable ways inspiration strikes, and how he sometimes denies his identity.
Art of the Follow-up
What are some of the differences between Baby Buffalo and Manic?
Manic is more thumpin’, for starters. In terms of sonics, it’s got more kick to it. On Baby Buffalo, I was trying to be more varied, almost like a show. On Manic, everything’s full blast, which sort of goes with the theme “manic.”
At the start of “Careful,” you say, “being careful what I wish for because just I get it.” Does this refer to a past event or are you looking to the future?
I’m trying to sort of predict what may happen. I tend to get what I want, and I work hard for—whether that be a job or opportunity. Then, when I get it, I’m not sure how much I wanted it. Generally speaking, I try to write in a way where one thing can mean five different things.
"I believe Led Zeppelin songs—the feeling and the zeitgeist. To capture a moment in time is something I've always wanted to do."
A Powerful Collaboration
Manic has so much going on sonically, including crazy alarm noises and sirens. How did you and Hanni create these atmospheres?
I want to give credit to Hanni’s attention to detail because he produced this EP. He was reacting to what I was saying because there is a cultural difference. Knowing Hanni, he probably muted the audio of the instrumental and was just listening to me. The sirens and sounds are literally him depicting where the tension is.
You two have a really powerful connection. How did the collaboration come about?
He’s a joint partner of the label Innovative Leisure, based in LA, and they discovered me not long after I dropped a single called “Figure.” Jamie Strong and Hanni were fans. Shortly after Baby Buffalo, Hanni was enthusiastic about making something with me also.
Your father was a drummer, and you grew up with a lot of Fela Kuti playing the house. What are some influences on the Rarelyalways sound that might surprise people?
Kenny Rogers, Norman Connors, Chopin, Burning Spear, the Commodores, Led Zeppelin. A lot of my favorite artists aren’t the greatest singers. I believe Led Zeppelin songs—the feeling and the zeitgeist. To capture a moment in time is something I’ve always wanted to do.
Community and Secret Identity
Outside of music, you mentor at-risk youth and do work in the community.
I’ve been involved in community projects. In my late teens, early 20s, I worked with kids that had learning difficulties. I’ve also done work with high-risk groups and sat on panels to select Leaving Care Managers for social services.
Do kids know you’re an artist separate from what you do in an official capacity?
I try to keep work and music separate entities. Even if they were to show me a Spotify, I would literally deny it. I’d say, “I don’t know who that is.”
Shedding Skin
Some reviews compare Rarelyalways to artists like Tricky or like Dizzee Rascal. Were those voices you were aware of growing up?
I was aware, but I wasn’t trying to sound like them. It’s a privilege to be compared to them because they’re amazing in what they do. I listen to absolutely everything, so the fact that people have narrowed it down to those names is quite weird. It’s something that sort of happened.
Was there any pressure in recording your new material or did you put it out of your mind?
I haven’t even started what I want to do, so there is this agitated feeling of wanting to shed skin, to let people know what I’m doing now. Because I’ve got an independent label backing, it’s not as simple as me just uploading a track. Things must go through a procedure—it doesn’t just get released tomorrow.
DIY Recording and Writing Lyrics
Do you have a studio setup at home?
I don’t even know if the word is DIY. I’m very scrappy. There’s no formal stuff at home, so I’ve got different locations at friends’ houses or studios. I’ve got three guys that usually mix for me and two camera guys. I’m always knocking on people’s doors, asking “Can I pencil in this date?” There’s no structure whatsoever. Every track is its own journey.
"I don't even know if the word is DIY. I'm very scrappy. Every track is its own journey. "
What is your lyric-writing process like?
I’m constantly making notes every day, not necessarily of lyrics. Sometimes it might just be a phrase. When I was a court clerk, I’d get inspiration from cases I was sitting in on. A lyric would come, I’d leave the courtroom, go into the toilet, record a voice note on my phone, then head back.
When I do write lyrics, I don’t like to be in the same room as the music. I’ll close the door and be on the other side of the house. I don’t put pressure on myself either. If it comes, it comes. I believe magic happens in magic moments. I’m a vessel, and I’m just projecting what descends upon me.
"I don't put pressure on myself. If it comes, it comes. I believe magic happens in magic moments."
The Future
What are the plans for Rarelyalways as we emerge from lockdown?
Hopefully, by the last quarter of the year, I’ll be playing live. I’m just looking for one more piece of the puzzle. My aim is to bring musicians that haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve, ones that were overlooked. From now to February, I think people are going to get a lot of me. I’m going into funk and all sorts of genres. I’m not trying to be different intentionally. It’s just what’s happening.
