An Interview with Kelvyn Colt on his new album: GERMAN ANGST
Kelvyn Colt X FAULT Magazine
Kelvyn Colt is a rising star in the hip-hop scene, known for his unique blend of musicality and powerful storytelling. He has already made a significant impact on the international music scene, touring across the globe and building a dedicated following with his emotionally charged performances. His latest album GERMAN ANGST drops today so we caught up with Kelvyn Colt to discuss his journey, community and of course, his FAULTs.
What inspired you to create your own community, the TBHG?
I lived most of my life not fitting in, feeling like an outsider. my music is what was bringing people together and after a while, I realised that we are all like-minded, so I doubled down on creating a place for us, rather than just trying to be popular.
What sets your upcoming project, apart from your previous releases?
GERMAN ANGST is setting context on Germany, the world and me – and what relationship the three have in the context of fear. GA It is sonically and thematically the first project I’ve approached more holistically in a creative sense. Meaning GERMAN ANGST is more than just an EP or new music from me. There are happenings in Berlin I have planned. I bought billboards across different European cities, from London to Berlin, where people are encouraged to write what they are afraid of (what their angst is). There was a mental health awareness protest in Berlin we put together for the community. In regards to music, I fuse techno, trance, deep house and hip-hop/trap. the result is a genre I call „industrial hip-hop “ or „techno rap“.
Can you talk about the inspiration behind your latest release, “SHORTY!” and its accompanying short film?
„SHORTY!“ is the opposite of angst. Shorty is confident and free of care, indifferent to the judgement passed by others. Shorty came to turn shit up. A proud hedonist and the life of the party. the visual describes exactly that. the opening shot of SHORTY! is a continuation of the end shot of the previous video EYE4EYE, where a detective (a reference to Seven Sins), is trying to understand the meaning of GERMAN ANGST written on to the ground in blood. The SHORTY! video then picks up here, showing who wrote it, as we are tracing the footsteps. this shows the path of pain that has to lead to the creation of SHORTY!, who seems insane/scary but it is just a form of expression – what the viewer/listener makes out of it (or projects onto it) is up to them. the following shot in the green room, a reference to Korean photographer Rana Choi (City Man, 2015), shows me amongst business / corporate folks, who are still and all the same but become energised through my performance and energy. I don’t believe in over-explaining, so I’ll leave the rest of the scenes up for you to decipher.
How has your recent success in the United States impacted your perception of your music?
yes, I am still trying to make sense of it all. the America and American culture that we knew growing up in the early 2000s is very very different from the America that I experience now, living in America. Yet, I find even more inspiration for my music and art.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
2pac, Fela Kuti & sade due to their lyricism and what they represented beyond music.
Can you walk us through your creative process when making music?
I find things in everyday life that inspire me. it can be something someone said to me or I overheard somewhere. it can be a sound, melody or song that is playing somewhere. I 99% of the time create from scratch with my collaborators, I don’t like sending beats and stuff back and forth, it’s a spiritual process to me and that doesn’t work remote. so I source from the world, channel the energy and frequency I am currently in and create from there. sometimes I also revisit and pick back with fresh ears up where I left off.
How has your background as a German artist influenced your approach to hip-hop?
I cannot tell, I don’t know in what way I would’ve been different if I wasn’t half german. I grew up on the internet and in real-time.
What message do you hope to convey through your music and performances?
I create a world to escape into, where you have the option to just have a good time and rage, dance and singalong or take a further step and find (self)love and acceptance amongst an authentic community.
What’s next for Kelvyn Colt and what can fans expect in the future?
more fucking with the status quo. the world is in a weird, oversaturated place right now and everybody is numbing themselves more day by day via overstimulation. I want to cut through that, facilitate moments and situations that matter and add value, be that through music, events, shows, or tangible items I create & curate. if you really want to see and find out what I am up to, join churchofrage.online, its a newsletter I write for my community and updates you on everything I am doing, where and when it is happening and it gives you a lot of context to my work.
What is your FAULT?
My brain doesn’t always do what I want it to do.