PREMIERE: Creature. ft: Trifon - Ay-Yo (Single) + 10 Questions

London-based, Netherlands-born drummer and producer Creature. returns with the second single from his upcoming EP 'Where This Body Goes, My Mind Flows'. Bringing together the rich culture of Dutch electronic music with East Coast boom-bap and contemporary jazz influences, 'Ay-Yo' features New Jersey MC Trifon.

Featuring atmospheric synth pads, crisp Dilla-esque hip-hop grooves, and drilling bass lines that are quickly becoming a signature of the Creature. sound, featured MC Trifon perfectly captures the attitude of the instrumental. The swagger of his flow opens up into broken beats and haunting trumpet lines, creating a seemless blend of drum-powered improv and considered beat-making.

"Ay Yo captures the heavy, old school hip hop that I personally love and grew up with as a kid. Hip-hop producers tend to call it the day after creating a slick sample sequence and beat, but this is where it became an experiment. I wanted to create something old school but with a strong personal footprint and a way for listeners to recognise my sound and drumming, which ended up in me splitting the track into three parts."

'Where This Body Goes, My Mind Flows' is a project that expands upon Creatures' blend of crisp sampling, impactful synths and powerful 808s established on 2022 debut All Now, For Good. It's a reflection of the electronic music and hip-hop he grew up on, as well as the nu- jazz sounds of his adopted home of London. Tracks like 'Ay Yo' see a 90's boom-bap hip-hop flow from MC Trifon evolve into expansive drum improvisation, whilst 'Against The Odds' adds a tasteful balance, bringing the tempo down into a spiralling 13/4 groove and dipping further into Creature's pool of collaborators. Trumpeter JSPHYNX, a mainstay of the UK jazz scene through his collaborations with Alfa Mist, features prominently, adding his distinctive dancing lines to the EP's sonic fabric.

Creature. (AKA Jim Cornelissen) is a drummer, composer and producer perhaps best known for his work as a session player for emerging artists Yaya Bey and Cosmo Pyke. Citing UK jazz artists Yussef Dayes and Kamaal Williams as influences, as well as footwork producer Machine Drum and Flying Lotus, his music places him within the scene of club-ready jazz fusion pioneered by the broken beat movement.

Creature sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

My love for music came directly from my family around me.

My dad was a latin-percussionist and introduced me to Brazilian music and fusion jazz (the Yellow Jackets, Herbie Hancock Group and George Duke) from a very young age. I remember jams with him on the congas long before playing the drum kit.

While hearing these eclectic jazz/world music artists during car rides, my sisters (8 years older than me) had The Neptunes, Missy Elliott, Kanye West and Usher blasting from their rooms and I often got gifted Mixtape cassettes and CD's. Later I started stealing their Ipods and old flip-phones, discovering Gorillaz, Deadmau5 and John Mayer.

My music taste broadened even more after buying GTA San Andreas of a friend, and discovered a whole range of country, 80s classics and 90s gangster rap songs. While shaping such a love for jazz and hiphop, the first CD I've ever bought myself was the Rage Against the Machine album (which I discovered in that game).

So from one side I had fusion and world music fed to me daily, my sisters made me fall in love with the sounds of mid 2000s hiphop and r&b. This all came together when my dad brought me to see Snarky Puppy at Paradiso in 2014, which blended all of these different genres together. I never thought you could get so much out of music and inspired me greatly.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

I've been very inspired by artists who have a sense of rawness and true individuality within them. I'd love to work on music with Rosalia, Denzel Curry, Nick Hakim, River Tiber, Saya Grey and Takuya Kuroda.

3. What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?

Soon I will be releasing my second EP called Where This Body Goes, My Mind flows. The EP is a true reflection of my pool of influences, combined with my craziest drum ideas. What is exciting about this EP is that I truly started to find my own sound and process while making this and it holds a couple of true life lessons I've experienced over the course of a year. It's about self acceptance, letting go of outer judgement and following my own intuition. Simply said; finding myself.

I've been fortunate to travel to a couple of places in the world for music, combining my love for adventure and travel with music. I've rediscovered how much being in new places inspires me, and creates a sense of freedom I can only find on the road. This also inspired the title of the EP.

My next single Ay Yo is out on June 8th and features a friend I made during a studio session in Memphis, Tennessee in October '22. Film maker, rapper and visual artist Trifon truly holds that East Coast (New Jersey) tone and blends perfectly with my own ideas. Furthermore I was extremely lucky to work with UK's trumpet legend JSPHYNX and can't wait to show the world how he's completely transformed a song called Against the Odds.

The EP is set to be released on July 7th.

4. How would you describe your sound?

I always try to keep things raw and organic. In this process I tend to use my senses and work until I love the sound. However I do consciously try to not make things too syncopated or perfect-sounding. When I work with instrumentalists, I tend to make sure I record their essence, making sure I don't always tell them exactly what to play. I'm greatly inspired by the gritty-ness and 'in the zone' approach of Kamaal Williams, however I tend to find realms of sound and ideas from sampling. For that I love producers like Flying Lotus and Machine drum as much as Archie Marshall and Lapalux.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

Last year on tour with Lila Drew, I got to play a sold out Paradiso in front of my mom. I used my childhood drum kit (including a signed snarky puppy sticker) on the same stage as where I saw Snarky Puppy perform all these years earlier. It felt like a full circle. And once again, I got to perform in front of my mom!

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

I've learned 3 important things:

- If you really want to do well in music, do it relentlessly. Put in the work and don't give up. I've worked extremely hard the last couple years and often in the early days you tend to not see a big result. Know however, that you ARE in fact building something that is going to benefit you for the rest of your life. People will see that you want this, and will hire you because they know this is what you live for.

- I think we all reach a point where you start comparing yourself to your influences a little too much. My teacher, the great Adam Betts, snapped me out of wanting to be someone else in my first year of Music Uni, and told me to follow my own path and passion. I witness a lot of artists and musicians struggle with the weight of feeling like you NEED to do certain things (or sound a certain way) to succeed. I believe you won't reach your full potential or happiness, because music and art are all about individuality. We all have the beautiful gift of playing music. Tell your own story, and people will listen!

- Be a good person and listen to others around you. You shouldn't try to impress anyone but yourself.

7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

Saya Grey just released a new album called QWERTY. She created a truly unique sonic realm. Kassa Overall just released an amazing album called ANIMALS, which truly pushes jazz in a new territory. Finally I'll leave you with FORWARD by Jordan Ward, soothing my ever hunger for new indie-R&B with really cool production and stories.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

I've been very late in discovering the duo April + Vista and their 2018 album You Are Here, but I love it and have been listening to it non stop.

I will never get bored of Christian Scott and his albums have been returning to me (Corey Fonville is my favourite drummer!) and To Pimp A Butterfly and Blonde are my ever favourite albums. They will always have a space in my day, whether I'm in the shower or on the train to the studio.

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

I like nerdy Sci-Fi and fantasy books, eating out and I recently re-discovered my passion for gardening.

10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?

My softest hoodie, my sampler (sp404) and comfy slippers/shoes: Crocs or Reebok Beatniks.