DFest Preview: 8Bit Cynics
As we prepare for DFest, we will be speaking with a few Oklahoma acts who will be playing this weekend in Tulsa.
Lawton’s 8Bit Cynics might be the most talented indie hip-hop group in the Midwest. Formed in 2005, producer Saevio.Is.Dead, MC Dewey Binns and DJ SL bring a blue-collar work ethic to everything they do. From their relatable lyrics to their excellent beats and instrumentation, 8Bit Cynics is everything that is right with hip-hop. Their most recent release, Toothpick EP, was released in May and is already out of print. No time to waste, the group is already hard at work at the next EP, expected to be finished before the year’s end.
8Bit Cynics plays Friday at 7:10pm at the Route 66 Mother Roadhouse.
A lot of indie hip-hop artists, including yourselves, are big on releasing free EPs and mixtapes online now. Why would you say that’s so prevalent, especially in hip-hop?
Dewey Binns: Because it’s a cheap and easy process that allows the artist a chance to be heard. People don’t buy music very much anymore. Especially from music stores. So releasing music for free download has become the most effective way to be heard. Hip Hop artists and fans have done a great job with adapting to technology. Myspace, Facebook, and now Twitter make it unbelievably easy to pass on free music and I think hip-hop, more than any other genre, has taken advantage of those outlets.
DOWNLOAD: 8Bit Cynics - “You Ain’t That Pretty”
DOWNLOAD: 8Bit Cynics - “Ugly Girls”
Lawton seems like it has a hard time keeping a venue open for live music. Does that make it tough to get your music out in your hometown?
saevio: There are plenty of venues, in Lawton, for live bands–and many of them have been successful for many years. These venues cater more to a hardcore/metal crowd, and we have definitely played our share of these spots with many great metal bands.
The problem is there are no all age venues in Lawton–and I feel that is the biggest downfall of building a good music scene in our city. Due to this we have decided to focus most of our time in Oklahoma City. There is a considerably larger interest in independent hip hop music up there, and we have the opportunity to play to more diverse crowds.
Oklahoma has some strong hip-hop artists - 8bit Cynics, Jabee, addLib, P.D.A., Kawnar, and more. What should the rest of the country know about Oklahoma hip-hop, as you guys put it - “No Coast Hip-Hop”?
saevio: In reference to hip-hop as a whole, most people will immediately think of West or East Coast sounds…and now the South has the biggest influence on the mainstream sound.
Outside of a few areas, the Midwest is almost ignored. I don’t personally know the guys you mentioned from Tulsa, but I can honestly say we all grind very hard to make quality music and to get it out into the world. Many places boast rappers calling themselves the “King of (enter city here)”, but they never release anything beyond a mixtape, and never tour. Jabee and ourselves put thousands and thousands of miles on the road every year touring and building interest in this area. We work hard, we have talent, and we don’t expect to have anything handed to us…that’s no coast hip-hop.
Tell us the story behind Puzzle People and what it’s all about.
Dewey Binns: Puzzle People was put in gear by Jabee a few months ago. You’d have to ask him for the full story but the idea was to unite the handful of like-minded emcees, djs, producers, and promoters from this area to create a stronger unit. We were all basically friends anyway and we all try to help each other out with shows and music. But I think the biggest function of Puzzle People is building the overall hip-hop scene in Oklahoma. We take pride in bringing in touring artists from all over the country while at the same time holding it down locally. We are all pieces to a puzzle.
What’s next for 8bit Cynics?
Dewey Binns: We are currently working on our next album which should be done later this year. We also have individual side projects and collaborations brewing with other artists. We feel as though we have something different to offer in hip-hop and we will continue to embrace our eccentricity and jump on opportunity. Hopefully our music will soon be more widespread and our performance opportunities more abundant.
Keep up with us at 8bitcynics.com, myspace.com/8bitcynics and twitter.com/8bitcynics.
What other acts are you excited about seeing at DFest?
Dewey Binns: Johnny Polygon, The Cool Kids, and Bassnectar.
saevio: Citizen Cope, Cake, and The Black Crowes.
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