Ripe and Ready

One is a medical student halfway through his second year of university; the other drives a yoghurt delivery truck as a day job. Together, they are Desmond Cheese.

Robin Kaye, aka Desmond Bagely, says he and friend, Andrew McKinnon, (Makcheese) came together six months ago after both producing material individually. The result was a thrilling combination of Makcheese's extensive hip hop influences and Desmond's more mainstream rock, jazz and blues background.

“We basically spent about six months making instrumental hip hop and it got really creative. We had a hell of a lot of fun doing it and now the collaborative wheels are turning. We've started playing with a live drummer, we've got a bunch of MCs and I'm playing a lot more guitar and stuff live. It's kind of become this all-in musical love fest happening on stage.”

Such a love fest is amplified by the boys' desire to create solely instrumental tracks, allowing other musicians the freedom to experiment and remix their tunes.

“We were really serious about making (the album) instrumental, it's nine tracks of just all-instrumental, you could call it hip hop, but it moves through a few different genres. It's awesome because if you release something instrumental then it's out there and people can do whatever they want with it, whereas if you record it and release it with a rap on it then it's that way forever.”

The ‘Fame And Fortune’ LP is the first release from Desmond Cheese, and Robin says the creative process was both lighthearted and extremely intimate.

“It got really silly. Towards the end of making the CD we had this kind of telepathic communication thing going on. We'd listen back to what we'd laid down and he'd look at me and go 'Should we?' and I'd be like, 'Yes'. And then one of us would do the thing that we were both thinking about - adding a bit of reverb or changing some effect. It became quite intimate.“

This intimacy is founded in a shared appreciation of music, eclectic taste in conversation and a recent fascination with French composer, Claude Debussy.

“We've both listened to a lot of music and we've both got a thing for Debussy at the moment. It's been a lot of fun just sharing music with Cheese, we both really appreciate music in general, so just kicking back and listening to different sounds is really fun.”

Counting former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as a fan, Desmond Cheese are fast making waves on the Brisbane music scene. With influences ranging from Frank Zappa and Bob Marley to traditional Indian tunes, the boys bring gusts of fresh air to each gig.

“I have a bit of a love affair with India. Some of the sounds you can catch as a sample while you're there are just outrageous. One of the tracks on the album is an Indian bamboo flute solo that I sampled. Sounds like that just add a certain flavour to the music that you can't really get anywhere else.”

Though their music is purely instrumental, Robin explains that evolving their sound means inviting local MCs and producers to join their creative process. With no boundaries as to who they will work with, the boys leave the door open for endless possibilities.

“We have absolutely no interest in making any money, unless whatever, but we just want to be making music. It's really exciting when you get an email saying 'I'm a Sunny Coast MC and I'm really keen to make some beats', that's what it's all about. So if there's any bamboo flute or banjo players around who want to collaborate with instrumental hip hop, just get in touch.”

But be warned, creating music with Desmond Cheese may result in wearing spectacular costumes, which are sometimes compulsory for their gigs. Not that they mind.

“We're playing at Manifest on the Saturday night and we're quite set on wearing outrageous costumes. The other night, Freddy, one of the guys who does mixing for us, bought this huge handlebar moustache. It was massive, about half a foot long down the side of his face. He's kind of balding and has got a shaved head and he stuck it on his forehead, and it looked absolutely hilarious. So I imagine there'll be possibly pirate gear, or possibly we might dress up as very old men. Who knows?”

DESMOND CHEESE WILL PLAY AT ALLONEWORD FRIDAY AUGUST 27 TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF THEIR DEBUT LP ‘FAME AND FORTUNE’. YOU CAN ALSO CATCH THEM AS PART OF THE INAUGURAL MANIFEST EVENT AT BESTBROOK MOUNTAIN RESORT SEPTEMBER 24-26.