Joe Vickerstaff

Name, where are you from?
Joe, North London.

Describe your style in three words?
Tactical, sporadic, lovable.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Theo Parrish at E1. I was put onto Theo by a very close friend of mine, saw him live earlier that year at a festival, but this was different. Everyone in the room was on the same wavelength, even though it can be hard to keep up with Parrish’s switches from Detroit house, heavy techno and soul.

If you could collaborate with any artist in history?
I would love to work with Freddie Gibbs one day. He’s a unique talent. Super articulate and free in his delivery. He’s one of the few artists that fall into the cinematic hip-hop genre. With the help of powerhouse producers such as Madlib and The Alchemist, he’s able to create songs so big and well rounded that you can almost see the sounds. I would love to help him flesh out a visual for a track.

Which Subcultures have influenced you?
When I was growing up, I was always inspired by the Southern hip-hop subculture, I always liked how slick and smooth it sounded. Especially from that late '90s, early 2000s era. I find it gets reprised every so often with certain artists, one example is TDE’s Isaiah Rashad. There’s a slow, sweet drawn-outness to it, like a spoonful of molasses. Nowadays I’m finding myself compelled to the Eastside of the states. Griselda records, a collective coming from Buffalo, offer endless verses of cold-hearted tales. Also, a lot has to be said for punk-inspired Ratking, now disbanded, who gives us a more textured and instrumental heavy hip-hop experience: both collectives offering two very different perspectives on survival in the frozen tundras of New York. I wouldn’t say these sub-cultures directly influence me as to who I am, but more so my style and interests. They inspire me to reflect, create and explore further.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Frank Zappa, I’ve never heard of such a prolific and meticulous character. I feel like I could learn a lot in an hour. He created some of the most intricate and complex compositions, overlaid them with profane, post ironic nonsense, and somehow made it work. He’s amazing. A big inspiration of mine. As well as a significant musical bonding point between me and my Dad.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Yung Lean, no question. In 2013, there was a paradigm shift that inspired and re-shaped a corner of the hip-hop community completely. It was a sound we had never heard before, from a place we least expected, Stockholm. What started as a niche, manifested into something that went on to birth some of the most recognised names today. Travis Scott for one.

Joe is a London based Lighting Technician and Self-Shooter.