There is something interesting about the moment two creatives meet and decide to make something together. For Ghanaian visionary KJ Spio and Nigerian producer-singer Soundz, ARTIFEELCiAL began with that simple intention: to make music together. What eventually emerged was a project that brought together a range of African voices, with Libianca, Sarkodie, Lil Kesh, Melissa and Hevi joining the journey. The result is an interesting meeting of creative worlds, with a title that invites its own questions about art, feeling and what happens when music comes together naturally.

Ahead of its November 20 release, we caught up with the duo to talk about the project, the people behind it and the experience of making something together.

Sussan for Deeds: What do you think people should know about you beyond music?

Soundz: My name is Samuel Idowu Oluwadarasimi. I am a singer, song writer and music producer. I like to make music that people feel as much as it makes them dance. I also like to make memories as much as I like to make music. The first thing I would like people to know about me beyond music is the stories. Beyond the music, I like to tell my perspective of life as well as the perspective of life and that of others. I see myself as a medium or a microphone that God uses to tell different stories and perspectives. The stories are really one of the most important things I want to hold on to.

Kj Spio: I am Kj Spio, I am a producer, creative director, manager and a designer. For me, it’s always about the messaging behind the music. Every record I have produced, every record I have been involved with has always been about the message and that’s the most important thing. I want people to take the messaging from the music, so whatever they listen to, at the end of the day, they should feel or get something that makes them think of the message in the music or sound. It’s a wide variety of messaging.

How did the idea for Artifeelcial EP first come about?

Soundz: Artifeelcial was supposed to be something else initially. We knew we wanted to make music together. KJ had a different title in mind, it had a different direction in his mind. On my side, I just wanted to make music. I just wanted to keep making music and see where it led to. And when we got to a point, we knew we were working on something different, something fresh beyond what either of us had in mind initially. And when we clocked it felt real, it didn’t feel fake. It felt neutral, real. It felt like home and didn’t feel artificial. That’s where the meme came from.

KJ: In addition, what I would say is in terms of the fluidity as far as this work and how quiet we got these records made. We actually got in the studio for the first time in December in Ghana. We pretty much had the whole thing mapped out in terms of the records. It was supposed to be out in March or so, that was a decent plan. Life and things kept happening and in September we got back together in London and got back in the studio. There was a slight change in plan for the record but we both were happy with the change. I wouldn’t say change in direction but in addition to the direction it went and how quick we made the new records. We recorded two more in London and we added it. We did the one with Melissa at the house, the whole process was natural and it was effortless. And that’s how we came about it.

What inspired the title?

Soundz: For me , the name came by when I listened to the project. When I listened to the project, I literally asked myself that what was the names or the words that came to mind when i listened to the project and the answer were real, home and heart. I felt like this was from the heart, it didn’t feel like i was forcing or we were forcing vibes songs or anything. All the other features on the project were seamless. Since I’ve been making music, I’ve not really seen collaborations being this seamless in music. They felt natural and homely, I just knew, it’s not artificial but Artifeelcial, because when you see it from an outside person’s perspective, it sort of seems like a perfectly engineered project and what people won’t know is that we were just flowing and the project literally wrote itself. Especially in this time and age, where you really can’t tell what is real or fake, especially in music. When it comes to art, it is more of a reminder that you have to let things flow and happen naturally. This way, they end up becoming way better than when you’re trying to be a perfectionist about it. And that’s what it represents to me.

KJ: It's the same thing for me. But it also has a double meaning to me in terms of the artificial element when you listen to the last song winner which is an inspirational song that talks about not letting anyone or nothing affect you in those types of things. So in terms of the artificial elements of it, there’s so much in life that we stress and bother ourselves about that are man-made and we should not really let those things bother us or make us feel a certain way.

The EP features an exciting mix of artists including Libianca, Sarkodie, Lil Kesh, Melissa and Hevi. How did you arrive at such a line-up?

Soundz: Each song represents a story like we said in the beginning of the interview. Kj and I are big on stories and messages. When you listen to the song with Libianca, you can literally hear a response to what I was saying or singing in my own verse. It was more of a duet and a female perspective on a particular matter, same goes to Melissa. We’re telling a story and we don’t want it to feel one sided. We made it very inclusive, both genders on each side of the conversation. So we were all intentional about it as much as it happened naturally. As creatives we had to make sure everything fit into the story we’re trying to tell. And we gave it that story, we also made sure that we mixed it as much as possible. Kj is from Ghana, I am from Nigeria, Libianca is from Cameroon, Hevi is from Tanzania, Lil Kesh-Nigeria, Melissa-Ghana. We wanted it to feel as African and inclusive as possible in our own way. So when it comes to nationality, it is an African project.

Kj: In addition, in terms of how the project flowed, from the first record, missing you to Fomo to Daddy to Mami Water and Winner, the whole project flows beautifully and to everybody it's like a movie. Every feature came at the right point where it represented something that makes the entire story. You can feel the project based on the variety of options and to have that many people come together and it works and flows so effortlessly, given the diversity of sounds within our spaces makes it much more special and that it flows and nothing feels out of place. You can play the whole thing and everybody or artist has a favorite record on the project. Some of the artists have another record they’re not featured on as their favorite. And that’s something I really like about the project and how different collaborations came together.

KJ, you come from a strong background in music production, artist development and executive work, while Soundz brings his perspective as a singer, songwriter and producer. How did you navigate those different creative strengths in the studio?

KJ: Throughout the process, I was inspired and excited watching Soundz. As fast as his writing skills, his ability to draft out the most amazing stuff and how he’s able to do things that fits each record. It wasn’t like a one-star, one dimensional artist. He really inspired me. Seeing and working with him was really inspiring and it brought my creativity to a higher level. His skill set is top notch, I must say, so yes he changed something’s for me.

How do you think your individual journeys and experiences influenced what you were able to create together on Artifeelcial?

Soundz: We’re not so different from each other in a way. When I met KJ for the first time my thought of him was “he’s someone that is very very particular about his art”. It’s not just oh we’re doing this thing let’s do it. He pays attention to the tiniest of details. If we’re trying to do something with KJ, we have to make sure we get close to it. Working with someone like that who has been working with Sarkodie for a long time, way before I started making music, working with someone that has that much experience also gives me some sort of foundational trust because he has seen a lot of artists come and go, same goes to sounds. He has so much experience. He is someone that if you guys are working on something together and he says it makes sense, just trust it. And I feel like that’s the most important thing. Trust and make sure the other person feels as included in the project as you are. He makes my ideas very receptive and he is also accommodating when it comes to creativity. He goes “yo this is what when have or i think this can work”. And I feel that’s one thing that makes it so easy and it makes us, regardless of what we have going on with our individual career, blend because at the end of the day, it doesn't feel like we’re so different, we’re just two guys, two similar guys working together.

One of the exciting things about the EP is how it brings artists together from different parts of Africa with different musical backgrounds. 

Soundz: I already said it before. This is a project from Africa and we want people to know it was intentional. It was heavily felt. We wanted to touch different parts of African music, sounds and artists so when our listeners listen to the project, they understand that they had a feel of each other or at least some of the continents in or from Africa.

KJ: I think it was something we both had in mind but never expressed it. It was a vibe we had but there was never an intention. Our biggest intention was to give different vibes and make amazing music. It was not intentional on my part but it ended up being something diverse and it did not represent a particular region in terms of sound or where it was coming from. I call it a very international sound with a local appeal or a local feel. It was not intentional but I feel most of my records always end up having that type of energy.

Has making Artifeelcial changed the way you approach collaboration, production or even your understanding of what African music can become?

Soundz: I feel like this is a one of a kind project. I know we’ve seen people collaborate on projects a lot of times, we’ve seen two artists, artists and producers but this is sort of different in a way because this now shows that artist managers and people in other sectors of the music industry can also do something like this. They can also find an artist and collaborate with them and create a project. I’ll not say it’s the first time it’s happening in the music scene but it is not something people are used to seeing happen. And I feel it’s something that people should be open-minded to. It doesn’t always have to be two artists, one artist and producer or two artists. It won’t be bad if there’s an artist manager or an A&R with good knowledge of music, collaborating with an artist to create magic. It should not be something foreign, I feel we should embrace it more.

For me, making Artifeelcial just made me comfortable in my own skin. We’re in a very peculiar time when it comes to the kind of sounds that are in the industry because everybody is experimental which is a good thing but can sometimes go bad. Regardless, doing this just made me comfortable with trying out different stuff because on the Ep there are different approaches to different songs. The one with Libianca feels different from the one with Melissa, Lil Kesh and everyone on the EP. The project apppwed me to feel more vulnerable so I could express myself better in different ways with each song. For me, it sort of expanded the process that I had already and made me comfortable and more vulnerable so I could express myself more.

KJ: 100%. When you have a project that flows so effortlessly it shows that it can work and it does work. Collaborations are always the best way to open up any marketplace especially in our spaces. So having more collaborations and seeing this work in the way that it did, I definitely feel like it’s going to spark a lot of conversation and interest especially with how diverse the sound is. So yes, it is definitely the way forward and the timing could not have been better, where everybody feels like we are looking for something new and exciting.

Definitely. It has changed a lot, especially in terms of production and this journey. I feel very new, like a new artist, like I’m starting afresh. Seeing how Soundz creates, seeing his process and how he has a unique way of making a sound blend regardless of where it’s coming from, he makes it different but it blends. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned from this process. It has been an eye opener and I feel like a newcomer in this thing.

On the Artifeelcial Ep, what are your favourite tracks? 

KJ: That’s a really tough one. Everyday I have a different one. Regardless, I will say Missing you. It’s hybrid in terms of Afro meets R&B, Afro meets vibe. So I’ll say Missing you.

Soundz: For me, the way I’m feeling right now, I’ll say FOMO because it sort of gives this Caribbean, Jamaican feel. I don’t know why I’m in that mood today but that’s my favorite at the moment.

Lastly, what do you want listeners to take out from this project?

Soundz: First thing I would like creatives to take out from listening to this project is allowing themselves to become more free with the process and trusting the process, because when I first met KJ, I was open-minded and that’s one of the reasons we were able to even come together to do this in the first place. A lot of creatives are not open-minded and it hinders growth. They’re sort of in their space which is one thing I wanted to get out of this project. One special, funny thing is even without the features we would have done the project still, because it wasn’t on the table initially and that’s where open-mindedness comes because you actually don’t know what tomorrow holds. You don’t know what this opportunity you’re saying yes to can bring to the table tomorrow. So just do it with your whole heart regardless of what might come out of it. Just believe in it and do it. And five or three years from now, I want to look back at this project as a pivot point and a major turning point when it comes to bridging the point between our fellow African countries and making it more seamless for us to have more collaborations and work together with more artists, producers, A&R’s, to work as a unit. We already have the potential, we already have the music and the sound as well as substance. All we just need to do is come together more than we already have.

KJ: What I would add is in terms of making music for purpose and making music that has a message. And in terms of messaging, it doesn’t have to be “conscious” or a certain type of message . It could be a message that sparks emotions in the listeners and in creatives as well. I think that’s the biggest thing I want people to gale away from. Making great art and being focused on making good music at that particular sound. I always believe that we can always get better with our craft in terms of creativity and direction as fast as the quality is good. Sticking to the core and making up, that’s the biggest thing for me.

Photo credit: Kj Spio & Soundz

‍