Unmasking Brit Trip-Hop Artist Khordelia
Khordelia epitomises the true core of what it means to create music. He focuses solely on the expression of his creation, eradicating the need to make a name for himself by obscuring his identity. He is a trip-hop artist from London who started off primarily producing grime music and soon branched out into a more intricate and trippy sound with great reception. He released his album entitled Khordelia earlier this year and was recently acknowledged on BBC introducing as a new, up-and-coming, under the radar musician.
We chat to Khordelia about the evolvement of his music, the expression of intimacy in his lyrics, and the choice to mask his face from the public. Ayla Dhyani writes.
Tell us about how you got into the music industry.
Khordelia grew pretty organically. I originally started making grime tracks, but with experimentation they progressively became more trudge, staggered, slower and trippier. I increasingly became fonder of my singing choruses rather than my rap verses. Soon I ended up singing my bars and spreading them out over verses. Then I just put my music up online to see how it was received. People are finding it and supporting it. I'm really grateful.
While your music is becoming more widely well known, you have chosen to hide your identity from the public. What is the main reason behind you choosing to mask yourself?
Hopefully it is. I really don't do music for any form of fame or for a spotlight directly on my face. That doesn't interest me at all. It just lets people see past the superficial and focus on what matters most, and that's music.
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As a trip-hop artist, you produce very intricate beats. Do you work with any other artists?
Thank you. I really like artists like Sneaker Pimps, Fugees, Portishead and Burial. Their percussion and musical elements are remarkable and very intricate. I do produce for other artists, although I don't publicly put my name to it.
Do you enjoy performing as well as creating music?
Yes. For me performing at gigs is creating. Not only musically, but you're creating an experience, a moment, feelings and memories for other people.
The lyrics in most of your songs are predominantly focused on sex, and sometimes a lack of intimacy. Is that an important aspect of your self-expression?
Yes, a lack of emotional intimacy over physical intimacy. For me, passionate intimacy is very different to compassionate intimacy. I've learnt from my past and very rarely choose to bond on a personal level. I do believe in belonging together, whether it's just for a night or forever.
Are you working on any other projects at the moment?
No, just this.
What stimulates your soul?
Feeling, emotions, and how a concoction of layered sound waves can change how someone feels. That is music. Music is for the soul. It helps you feel when you sometimes can't feel much at all. It's cathartic to everyone involved, creator and listener.
Want to hear more?
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