Electronic trios, Foreign Beggars and NOISIA (yup, that’s TWO trios), dropped a mystery bomb on Facebook last month followed by the announcement of a collaborative project titled, I Am Legion (no, Will Smith is not in the group as that one was “Legend”). The debut self-titled album, which can be described as “futuristic, electronic, rapshit,” according to the FB’s Orifice Vulgatron (better known as OV). The record’s first single, “Make Those Move” has been making its own moves through cyberspace, and as both groups have proved time and time again through earlier collabs, this crew has stayed ahead of the curve by forming so-called EDM supergroups long before acts like New World Punx, Dog Blood or Afroki came to be. In contrast to recent releases by acts such as Daft Punk, who actively divert attention far away from the label, “EDM,” I Am Legion have innovated a middle ground for NOISIA’s militant consonance and Foreign Beggars’ feverish flows to meet.
VIBE gains some insight on the project from Foreign Beggars’ Orifice Vulgatron.
VIBE: How did NOISIA and Foreign Beggars first get together?
OV: The actual first encounter was at Glastonbury festival. Prior to that, whilst on tour in France, someone driving the NOISIA guys to a show played them Asylum Speakers [FB’s 2003 debut album]. They were interested to collaborate and tried to reach out through DJ Go and Beni G.
VIBE: Whose idea was it to join forces on a whole album?
After our first few experiences in the studio we were all so inspired and pumped by how everything was turning out, we decided to keep the project alive with the abstract goal of making an album.
VIBE: How you do think long-time fans will react to the new sounds?
Hopefully, they will see that we’ve really tried to push the envelope in terms of production, concept, music and writing in bringing together hip-hop and various sub genres of electronic music.
VIBE: How would you describe the “genre” of the album in 3 words?
Futuristic Electronic Rapshit
VIBE: What does the first single “Make Those Move” say for the rest of the record?
Strangely, “Make Those Move” is very different from the rest of the record. We intentionally steered clear of trying to make a “single” or anything with a purpose in mind. The idea behind this entire album was a departure from doing anything expected and creating exactly what we felt like making at the time. “Make Those Move” seemed like a perfect follow-up to the music we’d previously released as Foreign Beggars and NOISIA to act as a sort of bridge into the rest of the stuff on the album.
VIBE: Are there any particular artists that had an influence on the creative processes?
Well, the album was made in somewhere between 30 to 40 sporadic studio sessions over the last five years so there have been many artists that have influenced or inspired our creative output at the time.
I Am Legionwill be released Sept. 2nd on Noisia’s Division Recordings, the Beggars’ own new label Par Excellence, and Skrillex’s OWSLA label in the United States. Additionally, the first two singles off of the album will be accompanied by a short film written and co-directed by the group and Thijs Gloger.
For now, get your preview on with “Make Those Move.”
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