Mantra
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Mantra

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“I was definitely in a different headspace writing this album because I picked up so much about making my first one,” explains Tremlett. “There is a sense of being a lot more comfortable admitting to the world that I don’t know everything, that I don’t hold the answers to life, that I’ve learned so much in the last year and that there’s still plenty left to learn. A lot of the album is about being contemplative and questioning the things that have happened in my life, as opposed to maybe just laying doing my stance on things and that’s it. I think it’s possible to confidently profess that no, you don’t know everything. I’ve realised that the music industry is definitely not the scary monster that I imagined it would be, even though navigating the business side of things is a necessary evil. As long as that’s not entering your mind when you’re making music, though, you’re fine.”

Instead, what played heavily on Tremlett’s mind was the bittersweet memory of an old friend who passed away as a teenager, but who served as the number one catalyst in the birth of Mantra. For him, Tremlett dedicated second-to-last track For You featuring Mark Pearl – a song which the rapper claims he struggled with up until now. Sometimes it’s just as much about timing.

“I’ve been trying to recording it a few different times over the last few years and it just never really worked out for some strange reason,” Tremlett says. “We tried this new version for the album with Mark on the chorus, and it turned out to be amazing. It just sent shivers down the spine as soon as we listened back to it. The guy that the song is about was a friend of mine who encouraged me to start rapping in the first place, I remember we had so much fun being 16 and making hip-hop beats. He was later stabbed and killed in Southbank when he was only 17, and the guy that did it was the same age. The whole thing was totally random and unprovoked. It’s sad because not only was he taken but I feel like I owe a lot to him as well in many ways. Sometimes I think that it’s because of him that I’m doing this thing that’s become my entire life and he’s not around to see it. He was meant to be here doing it with us and enjoying this life with us!”

Still, Tremlett is stoked mates like Drapht, Urthboy, Illy, M-Phazes, El Gusto and Mista Savona did get to put their stamp on Speaking Volumes – even recruiting Swedish rapper Promoe [Looptroop Rockers]. However, it’s the lead single Got Me Wrong, featuring Parvyn Kaur Singh which has hijacked the triple j airways already, with Tremlett claiming that working with Kaur Singh was one of the highlights of making Speaking Volumes.

“Having Promoe was a massive deal for me because I’ve always looked up to him and enjoyed his music for a long time!” enthuses Tremlett. “I knew Self-Destruct would be a perfect track for him so when he was so enthusiastic to jump on it, I felt a huge sense of pride! Everybody on the album has become a close personal friend to me – they’re all people I respect artistically. I also have to say that having Parvyn on the single was amazing, she is this vocalist with an amazing Hindi-style of singing, I’m just totally in awe and stunned at her talent! As soon as I discovered her music and as soon as I heard that voice, it just sent shivers down my spine so without question I had to work with her at some point. Of course I have to mention people like Drapht and Urthboy and really everybody on the album – all of these people are my favourite artists in the country.”

Often referred to in Australian hip-hop circles as “your rapper’s favourite rapper”, Tremlett says he’s been lucky to avoid the sophomore album curse, claiming that it’s been relatively effortless to make Speaking Volumes. Though he had much less time on his hands to finish the album, he claims the ideas came pouring out this time around.

“It took me ages to release my first album,” Tremlett recalls. “A big part of the reason was that I was still learning so much, obviously, so I was able to take my time and do things to the best of my ability. This time it was a little bit different, I went out of my way to mark out how I wanted the entire process to go with the second album. I was also doing a bunch of touring as well throughout the whole thing; we did the national tour with Drapht earlier this year, that was really good fun and another learning curve. I’m glad it happened and even though that was awesome it meant that I had to be squeezing in flights in between the tour dates to head back to Melbourne and keep recording. I put a deadline on myself very strictly for this album so I knew I had to utilise my time a lot more, which made me very motivated and focused. I think it’s the approach I would want to take next time around. Once you start building up that momentum you can’t really afford to stop or slow down.”

Despite now having only two full-length solo albums under his belt, Mantra is still considered among those in the Australian hip hop community as something of a “rapper’s rapper”. It’s a flattering tag to be given, as Tremlett chuckles, but it’s not something he thinks about every day. If anything, this emcee is cool, calm and humble in the midst of all hype.

“No, I have noticed that over the last couple of years with my solo stuff, people that I’ve looked up to in the scene for a long time have been returning the respect back to me. It’s not something that I necessarily agree with or disagree, but when people describe you as their favourite hip-hop artist or one of the more talented emcees in the country, it’s nice to know people have that opinion of you. There’s been a lot more interest in what I’m doing since my music got exposed to the wider Australian hip-hop market. Like, putting [lead single] Got Me Wrong out there, I found the response has been more immediate and more eager straight away from people and media like triple j. There’s a feeling as though people have been waiting for this album in a way.”

Similarly, so has Tremlett, adding that there is no feeling in the world quite like holding the done and dusted physical album copy in your hot little hands. In fact, wrapping up the entire process has finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

“I think they spelled my name wrong on the cover!” he jokes. “Just kidding! I’m just looking at the brand new copies of the album now and the whole thing just looks really good. The artwork is amazing, the collabs are wicked. Until you’re actually holding it in your hands as a finished product, you don’t get that sense of officiality until that moment. I’ve had the music finished for a long time but just seeing it pressed and packaged takes it to a new level! There are phases throughout making an album that become their own milestones of achievement, so the happiest I’ve ever felt has been every time I finish a song and I know that it’s done. I guess it’s the little things sometimes that make you feel that massive sense of satisfaction!”

 

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