Interview with Bantum – RHA Hennessy Lost Friday

By No More Workhorse on February 21, 2018 • ( Leave a comment )

Bantum – Photo: Brid O’Donovan

Interview with Ruairi Lynch – Bantum – RHA Hennessy Lost Friday

Hennessy Lost Fridays – Experience an Unforgettable Night of Cocktails, Colour and Creativity

Date : Friday 3rd March. 7pm – 11.30pm – Tickets : €20, includes two complimentary Hennessy cocktails. Strictly over 21’s.

Headliner Act Bantum (Ruairi Lynch) is a Cork native producer, DJ, musician and composer who is making waves in the Irish Music Scene. Known both for his solo work, 2016’s album Move was nominated for a Choice Music Prize Artist of the Year, as well as collaborations with some of Ireland’s hottest and upcoming artists, Bantum will bring his unique electronic sound on the night along with a full AV-set with visual artist, Letissier.

You are often described as a DJ, musician and composer. They are very different musical scenes. Can you tell me about your background, how you got into music?

I started off by learning guitar in my early teens and playing with my friends in local bands. Going into college I continued to play in cover bands around Cork which opened me up to a wide range of music and song writing styles. After college I was at a loose end, so I started dabbling with making my own tunes on Garage Band before graduating to Ableton software. I started to post my own music online after which I decided to come up with a name for the project, and ‘Bantum’ sounded nice! This gave me the impetus to really look for my own sound while releasing a series of EPs. After this I gathered the confidence to release an album called ‘Legion’, followed by ‘Move’ a few years later.

What do you think of the Irish music scene? Do enough new bands/ artists make it to the mainstream or is that important?

I think it’s in a good place. The new Irish music emerging today is very diverse in terms of styles which is brilliant, and I think Irish acts are getting more support from radio stations lately. In terms of going mainstream I’m hearing a lot of Irish acts getting played on TV and radio so I think the support is there, but I guess for everyone it’s trying to crack the overseas market which is a huge task! Rejjie Snow would be one act that comes to mind who is doing really well outside of Ireland.

Do you need a diverse range of skills to make a living as a musician in Ireland? What’s the most unusual event you’ve been asked to perform at?

There’s definitely an element of multi tasking to it! In terms of making a living I still work a day job (like many musicians I know) so time management is something you have get on top of.

Music colleges like BIMM are doing a great job in preparing young musicians for managing themselves in the music business as there is so much to it. Unusual events? Well I’m about to play the “It Takes a Village” festival in Trabolgan Holiday Village, Cork which is definitely an unusual spot for me, last time I was there I was 5!

What were your favourite albums as a teenager? The ones that really got you into music?

I’ve written about it recently but “Surrender” by The Chemical Brothers really changed things up for me. Before that I was really into the rock side of things but this album really impressed on me that you could mix so many different styles and genres into one LP. I’ll always go back to the heavy stuff too, “Master of Puppets” by Metallica still sounds amazing!

You seem to enjoy collaborating with other artists. Anyone you’d particularly love to have worked with, living or dead?

I would have loved to have sat in on a Beastie Boys writing session just to see how they did things. They had a “kitchen sink” style of production that I’ve always loved. Sadly, I never got to see them live before MCA passed away. I’m loving what SZA is doing at the moment, she’s coming up with some incredible melodies lately, really different to everything else out there.