Introducing LMBSKN, the Electronic Music Performer Expanding the Scope of House Music in Nigeria
"I thought it was important to hold space for experimentation and weirdness"
Trying to see inside the mind behind LMBSKN is a journey that is always fruitful but seemingly never ending. As several conversations between us unfolded, he peeled back one complex layer after the other to reveal the network of operations that make up his contributions to the Electronic music scene in Nigeria. A key player in the genre for the last half decade, LMBSKN defines himself not as a DJ but as an ‘Electronic music performer.’
“I build a set of mostly my songs or remixes that I’ve made over the years, and perform those in front of a crowd. In some cases, that may entail mashing up two of my songs,” LMBSKN explains in an exclusive interview with NATIVE. “But it’s important to remember that they’re mostly my songs and that’s not DJing at all. It’s a lot more fun but a lot more stressful.” This seemingly trivial detail not only distinguishes LMBSKN from his peers, but is crucial to informing the way he – and others – understand his craft. And after over a decade dabbling in music, punctuated by a few off moments where he was told his music was ‘not commercial enough,’ it’s clear that LMBSKN is marching to the beat of his own drum with a self-assured vigour.
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Although LMBSKN wouldn’t call himself one, it’s impossible to trace the trajectory of Electronic music without recognising the role of DJs in that history. Before the pandemic-induced resurgence of House came in the form of South Africa’s mainstay genre, Amapiano, DJ’s had begun climbing the music industry ladder with imaginative sound experiments across Hip-Hop and Techno. Names like Vinni Da Vinci sprung to the forefront, and then just a couple of years down the line, Black Coffee rose to prominence, cementing South Africa as a one-stop-shop for reimagined yet authentic Electronic music inflected with uniquely African sensibilities. As veteran acts took over the mainstage, DJs in the ’burbs of South Africa used intoxicating beats to garner the ears of music lovers across Africa, hinged on sub-genres like Gqom. The sound seeped through cracks and sprouted to the top of playlists and party tracklists, later informing an even deeper exploration into other facets of House music beyond the now commercialised rhythm of log drums.
The growth of House and the appetite for all the other sounds it’s birthed, led to the emergence of party initiatives and spaces where Electronic music could live and grow. “As much as popular Nigerian music has gained prominence globally, I sense that we’re growing a bit tired of the party experiences that go along with that sound,” LMBSKN observes. “At the same time, many more people are accepting and exploring Electronic music and it seems pretty obvious that in a couple years, we’d have figured out a couple of things regarding our contribution to the global Electronic music conversation.” Alongside others like Group Therapy and Element House, Wolf In The Hen House – LMBKSN’s own Electronic-led party – has carved special room for itself in the scene, propping up acts like Weareallchemicals, Aniko and Yosa to name a few.
“I thought it was important to hold space for experimentation and weirdness”
Only a few months since its establishment, Wolf In The Hen House is gradually growing into a community space where like-minded music lovers can commune over their passion for Electronic music. Considering the initiative is still in its infancy, LMBSKN is careful to shape the course of its growth to avoid getting lost in the noise of the current music scene. He describes it as an “interactive” space, which not only includes the transfer of ideas between attendants, but also between the performance acts and the audience. “I find that I’m at my best as a curator, music producer or performer when I’m following my instincts… I might ask somebody to give me a melody idea or a riff to make something out of and that would be absolutely unplanned. I’m just being a producer and performing my own music, whatever that means,” he says. The success of spaces and community-driven initiatives like Wolf in the Hen House, LMBSKN explains, largely relies on a relationship of trust between artist and audience. And for LMBSKN, that trust extends beyond the dance floor and into the studio, where even more magic happens.
Despite establishing himself as a mainstay curator and performer in Nigeria’s underground scene, LMBSKN has not left the world of music production, making sure to build a bridge from his comfort zone to mainstream audiences. His chords, created mostly on his synthesiser, have touched music from the likes of Pan African rockstar herself, Lady Donli, to Nairobi-born vocalist, Nikita Kering. He explains that all collaborations require the artists to submit to the process, whatever that may entail, because it will more than likely require them to try something outside their comfort zone. In the end, the goal is to leave them better than they came and more willing to experiment in the future: “I find that the best sessions are those where the artists either trust me beforehand, or I am able to earn their trust in the first few minutes of the conversation. I start most sessions by just chatting for an hour or two to help everybody drop their artist persona at the door and feel like we’re just hanging out and creating,” he says. Think tracks like “Hello Lady” and “Industreets,” off Lady Donli’s ‘Pan-African Rockstar’ or NATIVE Sound System’s Ayra Starr-assisted “Stuck on You,” where we see these artists fully embrace new directions to birth pristine artistry.
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Speaking on his past collaborations, LMBSKN shares, “We can make six songs and two of them are going to leave you thinking, ‘hm, I didn’t know I could do that.’ Another part of your brain would’ve been opened up and hopefully, willing to do more of it. That’s when I know it’s working.”
One unrivalled career high however, came from his long time love for film and manifested with score production credits for Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever- Music From and Inspired By.’ “We absolutely also deserve to be there.” he candidly expressed as he detailed the process of working in the Lagos camp for the project. If the important role of Africans, especially Nigerians, in shaping global music wasn’t clear before, that moment dismissed any lingering doubt in LMBSKN’s mind. The message came through perfectly in a full circle moment for the artist, considering it was delivered by people he draws inspiration from, “I grew up idolising film composers like Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat and even Ludwig.”
Beyond iconic film geniuses, LMBSKN, draws inspiration from a slew of veteran acts in the Dance and Pop scene like Daft Punk, who he referenced when finalising his artist moniker. The French Electronic music duo whose music took the world by storm after forming in the 1990s, are widely recognised for their robot-like helmets, adding an air of mystery to their craft, but more importantly, allowing the music to stay at the centre of everything they do. While physical recognisability does not rank high when considering what ways to communicate his work, LMBSKN still hopes to continue making music that resonates so clearly, any listener can pick it out of a thousand-song playlist – a common trait of the music from two of his idols, Pharell Williams and Kaytranada. “Of course my personality will shine through but music is the priority,” he says. “The most important fact about LMBSKN is that he makes the music that he makes.”
Back home in Nigeria, he cites William Onyeabor who not only played the synthesiser but holds admirable levels of tenacity that shone through in his music and his modes of production. While the idea of separating the art from artist typically appears in more problematic stories, the distinction only sheds light on LMBSKN’s laser focus and his determination to package the message he was placed in the world to deliver.
“The most important one for me is if the people who lived through this time I’m living, think back and say ‘that was a moment’”
More than anything, LMBSKN is here to reinvent the ways we approach music as both consumers and creators. Whether it’s through Wolf In The Hen House, his captivating Youtube series, LMB Chops or even his upcoming music, the name LMBSKN comes with a promise of good vibes and artistic innovation, now and always.
Featured Image Credits/The NATIVE
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