With Daniel Merriweather lending his vocals to their most recent release, Simple Man, Diafrix are offering a new kind of hip hop to the Australian music scene. Having played Glastonbury earlier this year, we caught up with one half of the duo, Momo, to learn more.
MTTM: Can you tell us a bit more about how you formed the duo?
Momo: We met at a hip-hop workshop that gave us the inspiration to pursue our music further and take it a lot more seriously. Really, we were just looking for something to keep us busy and out of trouble.
MTTM: What is it about your individual talents that you feel compliment each other?
Momo: I think the way we push each other as individuals compliments our work and in turn our inner selves. It’s hard sometimes to know what your capabilities are especially with what we do with all the flipping genres. It’s nice to have someone close who knows your potential when you doubt your own delivery. We can also bounce ideas and give honest criticism to one another.
MTTM: How did Daniel Merriweather get involved with vocals on Simple Man?
Momo: We just finished recording the song and we were thinking how dope it would be to get Daniel on a track. I hadn’t seen or spoken to Daniel in a while and I went out that week to this club and he just happened to be there! Sure enough I told him about the track, that we were keen to get him on board and he was cool with it. It was hard to get him in the studio though – the dude is so busy! Finally I got him in and he layed it down.
MTTM: Just how much fun was it to film the Simple Man video? I love the end result!
Momo: It wasn’t fun shooting a summer clip in the middle of a Melbourne winter! In order to get the right sunlight we had to spread the clip out for 3 days. 6 am starts, 5pm finishes, playing the waiting game with Mother Nature. We had a great crew though, I’m happy with the finished product. Shout out to every one who helped out!
MTTM: Are you really simple men?
Momo: With out a doubt. The lyrics are real!
MTTM: Hip Hop and reggae have definitely seen a rise in popularity and success in Australia over the past five to ten years, do you feel that you entered the industry at the perfect time for your sound?
Momo: If you’re talking in our music life time then no. If you’re talking about our life time then yes. We’ve been doing our thing the same way for the last 10 years. But you never know with the music industry, it’s a lot like the weather in Melbourne: unpredictable.
MTTM: And do you feel that Melbourne was the best place to start your musical careers?
Momo: That’s a hard question, but I always think about what it would have been if during my migration to Australia we ended up somewhere else for example the UK or France. Would I have been a musician? I’m sure I would have been involved in music some how. But I guess I ended up here for a reason, my music is what it is because of my journey and where I am. Maybe I could have been Jackie Chan’s stunt double if I landed somewhere else.
MTTM: What was it like touring with Bruno Mars? Any crazy tour stories?
Momo: The dude is a musical genius and very humble, yet wild. Toured Australia and New Zealand with him. I think I’ve lost the top end in my hearing from all the girls screaming.
MTTM: How was the Glastonbury experience for you?
Momo: Apart form the madness. And the security while trying get in (tighter than Fort Knox) it was a life changing experience. The stage we played was empty when we started but 3 songs in we were having a party, it was alive! I’d have to say Beyonce’s performance was a show never to forget. I’ve never seen such professionalism.
MTTM: What’s next for you guys? Will you be playing more in the UK soon?
Momo: We’re working on our second album ‘Pocket Full of Dreams’ which will be out next early next year. Definitely be back in the UK and Europe in the very near future.
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