Cooly G And Stay Positive Are The Perfect Team On "You Hate Me"

Stay Positive makes the sort of music perfect for soundtracking those melancholic comedown moments, where the sunrise burning your face as you leave the club at 6AM has you getting all kinds of sad and introspective. So it's kind of excellent he chose to team up with the inimitable somberness of Cooly G for track "You Hate Me". Even more excellent is that they gave us the video to premiere, which features Cooly singing her heart out spliced with vintage rave footage.

We rang both of them up to chat about their new video and to talk R Kelly, artist anonymity and, ummm, pooping yourself.

Noisey: Hey! So what’s going on in the video for “You Hate Me”

Stay Positive: It’s kind of like a pirate radio broadcast, really inspired by Boiler Room. The idea is that Cooly G has come along and is performing this track and it’s being broadcast out to people.

I watched an interview years back that was solely comprised of YouTube clips and your Wikipedia page has limited info. Why were you being so secretive in the past and why are you talking to us now?

The nature of the project, I guess. It’s always changing. At the start we weren’t really sure of what we were trying to do, there were nine of us involved and now there’s just me. Now, I feel like I’ve settled on this sort of sound that I want to make and the way I want to present it, at least much more than I was then. Especially given the whole anonymity thing in music…it’s become such an overused trope. It’s better to be honest with people.

Definitely. How did it boil down to just being you from nine people?

It was a fairly organic process. People dropped out or other new people came in to fulfill different roles in the project. I was the only person making the music and eventually, as it became more focused, it went towards just being me.

What can we expect from the Blood Brother EP?

It’s the first thing I’m putting out on Stay Positive Industries so in a lot of respects it’s the realest EP that I’ve put out so far. It hasn’t really had any influence from the outside. There are four tracks on there, two are single type of tracks and the other two are instrumentals. It’s a lot more varied than stuff I’ve put out before.

Sweet, let’s go for a couple of quick fire questions. How would your parents describe your sound?

It’s not a very exciting answer but they’d say that it’s nice. They tell me they listen to it, but I don’t think they do. They probably put the track on and leave the room and come back when it’s finished.

Ha. What would your death row meal be?

Fuck! I have no idea. It’s horrible to even think about being on death row. Umm, I’d probably eat something really disgusting, because when you die, you shit yourself.

Really?

Yeah, that happens, man. When you die your body just goes “yeah, we don’t need to keep any of this crap in anymore”. I can’t believe I’m talking about shit, how did this happen?!

Happens to the best of us. What’s the background on your phone?

It’s unimaginatively the front cover of my old Arem EP.

Aesthetical. What’s the best thing you’ve ever been in fancy dress?

I went as Spaghett from the Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

When did you last eat your five a day?

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten my five a day.

It’s so hard, right? I’ve got to one today.

One is a good start!

Why did you decide to make music instead of getting an executive job?

It’s the only thing I can do. At school I always did music and as long as I’ve been able to have independent movement over my fingers I’ve been trying to play keyboards or pick up instruments and stuff. I don’t find anything else interesting really.

Nothing? What about painting?

I like creative stuff, definitely. But I’m not that great at other creative things. Music is the thing that comes naturally.

Noisey: Hey Cooly, how’s it going?

Cooly: I’m good, knackered. I’m traveling tomorrow to Copenhagen but I’m just sorting out the kids’ things.

How are the kids?

They are amazing. My son is dramatic and my baby is just so funny. Right now she’s just going through the clothes throwing them all over the place.

I read that you want to work with R Kelly. Has he hollered you yet?

No, I’m gonna cry. I just think he’s sick, innit. I actually used to sing on loads of his instrumentals. When I was younger, I never used to have any beats so I used to rap over American beats.

How far did you get into the Trapped In The Closet series?

I didn’t get to go through it all. Actually, I’m gonna do this later.

Favorite shower song?

“You Remind Me Of Something” by R Kelly! Because that has been in my iTunes list for the last couple of weeks. On repeat, wining in the house and acting like an idiot.

Ha. How's the football going?

I train a bit. I’ve got my son into football now but I just train and stuff like that. If there was a big match with DJs, then I would play and I would shut it down up front.

How do you like to chill out when not doing music?

I just chill out with the kids but I’m always doing music. If I’m not, I’d be watching loads of films but I’ve just been trying to decorate so I haven’t had a normal life for a bit. When I’m relaxed, I like to do a bit of interior designing and planning out little things if I were to do a big house or venue.

So, "You Hate Me" sounds like the type of hallucinogenic rave that Mike Skinner would get lost in circa "Blinded By The Lights." Was there a particular rave that you liked to go to?

Telepathy, them old school jungle and drum & bass raves. They were quite huge for them days. In the video, you see the acid raves, my mum used to be in those raves and she always used to come back and tell us about them raves being nuts. There were no flyers, you’d just drive and find your way to some old warehouse. You’d just be following people.

Sweet. And how did you meet up with Stay Positive?

They got my email from Hyperdub and then I just got the beat off of them and they were like ‘write to it’. When it came to the date to go to the studio, I didn’t really write anything. I just brought the kids, jumped in the booth, sang and then left. It was quite quick. I don’t really write that much.

What background do you have on your phone?

My son in a Gucci hat.

Finally, in terms of your future projects, what have you got brewing?

I’m doing a new EP at the moment, which is coming out in a couple months, and I’m basically approaching people to do collaborations. Other than that, I’m just trying to have fun and get some shows going.

Thanks guys!

Follow them on Twitter @CoolyGUK and @staypositiveLDN