No individual typifies the essential-but-complex relationship between the UK and US music scenes more than Example. The West London born rapper-turned-singer-turned-pop star-turned-producer has had four albums in a row hit #1 on the UK Dance Charts, a list of collaborators that spans from Calvin Harris to Nero, and a recent marriage to Ms. Australia – but few on this side of the pond seem to recognize Example's toothy grin and low-slung baritone amidst the cluttered, genre-centric musical landscape.The old cliche about the UK music scene is that they're a couple years ahead, and for the most part it rings true. London produces an off-shoot genre about once a week, whereas we're still trying to figure out if seapunk is actually a real thing. But the British populus' small-pond syndrome and tendency to oscillate between self-celebration and self-sabotage leaves a lot of artists in a wonky nether region between success and stagnation.This is the crossroads at which we find Example, despite having achieved bonafide pop star status on his native isle. He hasn't made life easy on himself, though. "I started off as a rapper making hip hop," he explains to THUMP. "My second album was electro-pop. My third record was dubstep. My fourth album was guitars. And this fifth one, I suppose, it's more of a purist dance album. Some songs are big beat, breakbeat, some songs are more minimal, there's some techy stuff. There's some EDM main room stuff too. I've always felt like I can do whatever genre I want. I kind of feel like I'm a bit of an anomaly."The high points on the record, titled Live Life Living, come from this distinctly UK mishmash of influences. The lead track, "Next Year" has all the drive of a mid-90s big beat tune a la The Prodigy or Chemical Brothers, only with Gallagher-esque vocals laid on top. "Kids Again," a big room nod to the Avicii set follows. Later in the album, tracks like "At Night" crystallize Example's ability as a shapeshifter -- It sounds like a Boys Noize/Depeche Mode collaboration. I don't wanna ruin the surprise for you, but the last track features a pan flute solo. That's fucking baller. The ambition of Example's sonic range knows no bounds.Example's slippery-to-define nature is at once both a blessing and a curse. "Sometimes people hear my songs in clubs and assume I'm a DJ, but I've never stepped behind the decks in my life!" he laughs. "I don't really like being referred to as a rapper or singer or producer, either. People always want to put you in a box."Having made the jump from Ministry of Sound Records to Epic/Ultra and recording about half of the album in Los Angeles, Example's got his sights set on the U.S. This album is a career defining moment. "I haven't really experienced much of America in terms of an artist. America predominantly supports its own acts," he says. "Every time I've ever gone there and met people at record labels or radio stations or the press, people have always been confused as to what I am. I think, in the UK, because my stuff is distinctly British, it's made sense to people. Even though i'm not a typical star -- I haven't got the looks or the voice or the styling that people associate with a pop star. I want people to realize that it's more about electronic music than anything else, and I don't think people fully get me until they see me live."The lack of recognition doesn't rankle, though, in fact it's quite the opposite. Example explains, "I'm a veteran. I've paid my dues. I've been around for ages. But in America, I don't mean anything. That's kind of interesting and cool for me because I see it as a challenge. Ultra in Miami was a real pleasure. I was anxious to get on stage and show people what I could do. I got on stage and there were about a thousand people watching, quite a lot of them were Brits or Australians. By the end of the performance there were 7,000 people there. It made me really happy and think if I can keep coming back, hopefully it'll keep building in the right direction."Find Example on FB // Twitter
Buy pre-sale of Live Life LivingWe like pop music:
Stream Lemaitre's Masterfully Poppy Astralwerks Debut
10 Rave Classics That Took the Pop Charts
Japan's Anime-Dance Scene is Merging Pop Culture With EDMJemayel is also a quintuple threat - @JemayelK
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Buy pre-sale of Live Life LivingWe like pop music:
Stream Lemaitre's Masterfully Poppy Astralwerks Debut
10 Rave Classics That Took the Pop Charts
Japan's Anime-Dance Scene is Merging Pop Culture With EDMJemayel is also a quintuple threat - @JemayelK
