For the third installment of Nerdcore North, I talk with Backburner’s More Or Les, who released a superb concept album about food earlier this year and should be dropping a video for his serious sugar song, “Big Sugar,” before the year is out. And as usual, I run through the Canadian nerdcore music and videos released in the month of November. Perhaps it’s the approach of winter but, fair warning, the videos this time around are pretty bleak and depressing.

Artist Spotlight: More Or Les

The music of More Or Les is easy to digest. His traditional slow flow sometimes shifts into hyperdrive, but his lyrics are usually humorous and light-hearted, with references to comic books, cartoons and sci-fi. Still, he’s not afraid to get down and dirty with serious topics like the use of the N-word in rap, the exploitative true history of sugar, and jerks who pick their nose on the bus.

Like many in the 80s, Les Seaforth discovered hip hop through the radio. At eleven years old, little brother Les followed older brother Colin into an interest in DJing and by the age of 17 he was playing at clubs and house parties. During his first year at Woburn Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Les also began to freestyle and he would perform his own raps over obscure instrumentals at high school events, which led to a desire to produce his own beats. His first group, Blacks In Effect, was formed as a duo with his brother but it eventually expanded to include third member AJB, who Les had met at a talent show. When the group disbanded, More Or Les went solo.

By 2001 he was the resident DJ at In Divine Style, the longest running open mic night in Toronto. Working with other artists he met through IDS, like Vangel, Dorc and Wordburglar (who would introduce and induct Les into the Backburner crew), Les released his debut album, I only stop for the Red Ants, in 2003 (remastered and re-released in 2004). To support the release of the album, Les started busking on weekends on Queen St West in Toronto and released a video for “A Little Too Much Weed” that was considered too much for Much, although it was honoured with an award by Next Festival in 2004.

A few opening spots for UK hip hop band The Herbaliser the following year resulted in Les appearing on their 2008 release Same As It Never Was, and he has also released three further solo albums – The Truth About Rap (2006), Brunch With A Vengeance (2010) and Mastication (2012) – as well as a collaboration EP with Fresh Kils (The Les-Kils EP, 2009) and a crew album with Backburner (Heatwave, 2011). He is also currently the host of Toronto’s Hip Hop Karaoke and the resident DJ of semi-monthly rap night $5 Rap Show.

Now, let’s find out more about the hip hop artist Jesse Dangerously claims “out-nerds us all” with this bullet-riddled interview… Les loves his lists!

In my interview with Jesse Dangerously for Nerdcore North he said “More Or Les out-nerds us all [in Backburner]”. Do you agree with that assessment?

I have a vested interest in various forms of fantasy, sci-fi and adventure media: comic books, anime and cartoons, movies, TV shows. In addition, I do IT work on the side. I worked event management jobs in the past. I would say my head is geared towards details and inane facts, but that wouldn’t explain why I forget to change laundry an hour after I start it, or need to take a picture of my grocery list with my phone before I leave my apartment in case I lose it in the six minute walk to the store…. the point of all this I suppose, is that I have a bit of a “Hip Hop Nutty Professor” vibe about me… or maybe it’s cooler to say “Doctor Who”… or “Walter White”… I dunno… I like stuff…

How were you introduced to the nerdcore scene?

It was Jesse – so who’s out-nerding who now?!

Do you consider yourself a nerdcore artist? Why or why not?

I don’t, mainly because I don’t want anything telling people what art I can and can’t create.

Who do you consider important contributors to nerdcore in Canada?

A lot of the work made by Jesse and the Wordburglar immediately comes to mind. But again, these are guys that can make whatever kind of music they want – a lot of their personal interests happen to fall into the “Nerdcore” category…

On “Nothin’ Friendly” [off Heatwave] you rap “The best Cobra vehicle, the Hydrofoil Moray”. Is that really the best Cobra vehicle?

Yes! My Top 5 Best Cobra Vehicles (strictly speaking about the toys) are:

1) Hydrofoil Moray (holds tonnes of troops, has depth charges, and missiles that launch, and the thing actually FLOATS!!)
2) Fang Helicopter (rotating ball gun turret, working rotors, missiles and carries a trooper on either side of the pilot – small, and cool looking)
3) Rattler (VTOL aircraft – so the wings rotate – but with a design weirdly reminiscent of a WWII aircraft – I never owned one, but wanted one BADLY as a kid…)
4) Night Raven (a clandestine-styled aircraft with attached mini-jet that seats one – all black with Red-coloured cockpits… sooooo dope)
5) Flight Pod aka “Trouble Bubble” (it looks like a part of an amusement park ride, but more futuristic-in-a-cool-way than I would expect from an 80′s design … it’s bad-ass)

On “Spit Fresh” [off Wordburglar's Burglaritis] you drop a bit of Klingon. Do you know much of the language?

I know enough to get myself out of a fight without bringing dishonour to my house, or getting a bat’leth in my chest…

“Spit Fresh” is a collab you did with Wordburglar. You’ve done a bunch of those. When are we going to get a collaboration album from the two of you?

We’ve talked about it. Burgie and I have some other things going on first, but we’ll get there eventually…

Your last two albums are concept albums, with Brunch with a Vengeance being about pet peeves and Mastication about food. Why go this route when making an album? Why these particular concepts?

A concept album is a way to challenge my writing skills and make music more exciting for listeners. My previous albums felt more like a collection of good pieces – like a gallery exhibition with no theme. A concept album is the difference between staring at some good-but-unrelated art for an hour, and having an all-encompassing experience with an art show. I think it’s still important to make music different from other albums of the genre, from my previous albums, and from other songs on the same album. After all, if everything was the same as the last few albums, where’s the motivation to get the new one?

My interest in making albums all about things people hate and food, respectively, goes beyond the mandate to “make different shit” though – they were themes I embraced. I’ve wanted to express my disdain for the lack of hygiene that goes on in public bathrooms for a while. I knew there were people out there drinking coffee for the energy boost instead of the flavourings of a good medium roast and could relate to my song about coffee. And rapping about things people can relate to is way more interesting for the average person I think than a totally false representation of reality. To what end? But don’t get me wrong, there are also concept albums that are total fabrications for a good reason! Prince Paul’s Prince Among Thieves, Masta Ace’s Slaughta House, and Swamp Thing’s Creature Feature are all well-written fictitious albums, all the better to make a listener think. As an artist, getting people to think through music is my primary job…

For someone not familiar with you or your catalogue, what song or songs would you recommend they play?

Peeps getting into More Or Les should definitely hear these songs (from oldest to newest work):

“LEStalk”
“Comedy Too, Laughin’ At You (feat. Miss Butter)”
“A Little Too Much (Weed)”
“Eat Your Food!”
“Sucka Word”
“Brunch!”
“Everybody Outside (The Busking Song)”
“Yo, Let My Boy Rap!”
“Game, Set, Match” (from the Herbaliser album Same as it Never Was)
“Talk to the Hand (Solo)” (from the Hand’Solo mixtape [Hokey Religions & Ancient Weapons])
“Rip Rap”
“Crossbow”
“Pop N Chips” feat. Timbuktu and Ghettosocks
“Ain’t Goin’ Out”
“Busted Gear” feat. Wordburglar and Ambition
“The Bathroom Song” feat. Latté D. Kyd
“Nice Guys Are Coming To Get You”
“Gold Digger pt. 3”
“Rhyme O’Clock” (from the Wordburglar album 3rdburglar)
“Bruschetta”
“Consumption”
“Brunch Again”
“Coffee”
“Filet Mignon” feat. Latté D. Kyd
“Fast Food” feat. Timbuktu
“Chili”

What’s up next for More Or Les?

collab with Record Face – Post Millennial Tension – about Life in the 21st Century
collab with The Mighty Rhino – details TBRAALD (to be revealed at a later date…)
collab with Jesse D and The Wordburglar (nerdcore-focused EP)
more Backburner collabs in the future

www.moreorles.ca
www.facebook.com/pages/More-Or-Les/7645645473
https://twitter.com/BrunchOrLes

What To Hear

Chief 4syt – Hail to the Chief [album]

Hail to the Chief is the fourth solo album from Chief 4syt, rapper and producer in Toronto’s Faction. Group members Scratch Cat (aka Iron Wind) and Primordial drop by for a few appearances, and that’s when the comic book references are heaviest, but references are also repeatedly made to video games, tv shows, kung fu and weed as Chief 4Syt and guests – which also includes Lah Chemist, New Breed MC, J-White and Hazardous Material – demonstrate their love for independent hip hop alongside the flexing of their mic skills and lyrical miracle style. 4Syt’s self-produced beats are a highlight, unique while also heavily influenced by golden age rap and late-90s underground rap. Faction are a Canadian crew to watch. (independent)

Listen here: http://chief4syt1.bandcamp.com/album/hail-to-the-chief

D-Sisive – Jonestown 3: The Dream Is Over [album]

According to D-Sisive, Jonestown 3 will be his last album… ever, or maybe in the hip-hop genre, or, if nothing else, under the D-Sisive alias. It marks the end of an era even if it’s not so clear on what exactly that is, so it’s fitting it concludes with this depressing album of endings: of relationships, of life, of songs. Muneshine’s dark, slightly off-kilter production suits the maudlin subject matter. And might just be his best work yet. So atmospheric. In addition to the references to cults in general and Jonestown in specific, D delivers his usual overload of pop- and counterculture references. After almost two albums a year for the last five years, his absence will be noticed. Good thing Jonestown 3 has such a long shelf life. (Urbnet/The Desolate Collective)

Listen here: http://thedesolatecollective.bandcamp.com/album/jonestown-3-the-dream-is-over

Ghettosocks – We’re Gonna Drink A Lot of Wine This Year, Boyzzz [mixtape]

As Ghettosocks continues to work on his follow up to Treat of the Day, he drops this mixtape of intoxicant-inspired insanity. The interludes, and a significant portion of the songs, are based around wine although Socks also has songs about shopping at used clothing stores (“Value Village”), growing up in Ottawa (“Tech Wall”) and a horrorcore rap with Swamp Thing (“C.H.U.D. I Am”). Aside from the Backburner track “Hurtin’,” a theme-appropriate song discussing the consequences of a wild night of drinking, the rest of the album appears to be all new tracks with guest features from Muneshine, Torae, Apt and Backburner’s Timbuktu, Chokeules, Wordburglar, Jesse Dangerously and Ambition. The music tends to be smooth, laidback, and even a little trippy at times, which is a suitable sound for wine (or weed), I guess. Pop this one on and kill a good year with the homies. (Droppin’ Science)

Listen here: http://music.ghettosocks.com/album/were-gonna-drink-a-lot-of-wine-this-year-boys-mixtape

Mad Mikado – The Hiatus Mixtape [mixtape]

After a battle with addiction, Prairie rapper Mad Mikado makes a rejuvenated return to rap with The Hiatus Mixtape, compiling a nine-song selection of unreleased songs recorded prior to his self-imposed hiatus from hip hop. Along with the few expected nerdcore tracks are honest, personal emo songs written and recorded during his addiction; and “Rage Quit” is barely contained anger. The sound quality differs greatly from track to track, as does his skill level to a somewhat lesser degree, depending on the date recorded. Still, as an introduction to Mad Mikado, the mixtape demonstrates definite potential especially if he continues to explore the emotional territory mined herein. (independent)

Listen here: http://madmikado.bandcamp.com/album/the-hiatus-mixtape

Supreme Being Unit – Spiritual Rebirth (The Rapture Remixture) / Wonderful Kingly (MCs Are Fans, Too) [album]

Twin brothers Conspiracy and Mindbender dropped their classic sophomore album Mental Reverse/Spiritual Rebirth in 1997. Both have since built solo careers, coming together only twice more as Supreme Being Unit. While In Space No One Can Hear You Scream was released as the worthy follow-up to Mental Reverse/Spiritual Rebirth, previously unreleased Wonderful Kingly (MCs Are Fans, Too) is only now available as the bonus accompaniment to Conspiracy’s lyrical update of his Spiritual Rebirth side of their classic album. Those changes are minor, but who cares since this release is really all about the bonus Wonderful Kingly. The recording has a bit of a demo quality to it and the subject matter isn’t as spacey as on previous collabs, but that can be overlooked because it’s such a rare treat to get some new SBU material, especially one with them rapping together. (Astral Majesty Creations)

Listen here: http://conspiracyamc.bandcamp.com/album/spiritual-rebirth-the-rapture-remixture-wonderful-kingly-mcs-are-fans-too

What To Watch:

D-Sisive – All My Friends Are Dead

Ira Lee featuring Scream Dream Baby – Time Machine to 93′

Ryan Stinson featuring Ghettosocks – Melt