Urban philosopher Lord Vino once said (and continues to say) “leave am like salad.” The audio equivalent of this sage-like rhetoric is Yinka Bernie’s music; it can get composite but it is never complicated. Patented as “maximum cruise,” Bernie’s simplistic description of his music sorta belies the virtuosity it snuggly encapsulates, a trait that reveals itself unknowingly with multiple listens.
Typically, Bernie’s music bursts out loosely – sometimes, subtly – slyly showcasing its seams while still emphasizing its wholesomeness. At its core, contemporary R&B and cloud rap form a makeshift, if modish center, but in there lies a deceptive amount of sonic calling cards that blends in textures ranging from jazz to neo-soul to bedroom pop. Binding all these is a nonchalance to musical boundaries while still retaining an admirable measure of uniqueness, dipping into various genres while retaining innovation as an all too important second nature.
Sometimes it all blurs into something indistinct and striking, like the drunken jam session vibe of “Silhouette,” which happens to be the most played song on Yinka Bernie’s SoundCloud. Propelled by a rippling double bass and a plodding, freewheeling drum pattern that sounds like it was sampled from a 2yr old fiddling with drums, “Silhouette” practices organized chaos to great results.
As well as the music stands out for what it is, it also perfectly accompanies Bernie’s unorthodox voice. Supplementing the genre browsing and the quasi-immersive nature of his vibey soundscapes, Yinka Bernie’s voice significantly adds distinct identity and increased replay value to his music.
Steeped in the low end, Bernie’s baritone is boldly limited, but he knows how to lean into these restrictions and make it feel infectious and eccentric. From languid, flailing singing to a fixating vocal cadence while rapping, Bernie uses his vocal abilities blends into whatever sonic aesthetic he graces.
“It’s actually easier for us as producers that make our own stuff,” Yinka remarked when I asked him about balancing the multiple facets of creating music, seemingly understanding that it’s all about combining parts to form a whole.
While it helps that he’s able to conjure melodies as well rap, being multifaceted and relatable with his songwriting is another reason why Bernie is hurdling towards being an intriguing all rounder. On his excellent debut EP 19 & Over, released late last year, Bernie moves between pensive subject matter filled delivered with stream of consciousness raps (“Subconscious Flashes” “Balance”) and more playful material that relies on sticky hooks and relatively flowery singing (“Don’t Rush” “Aura Stir”).
The recently released Facades is an equally dazzling offering, a 3 song EP that displays an increasing ability to match nuanced melodic delivery with nimble, intimate songwriting. Sailing in at just over 10minutes, with help from Idris King, Amaarae and AYLØ, Bernie goes from forlorn lover (“Again”) to sensual connoisseur (“Epistles”) to syrup mouthed lothario (“Rockstar”).
You don’t need to like salad to like Yinka Bernie’s music, by the way.
Our interview with Yinka Bernie has been lightly edited for clarity, it follows below.
FilterFree: While doing some research, I realized that Goldkeyz and yourself share the same surname. Are you guys biologically related?
Yinka Bernie: Yes, we’re cousins
Did you guys grow up near each other?
Yeah, same secondary school, same university.
Did that relationship influence you guys’ decision to start making music?
Goldkeyz started before me actually, producing wise because I started as a producer. And it was easier for me ‘cos Goldkeyz is an older cousin, he’s older than me, 2 years or a year. So, having an older cousin around that I could show stuff when I started producing was quite beneficial because he made me go a step further. We listen to the same type of music, so it was really easy for us to connect, added to the fact that we’re family.
Did any of you guys have any parents with background in music or you found it by yourselves?
Not exactly, but my father listened to a lot of music – my father and his father have been listening to the same type of music. So that sorta runs in the family.
Can you recall any first musical experience that you had earlier in your life that made you attached to music?
Yes. JSS 2 days, I realized that I could play the – I don’t know if I can that was a talent, but I realized that I could play the recorder. At the time, our practical in music class was to play some type of music from the recorder for our tests and all. And I realized that I could play on any type of recorder. Gradually, I started realizing that I have a thing for music and sounds, from there it has been on and on. And I was really interested in learning music and instruments.
When did you start putting your voice to your own beats?
For a while, I used to write songs. I used to write raps, it was just like normal high school type of shit. When I started producing properly, it was around the time I started using my voice. Then I had producer friends in school that we share stuff, I play my stuff to them.
There was this one time with a producer friend played something for me, and I was freestyling in his room and he was like “this sounds good,” and we should do something. That was the first time, that was a song we made and the reception was very good. With that I just kept the faith, and started producing and recording on my own.
How is your process like in finding a creative balance – being a producer and writing your own songs – so that one side does not lag?
It’s actually easier for us as producers that make our own stuff. It’s very convenient ‘cos I make a beat now and I probably have a melody in my head, because I write with melodies so I just pen them down. It’s not like I have to message a producer like “yo, this is the type of beat that I want.” From having an idea to creating it, it’s quite easy.
You’ve worked a lot with Joyce Olong – from background vocals to “Aura Stir 2.0” – how did you guys connect?
I can’t really remember how I met Joyce, probably through Goldkeyz or she messaged me, one of them. The first time we worked, I told her I needed backup for my song “Subconscious Flashes (Interlude).” She sent it back and I was really really amazed that someone could do this, she totally changed the whole thing of the whole song. From there, we started working together and I went to her house once and we made a lot of songs. We actually have like 6 or 7 songs together.
Are those unreleased songs leading up to any bigger project?
Yeah, it might lead up to a project, I don’t know. But, I have other projects coming on and some songs might be on it or we’ll just dedicate like a project to it and put everything out. Definitely, everybody’s will get to hear it sometime soon.
You mentioned stuff about your future projects, but your new projects Facades just dropped. How quick was that for you to put together, considering that the amount of time between your previous project and this is quite short?
I made the whole project – three of those songs – in like two weeks or a week, it wasn’t really difficult. At the time I was skeptical, like how do I go about this thing after I dropped my EP and the follow-up has to be bad. So I just figured I’d put out a new project, I mean it’s still short.
You seem to have this obsession with Fela, did start from home too or you found that out on your own later on?
Nah. Funny thing is, I know a lot of people grew up listening to Fela, but I didn’t grow up listening to him. I just listened to Fela, probably in SSS 3 or SSS 2. I started with his jazz albums, because Fela was making jazz music before Afrobeat. I started listening to Fela like any other person would start listening to Jay-Z or somebody, I didn’t grow up listening to him. I just stumbled on his music and I really liked it, that was it. He had, still has a lot of impact on me.
Apart from Fela, I read somewhere that Bankyondbeatz is very influential to your music. How did he help in getting your music kick-started?
I owe Banky and Goldkeyz a lot, because we all lived in the same area when I was in high school. He was my senior, I was in JSS 1 and he was in SSS 1 or so. Those were the people I looked up to, and they helped me groom my sound. I listened to Banky a lot when I was in high school days, and he taught me a lot of stuff about production. He really has a lot of influence and he helped me a lot.
There’s a line from “19 & Over,” more like an ad-lib where you said you have an “insatiable desire to change the world.” Does that signal more socially inclined material – because I know you have a couple of those, like “Brother’s Keeper” – in the future?
About the song “19 & Over,” it was a sample from somebody that just talked about what he wants. The idea was to just get people to talk about what they want to achieve, like the guy. And that was actually relatable, because I actually can’t say I want to change the world, it’s a gradual thing that’s going to happen. That’s just like the perspective of every young adult that is doing something good for himself. Everybody wants to make the world to be a better place, so it doesn’t exactly mean I want to change the world all by myself.
Personally I don’t subscribe to the general New Wave/Age titles, because there’s some sort of classism attached to it. But how do you think you guys can move from beyond where you are right now, and become a national brand on a more visible scale?
First of all, the whole idea of the New Wave thing, I don’t think it makes sense. The way people turn things and make you think that it’s an association of people that collectively come together. But no, it’s just everybody making different stuff and trying to be young.
How I think we can expand and get better with the whole thing is having a proper structure in the Nigerian entertainment industry. I’m sure that the people that make things happen in the Nigerian music industry have noticed everything – they’ve probably noticed us, they just need to help with extra efforts to push us, help with the underground work. The music is good and that’s essential, so everybody should do well.