La Grosse Radio interviews Soom T for his new album The Louder The Better
The Louder The Better is Soom T's new project, released on October 13 by X-Ray Production and Renegade Masters. The Scottish artist agreed to tell us a little more about this project and her spirituality. So we didn't hesitate to ask her a few questions about The Louder The Better. An interview we invite you to discover now.
La Grosse Radio would like to thank Soom T and X-Ray Production
The Louder The Better
“Michael”
It all began in Brazil in 2020 during the covid pandemic. We find you working alongside Mauro Rabello from Pangea Studio, notably on “Michael”. We hear your connection with Jesus. In this track, you talk about the Archangel Michael. Can you tell us a bit more about him?
Yes. Archangel Michael is one of God’s most beloved angels who is closer to God in power than any other. In Revelations 12 :7 we read ‘And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’
Sister Ellen G White
According to the Great Prophet and founding member of the 7th Day Adventist Church Sister Ellen G White, Archangel Michael is none other than Jesus Christ himself who was sent to earth to destroy Satan’s kingdom and authorty once and for all. For many of us Jesus is known to have succeeded when he gave his life on the cross for the sins of humanity, ensuring that from that sacrificial act, all could find pardon from their sins by accepting Jesus as their Saviour and be freed from Satan’s grip. Satan has power over us on earth and when we sin we are truly under his authority but when we accept Jesus, we are freed from sin because of Jesus sacrifice on the cross and are thus freed from Satan and the devil. This is infact the foundation of the Gospel.
When Jesus gave his life on the cross and was resurrected, Satan’s authority and dominion on earth was ended and his destruction was set in the calendar of heaven. Satan can now only wait for his everlasting punishment which draws closer with each passing day and he and his demons tremble at the thought. I could go into a massive disourse here but I will leave it at that and allow people to get in touch if they wish to know more and I can send them study resources. I recomment the book ‘The Great Controversy’ by Ellen G White
Mauro Rabello
“Michael” and “Ezekiel”s Vision were recorded live full band in Sao Paulo under the direction of Mauro Rabello. Can you tell us about this collaboration ?
It brings me joy to speak of my long standing friendship with the precious soul in the faith that is my blessed brother Mauro. We met in 2011 in Sao Paolo when I was there on tour for the first time. Our connection grew as we discussed our love of music, dub and the great Gospel of Christ. We had over the years shared many ideas for creating some faith based musical reggae songs. The pandemic - though a disaster for many - provided an opportunity for us to finally create some musical pieces that would bring our collaborative vision to fruition.
After many discussions including theological ones as we tend to go on many tangents when discussing bible topics, we decided to start with Mauros’s own instrumentals as a basis for creating songs which could then be recreated, accentuated and masterfully realised by an array of musicans under Mauros direction. With the assistance of his studio partner Thiago we began work with my sending demos over which included a few others in addition to Mauros compositions which Mauro would then study before deciding how to proceed with a particular song and how best to create a suitable backdrop to maximise it’s message delivery and impact on the ear and heart.
Work for Michael
With the song “Michael” we were back and forth several times until Mauro and team felt the vocal was up to standard and Mauro then edited all the operatic parts to achieve a smoother outcome. We have another 10-12 songs from our Pangea Studios sessions which will be released on a future album. Some were simply not finished in time to be considered for this album and others we decided would be saved for the future. Mauro continues to produce, compose and engineer for many artists at Pangea Studio in Sao Paolo Brasil.
Path of the Wonderer
“Path of the Wanderer” tells the story of a lonely wanderer. A sonic ballad at the crossroads of ambient and dub. Featuring Tom Fire, who worked alongside you on Free As A Bird.
Yes. It was wonderful to reconnect with the talented Tom Fire. He really produces some very satisfying sounds and ultimately his work on “Path of the wanderer” was surely destined for his unique sound and style. The breakdown where the bass melody drops in after the first verse and chorus is such a divine moment of inspiration I can almost feel myself driving along a desert road with the wind in my hair as I leave that old world far behind. Tom Fire also remixed “Fly my bird”, another song from the album and I look forward to working more with him in the future as our collaborations never fail to inspire and uplift me and certainly many others too.
The song itself is a deep song about my own sometimes prophetic feeling that I need to leave the world behind to be alone with God in a cave somewhere or perhaps a little mountain hut. It reflects the feelings that arise as we grow older and gain more wisdom about the fleeting nature of life on earth and our desire to know our true selves and purpose. The song brings others on that journey too by suggesting that it is only when we break away from the world and find ourselves alone that we will encounter the Lord of the ages.
Fly My Bird
Another track in feat with Tom Fire - “Fly My Bird” - Is it a feeling of freedom?
You got it. “Fly my bird” is really about the freedom we feel when we are no longer restricted by the expectations of the world. It is the freedom I found as a Christian to try and serve Jesus and be like him, believing in the bible scriptures and refusing to be ashamed for holding Christian beliefs which these days are made to seem like an ancient and outdated religion rather than a great truth to be believed.
The song itself is about how God frees us from the cage of sin, liberating us from fear by reminding us that he is with us always, even in a world that appears dark, lonely and scary. This makes a faithful soul believe that with a simple prayer to God they can fly free from the troubles and chains that bind them, and soar boldly under the protective, hopeful, guiding and peace filled care of the Lord.
No Worries
Your music conveys hope and kindness. That's your guiding principle, and it's one that touches us. We can see this once again on this new album with “No Worries”, for example. The backing vocals on this track immediately bring to mind Bob Marley's “No Worries, Everything's Gonna Be All Right”, and to complete the circle, the riddim is by Christian Cowlin (sound engineer with The Wailers).
Absolutely. Isn’t fate wonderful ? Or perhaps destiny ? I have loved Bob Marley since I first heard his songs as a youngster. “Redemption song” will never fail to make me cry and in the end i found my redemption in Jesus so this song means even more to me now that I have a deeper connection to it’s meaning. Christian Cowlin - being engineer for ‘The Wailers’ whose wonderful role in life is to keep the greatest songs of Brother Bob alive performing them tirelessly on tour across the globe – is a blessed soul indeed and the holy catalyst for these new songs to exist.
The Louder The Better
I wrote my lyrics directly onto his inspired works with some clearly showing underlying elements rooted in and influenced by the special works of Bob Marley and the Wailers but I also hear some John Holt style music too and as a massive fan of Mr Holt was delighted to explore the varied and eclectic sound of Mr Cowlin. To have the opportunity to collaborate on these songs was a privilege too great to not throw in my best effort and the homage to Bob Marley paid in ‘No worries,’ was a natural addition.
Mr Cowlin performed many of the instruments himself with some performed by members of the Wailers themselves and with Mr Cowlin’s exquisite taste in music delivered a batch of timeless Roots and Rockers sounds for my lyrical endeavours. What a brilliant time I had writing on them. It was a jolly, sunny affair and I look forward to working more with Christian in the future.
Don’t Make Me
This is not the only track featuring Christian Cowlin, with its rootsy ambience. We find him on “Don't Make Me” - a very sunny reggae on which Robert Henderson's trumpet takes us into a moment of goodness.
Absolutely. It inspired so many upbeat melodies and heartfelt singing. I was really able to belt it out over Christian’s relaxed yet perfectly tuned and rhythmical melodies. Robert Henderson is a Scottish trumpetist and we recorded his trumpet at Renegade HQ (my home studio basically) over several hours. What a delight it was to hear him jamming with such eloquence over the songs which at that point myself and Christian had believed were finished. When I sent the trumpet tracks to Christian he absolutely loved them and edited them into the song. Robert still performs regularly all over Scotland.
The song
The lyrics are about my conversations with the Lord. The chorus is saying that no matter what the Lord allows me to go through even if it is hard and difficult like climbing a mountain or something that makes me cry a fountain that I will still always honor the Lord.
There is a hymn by Horatio Spafford written in 1873. He lost all of his 4 daughters in a shipwreck and rather than become angry at God for this extreme event which brought such great grief to his bosom, he wrote this now classic hymn which is full of faith in God’s plan which ultimately brought him peace amidst this great storm resulting in him penning the words ‘it is well, it is well with my soul.’ ‘Dont make me’ is my own sonnet expressing my trust in God and his plan despite the sometimes hard trials and sore moments endured.
Free The Man
And also on “Free The Man” in which you denounce the incarceration of Schaeffer Cox (Political activist and founder of the 'Alaska Peacemakers Militia' organization). Charged with conspiracy to kidnap and kill 2 federal government agents for each militiaman killed or arrested with 'Plan 241'. His sentence was reduced by 10 years in 2019. Why does this matter to you?
It matters to me because according to a large host of credible witnesses and by listening to Mr Cox’s own speeches regarding freedom and liberty in America, it is clear to see that his conviction was based on spurious evidence. He has already been in jail for so many years that his poor wife and children have had to survive without his care. The policeman who gave evidence against him was proven to have lied and has himself been investigated for manufacturing false evidence in a different case.
History
For a greater understanding of what happened please visit the website starting with the story of Schaeffer Cox. It begins ‘Schaeffer Cox, a well known 2nd Amendment lobbyist who had won 38% of the vote in a State House election, became the subject of an intense FBI investigation after he angered State and Federal authorities by openly accusing them of drug trafficking and child prostitution.’ So there is more to this story than what the mainstream media are presenting. I base my views on all the information available and on Mr Cox’s own speeches which show him to be an earnest, honest and noble character who has been unjustly treated by the Government.
Schaeffer Cox
It matters to me because as stated on the concluding portion of Mr Cox’s story outlined on the website : The Story of Schaeffer Cox | Schaeffer Cox (freeschaeffer.com) ‘Schaeffer Cox, who has been in prison since 2011 agrees. “This amounts to sending people to prison for simply believing in the original meaning of the 2nd Amendment,” he says. “If we don’t reverse my conviction, it will set a sweeping new precedent allowing for the wholesale round up of those who have not committed any crimes.’
I encourage all to investigate and read up on Mr Cox’s case and support his cause if you can.
Bad Road
Other collaborations are also featured. On “Bad Road”, you guide us along the right path despite adversity and multiple temptations. Digital reggae composed by Dr Bud. He's back with you on “Emergency” and “Normal People”. In your opinion, given the different customs and divergent politics, is there such a thing as a normal people?
Hahah. Perhaps not. In the song I imply that ‘normal people’ are those who believe in a moral code of conduct and being thus guided by conscience are most likely to behave in a respectful, honourable, kind, considerate and wise manner towards their neighbours. I state that ‘Normal People is who we are’ because I am signifying to the listeners that it is preferable to be ‘normal’ than to follow the ‘abnormal’ mainstream Babylon culture influences of society, which more often than not, sets aside moralistic norms which make society a better more peaceful place, for egoistic, vanity and pride filled rude behaviour and vulgar hedonism which never has a happy ending for anyone.
I thank Dr Bud for his beautiful digital productions which give the album a much needed injection of sunny, upbeat, comical and generously melodious sounds. I have no doubt you will hear more from Dr Bud in the future.
Good Will Come
On “Good Will Come” - You tell us that good will come, that it takes determination/patience. That our little gestures and good deeds will spring forth and shine in the future. Good will win out over evil, but many people/TV don't reflect this message, quite the contrary. How do you think we can find peace in this capitalist world ? The riddim is by Terry Vibes
If we can share this message of hope to even one person, then that is one more person with the truth that can positvely effect another and from there it can become 100 to 1000- and then 7 billion people. It is true, we are warring against an evil entertainment industry, media, Government, web of large corporations promoting greed, selfishness, hate, division and every other perverse and appalling thing which appears impossible to overpower with our good message of love and truth but this is no reason to give up. My dad once said to me something along the lines of ‘If you see a good fight, get in it’.
what the bible says
The bible states ‘as you sow so shall you reap.’ If you do one good deed for another you will be dealt with the same way by the divine force of God. If you do evil you will have that evil returned to you in some way. It is the law of God, nature and the universe. Call it what you want, karma, reap what you sow, cause and effect, it is the real method of the cosmos. When you make your life a service to others by trying to help with ways to alleviate their hardships, sufferings, pain, problems, etc you will find that you are rewarded.
That reward is a great peace within, a joy that no amount of wealth can ever purchase because this is the natural reward of being good which is the natural state we were designed to be in and you are simply experiencing the inner harmony of operating as you were designed to.
Dr Caroline Leaf
A great scientist called Dr Caroline Leaf discovered evidence of this. She found that by studying and comparing the dendritic trees within peoples brains it could be shown that people who were positive, had faith and believed in doing good, keeping their minds occupied with good things had trees which looked full and rich as if flourishing in a beautiful garden. Others however, who were frequently angry, suffering long term depression, anxiety and were fearful and hateful had trees covered in black blotches as if someone has set them on fire and burned them off causing their minds to find it difficult to find peace. So it seems as if God designed us to be good.
When we are good the effects can be found even in the deepest parts of our physical body with our mental and spiritual body no doubt benefitting too. So when Jesus told us not to sin he was not simply telling us because it is preferable but because we are actually designed not to be evil. When we are evil, hard hearted, unkind, angry, hateful, selfish, greedy, vain, egotisitical, envious or prideful we literally destroy the delicate functions of our entire brain, body, physical, mental and spiritual. It makes sense to follow the moral code because when we are good we live a good life and feel good and everything is just good, even in the afterlife to come. So show yourself some love by showing love to others.
Terry Vibes
I have gone into a massive discourse here. Let me conclude by paying gratitude to USA based composer Terry Vibes for creating beautiful instrumentals for many artists and who I have many other lovely songs with. I look forward to working more with him in the future.
Walk the Earth
This project features the duo Mafia & Fluxy on "Walk the Earth".
The beat was shared with me by Manu of Irie Ites label in France. He carefully selected a batch to work on and this song turned out to be an old composition which Mafia & Fluxy had almost forgotten about. They performed the instruments on the song and I am very pleased with this collaborative effort.
The song itself directs us to remembering the ancient wise prophets of our past who have influenced us and guided us with their wisdom being the wisdom of God himself. It seems that these beings are guiding us from heaven, such is the power and effect of their words of instruction yet it is worth remembering that they once walked this very earth on which we now stand giving us hope that we too have the capacity to perceive, understand and apply divine knowledge and wisdom.
Like A Dog
Also French label Irie Ites on "Like A Dog”
This is actually one of my favourites on the album. It is upbeat and not taking itself seriously whilst still sharing my usual beliefs in a slightly more comical way inspired by the digital dancer of a beat. The melody, the simplicity and the cute bassline make this a frequent rewind and I love singing it live. It will be rehearsed with the band next year and added to the live set. Irie Ites has been involved in Soundsystem culture for decades, discovering and producing many reggae singers. I consider Irie Ites to be like an Ariwa or Mad Professor of France such is their consistent output.
They also put on shows and my greatest memory is of rinsing the mic at the end of the session with brother culture, King Kong and several other MCs. Irie Ites are a great label and soundsystem and I hope to work more with them in the future perhaps for a release on their label.
The Louder The Better
Production is by Kunta and Green Teddy, who also appeared on the 2017 album The Arch.
Yes, my dear brothers out of Lyon have been a solid support in my musical journey over the years. I have seen my hair turn white in my almost 2 decades of visiting this crew in their fine city to do soundsystem shows, tour the Alps, record songs, record dubplates and sing at their birthday parties. With these troops I get to hang out, have fun and laugh while making nice Dub songs. They are the jolliest bunch I know and I trust their ears and taste in music.
Kunta instigated and ultimately produced The Arch with Teddy Green and Highly Seen crew who have 2 brilliant studios in Lyon, one being underground in a big Arch tunnel where they play live instruments and use digital productions to compose an array of unique and original tracks. They invite many singers into their studios and have some of the best dubplates I have ever heard. I have encountered many a delightful session in that vibe filled studio.
Soom T in France
Kunta was the first person to ever invite me to make a soundsystem show in France and was responsible for recording some of my first dubplates and finding me work in the reggae scene. He booked me for gigs and took me to tour the Alps which for me was and to this day has been the highlight of my touring career. I still tour the Alps with DJ Kunta today and it always reminds me of my first excitiement of turning up there into the snow, with the cosy wooden cartoon like cafes and eateries. It was a real adventure. The new album sees Kunta as Exec Producer with one track on the album.
We have several other projects in the pipeline, some almost finished and others ready to go. I am sure we will be making songs as a team until the Lord returns. We are a brilliant team and always create inspired works together.
Mix & Master
The Louder The Better is mixed by Mista Maff and mastered by Simon Capony (Basalte Studio).
I have known Mista Maff since he won the remix competition for “Warriors” track in 2018. Me and my friends and colleagues liked his sounds and this was the first album he mixed. He did a great job of it. Simon has mastered around 7 albums for me now. One is in a hard drive and all others have been released including the forthcoming LP. He always does a stellar work on the final sound. The Louder the Better as a title was a reference to the fact that the songs sound good turned up really loud.
The original title was ‘The Loud Cry’, and referred to the message of God being spoken out loud so that it can be heard by everyone as it is an important bunch of messages to learn in life. I do think that if people became more spiritual they would absolutely improve their own lives, the lives of others and ultimately the world.
The problem today is that people are disconnected from their spirit. People are so busy eating chemical laden food, taking drugs, getting drunk and basically occupying their minds and bodies with a host of things that are bad for them, that they corrupt their mind, body and flesh, making it impossible for the spirit to manifest in them to the degree where they would be tuned into it enough to discern the wisdom of our Father God Almighty.
The Louder The Better
The Louder The Better. Do you think human beings need to be stronger to get better? Do you (knowing your faith in God) think The Better will come with more spirituality ?
Most people’s spirits and souls are disconnected from their brains because their minds are so full of self love, self entitlement, self worship, self satisfaction and little love for others, their bodies health or their spirit. If people were healthier in body and less distracted with excessive entertainments they would be able to discern the spirit within and thus be enabled to understand the wisdom of the Bible and of Jesus texts. That is a simple fact.
Through spirituality comes understanding, wisdom and with that comes faith which ultimately brings hope, peace, joy and the greatest of all, love. On that note I send a heart load of love to you and your family, team and all your listeners of La Grosse Radio and their families and shall pray you are all uplifted with the truth of the spirit and filled with Gods love in the beautiful name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Many Thanks Soom T - God bless you!
Thank you and God bless you too my friend.
