In 2020 I teamed up with the Machiavelli Pocdast ( WDR Cosmo) and the WDR Funkhausorchester to reinterpret political songs with (and for) four hiphop artists: Jorja Smith, Felix Kummer (of Kraftklub), OG Keemo and Ebow. I was really touched that these amazing artists let me rework their best-known songs into orchestral arrangements.

One of Jorja Smith’s best-known song and one of my favs... Blue Lights.

Schiff is one of my favourite German rap songs. I was really grateful that Felix Kummer let me reinvent it for him and the WDR Funkhausorchester as part of the Machiavelli Sessions.

The Machiavelli Sessions continue.... this instalment w/ English singer/songwriter Jorja Smith, German rapper OG Keemo & the gorgeous WDR Funkhausorchester. 'Blue Lights' is Jorja's best-known song, so I was excited + scared that both artists gave me a lot of freedom in reimagining it in combo w/ Keemo's '216'. Both songs are about racial profiling + police violence. At the start and the end of this version Keemo repeats the German word 'lauf' while Jorja sings the same idea ('run') in English. I removed the beats from both songs, to try to let the orchestra be supportive of the lyrics (especially in imitating sirens).

…a very special video for me: ein #collab w/ der German rapper Ebow & das WDR Funkhausorchester. Ebow is of Kurdish descent… und so wenn you hear her say ‘Kanak for Life’, plz unterstand ‘Kanak’ is a derogatory deutsche Wort for ppl w/ roots in Turkish/Arabic/Persian/Pashto-speaking countries, & has been reclaimed als a colloquial term of self-identification. I conducted & arranged THIS #THING. The Zusammenarbeit w/ WDR producers was very rich, weil we did a bit of orchester-resampling in post (in case u doubt what u hëar). Plz appreciate legendary drummer Andy Pilger.…………….. K4L K4L K4L K4L