Interview with GB Collective

Momix online magazine recently did an interview with Gb Collective...there you go :-)

MoMixMag : What’s your real name and where are you from?

GB Collective : My real name is Greg Borowsky and I’m a Jozi boy, born and bred.

MMM : Why the name GB Collective ?

GBC : A friend of mine RJ Benjamin was listening to my tracks before I had an artist name, and he said I need some “collective pronoun” because being a producer artist, every track is with a different singer. So I took my initials for the pronoun “GB”, added the WORD “Collective” and boom, it stuck! No rocket science. (I should probably work on a much cooler answer going forward right?)... ;)

MMM : Many people don’t know what you have been in the industry for quite some time, was it a conscious decision you made to create hit singles and remain behind the scenes and then step out once you have “made it”?

 

GBC : Haha, I wish I had that vision! Actually, my first record deal with David Gresham Records was an artist deal, where I sang as well. After a few months of recording my own tracks, they turned to me, tapped me on the shoulder and said “Great songs, keep writing and producing, but stop singing!”  And so I started working with their other artists at the time: Bantusoul, Prime Circle, Lady Lea etc, but kept writing my own tracks and started recording with other vocalists. Then David Guetta came out, put some shades on, made the “Producer Artist” a cool vibe and I knew it was perfect for me, so I could still perform live, but use other singers with me, like a “vocal band”.

MMM : Your song with Chad Saaiman (one of my favorites at the moment) is currently number one on Heart FM, how does that make you feel?

GBC: Thank you so much. It’s a crazy feeling when you get that call that your song has been voted #1 anywhere. I hope I never get used to it. The song came about really quickly with Chad as we had both written 2 separate songs which were pretty much identical. So we popped em together, and we knew we were on to something. It felt as if we had been preparing for the collaboration for a long time on a subconscious level. Creative chemistry I guess?

MMM : Did you anticipate the success?

GBC : I'm not gonna lie like everyone else that says “Oh, I had no idea!”. Once we had done the track, we hoped like HELL it would do well hahaha! It felt right making the track, so we obviously hoped we were on to something, but having said that, you can NEVER tell what’s gonna hit. You can only create what feels right inside and let the universe take care of the rest.

MMM : You and Kabomo have a song together and we’ve seen the likes of Poppy Ntshongwane and Boity tweeting about the way they love the song. How did the collaboration come about?

 

GBC : I met Kabomo at the Metro FM Awards last year, I went up to him and said “Hey, I’m GB Collective. I also make soul music. We should hook up.” Kabomo looked at me as if he was thinking in his head “ok, white guy (who’s probably captain of the chess team!), we’ll see...” Then a week later we met again at a Kaya FM documentary session where he heard my track Thinking About You ft Mabongi Mabaso and I played his track Uzobuya with him. The next week he was in my studio and we knocked out Sunlight in 8 hours flat. Great experience working with him, I’m producing his next album.

MMM : Rumor has it you are working with Dineo Moeketsi on her upcoming album, how true is that?

GBC : Yeah, Kabomo and I have been working together on a few tracks with her. She’s an amazing musical talent and I can’t wait for people to hear the material.

MMM : Since you are signed to Thatch Music and they are behind Danny K and Jamali’s live shows. Can we expect collaborations with either one of them in future?

GBC : Yeah, Thatch music and I work together for my live shows. Funny you mention the collabs actually ;), I’m currently scheduling some sessions with Mariechan from Jamali, very excited about working together. Danny? I’d love to, although 2 Jewish boys in one kitchen, may cook up something completely non-kosher!

MMM : You are stuck on an Island with absolutely nothing, what three things would you wish for?

GBC : A Piano, a KFC, and a plane to get the hell outta there!

MMM : Rihanna, Kim K or Beyoncé….which one would you flush, marry and have a one night stand with?

GBC : Mmmm, wait ask me that island question again! Nah, this is easy. Flush Kim, one night Rihanna, and marry Beyonce (although that would ruin my chances of having a collab with Jay-Z, Gaaaddammit.)

MMM : hahaha!! Good One. Ok back to your music, who inspires you internationally and locally?

GBC : I have quite a few influences both local and internationally. Internationally: D’angelo, Musiq Soulchild, India Arie, John Mayer, Cold Play and Stephen Sondheim. Locally: the soul guys I work with, Kabomo, Nothende, RJ Benjamin, Clint Brink, but also other acts like Gold Fish, the Arrows, Micasa and Siphokazi (although I don’t understand one word, still love her music!)

MMM : One thing about you that’s really amazing is the fact that you quit studying accounting to do music. How did your parents react to that decision ?

GBC : Unfortunately I didn’t quit, I finished the CA degree and only got in to music properly after that. I signed my first record deal during my last year of articles after passing my 2nd board exam, so my parents were cool with it. Stay in school, kids! ;)

MMM : Producers are known to play a lot of instruments, which instruments can you play?

GBC : Just the piano, really. Little guitar, but mostly piano. Oh, and the triangle. I can ting the shiz outta a triangle.

MMM : For the ladies out there, are you single?

GBC : Sorry, you lost me at ladies...what were you saying ? ;)

MMM : Many people don’t know that you have worked with the likes of Black coffee and RJ Benjamin…how was it like working with those two ?

GBC : Although I’ve known RJ for a while and he introduced me to most of my influences in the neo-soul genre, we’ve actually never collab'ed. We are supposed to be hitting studio next week though, so ask me again in August ;). Coffee actually remixed a track I wrote with BantuSoul, called Even Though, so we didn’t actually work on the track together, but he took my music and made people bounce to it, so it’s all one love.

MMM : What can we expect from your upcoming album ?

GBC : Collective Conscience is a kaleidoscope of soul, dance, jazz, soft rock, pop, funk and pure thought, working together to make you close your eyes, open your ears, tap your toes, lick your lips and warm your belly with that fuzzy feeling inside. It really is a collective effort and combination of the beautiful energies from all the artists I’ve featured on the album, mixing all the styles together through collective conscience. I hope people can open themselves up to embracing it.

MMM : Any idea as to when it will be released ?

GBC :  I’m currently in discussions with labels so hopefully within the next 2-3 months.

MMM: And your favorite tracks at the moment locally ?

GBC : Micasa - La Vida

MMM : Thank you for your time *winks*

GBC : Thanks for having me.