The Badger Herald

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Band may Know Boundaries but has none

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Also by Steve Lampiris:

Head of Femur creates bare-bones pop music on latest (March 26, 2008)
Gnarls: Nothing 'Odd' about it (March 25, 2008)
Reunion tours: Old guys, rock saviors? (March 6, 2008)
Malkmus, Jicks' latest not 'Trash' (March 5, 2008)
UW expellee dishes on journey toward fame (February 27, 2008)

by Steve Lampiris

Thursday, March 27, 2008

It’s been said that Helvetica is the most widely used type font in the world. If mainstream music, specifically commercial rap and rock, is the Helvetica of the music industry, then Know Boundaries is Wingdings.

While discussion of fonts may seem out of place in an article about music, it was just one of the many topics to arise during a recent interview with the Madison-based band.

The Badger Herald spoke to lead singer/rapper Jermel “Cloak” Randolph and keyboardist/band manager Aaron “AK” Konkel.

Know Boundaries is the combination of the minds of Cloak and AK, yet the two personalities could not be more diametrically opposed. Cloak is the outgoing, undeniable force of the group, which is probably why he is the spokesperson for the band both on and off the stage. When Cloak speaks (or raps), the ideas come in bursts. His delivery either on stage or in a chair is a very animated everything-and-the-kitchen-sink thought process — and it is absolutely fascinating to watch.

AK, conversely, is laid back, taking care to choose his wording of whatever point he wants to make. That is not to say, however, that AK is smarter or a more effective speaker than Cloak; they’re just different.

That said, both men rub against the grain in their appearances: Cloak has colored dreadlocks, and AK has a Deadhead-ish beard. Their respective looks may or may not help explain their personalities.

Before Cloak arrives, AK describes him in vivid detail. “He’s ridiculously charismatic. The first time you see him, if he didn’t look the way he did you’d still know him […] You’d take notice just because of his style. He’s the guy; he’s clearly meant to be a rock star.”

Know Boundaries’ history is a simple one: Both men knew each other for 15 years and formed various bands. But, from the ashes of these failed attempts they formed Know Boundaries, a band which prides itself on its half rap, half rock music style.

And it’s this mixing-of-spices approach that explains their sound. Says Cloak, “That’s why we tried to do the whole one-half rapping and one-half singing. We just kinda merged the two.”

Cloak recalls the first time he heard local rap group Smokin’ with Superman. “That’s pretty sweet, rapping with a live band.” He adds, “It was just a coincidence when an opportunity to be the other live band, or the only live band [in Madison], presented itself with a rapper.”

Perhaps the most striking thing about KB is their connection to the Midwest, specifically Madison. Not only did they all grow up here, but they also see this area exploding with musical potential.

Says AK, “The real music comes from the Midwest. Everyone takes it and then moves out to the coasts and give the coasts all the props. So we’re not going anywhere. We’re gonna rip it hard right here and do what we gotta do.”

AK adds, “We might travel, but we’re always gonna be reppin’ the M-a-d. This place has so much creative energy and so many awesome artists that it’s ridiculous. And nobody knows about it — this could be the next Seattle, but nobody really knows. It’s getting so polarized, L.A., New York, and the Dirty South. Oh, and then Kanye and Common — they represent the whole Midwest.”

Being from Madison, it probably comes as no surprise that KB is politically minded, especially lyrically. That doesn’t mean, however, that they just want to be a political band.

Says AK, “We definitely want to do other things. We don’t wanna be the speakers for the revolution or anything, but at the same time we take the experience that we have in our lives and the feelings we have from the world around us and put it into the music.”

Cloak then jumps in, “I wouldn’t call it political; I would call it more like sociology. See, politics has to think of like a Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton song. I wouldn’t write something like that. I don’t necessarily consider us political, but these days politics seem to have their hand in everybody’s cookie jar. You can almost talk about anything, and it’ll sound political.”

Songwriting may be a strength for KB, but their secret weapon is their live show.

“Everyone always says energy. I know it’s vague, but we’re gonna bring the energy from all different walks of life, all different levels of energy — spiritual energy, emotional energy. You’re definitely gonna be moving around a lot,” asserts Cloak.

He continues, “You can’t look away. You may not like us — we may be too loud, too annoying, maybe talk about things that you’re not into at the moment, but a lot of people have told us, ‘I tried to talk through the whole show, but I just could not keep my eyes off the stage.’ [People] will know that there’s something different us than the average local band.”

Cloak also wants KB and the fans to be a community. “That’s a big part of moving on to the next level: creating the ‘we.’ It is their music. We feel like it’s theirs and they take ownership of it, and then we can go to that next level.”

Know Boundaries is just trying to support the city — and the music — from which they came. But fans also have to do their part.

“Madison people need to take a more active approach to their own scene,” Cloak says. “Reporters always ask us what we think about the [Madison] scene. It’s not so much what I think about the scene. I think it’s about the people who are avoiding going to the shows — what do they think about the scene? And what can we do as a city to uplift our own musical scene? If we want music in our town, and we want it to be good, we have to support it.”

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