Life as a young Maori man in the heart of Tokyo, a bustling metropolis of 12 million souls, can have its moments. However musician Ben Kemp draws on his life in New Zealand for a sense of creative calm amidst the hustle and bustle.

"On one hand, the intensity of the city often throws me out of kilter, but I have learnt to earth myself in less than ideal circumstances. I grew up near the ocean on the outskirts of Gisborne, so I always look for those roots as inspiration. On the other hand, there is a wealth of stimulation and excitement in Tokyo."

Manufacturing his own calm has led to inspiration for his upcoming tour and the release of his third studio album - The Un-Cut Apple - in New Zealand in March 2008. Travelling with his band Uminari, Kemp will be returning to his roots with his unique blend of 'PolynAsian' music.Life as a young Maori man in the heart of Tokyo, a bustling metropolis of 12 million souls, can have its moments. However musician Ben Kemp draws on his life in New Zealand for a sense of creative calm amidst the hustle and bustle.

"On one hand, the intensity of the city often throws me out of kilter, but I have learnt to earth myself in less than ideal circumstances. I grew up near the ocean on the outskirts of Gisborne, so I always look for those roots as inspiration. On the other hand, there is a wealth of stimulation and excitement in Tokyo."

Manufacturing his own calm has led to inspiration for his upcoming tour and the release of his third studio album - The Un-Cut Apple - in New Zealand in March 2008. Travelling with his band Uminari, Kemp will be returning to his roots with his unique blend of 'PolynAsian' music.During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?
Generally speaking, I would have to say I am a night person - especially since I've been in Tokyo, the city that never sleeps. I often find myself lying in bed in the dark with a head full of ideas, random things buzzing around that I sometimes scribble down. The twilight hours are also often fruitful for me - I enjoy the change of light, elongating shadows, and what not.

How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?
I think organic, honest and somewhat space cadet-ish. I feel compelled to explore all corners of my creativity because I often find conventional means mundane. Freaky is good, as long as it is genuine.

What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?
Collaboration with other artists has always given me that buzz. Most of the time the collaborations can range from great to even appalling, but say 5% of the time, the feeling is not of this world. It's very special to hit on that mutually creative moment, and certainly something I would never take for granted.

How do you think your environment affects your work?
My environment definitely can help to add colour and subject matter, but the skeleton which includes my values, creative vision etc is usually already in place - whether I'm working from a studio in the centre of an overcrowded neon city or sitting alone by the lake penning some lyrics.

Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?
I try to look at the bigger picture, but often find myself bewildered and enchanted by the smaller and more intricate details. As the world gets faster and communication more instantaneous, people tend to skip the details and that makes me sad.

You're a young Maori man living in one of the largest cities in the world - how does that work for you?
On one hand, the intensity of the city often throws me out of kilter, but I have learnt to earth myself in less than ideal circumstances. I grew up near the ocean on the outskirts of Gisborne, so I always look for those roots as inspiration. On the other hand, there is a wealth of stimulation and excitement in Tokyo. I have witnessed some mind blowing things including musical performances and theatre that could only ever have happened in this city.

Your music has been described as "Polyn-Asian" can you explain what that means?
Basically, it is music that is inspired by both Polynesian and Asian cultures. Within our music, we try to capture our various influences and produce an original sound. The result may not sound like world music, or a traditional Japanese or Polynesian tune meshed together but we have a feeling it's still not easy to categorize, and that suits us. Better we name it 'Polyn-Asian' than be labelled something we're not comfortable with, we thought.

Your bandmates are three Japanese men who play with various Japanese instruments, how does the blend of Maori, European and Japanese culture work?
I bring the Polynesian & European roots and they bring the Japanese roots, but we do things very much by osmosis rather than actively carving out a fusion of the various cultures. We speak in in both Japanese and English - but there are some limitations here to having in-depth conversations, so we rely more on action and expression, rather than talking I suppose. For example, I lent a CD of the kowauwo so that Ogata, the flautist could hear and emulate the sound of a Maori wind instrument.

How does the distance from New Zealand influence your music?
I cherish New Zealand, and I often find myself pining for home. The interesting thing is that New Zealand is probably more vivid in my music and writing than it ever was when I was back at home. It's a wonderful place, but sadly it is better for me to be elsewhere at this stage of my life.

What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?
You have to be pro-active in searching out opportunities for your creative work, and don't sit back and think that someone is going to come and save or discover you. You also have to try to acknowledge rejection as part of the process and keep moving forward. It often hurts, but by just thinking that while one door closes, there are plenty more that will open (often consistent knocking is required).

Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?
I am fairly critical of myself and really struggle to appreciate my own work, but I am aware that I have been quite courageous in my choices to date, and I get a lot of satisfaction from that.

Who or what has inspired you recently?
I am inspired by honesty and all things pure. Our friends have an 8-month old baby girl named Momo ('Peach'). I like to sing to her and I am always amazed by how present she is. I am so in awe of her for that.

If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you've chosen, what would it be?
An All-Black, or a ballet dancer.

What place is always with you, wherever you go?
Wainui beach in Gisborne, and my whakapapa.

What's the best way to listen to music, and why?
It depends on the genre of music you are listening too. For introspective and contemplative music, I like to listen in the dark because you shut the other senses down. For more gregarious styles of music, it's pretty hard to beat a car with a mint stereo.

You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?
I'd build a sail.

What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?
Do something physical to shift the focus from the mental. Also, helping others takes the spotlight off oneself.

What's great about today?
I try to appreciate each day as much as I can. I try to build from one to the next, but the fact that it is Saturday is particularly great about today.

What's your big idea for 2008?
I have plenty of projects on the horizon for 2008, but singing children's stories sounds particularly inspiring and enchanting for me. I have a great group of artists to work with on this project and I am chomping at the bit.

Tour dates

Ben Kemp and Uminari
THE UN-CUT APPLE TOUR - NEW ZEALAND 2008

The Classic - AUCKLAND
with Anna Coddington
Thursday 6 March 2008

Mighty Mighty - WELLINGTON
with Good Laika
Thursday 13 March

Harbourlight Theatre - CHRISTCHURCH
Friday 14 March

More information

Ben Kemp
MySpace

04/02/08