A CONVERSATION WITH BURN UNIT

By RODNEY@CABANDS.COM

Before I begin, I would like to thank John Phillips and Matt Phillips for making this interview possible. I would also like to thank the BURN UNIT CREW for their extreme generosity and hospitality.

PAULIE SELEKTAH: AY YO, WHAT UP, this is PAULIE SELEKTAH of the BURN UNIT SOUND SYSTEM, Brooklyn, New York, with the Long Beach crew, Toko Tasi, Opie Ortiz, the Sacramento crew; DJ GWA’AN, my man Phileano, we love each other, same neighborhood just 3,000 miles apart.

CABANDS: I noticed there were a couple of guys with you that are normally not with you.

PAULIE: that’s them, they are with us on the west coast. Once the budget gets bigger, we’ll be able to bring the whole forum to our shows. As for right now, Phileano and Toko Tasi (who use to be a pro snowboarder) are basically just lending me love and a hand. They love to bust, you heard them, they are tight. The new BURN UNIT album we are working on right now here in Long Beach with Miguel, you’ll be able to hear more from them. As for right now, pick up our first joint “BEHIND THE BAR” from SKUNK.COM.

CABANDS: you were part of THE LORDS OF BROOKLYN, right?

PAULIE: that was a great experience to be on a major label to see how shiesty those mothers are. It was more a right of passage.

CABANDS: So, SKUNK records is treating you well?

PAULIE: Yeah, because they give me full creative control. On the BEHIND THE BAR” cd, Me and Frank Bombjack produced the rhythms, Robustelli, who is a big New York city house DJ, produced the rhythm that’s on the “WONDERS OF THE WORLD” album, we go back a long way, and is in the mix when I call upon him. This new album, Miguel is stepping more in on the production to give it more of a Brooklyn- Long Beach melt. So, it will be like a Brooklyn-Long Beach tuna melt. See, for a while there was a big rivalry going on between the east and west, and to me…hip hop is dead. Basically with dancehall reggae, the hip hop attitude stands, it is ghetto music, drum and bass, but, the people that voice it, voice it from their heart.

CABANDS: When can we expect the new album?

PAULIE: we are trying to release a single for the summer. We were working on a really hot tune, myself, Phileano, Toko Tasi, that was started just before we went on tour with THE SHORTBUS. 

CABANDS: I know from experience that SKUNK records is more like a family. They aren’t a major label with a lot of capital behind them, so they promote that D.I.Y. philosophy. How has that affected BURN UNIT?

PAULIE: well, a major label probably wouldn’t have released the “BEHIND THE BAR” cd, it is too hard core. They are looking for radio hits. They only want money. It’s funny but, most people who get into this business think that if they get a million dollar deal they have a million dollars. In reality, that is a million dollar loan, you have to pay that back. You think when you get a record deal that you are now on easy street? No, that’s when the headaches begin. Unless you are on an independent label which will give you creative control. That’s what every ‘artist’ needs. (just then a man walks up with two women on his arm) Oh!! Pick it up for LADYKILLERS, LADYKILLERS in the house..LADYKILLERS.COM.
There is a lot of hierarchy in the major labels. There are a lot of people who have these jobs…and I am talking about all of you A&R’s who are simply frustrated musicians, and you have these jobs where you think you have the right to say what’s cool and what’s not, but really, you’re just bitter mother f'ers. Because you can’t do it yourself, so you would rather work for the machine instead of working the machine. 

CABANDS: (rad) So tell the kids out there what’s really up

PAULIE: I will tell you right now, all you kids out there that think you want to become a “rock star”, you have to be built for it, I mean you have to pay your dues. You have to get jerked, you have to a lot of shit that would break most people’s spirits. That’s what I mean by being built for it, being able to say, “I’ll do this show for free” because promotion is worth it’s weight in gold. You gotta pay your dues, I am still starving. You just can’t get discouraged, if you want to be in this business. Things don’t happen overnight, the business doesn’t knock on your door. You’ve got to be that annoying bastard, you’ve got to put your word in their ears, to the point where they’re fed up with you. Because that’s the way it is, there are a lot of fagot mother f'ers out there that run the shit and really don’t know what they’re doing.

CABANDS: How much longer is BURN UNIT touring?

PAULIE: we are finishing up the tour with the SHORTBUS. We will be doing a bunch of southern cal shows, finish up some recording, then take two weeks off, chill out, pay the rent….KIDS, DON’T FORGET THAT!! PAY YOUR RENT!! Then we start a summer tour on the east with the LONG BEACH SHORTBUS. Also remember everything you believe in… if you don’t believe in yourself, ain’t nobody gonna do it for you. 

CABANDS: I have noticed the confused looks on people’s faces when you start a show, like it takes a few seconds to register what is happening, explain that.

PAULIE: they’re just jealous that a white boy is doing reggae, they’re just mad that I got skills.


CABANDS: Hello DJ GWA’AN, how did you and PAULIE hook up?

DJ GWA’AN: Well, I was an assistant tour manager for SOUL BRAINS (formerly known as BAD BRAINS) the bass player pointed out the window of the bus in front of that night’s venue and said “hey listen, that guy right there is the best reggae rapper you will ever hear. Make sure he makes it in the show tonight” and I was looking for like dreadlocks and all, and am not seeing anyone but this Irish dude. So I went out to meet him, then he told me about a project he was starting called BURN UNIT. Paulie being Brad’s (SUBLIME) main inspiration, I had heard of him while a tour manager with the LONG BEACH DUB ALL STARS, so I realized this was the guy we were listening to during that tour. He then told me that he had been looking for a DJ to take BURN UNIT on the road. So, we exchanged numbers and went out on the next DUB ALL STARS tour, the rest is history.

CABANDS: How do you perceive the crowd at a BURN UNIT show?


DJ GWA’AN: well, so far we’ve only toured as a supporting act, so most people who see us are there for the LONG BEACH DUB ALL STARS or THE SHORTBUS. So, the only ones who already know us, know from the website. We get a greater response on the extreme west or east coast. But the kids in the middle of the country, for the most part don’t know who we are, so it takes a song or two before I notice heads bobbing. To tell you the truth, even though this is an old style of music, those kids in the Midwest and plains states are radio listeners. They listen to what the media dictates to them. They need to hook up with some music that is real, instead of the ‘record store factories’. CABANDS.COM huh….this a great flow you guys are producing, putting the word out to the middle of the country. 

You can (and I recommend it) pick up BURN UNIT’s “BEHIND THE BAR” at www.SKUNK.COM or www.MERCH.COM.