Blinky Bill has just drop his sophomore solo studio project ‘We Cut Keys 2’ and it’s been worth the wait. With five years gone since ‘Everyone’s Just Winging It And Other Fly Tales’, this new LP sees the Nairobi-based DJ, producer, singer, songwriter and all-round creative behemoth delivers yet another career defining moment. Which is really saying something considering the fact that Bill is often monikered the godfather of alternative music in Kenya. As part of the enigmatic creative stable Just A Band, who were prevalent in the late aughts and early 2010s, he pushed sonic boundaries by mixing native instrumentation with electro, funk and disco. JAB’s viral music videos and innovative sounds symbolised them as the leftist cabal of Kenyan music that coloured out of the lines, while everyone else arguably decided to play it safe. Today, the local soundscape is as diverse as it has ever been with artists experimenting in every direction, a front that Bill pioneered. For Nataal he speaks with Alfayo Onyango about his latest offering (the title referencing 2017’s ‘We Cut Keys While You Wait’ EP) – its ambitions, intrigues and influences.

Congrats on ‘We Cut Keys 2’. Where does this rank in your discography?

Tough question. I've been blessed to be involved in amazing game changing projects so I'm very proud of all of them. But ‘We Cut Keys 2’ is number one for me because of how much I've worked on it and grown from making it. The calibre of tech people that worked on it with me – Grammy award winning executive producer Gordon Williams (Lauryn Hill, Damian Marley, Amy WInehouse) and mastering by Tony Dawsey (Jay -Z) ¬– wasn’t something I had access to on my previous projects. Plus, there are some great collaborations from Fuse ODG, GoldLink, Muthoni Drummer Queen, Jovie Jovv and many more.

So, this is your best body of work yet?

I'm a better producer for sure. The ingredients have always been there but now I feel like I understand sound so much better than I ever have, so I was able to pull things off more skillfully. For example, if you listen to the end of the song ‘Dracula’, I didn’t know how to make sounds like those before. I’ve had to live and travel, while also spending time in the village, to understand what I think I can offer the world as a Kenyan artist.

Nairobi visual artist Zack Adell has art directed the project. How was that relationship?

Zack is literally my brother now. We have a similar relationship to what Kendrick has with Dave Free who oversees his overall artistic expression. I met him in 2013 when I started working on my solo stuff and at that time, I was missing someone to help me with posters and stuff. I think he's the best in Africa at what he does. I don't see anyone even remotely close to his skill level, and maybe if we weren't Kenyan, we'd get more props for the things we do.

Is it a long shot to suggest the creative direction is very pop art and Marvel-like?

We mix so many things to come up with what we are doing. Like I love hip hop, jazz, afrobeats, electronic, lingala and I combine all of them to make my sound – and Zack is the same way with visual references.

Sonically, the singles have leaned into the funk sound a lot. Speak to this.

I grew up loving funky music and it’s something that’s part of my contribution to the game. If you listen to Octopizzo’s ‘Something For You’ then you definitely hear it. But I call my sound Nairobi Bounce.

Who were you listening to and what were you watching for inspiration during the making of the record?

I've been listening to Kendrick, Ye, Orchestra Baobab, Richard Bona, AKA, Fela, Gidi Gidi Majimaji, Mos Def, Madlib, Fatoumata Diawara, Daft Punk and Kaytranada. Movies and TV shows in the mix are Fargo, The Americans, There Will Be Blood, Kill Bill, Matrix, No Country For Old Men, Baby Keem’s Melodic Blue, Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead and The Wire.

You and Dillie never miss. What is it about working with him that you love so much?

We literally share a studio space and Dillie has an amazing ear for samples and so we push each other, plus he's one of the greatest Kenyan producers of all time.

The collaborations on the album are amazing. But you always know how to bring people together. Last year’s ‘Inaweza Haiwezi’ featuring both Khaligraph Jones and M.anifest is a prime example. What’s the story behind that one?

I always want to work with artists who love their craft and so I've been blessed to be connected with people who are of the same mind. When I started working on Inaweza, I thought that it would be cool to get M.anifest on it and he agreed. I heard his verse, reached out to Khaligraph to see if he could jump on it and he came through and killed it. My producer brain was happy to make that come to life. Fun fact, Frasha raps backgrounds on that song.

You’re very loyal having worked with some close affiliates for years. What keeps those links strong?

Good people are hard to find. My band consists of Joe Were, Sedar Malaki, Richard Wandati and Lisa Oduor. We've played together for a decade and we are always improving and so there's no need to reinvent the wheel.

What can we expect from Blinky Bill next?

I want to make movies too at some point and art exhibits so be on the lookout.