Listening to Pauli The PSM is an immersive experience. From the mystic electronic beats, to the socially conscious lyrics and chest-thumping rhythms, these are all elements Pauli uses to build their very own Afrofuturist world.

Rhythm plays an important role in Pauli’s life, so much so that as we talk over the zoomline, they mimics the intonations of my voice with a beatbox, driving the point that there’s music in everything. “I think that’s the magic of it and I can’t turn it off, there’s music always going on in my head,” Pauli tells me. This allowed them to adopt a formless approach to creating and how the recently released ‘I Got The Beat’ came to be. Built from a conversation with an old friend that included everything from Marcus Garvey to their diasporic identity, they left chanting what would be the opening lines of the track in a string of voice memo freestyles. Amidst the spacey snare and kick drums that permeate the production, Pauli performs a lyrical ode to their hometown, Edmonton in north London, while seamlessly blending politics with laidback rhymes.

In the accompanying video, they portray what seems like a sci-fi narrative in a world where “there's only Black people in the future. What does that look like?” they ponder. “All the narratives I’m getting is that we are dying in the streets so everything I do is a celebration of life and a celebration of self.” Directed by Omar Blair-Mangat, whose mixed media approach peels back the layers of Edmonton’s community and culture through grainy 35mm shots, Pauli also unpacks the layers of their own identity in hopes that listeners will find the freedom to do the same.

Growing up on a diet of gospel acts like Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond meant that Pauli’s awareness of rhythm was ingrained in their psyche from an early age. A cousin taught them the drums and they went on to win Young Drummer of The Year before beginning a career as a session and touring musician for major acts such as Eliza Dootlittle, Duffy and Gorillaz Sound System. Despite being propelled into new spaces, Pauli began to feel lacklustre. “When I was playing with well-known pop acts, I didn’t necessarily agree with everything they would say in their music or how they would present themselves on stage,” Pauli admits. “I was like a gun for hire on everyone else’s dream and ambitions and that wasn’t fulfilling for me. I needed to have my story be told and who better to tell it than myself.”

In 2015, Pauli expanded their creative output as a music director for genre-defying artists FKA Twigs and Jamie xx, which gave the all-round creative an insight into what it’s like to navigate the industry as a genuine artist. Witnessing FKA’s unwavering dedication to her craft became a turning point. “I’d never seen an artist with such a deep understanding of self and that for me was the moment I realised it’s deeper than music. It's about what you are trying to do in this world, what impact you are trying to have. It's not about doing it for entertainment or having fun, this is like life or death. That sounds extreme but that’s the passion that I saw her go on stage with every single night.”

A year later Pauli emerged with their debut EP titled ‘The Idea Of Tomorrow’ which featured the familiar rumble of Idris Elba’s voice in the opening track. Their explosive blend of experimental beats and alternative R&B vocals have kept listeners hooked on Pauli’s music ever since. Living between LA and London, and establishing the NYC party BackToLife, his sonically dense collection of releases has continued to reclaim genres and deliver powerful messages. For example, on last year’s instrumental project ‘Rescue The World, Protect Black Women’ he questions the perceived audience of house and dance music by using these sounds as a safe space for the Black community but more specifically Black women. “When I play certain tracks in the club it's the Black women that go nuts, they carry the party and it’s because it’s our liberation music... I want to dig deeper into that and just make people feel.”

Through an array of sounds and textures, Pauli’s aim is to encourage healing through an awareness of our natural rhythm, whether it’s through breathing and tuning into the gentle pulse of our heartbeat or using specific tools and instruments for sound healing. “Drumming is really important for healing collectively. You have to remember our first form of communication was the drums in West Africa. I was in Mali a couple years back where people use talking drums to tap into the eternal rhythm of life,” Pauli reflects. “Everyone has some sort of rhythm. Even just sitting down and listening to your heartbeat, it's happening every day, every second, it’s happening right now. Let’s remember that we are alive and that’s what I interpret through the drums.”

‘I Got The Beat’ is lifted from Pauli’s latest EP ‘Secret Life Of A Badman (Vol.2)’ that also features musical polymaths Kelsy Lu and Elheist on the groovy, space jam ‘Don’t Leave Me’. and the melancholic track ‘Cowgirl (Creeping)’, a song about the fear of infidelity. Other standout moments for Pauli this year include being the music director and composer for the YouTube Original special Black Renaissance that starred Barack and Michelle Obama, and in the fashion realm (Paul is also a model) they collaborated with MCM Worldwide on a custom drum kit.

This moment in time marks a point in Pauli’s career where they no longer try to make music to appease the presumed tastes of fans or sticking to a proven formula. It’s about the pure and authentic expression of the self through meaningful song-writing and transportive beats. “I think for a while I was conscious of making music that other people could relate to. But now, I give an honest and true representation of where I’m at,” they reflects. “This whole art thing is not about any external validation. It’s doing stuff for yourself. That’s it for me.”

Words Blessing Borode
Photography Ciáran Christopher

Visit Pauli The PSM

Published on 24/07/2021