I’m in Acton with Giovanni Alleyne-Graham, generally known as Gio to household and pals and p-rallel to the remainder of the world. It’s his studio, some time after he’s launched his EP, Ahead. On one facet of the room, a white bookcase is full of previous data. There’s a whiteboard with some mysterious scribblings and thrilling names. There’s even a joint held on a wall, framed behind some glass: break in case of emergency. Then there’s the gargantuan desk, and sat at it’s certainly one of London’s up-and-coming DJs. By the point we’re speaking, he’s simply 22.
He is bought out nights at Material and the Warehouse Mission, been nominated for the Guap Gala DJ of the yr, and performed this yr’s Glastonbury – certainly, his newest music video with Hak Baker is filmed on the legendary pageant. Although he broke out initially together with his collaboration with Greentea Peng, “soulboy”, Alleyne-Graham’s path to feel-good, groovy music has been lengthy, arduous work.
Rising up in Acton, Alleyne-Graham was raised on a gentle eating regimen of uncommon groove, gradual jams, reggae, soulful home. Regardless of his comparatively younger age, he is has been making strikes since he was a younger teenager – he even did an impromptu studio session at his dad or mum’s home with Rejjie Snow and Playboi Carti at simply fifteen years previous. After temporary stints as an engineer for London cloud-rap group Piff Gang, he started slowly and steadily DJing.
Alleyne-Graham’s father can be a DJ, and events have been recurrently thrown at his dad or mum’s home, which gave him ample alternative to begin DJing younger. Being surrounded by a lot music, he knew he needed to be a musician very early on, and it feels inevitable that he would. The ensuing physique of labor shamelessly spans a number of genres: “I’m genreless. I make every thing, and I find it irresistible,” he says.
‘p-rallel’ was borne from parallel concept – too many individuals have been listed as ‘parallel’ on Spotify, therefore the sprint. The supply of his identify informs a lot of his philosophy in life: “Nothing is actual, simply have enjoyable with it. That’s what I’m doing,” he explains. “Day by day I get up, I attempt to discover a option to have enjoyable. I simply put that by my music. I don’t make ‘severe’ music, simply simple stuff to vibe to… and hopefully, I can try this till the day that I die!”
Alleyne-Graham’s total ethos is to make soulful music, and it sings out in his artistry. He cites D’Angelo’s ‘Spanish Joint’ as one of the vital soulful songs he’s listened to, and tells me Michael Jackson as certainly one of his inspirations, notably as an artist: “the entire package deal, the dancing, every thing.”
“Simply make good music, be an entertainer,” he says. “There’s extra to producing music – which is alright, you possibly can simply drop music… otherwise you may be extra. Rising up with Michael Jackson as inspiration, we will do extra.”
Although he’s a seasoned producer, Alleyne-Graham finds himself at a precarious spot in his profession. Not going to uni, for example, sometimes causes doubt as as to whether it’s held him again when it comes to life expertise. “As a 22-year-old within the business, there’s so many elders. The childhood lots of people lived, I didn’t dwell… as quickly as I got here out of faculty, I stepped straight into the business.” Not that it deters him for too lengthy: “I take a look at elders that don’t know what they’re doing – I’m like, yeah, it’s calm.”
In particular person, Alleyne-Graham’s simply as laidback as his music – cool and picked up, one thing that he’s inherited from his mother and father. Some folks, nonetheless, misread this as standoffish behaviour. “Individuals have a tendency to seek out me unapproachable generally,” he admits, “however that’s simply me.” How does it really feel to have folks discover you unapproachable? “I don’t actually thoughts, to be sincere!” he laughs. “For those who’ve obtained the center to return and discuss to me, you then higher have nice dialog on a regular basis.”
Certainly, that is what makes p-rallel so magical to hearken to: he solely makes music with artists he genuinely connects with. Neighborhood is necessary to Alleyne-Graham; on Twitter, he’s extra prone to promote different folks’s work, particularly these within the Elevation Meditation crew that he’s a part of. Once I ask him about his favorite style, he says: “I don’t actually care for large manufacturers anymore. I simply really feel my pals are an important factor in my life. They’re they those that want essentially the most assist, so I’d relatively cosign them than anyone else.”
Alleyne-Graham prefers to know the artists he works with personally earlier than recording, relatively than being paired up by the label – the instances this hasn’t occurred, in accordance with him, went somewhat wayward. However maybe it’s for the most effective: Alleyne-Graham’s music depends upon mutual collaboration.
Take Venna, for instance, who’s featured on a number of tracks all through Alleyne-Graham’s discography. The London saxophonist was beforehand on ‘Westborn’, certainly one of Alleyne-Graham’s extra widespread instrumentals, which is beloved by followers to this present day. On Ahead, Venna’s on ‘Can’t Get Sufficient’ with indie-pop sensation Rachel Chinouriri, and ‘Vibes’ with Sam Smart.
“It’s superb, the man is a god. He hypnotises you together with his sounds,” Alleyne-Graham says. “I had the beat there, which I made with my guitarist. I listened to it, and I used to be like, yeah – it wants Venna. When he got here in, I’m similar to, you do your factor. And he simply did his factor.”
He is has additionally acted as a tour DJ for artists resembling Lava La Rue and Slowthai, who he joined on his Guess You A 5er tour. It was there the place he grew to become pals with singer Hak Baker. “We went on nights out after being on tour and stuff. It took us some time to truly get in a session. I had the thought of a music, and I used to be like, let’s get him in, and we made it.”
The result’s “love me, i’m scum” – a reggae-jungle fusion which is a surprisingly fast-paced swap up for Alleyne-Graham. It’s a direct results of their shared heritage: “He’s a Jamaican and London vibe, it’s very relatable for me, personally – a Black boy from Jamaica, or to have that heritage. Being in London and having these two blended collectively simply is sensible. I imply, we put it within the music.”
Alleyne-Graham’s course of is equal components collaborative and insular. On the one hand, he’s picky in regards to the folks he makes music with; their relationship is what often informs the songs. However when it comes all the way down to it, he tries to let his personal instinct information the music. “I’m very valuable on who offers me suggestions on issues,” he tells me. “For those who’re not from the place I’m from, then you possibly can’t actually perceive the perspective that I’m attempting to… pressure? Or push?”
“In relation to music, I come from a sure place in my life. Sure suggestions is barely on small particulars. Even with my supervisor, I received’t ship him the music till I’m pleased to ship him the music.” Not even his dad offers him substantial suggestions: “A few of my pals will give me suggestions. I preserve it strict to me and my ears. I’ll give myself a month, and I’m like, this wants to alter.”
Clearly, it’s working – and he hopes to shake off the conception that he’s only a DJ together with his music. “It’s an imagery factor – this picture of simply me being at a sure place the place I’m not having to show myself as arduous as I’m now. Proper now, I’m having as a lot enjoyable as I can, however it is going to get to a degree the place I’m going to have to pay attention extra on the instructions I do wish to go in.”
Although Alleyne-Graham is simply dwelling life now, by the sounds of the names on his whiteboards, he’s quick changing into certainly one of London’s most in-demand musicians. He’s been grinding in music for simply shy of a decade – the one route he may go, it appears, is ahead.
