Messiah J & The Expert

"Being arrogant for a second, there are bands who wish they could do that, who wish they could be so diverse but they couldn't because they'd fall flat on their face," Messiah J.

"There won't be many other records this year or this decade that have as much stuff - and that's a bold statement - but include so many genres and still be coherent," The Expert

Messiah J and the Expert are talking a big game and three albums in, they’ve every right to. From The Word Go, out this week, is a big game record befitting big and brash statements. Announcing its release last month, the Dublin pair described the album as “ballsier, riskier, less cluttered, simpler and definitely more eclectic than any of our previous records.” It’s true that once again this is far more than just a hip hop record but “ballsier” and “simpler”? A contradiction, no?

"I wouldn't call that a contradiction purely because I would call a band like The Clash ballsy and simple,” Messiah J explains quite logically. “Sometimes very simple music can be direct and to the point and this is definitely stripped down whereas before we would have had layer, layer, layer, layer. When we were mixing, we'd think that's a lovely riff, let's double it up with this and have to say nooo."

"We took away more than we've ever taken away before,” the Expert agrees. “We simplified the music an awful lot and I think John provides the structures and the message instead of trying to cram in too much. It was a feature length film last time around. Now it's a mini series."

The word “we” crops up frequently over the course of the afternoon and it’s clear that From The Word Go is their most collaborative project to date. Indeed the move away from what Messiah J calls “the life, the world, the universe” lyrical approach of the past to dealing with subjects like euthanasia, responsibility and growing up in the world was very much a joint decision.

"I think it was because we wanted to deal – and I say we because this album is very much mine and Cian's (The Expert‘s) stuff expressed through my lyrics,” Messiah J (John) continues. “We both had a say on every song and I think lyrically it's more worldly and that might seem like a very pompous word but I think more people can relate to it."

The blend and understanding producer between MC and producer seems healthier than ever too. They still trade monthly mix tapes, a tradition dating back to their school days, although Messiah J admits he needs to “get the finger out" after being lax of late. While the Expert says - and here comes that fighting talk again - that the mix of his soul/funk/electronic background with his partner’s indie leanings mean that like "the best songwriting duo's of all time, when an element of ying and yang comes together, it's perfect."

They’re also scarily on the same page. When ‘Looking For A Long Term Thing', the new album’s poignant, psychedelically packed penultimate track is mentioned, both reply as one that it’s “our favourite song we've ever done." The one track that more than any of new dozen demonstrates The Expert’s two-year obsession with nuggets music, a discussion of those almost lost tunes of the 60’s initiates a general dismay at music being made nowadays.

"This album - its general structures and changes - is completely infected by it (nuggets),” the Expert says. “Those songs in the 60's were timeless, you know. They're always going to last whereas a lot of the music today is pretty shit and throwaway. I don't think in ten years time people will be talking about CSS or whatever. The shit bands back then were actually amazing and the shit bands now are fucking shit…"

"No the good bands today are shit as well," Messiah J interrupts before, when pushed into it, they say the only album released this year that’s had any great effect on both of them is The Last Shadow Puppets (and yes they know it’s all been done before too…)

"I just think nowadays music takes so few chances," the Expert says. "It's all so obvious and bands I love – I loved the second Kings of Leon record (finally someone else thinks so -ed) – but now they've dumbed it down. I realise the market's shit and people are playing it safe but back then the songs were fucking bonkers. If The Beatles can do it and they were the biggest band ever, there's no excuse I think."

Playing it safe is certainly one thing you couldn’t accuse Messiah J & The Expert of on From The Word Go. It’s an experience that has left them brimming with the confidence and swagger of a prize fighter. Not cocksure but no longer quietly confident. MJEX mean business.

"There was a time when we wanted to be humble,” Messiah J concludes. “And we still are, we don't want to be the Gallaghers or whatever, but you can't hide it, you really can't."

Messiah J & The Expert launch From The Word Go, this Saturday October 18 at Dublin's Andrews Lane Theatre. To be in with a chance of winning two tickets, just email us your details to info@raggedwords.com