When nice weather hits the Twin Cities, you can always be sure of seeing one thing: bikers.Hipsters on fixies, tourists on those big green Nice Rides, and Franz Diego on his horned two-wheeler.
In the spirit of the [bike] season, BeSceneMpls is excited to bring you the premiere of Franz’s visuals for Bike Song, a track featured on the Sense of Self project he created with J-Hard. I got a chance to chop it with Franz and ask him about working with Greg Grease on the video, favorite bike routes in the Twin Cities, and his upcoming show with Das Racist. Check the video and then let your eyes wander down to our conversation, below.
In the spirit of the [bike] season, BeSceneMpls is excited to bring you the premiere of Franz’s visuals for Bike Song, a track featured on the Sense of Self project he created with J-Hard. I got a chance to chop it with Franz and ask him about working with Greg Grease on the video, favorite bike routes in the Twin Cities, and his upcoming show with Das Racist. Check the video and then let your eyes wander down to our conversation, below.
What sort of feedback have you received from your project with J-Hard, Sense of Self?
It’s been really interesting and really good. I think people who know me or my previous music had to sort of re-adjust to the new sound. More than anything its a surprise, like people weren’t expecting it, which is cool! I’ve also gotten a lot more love from the electronic community and been getting hit up by more electronic DJs and producers who want to work together, because of the sound we had on Sense of Self.
It’s been really interesting and really good. I think people who know me or my previous music had to sort of re-adjust to the new sound. More than anything its a surprise, like people weren’t expecting it, which is cool! I’ve also gotten a lot more love from the electronic community and been getting hit up by more electronic DJs and producers who want to work together, because of the sound we had on Sense of Self.
Besides the obvious anthem [Waggin' On the Scene], this track [Bike Song] is a Be Scene family favorite. What inspired you to write this track?
All the song topics came very easily and naturally. J-Hard just gave me three discs of his best beats and let me go loose on ‘em. “Bike Song” was one of the first ones I wrote and it really was just about capturing almost “a day in the life”, you know. It starts out “I woke up at this girl house she said she had to go to work, so I grabbed my shirt and trousers and stepped out onto the curb”. I mean, at that point in my life, this was a regular occurrence. I didn’t have a car, it was summer in Minneapolis which means non-stop partying and you know, at the end of the night you sleep or pass out wherever you are and wake up the next day with a chance to do it all again. “Bike Song” is mainly about the transitional time in the day when I’m riding around the city running into folks, blasting my boombox, just seeing what’s going on and what I can get into.
All the song topics came very easily and naturally. J-Hard just gave me three discs of his best beats and let me go loose on ‘em. “Bike Song” was one of the first ones I wrote and it really was just about capturing almost “a day in the life”, you know. It starts out “I woke up at this girl house she said she had to go to work, so I grabbed my shirt and trousers and stepped out onto the curb”. I mean, at that point in my life, this was a regular occurrence. I didn’t have a car, it was summer in Minneapolis which means non-stop partying and you know, at the end of the night you sleep or pass out wherever you are and wake up the next day with a chance to do it all again. “Bike Song” is mainly about the transitional time in the day when I’m riding around the city running into folks, blasting my boombox, just seeing what’s going on and what I can get into.
Favorite bike route in the Twin Cities?
There are so many! I mean I love all the paths: River Road is great for riding and exploring, the Parkway path that follows the creek is also great for cruising, but I’d say on a day when I have nothing to do and just want to ride I take:
28th –> 38th –> Cedar –> Lake –> hit Calhoun –> Hennepin to University –> take the Washington Bridge to Cedar Riverside –> ride Minnehaha back.
Its my favorite ride because it lets me see so much of what’s going on in the city!
There are so many! I mean I love all the paths: River Road is great for riding and exploring, the Parkway path that follows the creek is also great for cruising, but I’d say on a day when I have nothing to do and just want to ride I take:
28th –> 38th –> Cedar –> Lake –> hit Calhoun –> Hennepin to University –> take the Washington Bridge to Cedar Riverside –> ride Minnehaha back.
Its my favorite ride because it lets me see so much of what’s going on in the city!
How is it working with Greg Grease as a videographer?
Man, Greg is a really close friend; me and him really see eye-to-eye on a whole lot of things. He told me that he wanted to do the video for “Bike Song” and already had some treatment ideas. I pretty much always trust his ideas so I wasn’t worried; I had a few of my own, like using my different bikes and dressing differently for each use. After that it really was just us rolling around my neighborhood with me on my bike and Greg on my longboard. We shot it pretty quickly.
Man, Greg is a really close friend; me and him really see eye-to-eye on a whole lot of things. He told me that he wanted to do the video for “Bike Song” and already had some treatment ideas. I pretty much always trust his ideas so I wasn’t worried; I had a few of my own, like using my different bikes and dressing differently for each use. After that it really was just us rolling around my neighborhood with me on my bike and Greg on my longboard. We shot it pretty quickly.
Greg isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and is always pushing to do something new and different. What’s really great about him is his concern with quality and consistency. If it takes more time to come out with something better, rather than just releasing something quick for the sake of exposure, he will always make the time to insure that what he’s working on is the best that he can do and it shows!
What’s next for you?
I just started a project, that is mainly ideas for now, with DJ Willie Shu from the Turnt Up! Crew. I’m pretty excited about that. I’ve known and performed with Willie since we were in high school and he is really talented. He just now is starting to seriously get into beat making and his approach is a lot different than a lot of other Minnesota producers which I’m really excited about!
I just started a project, that is mainly ideas for now, with DJ Willie Shu from the Turnt Up! Crew. I’m pretty excited about that. I’ve known and performed with Willie since we were in high school and he is really talented. He just now is starting to seriously get into beat making and his approach is a lot different than a lot of other Minnesota producers which I’m really excited about!
I’m also working on more parties and event planning which is something I’m really into and I’m glad that people are seeking me out to help plan things and host events for people to come together and have fun!
Also, my crew Illuminous 3 will be opening for Das Racist April 5th at the Triple Rock which I’m pretty excited about because I’m a huge fan of theirs!
