Makif’s blog

Makif are George Booth and Nick Cameron, multi instrumentalists, composers and producers based in the east midlands of the UK. The Makif story is a long one. The original set up of the Makif band did not include either Booth or Cameron in it's ranks and was a very different animal from today. The 'Makif band' as it was commonly known from 1999 to 2002 was gigging hip hop outfit with eight members performing on stage. It's founder and front man was South African rapper 'Makif aka Quillis' whom along with his younger brother Nebuchadnezzar and singer Rosa Fernandez backed up by full live band gigged all over the UK - often recieving rapturous applause for their performances.

Quillis met Cameron in 2000 when he saw a postcard add asking for vocalists looking to collaborate on studio based projects. Cameron would later join the Makif band replacing departed keyboard player Paul Atkins. George Booth meanwhile had also made friends with Quillis whom he met whilst DJing at popular night spots in Derby. Booth  joined the Makif band soon after on turntables. The band promised much but due to Fernandez departing to London and other tensions within the group Makif sadly broke up.

Booth and Cameron remained in touch both driven by their passion to make music and often spoke of working on a project together.In many ways the two have quite different tastes in music, Booth essentially being into R&B and Hip Hop, whilst Cameron is a massive admirer of Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd. They did however, have enough over lap in taste to find some common ground. Particulalry the era of old skool rap from 1987 to 1991, downtempo grooves and the essence of time and space in music.   

However, it wasn't until late 2004 that Booth and Cameron sat down in Booth's home studio to write some music together. Initally experimenting with an array of styles and regularly treading on each others toes, the duo worked to find a way forward as both saw great potential in the partnership. Ultimatley Cameron would take a step back from the technical and programming side leaving Booth to engineer and make beats, whilst Cameron concentrated heavily on composition and arrangement, becoming in many ways a record producer in the more traditional sense of fitting a song together and getting it to work.

In 2005 Nebuchadnezzar and Rosa Fernandez (ex of the 'Makif band')  were asked to collaborate on the project with lyric and vocal input. Both would contribute three vocals a piece to the album 'Armour' [2007]. Also contributing vocally was 21 year old student Amy Scott whom Cameron met at an open mic night at Ryans in Derby (The very same venue where James Morrison was discovered, an interesting aside is that before Morrison found fame he intended to collaborate with Booth and Cameron, it never happened) Scott would contribute the tracks 'All I Really Need' and 'Armour' the title track from the album.  

As for the name Makif, Booth and Cameron had not come up with a name they were happy with, still on friendly terms with 'Makif aka Quillis' they asked him if they could carry on using the name, their friend duly obliged with his blessings.

The debut album 'Armour' (as yet unsigned) was realised with the help of Nu Jazz / Soul producer Martin 'Atjazz' Iveson, who's stuido knowledge, skill and experience were hired by Booth and Cameron to mix the record. Iveson's contribution was by Cameron's own admission 'significant'.  

Dynamic, Textured, Tear Jerking, Articulate and Intelligent Chillout Music for 2007. Makif are musicians and producers George Booth and Nick Cameron. The recently completed debut album 'Armour' featuring vocalists Rosa Fernandes, Nebuchadnezzar and Amy Scott is now available to buy. Two years in the making, this entirely self-funded album, recorded in Booth's spare bedroom, is a dynamic, tear jerking, articulate, emotionally intelligent record that is already producing an overwhelmingly positive response. A rare slice of audio gold dust indeed. Preview the full album at: http://makif.ithinkmusic.com/

All I Really Need

Makif

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