Kele Okereke

Kele Okereke
Kele Okereke in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Kelechukwu Rowland Okereke
Born	(1981-10-13) 13 October 1981 Liverpool, England
Origin	London, England
Genres	Indie rock post-punk revival alternative dance house
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Vocals Guitar Vocoder Electric Piano
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Wichita V2 Kobalt
Associated acts	Bloc Party Tommy Sparks Tiësto Martin Solveig The Chemical Brothers Hercules & Love Affair Lucy Taylor
Website	iamkele.com
Notable instruments
Fender Telecaster Gretsch Tennessee Rose Rickenbacker 620 Fender Performer

Kelechukwu "Kele" Okereke (born 13 October 1981), also known by the mononym Kele, is a British musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock^[1] band Bloc Party.^[2]

Early life

Okereke was born to Roman Catholic Igbo Nigerian parents in Liverpool, England on 13 October 1981.^[3] His mother was a midwife, and his father a molecular biologist. He grew up in London with his sister. As a child, he went to school at Ilford County High School (where he was known as Rowly), but switched to Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green for sixth form at age 16. He lived in Bethnal Green, and in 1998 he became friends with a student of nearby Bancroft's School, Russell Lissack, who would become Bloc Party's guitarist. A year later, while studying English Literature at King's College London, Okereke met Lissack again at Reading Festival, where the band was officially formed under the title of 'The Angel Range'. In 2001, Okereke moved out of his parents' home. He went on to meet Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong who became the band's permanent bass guitarist and drummer, respectively. In 2003, the band changed its name to Bloc Party after briefly being called Union.

Music career

Bloc Party

In 2005, Bloc Party released their first studio album, titled Silent Alarm. The album reached number three in the UK charts, and propelled the band to fame. Despite this, Okereke continued to study English literature at university. Until the release of Silent Alarm, he had kept his musical activities secret from his parents.

The band released their second album A Weekend in the City on 5 February 2007 in the UK and 6 February in the US. The album debuted at No. 12 in the Billboard 200 with 48,000 copies sold, and reached the No. 2 spot in the Official UK Chart.

It became available via the UK's iTunes Store a day ahead of schedule, on 4 February. The first single, "The Prayer", was released on 29 January, having been made available on Myspace on 22 November 2006. It reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, still the group's highest placing. The next single, "I Still Remember," was the album's first in the US. The album was produced by Jacknife Lee.

Bloc Party performing in London, January 2006

In the build-up to the release of the album, Zane Lowe aired a live set from the BBC studios at Maida Vale featuring a mix of old songs and new ones on his evening radio show on BBC Radio 1 on 30 January 2007. The band also scheduled their first gig with the second album at Reading Hexagon to coincide with the UK release date. On 1 February 2007, A Weekend in the City was made available to listen to for free through the band's official Myspace website.

The third album released by the band Intimacy, was initially only made available for purchase on their website as a download on 21 August 2008. The record was released in compact disc form on 24 October 2008, with Wichita Recordings as the primary label. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart and entered the Billboard 200 in the United States at number 18.

In October 2008, Okereke moved to Berlin to seize the city's music oriented spirit.^[4]

Okereke made a guest appearance on Tiësto's song "It's Not the Things You Say"^[5] on his album Kaleidoscope, released 6 October 2009 and also Martin Solveig's 'Ready 2 Go', after which Bloc Party went on hiatus.

In 2011, Kele Reunited with Bloc Party to record the band's fourth album, Four, which was released in August 2012. Both the album and its lead single - Octopus, released a month before - peaked in their respective UK charts at number three.

In 2013, the band released an EP Called The Nextwave Sessions and went on an indefinite hiatus.

Solo career

Okereke released his first solo album, titled The Boxer, produced by XXXChange, on 21 June 2010, through Wichita / Polydor in the UK and Europe and Glassnote Records for the rest of the world. The album was released under the name Kele, dropping his surname. Okereke explained the album title, saying "as a boxer, you have to rely on nobody else but yourself to achieve what it is you want to achieve. Even though you take hits, you have to keep focus on your priorities and keep going. I thought that was an inspiring image."^[6] The first single from the album, "Tenderoni", was released on 14 June 2010.^[7]

On 13 September 2011, NME and Wichita Recordings announced that Kele would be releasing a follow up to The Boxer; an EP titled The Hunter.^[8][9]

Kele released the single "Everything You Wanted". It was remixed by South African producers DJ Qness and DJ Mujava, who brought in a fusion of pop along with their traditional South African Kwaito music.

Kele features on Sub Focus' single "Turn It Around" from his second studio album Torus. The song was released on 22 September 2013.^[10]

On 23 July 2014 Kele announced his second solo album, entitled Trick, to be released on his own label Lilac Records via Kobalt Label Services on 13 October 2014.^[11]

Personal life

Okereke is extremely shy.^[12] He has expressed disdain for interviews, asking one interviewer from Skyscraper magazine, "Why is it important to know what I had for breakfast? Or who I went to bed with? Or what sneakers I am wearing? If it's relevant to understanding my music, then so be it. But if it's purely to satisfy the media's obsession with celebrity, then no thanks. I don't want to play that game."^[13] The focus of one interview with NME in July 2005 was largely to do with his dislike of being interviewed. In it he implied that the media placed deliberate emphasis on conflicts between bands and did not want to be drawn into such publicity, saying that "public feuding between bands is completely pointless."^[14] Okereke has also said, "people think that I hate being approached but that's not true" in NME on 15 September 2005.

In March 2010 Okereke came out as gay in a BUTT magazine article,^[15] and he then gave an interview and appeared on the front cover of the June 2010 issue of Attitude magazine. Previously he had been reluctant to discuss his sexuality, though he had compared himself to famous bisexuals Brian Molko and David Bowie, as well as Morrissey.^[16] He also discussed the homoerotic story behind the Bloc Party song "I Still Remember" and the semi-autobiographical nature of it. In June 2010 Okereke was named as the Sexiest Out Gay Male Artist by music website LP33 in its annual survey.^[17]

In 2010, Okereke launched a personal photoblog at iamkele.com. On 7 June, whilst being interviewed by Steve Lamacq, Okereke said he would be moving to Manhattan at the end of the year. As of July 2010, Okereke was still living in Shoreditch in East London.^[18]

In a 2014 interview with NBHAP, Okereke told that he is "excited about the future. There is a lot going on, a lot of upheaval but with change comes the opportunity for rebirth, which is my favourite kind of experience."^[19]

Controversy

Feud with Oasis

Okereke responded critically to comments made by Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis in early 2007. Liam called Bloc Party "A band off of University Challenge", while Noel dismissed them as "indie shit". In retaliation, Okereke stated, "I think Oasis are the most overrated and pernicious band of all time. They had a totally negative and dangerous impact upon the state of British music. They have made stupidity hip. They claim to be inspired by The Beatles but, and this saddens me, they have failed to grasp that The Beatles were about constant change and evolution. Oasis are repetitive Luddites."^[20] Ironically, when Oasis cancelled their headlining set at the Rock-en-Seine festival near Paris in August 2009 (the concert where the Gallagher brothers clashed backstage, which resulted in Oasis splitting up), it was Okereke who announced to the crowd that Oasis had cancelled their slot during Bloc Party's set, sarcastically declaring the breakup to be a shame. He dedicated their track "Mercury" to the Oasis fans "who really, really wanted to see those inbred twins," referring to the Gallagher brothers after announcing to the crowd "so I guess by default, we are headlining!"^[21]

Style

For Bloc Party's second album A Weekend in the City, Okereke chose more personal and political subjects for songs. A family friend, Christopher Alaneme, had been murdered in a racist attack, while David Morley, a London bartender, was beaten to death in a possibly homophobic "happy slapping". Okereke has claimed that these events, combined with the 7 July London bombings "galvanised [his] mindset", prompting him to make the lyrics "dark, bigger and quite abrasive".^[22]

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Featured singles

• "Believe" with The Chemical Brothers (2005)
• "It's Not The Things You Say" with Tiesto (2009)
• "Ready 2 Go" with Martin Solveig (2011)
• "Step Up" with Hercules & Love Affair (2011)
• "What Did I Do?" with Sander van Doorn featuring Lucy Taylor (2011)
• "Turn It Around" with Sub Focus (2013)
• "Let Go" with RAC (2013)
• "Faith" with V V Brown (2014)
• "The One" with Sable (2014)

Musical equipment used

The following is a list of equipment used by Okereke.

Guitars:

• Fender Telecaster – 3-tone Sunburst
• Fender Telecaster – Butterscotch Blonde
• Fender Telecaster – Cherry Red (Seen at Bristol in October 2009)
• Gretsch Tennessee Rose – Cherry Red
• Fender Performer – Sunburst (Used in the videos for "Helicopter" and "Little Thoughts")
• Fender Telecaster Thinline – Natural (Used in the early days of the band circa 2003)
• Rickenbacker 620 – presumed to be in Black (Seen in the original video for "Banquet")

Effects pedals:

• Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
• BOSS LS-2 Line Selector (x2)
• BOSS DF-2 SUPER Feedbacker Distortion
• BOSS ODB-3 Bass OverDrive
• BOSS OC-3 SUPER Octave
• BOSS SYB-3 Bass Synthesiser
• Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeller
• Line 6 FM4 Filter Modeller
• BOSS TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
• BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay
• Arion SAD-1 Analogue Delay
• BOSS RC-20XL Loop Station

Used To Manipulate Voice

• Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeller
• BOSS PS-5 SUPER Shifter

Amplifiers:

• Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
• Fender Hot Rod DeVille – Seen used live as a backup amplifier
• THD Hot Plate Power Attenuator

Cultural Influence

Online code school Bloc offers an optional API programming project called "Kele", named after Kele Okereke.^[38]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kele Okereke.

• Official website
• Daily Music Guide review of Tenderoni
• Questionnaire Bloc Party's Kele Okereke
• Profile and cover story in The Advocate, June/July 2012

Bloc Party
Kele Okereke Russell Lissack Justin Harris Louise Bartle Gordon Moakes Matt Tong
Studio albums	Silent Alarm A Weekend in the City Intimacy Four Hymns
Remix albums	Silent Alarm Remixed Intimacy Remixed
EPs	Bloc Party Little Thoughts The Nextwave Sessions
Singles	"She's Hearing Voices" "Banquet"/"Staying Fat" "Little Thoughts"/"Tulips" "Helicopter" "Tulips" ""So Here We Are"/"Positive Tension"" "Banquet" "Pioneers" "Two More Years" "The Prayer" "I Still Remember" "Hunting for Witches" "Flux" "Mercury" "Talons" "One Month Off" "Signs" (Armand Van Helden Remix) "One More Chance" "Octopus" "Kettling" "Truth" "Ratchet" "The Love Within" "The Good News" "Virtue" "Stunt Queen"
Other songs	"Banquet" (Phones Disco Edit) "Like Eating Glass" "This Modern Love" "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)" "Ares" (Villains Remix)
Related articles	Discography Awards and nominations Pin Me Down Young Legionnaire The Boxer The Hunter Trick
Category Book