The first time I met Karabo was at the first Listening Experience, an event he hosted in collaboration with Andrea from North North Social Club. Back then, I was new to the space, and happened upon this guy who had a certain demeanor about him. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something told me it would be okay to go say hi – and so I did. 

What followed was a brief, yet reassuring conversation that left me wanting to know more. Who is In2une, how did he arrive in this room and curate this space? How did he get so good at what he does, and why is he so calm about all of it?

 I knew when I joined VERVE that he was one of the first people I wanted to chat to. And so a few months later, after some encounters and mutual gatherings, we finally decided to sit down and have a chat.

Who is In2une?

  My name is Karabo, KB for short. I go by In2une. I’m from Johannesburg, born and raised. You know it's the spot bro. Cape Town is cool though, I'm enjoying the move. 

I started making beats in high school, and at the same time I was delving into myself and my psyche, and being in tune with myself was what I was trying to strive for. So when I had to come up with a name, In2une, it worked. 

You’re very understated, especially in the fact that you wear many hats - beatmaker, producer, curator, even your style. Where do you draw your inspiration from for your endeavors?

That’s a tough one. Honestly I actually started in drama before I did music. I went to an arts school, where I studied drama. But I’ve always kind of had a passion for music, and sounds in general, and having a theatre and drama background, hearing how the scoring and the sounds accompanied certain things made me realise how important sound is. 

When I started really listening to music my older brother put me on to everything - a lot of rock, a lot of old school hip hop, a bunch of random shit. I really gravitated towards the greats - Madlib, J Dilla, Tribe, MF Doom. Also a lot of alternative rock-ish bands like Tame Impala, Kevin Parker - the homie just does everything one man, it's crazy. Just sound man, and how emotive sound can be. 

So yeah, I guess the inspiration just comes from me tryna feel something in whatever sound or beat I'm creating . I try to get that feeling and capture it.

I only had this thought recently, but I feel like you can describe the world of creativity into three very broad categories. You have your visual, your writing and you have sound. But within sound, there’s music as well as sound design. How did your initial inspirations direct which way you wanted to go?

With acting and the drama side of me, I enjoyed the storytelling, that thing of the character and the world being created - world creation in general is a big part of scoring and sound design, trying to create a sound for a world that doesn't really exist. 

With music there’s also that thing of being able to create something that didn’t exist and being able to create your own world in a sound. It can be a beat or whatever, but I just like it having layers, and still having it feel like it's , I dunno, something else at the same time.

I want to hear it and be like ‘Yooooo’. If that happens then I'm happy, then I know that I've created that world for that moment. And that I can create a bunch of different ones

You’re obviously very creative, but also very intentional. You put a lot of thought into things, I can see it. I checked out your Bandcamp, and since November 2020 you’ve made 424 beats. And that’s just on Bandcamp. So clearly you’re very driven and passionate as well. I wanna know what’s behind that drive, and how that drive affects your creative process. Are you more intuitive or more formulaic in your process?

424 is crazy, I didn't even know that. .. I guess that whole thing, that drive, I just wanna make shit bro. I love music and I love doing things. 

I just wanna keep creating new worlds, and I keep hearing new sounds and new things, and just experimenting in a way. I wouldn’t say I have a set formula yet. Everytime I make a beat it starts off differently - maybe starting with drums, maybe pulling out my keyboard or finding a sample or whatever it is. Or even just a sound,I’ll hear a sound over and over again and I'm like “okay let's see what I do”. 

If I sit down I'm gonna make something and I really dont stop unless I have done that. I can make four or five beats in a sitting, but if all four or five of these don't hit that spot , I'm gonna make a sixth. So yeah just the drive to have stuff there, but also to capture moments, Cause it’s all emotions..

Do you think the fact that you don't feel a need for recognition speaks to what this is for you? Because a lot of people will get into this thinking “I wanna be famous, I wanna be rich” - how do you look at that energy, and how do you think it differs from how you approach the scene and the passion for it?

I don't know if everyone does what they do for a reason, if someone wants to get famous there's obviously some reason they wanna be famous, there’s something that drives them. If that energy works for them and it works for their formula or the way they approach the creative process, then that’s dope, I'm glad that they achieved that goal. But for me, I just love music. 

I’ve said it to my homies quite a bit, that even if I was financially free for the rest of my life and I didnt have to do anything, I’d still wake up and keep making beats. A lot of people might have an end goal for certain creative projects, they might say “ I wanna do this so that this happens”, but I don't think I really have an end goal for what I do. I just want to see how it grows and what it turns into. Also I want to see how my process and myself grows within that.

What would you say to Karabo from before discovering the love for making music? And how do you think the love of music has changed your life - how you see and approach things?

That’s interesting, I’ve never really thought about it like that. The way I see it I’ve always had a love for music. Even when I was in primary school  I was playing in the marimba band and just trying to be involved in music in whatever way. 

But then really sitting down and that decision to make make music - I’d probably tell myself to hop on to something earlier. Learn some keys or hop onto something man. I’ve gained a lot of peace from it. I can create  peace for myself, And it doesn't have to be external. The validation or the comfort that I’m seeking, it's there, I got it. So yeah I wanna tell the little homie that he has it too. Don't stress about other stuff , because you have that.
It also comes with a lot of love. Music has brought me a lot of people and a lot of great opportunities, things that I would never have experienced if I hadn't been involved with music.  

In doing what you love and creating that peace and comfort for yourself, you attract it in a sense. It’s gonna keep circulating as long as you keep creating it for yourself. 

You mentioned financial independence, as creatives we know that ain’t easy. When you decided that this was that path, how do you strike the balance between the craft and the hustle, and do you ever see yourself in a position where you can support yourself just off of music?

Even though I say I don't have an end goal, there's definitely an aspiration, just something that would be dope. If I hit 10k consistent supporters on my Bandcamp I'm set. But yeah, anything less is a blessing, anything more is even more of a blessing. 

On the topic of balance, I guess I try to not just do too much of anything. I struggle sometimes too. Before I moved, when I was only freelancing I was just making beats. I could be sitting there for 6-9 hours and not even notice time slipping away. But the balance has come in now. I try to take some time to rest, or I read or skate or spend time with loved ones. 

Connecting with people is important. A lot of time with work and stuff too, when you’re employed, that time is not your own. So when that time is already taken away from you, I always ask myself what I want to do with the time that I do have for myself. If I have the time, and it's mine to use then let me be mindful of how I use it.

In the times we’ve interacted, I’ve always felt that you were someone who maybe keeps more to themselves and within smaller circles. Despite that, you and Andrea from North North Social Club have managed to create a real community in The Listening Experience. How did you guys meet, and what sparked the collaboration in the lead up to Vol 1.?

So funnily enough I actually met Andrea through my girlfriend. When we first met we didn’t really chat about anything creatively, but when she asked me what I did I mentioned that I make beats, just offhand. I thought that was the last of it. She then reached out to me about my album that I dropped earlier this year, Sec_ndary, and it was already on my mind after she mentioned the listening experience she hosted for Kujenga.

We met up and she asked me what I envisioned, and I wasn’t thinking anything crazy, just something chill  where people can vibe out and listen to the music - but intentionally listen. . It just happened like that. Shoutout to the Source man, it was beautiful the way it unfolded. 

We ended up having an intimate listening session at One Park and then a pre -release party at 196 Victoria.Both were truly beautiful experiences. Matt from One Park reached out to us afterwards - huge shout out to the homie, seriously have lots of love for him. He loved the vibe that we had curated. Andrea and I then sat down and spoke about it, and she told me about her background in events, the poetry evenings and the write and share sessions, and all those things were beautiful man. It's a community coming together but it's nothing crazy.

  I really appreciated her calm approach to having these social settings and gatherings of people that's still high energy but nothing too wild, it's just wholesome spaces. I also then spoke to her about my dream of wanting to put on producers and beatmakers because just in the music scene in general, emcees and artists get a lot of hype, but producers are artists as well and often get overlooked. And I know there are producers out there that make dope shit but they don't put it out. Sometimes they don't send it to people because they can’t get an artist to perform on it - but they still  make dope music. They’re also artists themselves. 

So that became the platform - putting people forward who aren't usually put forward, beatmakers and producers and even emcees. They’re really making gas but no one is really paying attention. 

A big part of the ideology is also the fact that you can just come through to a space and come and enjoy it as you want. I really appreciate the fact that Andrea was so forthcoming with that and very forward with the sense that it's a whole experience, it's not just a listening session. Attention spans are short these days, it's hard for people to lock in for an hour and just listen - people gotta do something. But if you can just come through to a space where there’s an artist doing their thing, you can still connect, you can catch a groove, even have a conversation. 

It gives people the opportunity to slow down and be in a space, with other like minded people, just connecting. Surrounded by the art we love and the people we love, and just keep that love at the core  , the passion. It’s been such a blessing.

Obviously when we learn things we learn and we grow. In creating and curating and collaborating on these Listening experiences, what would you say you’ve learnt, as Karabo and as In2une? How has this community you’ve built guided you on this journey and how do you think it will guide you going forward?

A big thing for me was realising that I don’t gotta do everything on my own. I still do, and a lot of my creative process is done solo, but it’s still true. Collaboration, and working with people  to create something bigger than just you and bigger than what you can create on your own, it's important to have that. I also just wasn't aware that there were other people out there. Like my homie MasterKii  who opened for me at the first listening session.  I found him on Instagram when I was still in Jozi, and that’s when I was like “There’s fire shit  here, I’m just not hearing it.

  So when I was here I strove to create the space for the people like me - we all appreciate these things or these genres or types of art that aren't mainstream or on blast. There’s this grind culture these days where people are thinking “I gotta put my head down and grind if I’m gonna make it”, and there’s definitely value in that. Lock in if you gotta lock in. But that mentality doesn't have to branch out into all aspects of your life. You can still connect with people and care for people and have people care for you. Just connect, it doesn't just have to be you, you don't have to be locked in all the time.

Acceptance is really what it is. Sometimes it's really easy to give, but to accept things is a bigger challenge. Also just being a black man, we constantly feel like we have to be doing something for people to see you and be like ‘oh thank you for doing this and providing this value’ so it's hard to accept things because you think you always have to be producing and giving . That acceptance is really powerful though, being able to take things in. So you have to be able to accept that love and accept that support. That's what I've learnt.

Having said that, what grounds you and keeps you stable? Is it family, is it friends, is it a conversation? What keeps you down to earth, and keeps you at peace?

I’d definitely say it’s a combination of those things. But also just like, for me it's largely passion. So when it comes to being grounded it's down to myself, and knowing myself,  and being able to be happy with the decisions I’m making and what I'm doing. Regret is such a bitch, I mean we all have regrets, but holding on to that does you no good. So just tryna be present, and tryna be here all the time.

  Meditation was a big part of that, and it comes in different forms, mindfulness and so many other ways. Just slowing down and thinking “I’m here, this is where I am right now. Let's keep being here now and doing what we can right now.” Coz you never know. So if I got it, let me just focus on experiencing it. Focus on what you have, coz everything could change so quickly 

For my last question, what do you define a creative as, and what hope do you have for creatives?

I want creatives to be able to live. Cause this surviving shit is tiring bro. I want them to be able to live, and I don't want people to have this passion to create to feel like they can't just do that. It might sound a little idealist to say, “I just wanna be able to make art all day”, but I do! I do wanna be able to just make art all day. I also wanna create with other people and help people and be supported in doing so.

I think for me a creative person is somebody who has a passion for creating. Be it visual art or photography, story writing, music, dance, anything bro. To express yourself and have a passion for that expression, that’s what being a creative is. Everybody can express, everybody can do something. If you have 500 people in a room and give them a paper and a pencil, everyone will draw something. Some might be more refined than others, but you will have 500 drawings. I feel like the difference is that passion, that thing of “I wanna be doing this, i’m not just doing this to pass the time”.

It's really passion, that love for what you're creating, and the love for continuing to create. Not to say a creative has to be doing it full time. There are a lot of really talented people that might be lawyers but are also creative because when they go home they’re painting, that's their passion. Passion is what defines it for me.

When I first sat down with Karabo for this interview, I didn’t really know what to expect, but just like when I first heard his beats at One Park, I was blown away by our conversation. His raw passion and drive is truly inspiring. He didn’t just answer my questions, he gave me a fresh perspective. 

His latest body of work, ‘REFLEKSHUNZ’, is the perfect analogy. It takes a lot of self-work and reflection to get to a point of knowing yourself and your aspirations. Some people go their whole lives without ever finding their truth, but Karabo is different. He knows himself and what he wants the most – to make music, to cherish his loved ones and most of all, to always remain at peace. It’s something he’s taught me that I’ll carry with me for life. 

Keep an eye out for Karabo’s Bandcamp for his future work, and come check out the next Listening Experience. This chat has shown me that no matter what happens, you can always be sure that he’ll be out somewhere, making another beat to bless our ears. After all, In2une making beats is one of the few certainties of life, along with death and taxes.