Rapper, artist and activist Victor Vazquez a.k.a. Kool A.D. has been hard at work on his first novel O.K. He hopes to have it out in spring of 2016 on Sorry House, the indie publishing group behind Spencer Madsen and Mira Gonzalez. Till then, you can enjoy his soundtrack for the book, also titled O.K., premiering on The FADER.
The massive collection spans over 100 tracks, one for each chapter in his book, with guests like Toro Y Moi, Antwon, Chairlift and many more contributing to the event. As you get started on the soundtrack below and the project's first music video above, check out our Q&A with Victor about his book, reading other books, and getting other people to read your book to other people. Don't forget to buy the record on Bandcamp, too.
Does the soundtrack share thematic, emotional or narrative connections with the novel as a traditional soundtrack would, or are the mixtape and novel more distinct than that?
It's a spiritual soundtrack. There's a hundred songs on the tape and a hundred chapters in the book. The connections are loose but deep.
Your novel has been described as "forthcoming" in interviews for over a year, has it changed significantly? Are you still working on it?
I was done with it over a year ago but my wife didn't like it so I decided to rewrite it.
What music do you listen to when you read?
Free Jazz by Ornette Coleman.
Do you have any tips to combat distraction while you read/write?
If you're distracted, focus on the thing distracting you, it's obviously what you want to pay attention to instead.
If your novel was turned into an audiobook, who would be your dream narrator?
What's something else the music could appropriately soundtrack until the novel is released?
A Flight from SFO to JFK or vice versa. A drive from Oakland to LA or vice versa. An Alejandro Jodorowsky marathon on mute.
What do you wish you'd read when you were a teenager?
I don't know, maybe Savage Detectives.
