“It says Bricknasty but we kind of got it wrong,” Bricknasty bassist Dara explains of the rudimentary Amharic script on the title of their latest EP XONGZ አስቀያሚጡብ, but I’m slightly distracted by mask-wearing lead vocalist Fatboy’s decision to break out in a jig mid-video call. Saxophonist Louis’ screen goes briefly dark before reappearing with him at the helm of a cartoon spaceship and, in the middle of it all, producer Cillian joins the call 20 minutes late: “Sorry about that, boys, what did I miss?”

Seeing all these colourful characters interrupt and contradict each other, I began to wonder how any of their meticulously crafted music ever got made, but I soon realised that these unexpected dichotomies are exactly what makes the Dublin hip-hop band so special. “Bricknasty are the greatest band in the world, right?” Maverick Saber announces in a vocal clip sampled on “Mouthy”, but their Spotify page offers a simpler bio: “comedy semen”. The group definitely has a unique way of oscillating between genius and silliness, but that doesn’t mean they’ve coasted their way through until now. 

Composed soley of self-taught musicians, Bricknasty’s debut EP Ina Crueler centred on Fatboy’s childhood in Dublin’s deprived Ballymun neighbourhood. It’s in many ways a hip-hop story, recorded in the very same council estate fire escapes and bedrooms that the project deals with thematically, but, sonically, it’s much harder to box in. With organic and layered compositions that stretch from experimental jazz to soul, Ina Crueler isn’t disillusioned kids venting their problems over Soundcloud instrumentals, it’s a collection of genuine musicians seizing the means of production to tell their own story. 

Following this powerful debut, however, the group arrived at a key turning point – Fatboy decided to get sober. The masked frontman had been embroiled in an extensive battle with substance abuse that reached a fever pitch during the making of Ina Crueler, and it had begun to affect Bricknasty as a whole. “Instead of running back to the drugs, I realised if you sit down and keep picking away, songs will eventually get made,” says Fatboy, and, indeed, trading the ‘s’ for an ‘x’, one year later, Xongz was made. 

For all their affectionate chaos, it is around this almost punitive notion of hard work that the Irish five-piece seemed firmly united. Where most artists welcome compliments, Bricknasty shy away from them, literally inviting me to criticise their music (well, you could work on your Amharic, for a start, boys). “We need more haters!” Fatboy exclaimed, followed by laughs of agreement from the rest of the group. It initially took me by surprise but, as the conversation wound on, it began to emerge as a surprisingly robust strategy. If Bricknasty were to become ‘the greatest band in the world’, as Maverick Saber had prophesied, then they had no use for yes men. 

Below, Bricknasty break down their diverse influences, unique sound, and why they believe we need more haters in music.  

What sort of influences do you draw on?

Dara: As a group, it’s pretty mixed. We all like neo-soul from the late 90s and early 00s, but we all crossover in such weird ways. Personally, for me, Phil Lynott. Being a black and Irish bass player, you don’t really have many other people as strong a figure point as that. 

Cillian: Also, in general, America was a huge influence. When we were growing up, a lot of American stuff was on the radio, like Timbaland. But then, growing up to being a teenager, I fucking loved JPEG Mafia and Death Grips. Just weird production shit. As a band, like, I think every single one of us takes a lot from D’Angelo and Kendrick. 

Louis:  And that’s where the ‘world class’ thing comes in – that's where we're aiming. What we’re trying to do is to have that class, have that level, and keep the essence of the Irishness, and not remake ourselves musically.  

What do you think is special about the Dublin music scene today?

Bricknasty: There’s never been more people making music in Dublin than there is currently due to how readily accessible music production software is. The context of the internet informing that process means we get an amalgamation of influence and background, opening up the pool. So we’re seeing the first generation of musicians in Dublin who grew up online now interacting with it and you can see that in some people’s art. It’s an interesting blend.

⁠Why do you think there needs to be more ‘hating’ in music?

Bricknasty: We’re very critical within our process, often putting things through a ‘good or shit’ mesh sieve and that outlook has carried across to our view on music as whole. Through being critical, you can be more objective as to how you want something to sound.

At the same time, though, it seems like you’re quite willing to just dismiss all the compliments about your music. 

Cillian: Maybe we are too hard on ourselves. When people are complimenting you or saying nice things, that’s really nice, but you never know… When it comes to hate comments, that gets me going. I love seeing that shit. For me personally, it’s something that really drives me. Another thing is that the scene in Dublin, as opposed to London and the bigger cities, is so small – everyone is afraid to talk badly about anyone. I’ve been guilty of it myself, but then what happens is nothing gets better, because everything is already “fantastic”. We’re trying to be world class.

There’s a tension I have with your music. It’s so beautiful and layered that I’m tempted to throw it on as passive listening, but it seems to have this quality that refuses to become background music. 

Dara: There's a lot of contrast within us as people. I think that conflict comes from, in one turn, wanting to make something that's sin-free and beautiful, but it’s contradicted by the fact that we’re not that. It’s trying to cut a balance between the two. Like, there’s moments of really pretty brass composition on the EP, but it’s cut beside something that’s less beautiful, like a garage track or something.

Cillian: It’s important to have questions when listening to music too, in general. Everything today is just fluff and filler. Put in a fucking blender and taken as an IV, it’s not the one. If you’re listening to music while you’re making your dinner or something and you’re caught off guard by something, then that’s a good thing, you know?

Bricknasty are performing at London’s Corsica Studios on November 26