131 Northside are an enigmatic hip-hop group from Edinburgh who embellish their high energy performances with psychedelic visual displays. We caught up with them following the release of their debut EP to talk auto-tune, rapping in Edinburgh, and next steps.

On their music
Our music is a tribute to our own personal lives and to the future; it’s mostly driven by emotion and the subconscious mind. We have created a sound that resonates with the internet age, blending a mixture of new age genres and street culture.

On using live auto-tuned vocals in their shows
Just as you would never see Jimi Hendrix on stage without a guitar, you won’t see us performing without our instruments of choice. Our live performances are just as important to us as every single song in which we release.

On their name
131 is just the area code for Edinburgh without the zero, but on a deeper level it sums up everything we stand for – it’s our city and our country. We want the globe to know that although Scotland is a melting pot for young forward-thinking creatives who are breaking boundaries.

On making rap music in Edinburgh
We don't make ‘rap’ music; we just make what comes naturally to us without the boundaries of sticking to genres. In terms of being working artists in Edinburgh, it has been very hard. There is a lack of platforms and almost no support for opportunities for us to create and express ourselves in the way we want to. This has given us the self-belief and determination to build our own platform.

On the future
We have our first headline show at Sneaky Petes on 17th April in Edinburgh, in conjunction with Glasgow collective TooNice and with support from No Rent. We want to build new ventures with like-minded creatives – whether that is music, fashion, design or cinema.

131 Northside's self-released debut EP, Digital Memories, is out now.