-When was fanfaronade created and finished? The first song was recorded in August of 2010. The record was completed in February of 2011. It's entirely produced by a German producer, Jaq, with the exception of "Got High" which is produced by Big Cats! -Who are the features and why? I am absolutely privileged to announce that the album includes features by veterans, artists responsible for laying the foundation of underground hip-hop: Sage Francis, Buck 65 and Illogic (I have been listening to these guys since I was young and have been extremely influenced by them). It also includes a handful of “new-age” underground rappers who I believe are part of the next wave of successful DIY movement: Crescent Moon (Kill The Vultures), Ceschi, Sadistik, Joe Horton (No Bird Sing) and Mike Schank (Sector 7G). I chose these features because I thoroughly respect the “honest” approach that all of these artists have when it comes to how they express themselves, and also because they are artists who have influenced the way I make art and how I have spread that art to the world over the past five years. I specifically wanted these folks on the album because I believe all of them could relate to being in a position where as a result of not making gimmicky, super-accessible art, they all know what it feels like to be underappreciated and overlooked, standing by while others, whose art shows less of their heart, receive a standing ovation again and again. -What was my mind-state while writing the record? Why the title fanfaronade? What is the meat and bones of the record in terms of content? I want to make it clear that I am very excited to release this album in to the world and absolutely honored to have worked with the artists stated above. However, I also want to make sure to shed light on the fact that during the creation of this album I was in a cloudy state of mind. By that I mean that this record became the vessel I used to escape from the fact that my best friend had just passed, and these songs were what I created rather than facing the pain I instead ran from. Consequently, the content of the album (my writing and recording…I want to be careful not to speak upon the behalf of the other artists involved) was rooted in a perspective that was drenched in spite, anger and discontent. Is that all I am, spite, anger and discontent? No. But, do I feel those emotions at times? Yes. So is a part of me those things? Yes. And are those emotions more intense at times? Yes. Is one ever truly angry, or simply sad and distant as a result of their sadness at a given time? I’ll leave that one up to you to answer. When I listen to the record now, I hear a part of me that I am happy to have outgrown. Now, does this mean that I have regret? No. Why? Well, because I think that as an artist it is of value to communicate with others what it is you are going through at any given stage in your life and important to do your best to capture that place and share it so that others can relate and I feel like that was accomplished with this record, perhaps even more than any other previous Kristoff Krane releases. Thanks again, Christopher M. Keller