Asked about PENGSHUi's upcoming album, Illaman explains it will be "a combination of our heavier stuff and more electronic sounds." Two singles have already been released, and the forthcoming "Let’s Go", drops on 19th September. On how PENGSHUi was formed, Illaman recalls how both he and Fatty come from metal backgrounds. "I was in a band just after I left secondary school for nine years, called Flict. That was in the days when Korn’s 'Life is Peachy' came out; Pitchshifter, Incubus, those days. I got into that through my pals. And Fatty, he was in a Dillinger Escape Plan-type band. Super techy, all over the place, incredible jazz fusion, heavy as hell." He explains that their metal roots fed into the eventual formation of PENGSHUi. The first encounter between the two came at Outlook Festival in Croatia. Illaman remembers: "I was onstage with P Money and Strategy from Manchester with True Tiger. Fatty opened the festival in the amphitheatre with the Outlook Orchestra. He saw me with P Money and was like: ‘Oh, this guy’s mad.’ I was always a bit aggressive, a bit screamy." Years later, Fatty reached out to propose a project. "He just hit me up. I got a message from him on Facebook around 2015 or 2016. He was like: ‘Mate, love what you do. Would love to speak to you about this project.’ I went to see him the next week. He said: ‘Just balls-out, no rules, heavy dubstep going 140 live.’ I was like: 'that’s exactly what I needed' I just really wanted to get back into a band at that point." Their first single, "Control", followed quickly, and within a week, an agent had contacted them.
When asked about their influences, Illaman emphasises the breadth of his musical background. “Impossible to narrow down. I grew up in a reggae household – Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller, Augustus Pablo, Studio One music. Skibadee as an MC was huge for me. Goldie, obviously. Graffiti, pirate radio – the whole culture. It wasn’t just music, it was the fight to have your voice heard.” He also explains how his approach to writing has evolved: “Even now, when I write new tunes, I approach it with honesty. I don’t think about what’s going to make people like it. I literally go with what feels right on the tune. That’s how I know it works for me.”
The conversation moves to authenticity and the challenges of writing music that feels honest. Illaman describes a difficult period in his career when he was trying to write for radio and audience approval. “I got depressed because the music didn’t pop off the way I thought it would. I had to remind myself to write music that feels real to me. That’s the only way.” He explains how this philosophy informs his performances and recordings today.
Bloodstock Festival earlier this year provided a defining moment. Illaman recounts feeling nervous before taking to the stage. “I hadn’t had a panic attack like that before a show. I went up to Fatty and said: ‘They’re gonna boo me, they’re gonna hate it.’ First tune was off the album, quite hip-hop tempo. By halfway through, the reaction was insane. Tent full, people buzzing. Hands on my heart, probably one of the best shows I’ve ever played. Afterwards, the staff said they’d never seen people dance to a band like that. Rob was dancing. It blew my mind.”
TikTok played a crucial role in securing the Bloodstock slot. “I started posting four times a day, older stuff, new stuff, just to see what floated. ‘No Joke’ popped off, and then a lady tagged [festival director] Vicky Hungerford from Bloodstock. Within ten minutes, she messaged us, gave us the slot, and that was it. Bloodstock ended up being incredible. Hands-on feedback from staff and festival-goers was amazing. We’ve never had so much positive response before.”