What is General Ignorance?
We are a platform that wants to inspire people to just create without worrying whether people think it's good or not. I believe that if you think what you're working on is good, or if you like and enjoy what you are creating, then there will be other people out there who will like and enjoy your work too.
Whether it’s music, photography, film or writing, General Ignorance is a place of inspiration for people on their own life’s mission.
How did General Ignorance start?
Geno Ayre-Lynch (me) and Jamal Bucanon, started creating music and releasing songs and visuals in Leicester at 11 years old, we were year 7, in the same form at school. Since then, we have shared our passion and vision for music and creating.
General Ignorance first came into existence when we were around 17/18 years old, making beats and writing lyrics in the box studio room Jamal had created in his family home.
This home was a big farm house thing, on a dual carriageway on the edge of the city. I would go round there in the afternoons and we would walk with Alfie, the dog, to the shop in the next village to get supplies for the night ahead.
The go to fuel was a bottle of spirit, spiced rum and coke was the usual choice, a couple bags of Doritos and enough hummus to last. We would reach about 6 or 7am, rum and hummus gone, with quite a few ‘finished’ tracks ready to upload to Soundcloud. Nothing really mattered in those moments other than writing, making music and having fun experimenting with sounds and ideas.
Since those days, a lot has happened, but not with General Ignorance. Jamal went to uni in London and I stayed in Leicester making music on my own while doing every type of job you could imagine.
We would, of course, send each other ideas and music, but we were just going with the flow that we were both involved in at the time. I started working for Soft Touch Arts, an arts charity in Leicester, working with vulnerable young people and young adults leading music sessions. After this I worked as stage tech on several UK and European tours with Leicester band, 'Easy Life’ (now Hard Life).
Now, around 10 years since its initial creation, I am at the time where I want to experiment with creating something that brings artists and people together on whichever journey each individual chooses.
What inspires General Ignorance?
Inspiration comes from everywhere, the things going on around me and the content of my social media feeds. Inspiration for me over the last 5 years has come from moving to London and working behind bars in venues north and south of the river.
Recently, I guess it has come from various changes in my surroundings and life. Flat change, career change and relationship changes. People tend to find different ways to cope with these things, such as revisiting things they used to enjoy doing or focusing on things they still enjoy doing. I have been very much trying to rediscover my creative flow, and maybe in a way, find myself again too.
Mainly though, I’ve just been getting back into doing what I have always done - writing and making music.
Where are you going?
General Ignorance is inspired by people’s need to create, to find what interests them and share things they think are cool or aesthetically pleasing. Everyone has some kind of vision, whether it’s to work up the ladder in a job or headline venues and festivals in a band. People’s visions can also change and adapt depending on their surroundings, the things they experience and the time in their life.
General Ignorance is a place to inspire and be inspired. Through it, we hope to support people on their own journey. We want to create a platform that excites people and keeps them coming back to see what excites other people. To provide a space for people to explore new interests and ideas.
