INTRODUCING: blackwave.
We chat to Belgian duo blackwave. known for their nostalgic and emotive style of hiphop, thanks to big tracks like a-okay, they are fast becoming ones2watch. We discuss their newest track Champion in which they enlisted London based musician Jordan Mackampa, origin story and what they have coming up!
Interview by Sophie Emmett
How are you both today?
Jay: Doing alright. Have been down and out a bit in the last couple of weeks due to recovering from surgery that I recently had to fix my re-fractured collar bone, so haven’t been able to commit time to sports and working out like I am used to and overall having low energy as a result. Since the last couple days though, I’m finally getting back into my groove and even ran my record 10 kms, so we’re back on track.
Willem: Had a pretty slow day today. Took a walk through the park where the trees just started blossoming. I think early spring might be my favourite time of the year.
You’ve just released your new single Champion ft. Jordan Mackampa, how did this collaboration come about?
Jay: I believe it was set up through our publishing team that thought it’d be a great fit musically when we set out to London to create more music and see how the city and its artistry could inspire us like LA had done.
It looks like you had a great time collaborating, what was the most surprising aspect of working together?
Jay: I’m not sure if you could call it surprising but what felt special about it is that all of us could link and connect so deeply about a very specific similar subject. Everyone could relate to it in his own way.
Willem: The process of making a track in one session with someone you’ve never met before has always been quite special to me. It kind of feels like blind dating in a way. After doing it so many times it still surprises me when everything just seems to fall in place, and you end up with a song that you never could’ve imagined writing.
Where does process of creating a track, start from is it with lyrics or a beat?
Jay: I think the process is never bound to one specific kind of formula. How we approach the start of something really varies from song to song. It could be built off of a recent experience we share with one another and having Willem trying to encapsulate or translate that into the musical world but might as well just start with something made from scratch, in the moment, with just a feeling in mind of how it should sound and see how that inspires me/us on a lyrical level.
What is the origin story of blackwave?
Willem: We first met at a gig I played with a band I had at the time together with our (now manager) Bert. Jay studied sound engineering and had to live mix our concert. Everything that could’ve gone wrong did go wrong; the soundcheck was a mess and at one point the mixing desk broke down. But still it led to us meeting! We’re both kind of introverted people at first, so we just shook hands that night, said hey and that was it. When I later learned that he was a really skilled rapper and writer, I contacted him on Facebook because I was looking for someone to start a hip hop project with.
Over the last few years with 2 albums under your belt, accolades such as a million streams on Spotify and performances; what has been the most rewarding thus far?
Jay: You know, in a sense, I don’t think any part feels more rewarding than another. All of this in its entirety is something that’s irreplaceable and has shaped my life in ways none could imagine, that is the reward.
Willem: I’m very aware of the fact that it’s easy to take for granted how lucky we are making a living out of being artists. That to me is the ultimate reward. As long as I can keep on making music without having to compromise, everything else is a bonus.
Your popular track “I miss” is an ode to your childhoods, if you could give your younger selves some advice, what would you say?
Jay: “Do exactly what you're doing and keep going against the grain, you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
Willem: “Keep making decisions based on what you feel.”
A trip to LA led to your 2022 album no sleep in LA, in 3 words, what's the inspiration for the music dropping this year?
Jay: (The) Energy Is Shifting. Willem: Passion, vision, honesty.
Dream collaborations & is there a festival you want to headline?
Jay: A session with Tyler is a dream.
And I’ve always had Coachella in mind although since it’s so distant and far away and something I’ve never experienced, it’s hard to envision. Lowkey I just wanna headline any top grade festival, that in itself is a huge feat already.
Willem: For me the dream collaboration is still Childish Gambino.
I think I played every festival that I went to as a fan already, most of them being in Belgium. I’d love to do a headline tour through Europe in the next couple of years. That would be the next thing on my bucket list.