Name: blackwave.
Members: Willem Ardui, Jean-Valéry Atohoun
Interviewee: Jean-Valéry Atohoun
Occupation: Rapper, vocalist  
Nationality: Belgian
Recent release: blackwave.'s no sleep in LA is out via black.wav.
Recommendations: A pretty common inspiration to a lot of people but The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho has really been something that gave me a lot of insight or some sort of confirmation of how I’ve approached life. To never give up and stop dreaming. To keep believing and even if only subconsciously, hold on to it. The last push required to achieve that small step closer towards it is usually the hardest but if executed making close to anything dreamt off a possibility.
Perdido de Amor (Lost in Love) by Luiz Bonfá has been something that recently has grasped me. My ears have somewhat fallen in love with Portuguese music in the last few months and this song specifically has been one I keep returning to the most, because of what it speaks off but also just how it’s calmness makes me drift away.

If you enjoyed this interview with Jean-Valéry Atohoun of blackwave.. and would like to find out more about the duo, visit their official website. They are also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.

And, of course, we recommend you check out our interview with Willem Ardui, his partner in blackwave., too.



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

It’s rather funny. I had always been compelled by music from a very young age, either dancing to it as a form of expression or singing along to my mom’s favourite songs in the car, stuff on the radio and whatnot ‘cause it brought me an unmatched sort of joy.

Music has always been something that made me tap into myself in a different way. Feel things from inside out and forget about the outer world for the time that I’m entranced by it.

I had a couple years of piano practice back in middle school and started experimenting with improvising and playing what wasn’t in my books. But actually thinking about an idea and making songs started back in about my first year of high school. Being one of the very few black people of the school I was at resulted quickly in me becoming friends with the older few, which were all avid fans of rap.

Me looking up to them and having one of them as sort of my mentor/guardian made it that it heavily influenced my taste of music at the time, honestly even introducing me to it. A lot of N.W.A. and all its related individual artists, The Game, 50, Wayne, Nate Dogg, Snoop, Tupac, Biggie, etc.. all pretty much gangsta rap or somewhat related to it, which made me aspire to be like it back then. Because I just thought it was cool really and it also made me feel a part of the group I hung out with.

Over the years I have realised the words and rhymes I wrote back then weren’t true to my being and way of life and diverted away from it. Letting my personal experiences, thoughts and ideas inspire my art instead.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

Plenty happens to me when listening to music. Various things, mostly by themselves but when combined is where the magic happens. I often listen to music just to rip myself away from reality, getting lost into the setting I set myself up with for the day. The setup being a playlist I curated for a specific kind of feeling, mood or setting. (such as “play me, early”, “don’t stress, just dance”, etc.)

Depending on the setting of choice my body reacts differently. Sometimes with the urge of expression and just freestyle dance, with no care of surroundings or how it looks. Sometimes having to close my eyes and similarly to the basis of the question, see shapes and colors, somewhat like the old windows media player used to generate when playing music on it.

Music has always been very ‘inner’ to me, setting a tone for me to tune in with and be part of it. When all of these things come together is where I usually feel most comfortable and inspired to create.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

An indefinite work in progress. I’m glad I got myself to release music and put it out there at a very early stage. Unknowingly not at my full potential at the time. Although fairly quickly realising there was much more room for growth. I mean I was like 13 years old and had no idea I’d get where I am today. But given that I had already put out music then set me in a position to get feedback early on and work on the defaults. Sort of like going to football practice at a young age and working on your skillset, the best and worst parts to become the best version of yourself. Which potentially might never come because when isn’t there room for improvement? Which shouldn’t take away from satisfaction or being proud of the art created.

I feel like I’ve hit a lot of walls though, looking up and admiring other artists and their craft and have often been on the edge of giving up right there. But these are the moments where that level up hits you and you’re off on a new journey. Sometimes surpassing those that you looked up to, there’s a beauty in that and I love it.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

I would describe my sense of identity as rather wonky. Stable at most times but it’s definitely been the extreme opposite as well. That usually happens when I feel a big shift coming up in life. Where things are either at a complete standstill or moving beyond too fast for me to comprehend until, I actually do.

As a listener my choice of music is heavily influenced by the state of mind I find myself in at the time. If in any way it shifts more to the wonky side, that clearly reflects in my playlist. On the other hand in terms of creativity these are usually the times (or just past it) I write best, in search of self or in need to let go of things for me to shift back into that stability.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

To always create from personal experience, aspirations, things that feel in line with myself.

Back when I started creating music and looked up to so many personas, artists and idols I had set for myself had me trying to recreate all of what they were pushing. From the subjects used in their bodies of work to the slang and lifestyle projected within them.

I’ve quickly learnt to understand it’s felt from a listener’s perspective when you don’t practise what you preach or aren’t true to the matter of your art. Not from judgement of people criticising the stuff I made but just feeling it didn’t feel right towards myself.

Proceeded to start writing more from my own point of view and felt more connected with the music I was making then. Feeling like it meant more when putting it out in the big pool of music in the world because it had my own twist and look on life, the world we live in and whatnot.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

Simply the microphone and my computer. I’ve always been somewhat of a geek, easily finding my way with electronics. As soon as I started with making music I quickly decided I wanted my own home setup. To be able to record, mix and edit until I grew tired of the project instead of only having the time I paid the engineer for, which at the time were just people of my age or slightly older trying to hustle. I respect that.

But I needed to work on my craft more efficiently and at a better pace, starting with headsets and later on when we were allowed to get some student work done buying equipment with my friend Calvin. We ran through quite a lot of equipment in that time period but it taught us so much, just experimenting with all of it. As in wiser as technicians but also causing huge growth as artists.

p.s.: Absolutely agree with what Willem said in his interview, all the equipment and whatnot is one thing but your inner is where it all begins. Dope for bringing that perspective in!

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

Currently it’s somewhat different to my usual routine due to the fact that I broke my wrist and collarbone about 1-2 months back. Even though I feel I work on my craft and live my best as a night owl and therefore struggle with insomnia quite often, I try to spend most of my days attempting to wake up early to instil some sort of routine for myself.

I would usually wake up around 8 and make some breakfast to then head out to do some sports, most usually working out at the gym. Afterwards go back home, get or make some food and sit and rest for a bit. Depending on the rest of my schedule for the day either leisure or put in some work.

The last few days have been somewhat mostly filled with not working out and just putting in a lot of work. Things like rehearsals, opening up a pop up shop, doing promo such as tv and radio shows and releasing an album definitely do bring a lot of work along with them but I’m loving every bit of it! (as long as I’m getting some rest down the line, hehe.)

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance or album that's particularly dear to you, please?

Our album No Sleep in LA has actually been something I’ve held very dear since it got written. It’s so vast, wild, melancholic but hopeful and the truest I and we have ever exposed ourselves like. Which is exactly what I’m aiming for nowadays.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

I’ve always loved to work together with people. More so than individually. Because I know when it comes to things such as music there’s so much inspiration that can be pulled from one another and be built on together if a connection’s there. Rome couldn’t be built in a day but when working together a song could be made in a few hours if the artists in the room are aligned.

Working individually on the other hand can quickly feel like you’re hitting roadblocks, on the regular. More question asking, second guessing and just bumping into moments where you need to dig and dive deeper into what you’re looking for or want for it to hit right.

At least that’s where I’m at currently when it comes to solo work. A huge work in progress.

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

Something I’ve always appreciated is when people reached out to me either in person or through social media or anything of the sorts and told me a specific song had touched their heart or it had helped them through a situation they were going through.

I usually write with the idea of wanting to let go or give something its place. Being able to share feelings, thoughts, ideas and experiences and feel people relate or find similarities within them is something I didn’t realise I held dear until it happened. There’s so much strength in that, feeling bonded with strangers through art makes up a very special connection.

Perhaps because I’m part of it but I feel music is the best art form to create that.

Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

I think writing has always had the strength for me to come to peace with such things like loss, death, love sickness, etc. It really has held that power that whenever I have experienced any of these feelings my best bet at getting over them was to write about them.

The best example being my father passing away about a year ago which took me a good couple weeks of solidarity to cope with but what really pulled me through is to write how I was feeling in that current timeframe and solidify that feeling forever.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?  

It’s really intriguing to what extent we can hold a loupe onto music and delve deep into the scientific part of it. Even though I’ve had my small share of theory, to me personally music has always been about feeling and resonation. Which is something books could’ve never told me.

But you could probably measure how music makes us feel and for what reasons due to brain activity? (huge question mark, haha!)
 
Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put as much emotion into anything as is possible through performing music I wrote. Because that’s simply what I feel most passionate about and have found to be perfect for me to release my energy or feelings into. Where others might find that in something else they excel in.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

I think music and any art in general have always been a medium to escape. Every individual can create his or her own connection with every piece of it.

That’s why I think art in general is usually better off not being explained so that thought and feeling surrounding it can never be broken.