MIC CHECK
blackwave.
- LP
- Label
- Sony Music
"blackwave." is written with a small b and a full stop at the end. It's the name of one of the - many - excellent Belgian debutants. Producer Willem Ardui and rapper Jean Atohoun (stage name Jay Walker) make high-quality English hip-hop that's marinated in jazz and soul in Antwerp. The tempo is slow, the presentation is nonchalant and the atmosphere is chilled yet exuberant. In conclusion: music that you can disappear into.
The points of reference of their first shot ‘Mic Check’ (2017) are Common, Digable Planets, Mos Def and The Roots. When performing live they are accompanied by a handful of jazz musicians from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. That's where Willlem Ardui studied violin. For him, blackwave. is a childhood dream come true. As in: ‘Recording crazy video clips. We play the songs we want with a huge band at huge festivals.’ Done!