[ITW] – Back2Black

Hi Back2Black! We are proud to welcome you to Noir Sur Blanc for your new EP “Places”. A project composed of two tracks, can you go back to the creation process of this EP ?

Hey there! My pleasure. So about the EP originally I came up with this weird high lead, and playing it around with a bassline came out « My Place ». I played some more with the lead and I got « Your Place ». So I decided to make an EP.

For this EP, you invited Sonny Banks, an artist with whom you have been collaborating a lot, either in terms of music or for guest mixes, why him and not another one on this EP ?

I felt the EP, but it missed something. I came up with Sonny some months before, asking for a collab, and he told me that it was a busy moment, but he would have loved to cook something with me. Some time later he wrote me for the collab, and I sent him « My Place » : he took my version to the very next level. I love Sonny Banks vibes since « Spice » one of my favorite tunes ever, and to have the chance to collab with him, it’s something that makes me really happy.

Since September, you’ve been boiling, you recently made your comeback on Confession with Sonny Banks once again in the compilation “Alchemy 3”. What does this label mean to you ?

I made a second collab with Sonny, « Tear Out ». You can really feel our styles mixed. Confession is one of my favorite label, it means a lot to me.

Even more recently, you were with our friends Gold Digger with “Sauce”, a track with the Italian duo MNNR. They also provide quality work, what do you think of the Italian generation, the music is developing enormously in Italy, right ?

As good Italians we cooked a saucy tune, mamma mia ! MNNR are really good artists but first of all they’re really good friends. I think that in Italy the G-House/House young scene is growing a lot. You can find a lot of sick producers like SLVR, Lozz, MNNR, Goja, Vush, Giant… it’s like a new house wave, and I’m really happy for that !

6 months ago, you launched “BlackLand”, your own mix series on which you invited several quality artists (CYMN, MNNR, Lozz, Soul Surgery,…). What is your objective with this monthly mix series ?

I started BLACKLAND as an experiment. I wanted to make a new style of podcasts, with a few mins to let the artist explain himself. I believe in the community thing, when artist helps each other to win all together. Fun fact : the artwork contains in the background a monument that represent the artist’s City. 

We come back to your EP, unlike “Sauce” where the atmosphere is groovy, on this project, you plunge us into a much darker atmosphere. It really shows all your talent, I think. On “My Place” with Sonny, you put forward a very high-pitched sound lead, what was everyone’s role in this collaboration ?

I started « My Place » alone, but Sonny took that tune to the next level with that pads, and atmosphere. It’s one of my favorite Back2Black tune.

On the second track, we still find the same sound as on the first one but this time, you work it differently by putting it more in the background behind the kick. Why this choice ?

I wanted to make that sound a signature one. You’ll fine that in some future tunes. For this EP I used it but in a different way, to maintain the vibes and the mood, but in a different way.

Even if, as I said, the atmosphere is darker on this EP, we still find that groovy atmosphere that finally seems to characterize you. What is the message you want to convey through this project ? 

With this EP I wanna explain that I’m a versatile artist, and that I change my style. I don’t believe with that “Copy Paste” signature sound, you know, but I believe in creativity. You can have signature sounds, but you have to use them with different methods. I don’t like to being put in a box, you can recognize Back2Black vibes in every track, and as an artist I suggest you to work on personality and creativity. Don’t copy, but take inspiration for something never listened before. 

Apart from the release of this EP on Noir Sur Blanc, how are the next few months looking for you ? New releases in stock ? Shows ?

I got like a loooot of unreleased tunes, and nothing planned for the moment. Who knows…

Last question : Forza Milan or Forza Inter ?

FORZA INTER ! #AMALA 💙🖤

Thank you, Back2Black for answering our questions !

Huge thanks to Bastien Monbet for this interview !