Montreal's Black Atlass is the latest exemplar of what seems like a nearly endless series of bright, yet lo-fi Canadian producers that are smuggling their melancholic left-of-center ish into the main show. Like former First Look Majid Jordan—of “Hold On” fame— he’s let the brilliance of the textures he implements in production flood the states, garnering attention from indie contenders like Fools Gold, who wrapped him up at first chance (the industry legend is that P-Thugg of Chromeo spotted Black Atlass at a Montreal club gig and brought him to the attention of Fools Gold co-founder A-Trak, who just happens to be the brother of his partner Dave-1) .
Now a formidable asset to the Brooklyn imprint, its not hard to see what compelled A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs to draw for their pens; Black Atlass boasts a dynamic pop sensibility that merges seamlessly into the more boom-bap and electronic structures he implements in his grooves. Those who caught his Young Bloods EP (which dropped this week) have already experienced the Jai-Paul-meets-Blood-Orange on the dancefloor type vibe that bleeds through it. It's an EP chock full of moody bed-rockers. Standouts include “Free Angel” where BA's satiny crooning rocks over a cracking soul-sample. Then there’s tracks like “The Rose” that swing supreme in a whirl of low-end glory, super-sub bass lines pulling you into the abyss of the dystopian love song. Its a true triumph as a standalone piece and we recently had the opportunity to talk to him about his hip-hop influences, his live show and the secret to the intricate production method he uses to get that arresting lo-fi sound. Read our little list of inquiries for the enigmatic producer and enjoy some of his key tunes below:
OKP: The first track which brought your music to our attention was "Paris" which pretty quickly ended up in a Louis Vuitton spot last spring—can you tell us the backstory of how LV placed that track?
BA: It was pretty straightforward. The production company for the video reached out via email and expressed their interest in the song. I was honored to be asked to be a part of something of that caliber so early on in my career, and of course my immediate reaction was to say, Yes!
OKP: A lot of your tracks have a lo-fi or dissonant quality and "Paris" and "Burning Man" in particular sound almost like prepared piano—can you tell us a little about your recording process? Is it digital or are you recording acoustic piano as in the video for "Paris?"
BA: Everything on Young Bloods was produced using a Korg Triton Le, an Akai MPD 26, Reason 5 and Adobe Audition. I would record the synth samples off of my Korg, chop them up in Adobe Audition, and then put each one onto a drum pad on my MPD. After that I would play the entire song, every sound, live on the MPD and record it into Reason. From there I would chop up and piece together each part of the song I had recorded live into a finished product. It was a really intense and intricate way of doing things, and to this day I've never come across anyone who can fully comprehend my method of producing those songs.
OKP: How does that translate into your live set-up?
Black Atlass - Young Bloods EP
BA: My live set up is very refined. Just myself and a DJ. I'm really interested in exploring the concept of having myself be the only person on stage and have the rest of the show be oriented around making that kind of refined and minimalistic set up; something that's visually captivating. That's something I really want to work towards for my future live performances.
OKP: "Free Angel" feat. XXX has a looped feel and a chopped vocal sample that recalls a classic Wu Tang beat--it really wouldn't be out place on an Ol' Dirty Bastard album. Are you a fan of 90s hip-hop production? Was your approach to making that track different from the other songs on Young Bloods?
BA: I'm a major fan of hip-hop production in general. That's what initially got me into producing in the first place. Trying to make "Free Angel" different from the other songs on Young Bloods wasn't what I had set out to do [but I did want] to make a song that was a pure reflection of my hip-hop influences and show a different side of my musical ability.
OKP: That combination of very emotional melody and dissonance has already prompted some people to make James Blake comparisons—how do you feel about that? Are you a fan or influenced by his music?
BA: I think it's only natural for people to make comparisons as a way of giving themselves a reference point, or to help them experience and understand the music in the right way. I am a fan of James Blake and I respect the comparison, but emulating his sound wasn't something I had in mind while I was working on Young Bloods.
OKP: Now that the EP is out and the buzz is building--what's next from Black Atlass?
BA: Continuing the visual output for Young Bloods, touring, and working on my next project. I'm in love with the new music I've been working on, and the direction I'm taking with it, that's my main focus right now.
