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Photo: Daniil Lavrovski

Off the heels of their latest single “Perfume,” Belgian hip-hop duo blackwave. has crafted a sound so timeless that all they can do is wait for us to catch up.

With very few Belgian peers in the hip-hop scene, blackwave. carries a mighty weight, representing their tiny yet esteemed European country. You would think a pressure like that would crush a burgeoning act, yet it only fuels their fire that much more loudly. As they power through festival season, they leave hints of their aroma on every stage that they touch, converting anyone that listens into a devotee. 

The embodiment of yin and yang, their individual sweetness pours into each other like silk, with Willem’s warm vocals only amplifying Jay’s steely lyricism. Their synergy is a perfected craft and the secret behind why there aren’t many acts you can compare them to. 

What’s unique about their art is their ability to honor the past while trailblazing the future. Their sound is reminiscent of soul classics but not at the cost of birthing something brand new. Ahead of their upcoming sophomore album No Sleep in LA, we sat down with the duo to discuss their evolution as artists and their journey while making their forthcoming project. 

Ones To Watch: So “Perfume” is your latest single and it’s incredible. If you had to encapsulate your sound into an aroma, what would it be?

Willem: That’s a very good question that we get sometimes, it’s so hard to translate it into smell. 

Jay: Yeah it’s so hard to describe in one specific smell. I don’t know if we’re allowed to say this yet but we’ve tried to make a perfume, we sat down with someone and described what we were going for. We want an outside vibe, pretty summery, something that feels like a light breeze. Close to a beach, but not really at the beach. I think that describes it.

Willem: That’s the imagery we have for the smell.

That speaks to how natural your music feels! “Perfume” is a beautiful song and its lyrics really hit home to trying to make your way through an unknown state. What advice would you give anyone navigating this feeling?

Willem: It sounds corny maybe but what I learned is to stick to yourself as best as possible and really listen to yourself. Try not to stray away from yourself too much. Especially being an artist, it’s important not to listen to the outside voice. That’s definitely a theme that we explore on the album.

Jay: Listen to your heart and make sure your heart's content. Sometimes something may not feel right but you still do it because of the outside voices that chime in, and whatever comes out of that doesn’t feel great.

Speaking of the upcoming album, I know it’s called No Sleep in LA. Coming from Belgium, what’s your perspective on the city? 

Willem: When we went to LA to write, we were coming out of a difficult period both personally and creatively. Going to LA was always a dream of ours, so it truly felt like we were stepping into a dream world. As Europeans, you recognize so much of the city from movies and video games but you don’t realize that it’s real. The creative hub that it is is crazy.

What do people not know about Belgium’s music scene?

Jay: I feel like people need to realize how much talent there is in Belgium and support it. There are so many good artists out here that don’t get the platform or are pushed forward enough as they should. The music scene in Belgium looks outward too much, to other countries and what people are doing there as opposed to what’s going on here.

Willem: Because it’s such a small country, a lot of people from here listen to music that’s not from here, so it’s hard to find your place. The music that is being made is really original and it’d be amazing to see it pushed forward more.

You’re doing a beautiful job at representing it in the meantime. There’s a very obvious yin and yang energy between you two; how would you describe this dynamic?

Willem: We’re different but we’re also the same, which is exactly what yin and yang is. We’re similar in that we’re both closed off and reclusive a lot of the time, but we also have such a different energy creatively which really shines through.

As you’ve been touring through all of these festivals, which city has left a lasting impression?

Jay: It’s always when we play at home or Antwerp, those have the illest energies because I see my friends and it does something to my energy. 

Willem: Second place would be Amsterdam for me. From the first second of the show, they’re so hyped, while in other shows you have to ease people in a little bit more.

What can we expect from your sophomore project, No Sleep in LA?

Willem: Sound-wise, it feels like a more crystallized version of what we were already doing. I don’t think it’s a full 180, it’s just a more matured version. We’re always super inspired by nostalgic things like old-school hip-hop, jazz, and soul. At the same time, though, we want to move the genres forward. I’m excited to hear what people are going to think.

Jay: It definitely feels more like a unit than our previous album. Everything is more cohesive and I really like that. We went an extra mile to really feel content with the album.

Willem: There are really no fillers. To me, they’re all bangers. Every track could be a single.

I love it, every artist should feel that way about their work. And lastly, who are your ones to watch, particularly from Belgium?

Willem: Our favorite for both of us would be Tamino. He’s half-Belgian half-Egyptian and he’s amazing. Reminiscent of Radiohead, I think he’s going to go really far.