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Photo: Ethan Gully

BLK ODYSSY ́s third album, 1800-Fantasy, invites us into the most interesting hotline of our lives. Pulling from real life emotion, he creates a cinematic world, worthy of being turned into a romance film. Most importantly, this album symbolizes rebirth for BLK ODYSSY, taking a risk in changing up his sound and following alternative rock influences that the city of Austin has offered him - and it pays off. At his show in Belgium, BLK ODYSSY and his band present a seasoned version of themselves, having fun and letting each instrument shine. Having completed their tour in the US, Africa and the UK, the European tour is the final stop of this era. We caught up with BLK ODYSSY to chat about changing pace, getting detention and creating a sonic environment that can't be compared.

OnesToWatch: This is your first show of the European leg of the 1-800 Fantasy Tour, how is it going?

BLK ODYSSY: Third show of the European Tour counting the UK. Ah, right, but there was Brexit. So technically this is the first show in Europe.

Is this your first time in Belgium?

It is my first time in Belgium. Tonight it almost felt like our first tour, when we went out and no one knew us before and it was like ‘OK, I don't know who these people are, and I don't know the energy.’ So, you guys were a little bit timid. Some of the places that we've been to, I know what I'm gonna get, so I'm just gonna bring that energy. But for the unassuming crowd, I think it was like a good exchange of energy. We've been going since August, so you guys are getting a seasoned version of us.

What has been your favorite part about this tour ?

The UK so far has been at the top and Africa, it was amazing as well. Obviously, the cities in the US are amazing, it’s all been amazing. I was kind of surprised.

So in the previous era where you were already thinking about what was next for you?

100%! We have been thinking about this for a long time. Whether it was conversations with our managers or just what I was feeling sonically. The first two records were like parent pieces and they felt appropriate for the time, but we felt pigeonholed in that sound and the comparisons that were being drawn were not ones that we were inspired by. I was like, if we want to compete on a bigger level (which we always want to do, that's just the nature of who we are as kids from New Jersey) we were like, we're going to need to make something that moves us and challenges us and that challenges the status quo of what black artists are supposed to make. So we dropped an alternative rock album.

This project has a cinematic quality and every song tells a part of the story, like a movie. When writing fiction how much of it was personal and how much was from an external POV?

BLK ODYSSY: Well, I'm always fishing to be inspired by something to create. So, I think it started with something simple. I liked this girl that I was talking to in LA and then she started dating a famous rapper. I felt the rejection from that and in my mind was like “I could use that to fuel the next thing that's going to take us around the world again.” And I just kind of exaggerated it to the worst scenario that it could possibly be and turned that into a cinematic piece. That's what 1800- Fantasy is.

Would you ever consider making a short film to follow the album and the videos you've already made?

Absolutely! It just gets denied by the label every year. They're like “Guys. This is a record label, not A24.” Yeah, we need to go take a meeting over there or show up and knock on their door until they let us in.

The album 1800-Fantasy as you said is kind of a fictional take on your life. But in your real life, if you could call the 1800 fantasy number, what advice would you ask for?

Well, I think I actually have called one of those numbers before and the things that I was asking for and looking for, I wouldn't say in an interview.

Some XXX rated stuff?

My mom heard that song (“XXX”) and she was like, “What is wrong with my child?” But that's a very funny question. I ́d probably just ask the girl how her day is going. See if she's OK because she probably needs that.

How did you find the new sound for this album?

I moved to Austin, TX from New Jersey in 2015 and that was just the sound of the city. Cage the Elephant, Mumford and Sons, etc. I was introduced to it by a radio station in Austin called KUTX, they introduced me to alternative rock. My guitar player also showed me, like classical rock and so I started getting into the rock world early. We then fell into alt rock and alt pop. It was weird. I don't know. It just felt so good, though, you know? Especially compared to all the more somber topics that we spoke about in DIAMONDS & FREAKS and BLK VINTAGE. It just felt like a breath of fresh air for us. We wanted new types of fans. We don't want the same fans to keep showing up and grow tired, grow accustomed. We wanted to expand the audience and we achieved that 1000%. I don't even know if many DIAMONDS & FREAKS and BLK VINTAGE fans have come to this tour. It's just been pretty much the new fans.

Do you regret losing some of the older fans or are you happy with everyone who stayed on board and everyone new who joined?

I don't regret it at all. I mean you lose 5 to gain 25. That's how it's been. And this album is kind of reaching more people. Like we just got a Nissan commercial, you know, it's just getting us in different places.

For this project you have some really cool collabs. How was it working with Wiz Khalifa, Joey Bada$$, Jackie Giroux, etc?

It was incredible. I've been a fan of Wiz Khalifa and Joey for a very long time, so the opportunity to do some work with them and get to have this mutual respect as an artist for the first time was incredible. They are sort of my predecessors; I listened to both of them in high school. So, to kind of come into my adulthood, it ́s crazy. And bring me into that world and into that community.

In your previous projects as well, you seem to have an affinity for collabs. Is that a special process for you, making a song with someone else?

Yeah, I think that for those who know, BLK ODYSSY seems to be a lot of “artists, favorite artist” type of thing. We're really blessed to have that. I'm a producer as well. So I use that to really build more connections. I'm not always leading with “Hey get on my song!”, but it typically starts with “I'd love to make music for you and assist or aid in what you're creating.”

And then you ́ll casually drop a hint that you're working on a song and hope they react?

I think this comes naturally. You know what I'm saying? They ́ll ask me “Yo, what are you working on?” Wiz Khalifa, though, that one was a different scenario. He was in the studio with 10 girls and he was just playing a bunch of different stuff that his manager sent and he clicked play on the song “XXX” and all the girls got up and started dancing. And he was like, “All right, I need to record this.”

Kind of a silly question next. We were on the topic of high school, you have your song “STANK ROSE” and in the video you end up in detention. In high school did you ever end up in detention?

More like was I ever not in detention? I got expelled. I met my manager back in 6th grade and for six months when we were in boarding school together and then I got kicked out. Yeah, I've been in detention! All my life I was an awful student, and got kicked out of college, all of it. But some of us have talents in academics, others in music, others in sports. I thank God for music.

Going back to your older sounds, if you could teach someone an academic class on “Funkentology”, what would you teach them about?

Oh man, it's like Sex Ed. I guess it's like sensuality and almost like falling in love with yourself and being comfortable in your sexuality. I guess that's what that kind of moment in the record was about. I guess I could teach that class. I ́d Professor Juwan or Professor Odyssy. My last name is Elcock, so they're going to look at me like I'm crazy. But it ́s OK, it's British.

Who are some of your OnesToWatch artists?

Well there's a bunch of artists in Austin. Harry Adoko, Lara, Jackie Giroux. There ́s JD Cliffe and BINA, who just opened for me tonight, they are super fire. King ISIS. Saya Gray. Blankface, he ́s coming out in Austin.

Is there a big music community in Austin?

That's our stomping grounds. That's our community that we've built up together.

It’s so cool that you’re building that. Thank you so much and good luck on the last leg of the tour!

Thank you for this moment. I appreciate it.