Interview with Black Magic Noize
Q1. How was Black Magic Noize formed, were you all really close friends and then decided to create a hip-hop group? Also why the name- Black Magic Noize?
We all met through a mutual friend we were all making music with. I was living with him at the time, and everybody would come through to our studio and work on cuts. We all were vibin with each other, so we decided to form a label to release our projects, called "Heart and Hustle". Our mutual friend dipped with all the equipment and our music, and said he had rights to the name, so we were like "fuck it, let's start from scratch". Madshroom had been workin on a concept for a long time, a sort of multi-media brand that would include all elements of hip hop, called "Black Magic Noize", so we decided to regroup as a collective under that name. Later we found new meanings for it, and with the help of a homie we formed the acronym that sums us up: Brothers Lyrically Attacking Citizen's Knowledge; Microphone Assassins Generating Intellectual Chaos; No-one Is Zealous Enough.
Q2. What genre would you consider BMN (Black Magic Noize) music?
Black Magic Noize is really more of an idea; a brand. It started as an artist collective, and we would through poetry nights, art shows, have live bands play. We're still definitely a movement, a collective, but it's usually just the four of us representing that now, and it's pretty solidly hip hop.
Q3. While listening to the music at your home studio, I felt as if I was on a different planet, is that the kind of feel you would want your fans have?
That's EXACTLY the kind of feel we want our fans to have. The engine that drives all of us is this concept of "Trip Rock". Trip Rock, or Triple Rock (not the genre of music) is like an inner world of your own making that can only be reached through uninhibited creativity. It's something pure we strive for.
Q4. Would you say your hip-hop music stands out or blends in within the Seattle community?
I'd say we stand out quite a bit. We're not really interested in punch lines, or being fashionable, or anything other than being creative and productive. Our stage shows are nuts, and our music is one-of-a-kind. I think what makes us stand out is the fact that we got four completely different voices and styles all on the same frequency.
Q5. How long have you been engineering and writing for?
I've been writing for almost as long as I've been engineering. I moved to a new school in 7th grade, and bonded with my first real homie over hip hop. He'd been writing and recording on tape recorders for the last year, and he encouraged me to try. Soon we were streaming beats from ughh.com and recording with a computer mic. By freshman year I was engineering sessions we were handing out cd's to our classes.
Q6. Do you guys plan to have a big tour or any upcoming shows soon?
We're doing a fan appreciation show with Cavigold records December 19th, which should be pretty huge. As a group, the next step is to finish up with our first group project, "The Machete Anthology", and set up our next tour for that.
Q7. What do you guys expect your fans to gain after listening to your music?
We want to inspire our fans. We want to show them or maybe bring them to Trip Rock.
Q8. I just met you and your crew but for those who do not know who you guys are - what are they missing out on?
Yall are missin out on some knuckleheads talkin a lot of shit, having fun, and making something out of nothing.
Q9. Where can your new followers find BMN music or follow you on your social media sites?
You can find a SHITload of music on https://blackmagicnoize.bandcamp.com/ if you dig, but you can follow us on Instagram, twitter, Facebook, and sound cloud if you look up Black Magic Noize with a Z.
Q10. I ask all the local artists I interview but if I were able to look at your iPhone or computer what kind of genres or songs would I find?
There's a huge variety of hip hop, and a SHITLOAD of beats from underground beat makers. Mostly FFU cats. That's the other collective we're all in, "Filthy Fingers United".
