In conversation with BLK ODYSSY

“In a time where everything feels artificial, I want to remind people that sound and music can still change how we think and feel.”

BLK ODYSSY creates alternate realities to heal ours. The project of artist and producer, Juwan Elcock’s, BLK ODYSSY enters in instalments that are deeply conceptual and all-encompassing as one track hisses seamlessly into the next, bridged by atmospheric samples. Paired with grand production, the Texas-based artist lays down epic tales through equally fitting melodies as elements of pop, R&B, and rock come face to face: clashing and confronting into surrealist chaos. On MOOD CONTROL, Elcock asks us, “What came first, the pain or the drugs?”, leaning into distorted textures as he lets us tune into a radio transmission gone rogue. A billowing world emerges and leaps out in between breaking synths and reverb-drenched bass, pulling us into his newest universe. Read below as Elcock gves us a tour around MOOD CONTROL’s colorfully askew reality.

To start off, where do our questions find you today?
I’m in Ciudad Juárez at a music studio. It’s pretty isolated, one of those places you sleep and eat at. There’s not much cell service, so I’ve just been locked in working on new music.

You just released your fourth album, MOOD CONTROL. How are you feeling about putting out the project?
I’m excited. My last record was a big step outside my comfort zone, and I knew it would shake things up. This one feels good. I came back to some of my roots while still exploring that more abrasive side of myself that we started on 1800 FANTASY.

As this is your fourth project under BLK ODYSSY, what inspired you to start working on the album? 
After the 1800 FANTASY tour, I was so inspired by the energy from the fans. Seeing how the more uptempo music hit them confirmed we were heading in the right direction. At the same time, it made me appreciate the roots of what made BLK ODYSSY in the first place. I wanted to find the balance between the two, something people could really feel. In a time where everything feels artificial, I want to remind people that sound and music can still change how we think and feel.

When I listened to the album, I noticed it often reads like a story or a rogue radio transmission, especially on tracks like NATIVITY OF CHAOS and EXODUS OF CHAOS. Would you consider MOOD CONTROL a concept album?
I treat every album like a concept album. Immersing myself in that world helps me connect the dots and finish the story. This one is told from the perspective of a radio broadcast no one was ever supposed to hear. We even experimented with generating frequencies for each track; each song is literally woven with a different frequency tied to its lyrical theme. We studied how frequencies affect the human brain and tried to apply those same concepts to music.

The visual language contains many references to addiction and the stages of rehab. What inspired you to go in this new direction?
My second album, DIAMONDS & FREAKS, was more directly about addiction and my own struggles with it, but this one isn’t really about that. The rehab references here are more about disconnecting from all the noise and reconnecting to the healing power of the frequency (AKA the music). In this world, the frequency is the “drug,” but it’s only seen as negative because the powers that be don’t want people to heal.

In older interviews, you have shared how you approach your work as a political project. Would you say this still influences your work?
Not necessarily political. I see myself more as an activist for humanity. MOOD CONTROL came from conversations with my team about all the noise we’re exposed to daily. Our ears are constantly bombarded with fear and negativity, and it messes with us. I wanted to explore how music can be used to heal. It’s not my place to get into politics specifically, but I can use my gift to help people. So yeah, in a way, MOOD CONTROL is a protest against the powers that want us to stay sick and afraid, and a way to give healing and hope to those looking for it.

In your opinion, “What comes first, the pain or the drugs?”
It’s funny, because even though I write a lot about substances, it’s not something I’ve personally struggled with. For me, though, the pain comes first and the “drugs” or whatever you want to call them come second to numb the pain.

Is there a specific physical space that is influential to your work?
Honestly, the studio I’m in now is it is called “Sonic Ranch”. It’s a weirdly magical place and my favourite spot to create.

What’s next?
I’m already digging into the next one. This album inspired me a lot, and I’m ready to create part two of the story.