Black Coffee recently released his long-awaited album “Subconsciously”, a project he holds close to his heart.
It’s his first album since “The Djoon Experience”, released in 2013; however with this one he has explored outside the “only house music” focus.
"This album is a music project that’s very close to my heart. I’m a music fan first. I listen to and love different styles of music.
“This album is the first time that I’ve ventured fully outside of ’house music’ only focus on an album.
“At the same time it’s been extremely important for me to stay true to my roots and my rhythms and have the people I want to work with on the album,“ said the DJ.
“It's the modern day Black Coffee, and it represents what I’ve been doing musically, how the melody is written, how the song is produced,” he said.
The 12-track album features a variety of collaborations with fellow global stars like Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Tellaman, Cassie, and Usher.
“I’d first done the song ’10 Missed Calls’ with Jozzy.
“I’d been trying to do a song with Pharrell for a while now. But it was only after I’d created ’10 Missed Calls’ that he wanted to get on it,” said Black Coffee.
About featuring Sabrina Claudio on the title track, he said they met in LA two years earlier and he loved “her texture, her musicality” and how the song “SBCNCSLY” became what it is.
“It’s a very special song on the album and it truly represents the quintessential Black Coffee sound,” he said.
“Subconsciously” has been a work in progress since the release of “Drive” with David Guetta ft Delilah Montagu, which was in November 2018, however as Black Coffee was gearing up to release this album in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic stuck.
“As a music artist and producer, my number one priority is and will always be to honour the music and the process.
“And we’d actually been gearing up to release the album in early 2020, but the pandemic took hold across the globe and we decided to push the release to early 2021.
“In hindsight it was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed me the time and space to refocus fully on my music and spend time working on making the album even better,“ he said.
About the success of the album thus far, Black Coffee said: “I’m thrilled with how the album has been received, and truly humbled and grateful for the ongoing and continued support across the world.
“And a special thank-you to all my fans in South Africa and Africa, who are who have been my most ardent, unflinching and loyal supporters throughout my career.”
What can fans look forward to next?
“I’m now in a space where I want to explore as much music as I can without being stuck in one genre.
“I want to do everything that I love. I’m a music fan first. Even the music I listen to varies, I listen to many different styles of music.
“That’s what I want to do as a producer as well. I want to produce different styles of music.
“I’m at a place where I have outgrown being a one genre kind of producer. I have a range that I haven’t really utilised.
“Previously, I would try to bring all these elements into house music, which is something I still love, but I feel like there is so much more I can say with different tempos and collaborations and artists,” explained Black Coffee.
Now that his album is out he doesn’t plan to take any breaks.
“The compulsion to create is not a switch that I’m able to turn on or off. It’s a constant for me. It’s in my DNA and is always ongoing,” he ended.