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Tunde Adebimpe explores ‘tenderness and rage’ on debut solo album

BBG News

About a quarter of a century ago, TV on the Radio from Brooklyn dominated radio stations and MTV with their captivating synth-rock that had overtones of near-operatic quality. Songs such as “Staring at the Sun” and “Wolf Like Me” won hearts by layering catchy melodies upon catchy melodies, and featuring a relentless, compelling rhythmic pulse.

Tunde Adebimpe, a creative spirit hailing from Missouri and residing in L.A., never slowed down but the vibrancy of band life started to wane. However, a 2024 reunion for TV on the Radio’s 20th anniversary album release and tour, “Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes,” reignited their bond. Now, they are immersed in creating a brand new sixth album. This upcoming work will follow Adebimpe’s first solo album, “Thee Black Boltz,” which solidifies his reputation as one of the most daring and insightful singer-songwriters from recent decades.

References to “boltz” can be found sprinkled across various tracks, moments of gratitude and happiness peeking out from under layers of despair. Adebimpe explained to The Times that this album reflected his personal journey through a sequence of harrowing incidents and grief, which deepened during the pandemic.

In 2019, I was engaging in a lot of free writing to generate ideas and organize my chaotic thoughts, as well as finding a path out of a profoundly sad phase in my life. Through this writing, I explored the events that had occurred, navigated through them, and made a vow to record every method for overcoming them. During this process of writing about grief, there were instances where I recalled happy memories from before the tragic incidents, and felt a surge of gratitude for those small moments of inspiration, which may not have been possible without the shadows of depression looming overhead. Bolts serve as a metaphor for sudden jolts that snap you out of difficult situations.

Several tunes were penned during the initial stages and peak of the pandemic, a time marked by widespread fear and an ominous sense that something menacing was unfolding, yet there seemed to be no effective response. As he put it, “The atmosphere of America, the world, felt intense and continues to do so… It’s the struggle between primal forces and human beings, a theme that will forever resonate.

A sequence of studio burglaries, starting with Adebimpe’s home workshop-studio and followed by the studios where he was working, potentially slowed his progress. Similarly, a string of rejections after submitting six demos without success could have impeded him, but in spite of the obstacles trying to stop him, Adebimpe persevered.

During a hiatus in 2019 by TV on Radio, the break was open-ended, and I wasn’t anticipating creating music for an extended period. However, a few events transpired: someone burglarized my garage, which served as my studio, stealing 15 years of archives and my laptop. They disconnected the hard drive in my computer but left it behind – an odd act of kindness or so it seemed. They made off with drum machines, my marijuana stash – the cherry on top of the misfortune – yet I discovered my old 4-track recorder and a box of tapes dating back to 1998 to 2008.

The singer sifted through those tapes, uncovering half-completed songs that he polished up and remastered. “With only the 4-track available for recording, I began experimenting with it and creating demos on it.

People hadn’t been expecting his solo album because Adebimpe had been keeping busy with various projects, such as acting in movies (“Twisters” last year, “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, and the TV series “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”), directing, and collaborating across different genres, either as a guest vocalist or as part of a supergroup.

Apart from that, he’s been keeping occupied with tours related to TV on Radio’s first album, which marks its 20th anniversary. Following their 2014 album “Seeds,” the band has continued touring intermittently and released various singles. Outside of the band, there have been multiple collaborative projects since Adebimpe appeared on Dave Sitek’s 2010 album “Maximum Balloon.” His distinctive, powerful vocals have been featured in numerous tracks by artists like Massive Attack, Leftfield, Run the Jewels, and even found room for collaboration with Faith No More and Mr. Bungle leader Mike Patton and Doseone in the group Nevermen.

It seems surprising that it has taken so long for him to set out to make a solo album.

He acknowledged that he had given it some thought earlier. Being part of TV on Radio, he explained, means that whenever they plan to record something new, everyone brings a multitude of fresh ideas and numerous demos to the table. As a result, they often end up with more songs than they can use. During pauses in their creative journey, Adebimpe considered using these unused songs that his bandmates had left untouched due to time constraints or disinterest. “I created the demos,” he admitted, “and I don’t want to just let them go.

The TV on the Radio DNA is there, undeniably.

After 2008, there was a time when I wondered, “What would a TV on the Radio song sound like?” This question spread among us like a bout of food poisoning, and we realized we’d never pondered it before since it hadn’t crossed our minds. I don’t have the ability to strategize in that manner. I create what sounds appealing and comfortable to me. If listeners find similarities, I am fine with that, and I do not aim to escape my unique writing style.

Title “Thee Black Boltz” indicates Adebimpe has no need to prove himself. Unlike his work with TV on the Radio, there’s a change in tone here. While TV on the Radio tracks had an urgency and climactic intensity, “Thee Black Boltz” is more reflective, both musically and lyrically. It offers room for introspection and emotional vulnerability. Over just 11 tracks, Adebimpe delves into heartbreak, drama, frustration, and even space exploration.

20 years ago, Adebimpe sang about the fleeting nature of physical belongings, our eventual spiritual ascension into light and spirit on “Staring at the Sun,” and “Thee Black Boltz” is a continuation of Adebimpe’s ongoing exploration of existence and our insignificance. The latest track, “Drop,” showcases Adebimpe’s personal appeal as death approaches.

As a cinephile, I’ll tell you this: “I know we’ll resonate deeply when the moment comes to let go / There’s no need for sympathies sent in blooms / The memories and dreams will persist without end / Of our shared experiences, our lives intertwined / And a day will come when we unite as one / We’ll shine so vibrantly, reaching the darkest night.

The song “Drop” begins with a basic, looped beatboxing rhythm, which is later joined by a powerful melody, backed by layers of synth and intense vocal choruses. This isn’t Adebimpe defying TV on Radio, but rather showcasing that within this band and solo projects, he consistently delivers authentic music.

He remarks that the word ‘Drop’ resonated strongly during the pandemic as it seemed like an apocalyptic moment. Pondering over those he had lost, he found himself questioning what one might feel when they die, when their physical body is left behind. Is there no awareness, not even a consciousness? We can only wonder. It could be a beautiful mystery, or a dire predicament, but we can entertain such thoughts because we are alive now. What should be our optimal use of this precious time on Earth?

In simpler terms, Adebimpe’s fleeting thoughts about death became starkly real when his only American relative, his younger sister, passed away in the year 2021. Just a week after signing with Sub Pop Records and presenting some demos, he had to halt everything to process this loss.

I began writing what would eventually become a record without realizing it at first. Then, my belongings were stolen, which was just one of the minor, tangible events that occurred. However, things took a turn for the worse when, unexpectedly, my younger sister passed away in 2021. I’m not uncomfortable discussing this because everyone will face significant upheavals and tragedies at some point, and it’s possible to navigate them by focusing on the immediate moment. Unfortunately, she left me with no other family members in the country, so I had to rush to Florida to organize her funeral, manage her estate, and deal with her house.

When he returned to L.A., “I didn’t want to do anything at all for a long time,” he says.

Creating things helped me cope. I channeled my mixed emotions – sadness and joy – into free writing and creating demos, which later became part of the album. This process assisted me in dealing with past losses that I hadn’t fully addressed or found resolution for. The pandemic provided an opportunity to reflect on those experiences more deeply.

His sister is the focus of the song “ILY,” or “I Love You,” on the record.

As a film enthusiast, I’d put it like this: “That song is all about her,” I say. “It’s a straightforward, versatile tune that isn’t limited to Valentine’s Day. It’s a heartfelt way to express gratitude for the person you’re fortunate to have in your life, be it yourself or someone else. It’s not like a traditional love letter, but it can serve as a testament to the simple joy of finding such a person in this vast universe. You can’t pick your family, but she was an exceptional one, and I feel incredibly fortunate to call her my sister.

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The unique charm and free-spirited nature of “Thee Black Boltz” is clearly demonstrated by the wide range of their musicality and lyrical topics. As Adebimpe put it, it’s similar to a mix tape that serves as a historical artifact for an important time in one’s life, just as much as it does for the community at large. For those new to their music, where should listeners start exploring?

Adebimpe shares, “All the tracks have unique qualities, but among them, ‘Somebody New’ is my favorite. This song was actually created by blending two distinct projects that I and producer Wilder Zoby were working on separately. I happened to walk into the studio while he was working on a project for a children’s TV show [City Island on PBS], and he was experimenting with synth sounds. I suggested we save that sound for our collaboration, and then impulsively, we combined it with something I had been tinkering with. Although the melody has evolved since then, it’s an energetic dance track. It serves as a boost; you can carry it with you.

After its release, he expressed his satisfaction by saying, “I’m thrilled with it. There were numerous pauses in the creation process, but now that it’s complete, I’m really happy people will get to listen to it. It feels like Zoby and Jahphet [Landis] and I have been so immersed in it for such a long time that any apprehension or doubt about what it is has essentially dissipated. It’s as if we’re back in high school, receiving a mixtape from a friend, saying, ‘This has a lot of unusual elements on it, I made it especially for you, and I hope you enjoy it!’ That’s exactly how I feel about this album.

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2025-04-21 13:33

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