MP3/Artwork: Black Milk – “Perfected On Puritan Ave.”
Pitchfork Premieres New Single And Art For Detroit Rapper’s Upcoming Album, Due Out October 15th
08.13.2013
The Album:
Today Pitchfork premiered a new track from Detroit, Michigan producer and rapper Black Milk, entitled “Perfected On Puritan Ave.” The single is from Black Milk’s upcoming album No Poison No Paradise, due out October 15th via Fat Beats/Computer Ugly. Pitchfork has also revealed the album artwork by Dallas, Texas artist Joonbug.
Known for his progressive and boundary-pushing style, the album promises to expand on Black Milk’s talents and push his work to another level. While 2010’s Album of the Year was an album of dense and heavily layered sounds, the new record will have a more “stripped-down” approach, relying on sample driven beats, nimble lyricism and a more laid-back vibe. This album also marked a change in process for Black Milk, who worked on much of the material solo. “Recording outside of Detroit for the first time put me in a place without instant access to a lot of the musicians, engineers, emcees and singers that I usually collaborate with,” he recalls, “Just me in a room with my equipment and my thoughts.” The isolation allowed him to delve even deeper creatively, removing all distraction and forcing him to focus on what direction he wished to take his work.
“I wanted to focus more on storytelling and having a collection of songs with subject matters that tie into one another,” says Black Milk, revealing that No Poison No Paradise is also structured conceptually. The album functions as a collection of dreams inside the head of Sonny Jr., a character Black Milk has created. In “Perfected On Puritan Ave.,” for example, Sonny flashes back to a time when he and his childhood friend are playing basketball and aspiring to be NBA players or rap artists. The song later flashes forward to see Sonny living some of his childhood dreams.
Subject matter in the album’s other tracks flows from scenarios like this one to the experiences of some of Sonny’s peers as well, weaving and bobbing in a non-linear narrative. “Just like a dream, the scenes are always changing and sometimes feel random and inconsistent,” Black Milk explains, “It’s a mixture. Some songs and stories are told from Sonny’s older self, some from his younger days, and some from a third person perspective.” Though not specifically a first person account of his own life, autobiographical themes abound on No Poison No Paradise, as Black Milk explores both the struggle of growing up in a working-class Detroit neighborhood as well as the internal conflicts of maintaining inspiration and integrity as a musician, making the album a poignant glimpse into the mind of a visionary artist.
Listen to the song here: https://soundcloud.com/computerugly/perfected-on-puritan-ave
Check out the Pitchfork premiere here: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/15857-perfected-on-puritan-ave/
Please contact Michelle or Dan if interested in talking with Black Milk.
Black Milk Background:
Black Milk is a producer and rapper born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. As one of the most-celebrated auteurs of his generation of hip hop artists, he has conditioned fans and critics to always expect the unexpected each time he releases new music. Few producers have earned the notoriety and respect he has as a musician, and when that is coupled with commanding talent as an emcee, it’s no surprise that his solo releases are met with exalted anticipation. He has been making music professionally since 2004 and has collaborated with many noted artists including Slum Village, J Dilla, Elzhi, Phat Kat, Frank-N-Dank, Lloyd Banks, Canibus and Pharoahe Monch and Jack White of The White Stripes. In 2010 he released Album of the Year, which perfectly captured his soulful, jazzy style. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his new album, No Poison No Paradise, which is due out October 15th of this year.
Links:
official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud
“Perfected On Puritan Ave.”: https://soundcloud.com/computerugly/perfected-on-puritan-ave
Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/black-milk/