Australian producer Lucianblomkamp recently released Sick of What I Don’t Understand Part 1, the first of a 3-part album – Parts 2 & 3 are due early 2018.
While working on his own material, the young producer has also been in the studio with friend Singawd, working on Atlanta rapper 6LACK’s tracks. Previously the duo collaborated on 6LACK’s “That Far,” today Lucian is excited to see the release of two more collaborative tracks; “In Between” ft BANKS and “One Way” ft. T-Pain.
Speaking on the collaboration, Lucian says:
"Writing for 6LACK has been an incredibly unique experience and I only got given the opportunity through a kind soul named Trevor (aka Singawd), who regularly produces for 6LACK. He sampled my track “Catskill Mountain Resort” to create one of 6LACK’s first singles “Bless Me.” While the song did incredibly well, it wasn’t until Trevor sampled me again on the track “Alone/EA6” when we properly started communication and began to form an online friendship. It still baffles me how much faith Trevor has had in my abilities, and as a result I feel that has helped immensely in the process of writing together. While writing for other artists has always been based around some kind of brief or core sound the artist is going for, it’s been such a privilege for Trevor and 6LACK to encourage me to write as creatively and independently as I want. It shows great promise for a team of musicians and artists whose aim is to not become bogged down by the style that they’ve been known to create. We’ve already written so many unreleased songs together so hopefully a decent number of them get to see the light of day at some point or another."
LUCIANBLOMKAMP’s third album Sick of What I Don’t Understand is themed around difficult transformations and self-realisation. Almost a commentary on itself, it's a documenting of the processes Lucian went through to break out of his previous accomplished but limited incarnation to new levels of ambition and confidence he now shows as a musician.
On Part 1 you can hear exactly how far Lucian has branched out - from the Massive Attack-like ‘Crawling’ to the fearsome drone and rolling rhythm of title track ‘Sick of What I Don’t Understand’, and the mutant pop of ‘Nothing’ featuring the beautifully alien vocals of Rromarin, to a dreamlike reimagining of UK bass on ‘Still No’,which features the dark poetry of MC legend Trim.
The album title – Sick of What I Don't Understand – means many things, but in part alludes to the frustration of wanting to reach outside one's own comfort zone. SOWIDU is not a piece of musical theatre, mind, nor is it just self-analysis: it is a fully-functioning album in its own right, and many of the expressions of the themes are subtle and metaphorical. But its central message is instantly audible, as you hear Lucian unfolding and expanding as a composer and performer, on a record dramatically different from the intimate, hazy electronica of its predecessors.
Lucian’s output has always been ferocious, and soon found himself the recipient of the Northern Lights Competition run by community radio station FBi backed by the Australian government, the prize being to play at the Iceland Airwaves Festival in Reykjavik and collaborate with local artists. A number of Lucian’s songs have been sampled by Atlanta hip hop artist 6LACK, which not only helped raise his international profile but led to an ongoing and fruitful creative relationship - most recently with Lucian producing 6LACK’s track ‘That Far’ - and certainly aided the stylistic branching out that SOWIDU documents. Likewise, a mixtape with John Hassell of hugely influential Sydney electronic trio Seekae helped develop the steely sonic focus that would get Lucian where he is now.
LUCIANBLOMKAMP’s third album Sick of What I Don’t Understand will be released in three parts over the next year. Part 1 is out now via Different Recordings.
