Tunde Adebimpe: Thee Black Boltz

Ian Brennan interviewed Tunde Adebimpe for Tape Op #155, and he has just released Thee Black Boltz, a beautifully conceived album full of interesting sonics and great songs. Many will recognize Tunde as the lead singer of TV On The Radio, the Brooklyn-based band he co-founded with producer and multi-instrumentalist Dave Sidek.

This album is diverse, offers many sonic vibes, and is unafraid to dip its toe into a variety of genres. Some tracks are synth and buzzy guitar/bass heavy with an underlying punk influence, and the live drums and drum programming are non-traditional in their presentation. Bubbling, pulsing and arpeggiating synths grace several of the tracks, making it both future sounding and also nostalgic. "God Knows" feature a lovely pedal steel in an interstellar sonic journey that drifts through classic rock, and dreamy Americana palettes. Other tracks offer wisps of Depeche Mode, Jack White, Men Without Hats, and other musical references without ever being "on the nose". The star of the show is Tunde's vocals. Both the lead and background vocal arrangements are inviting and always paired with a perfect sonic environment. Worth a listen!

Thee Black Boltz was co-produced by Adebimpe, Wider Zoby (Run the Jewels), Mason Sacks, Jahphet Landis, Jaeleel Bunton, engineered by Zoby, mixed by Brian Bender, and mastered by Heba Kadry.