Insight Interview: Black Paper

Black Paper is a rising star on the future garage scene. We caught up with him recently to discuss his music and future plans. Check out our exclusive interview here…

Hey Black Paper, thanks so much for agreeing to an interview. Where are you based? Do you tend to travel a lot, or are you firmly rooted at home?

Thanks a lot for the opportunity. My hometown is a small town close to Munich in Germany. I travel a lot for personal holidays, but I also feel really comfortable staying at home with my friends and family.

Can you recall your first real exposure to music?

I’ve been making music since my childhood days. My parents gave me my first keyboard when I was eight years old, and from that moment on I taught myself how to play and composed my first melodies.
In the beginning I was influenced mostly by house and techno but later I discovered hiphop!

How and when did you first begin writing and creating music?

After several years of practicing I produced my first professional tracks when I was about 15 years old.

How did you decide upon the name Black Paper?

That was a spontaneous idea. I love conjuring a depressing and sad mood with my music. The black piece of paper has a tragic significance for me – so I thought the name really fits with the music.

Have you made or released music under any other name?

Of course I have produced loads of electronic music like house / techno / dubstep and hiphop under other names. But for Black Paper I prefer to stay in the underground, without any promo pictures or stuff like that.

Can you describe your music for us?

My music is influenced by every strong feeling you could ever have. Love, happiness, sadness and mostly depression. Its very important for me that every title I come up with fits 100% with the sounds you can hear.

Have you played live recently? Would you like to do more shows or tours in future? Anything coming up soon you’d like to tell us about?

With my Black Paper project I haven’t had any gigs yet – but I’m currently working on a live set.

What have been your biggest influences?

The biggest influences for me are my thoughts, my feelings and all the stories I have experienced in life.

Do you think producing electronic music requires technical or creative skill? Or both?

Definitely both. Nowadays producing music is as easy as it has ever been – at least technically speaking – but every producer should do his homework and know the basics before attempting to produce.

Do you tend to find the creative process a cathartic or therapeutic experience? Has creating music helped you cope with difficult times in your life?

Definitely. Music and especially Black Paper is my kind of therapy to handle all this crazy stuff in life. The best thing is reaching people who feel the same.

Any collaborations, remixes or joint projects on the horizon?

No collaborations planned for the moment but we will see.

Any new genres or musical styles you’d like to explore in future?

Yes – but not under my pseudonym Black Paper.

Do you have any thoughts on the future of electronic music? Do you think the scene will evolve further?

I’m not a psychic! But I certainly hope that the niche genres will expand.

Any new releases coming our way?

My first EP ‘Inhale’ is available on Bandcamp. That’s the first of four EPs I will release. Together they tell a consistent story. If you want to keep up to date with the things I release then please do check my SoundCloud and Facebook pages!

Any artists or other individuals / collectives you’ve not worked with yet that you’d like to work with in future?

They are so many talented producers out there but i if had to choose one I would pick… 😉

Do you have a favourite track / song of all time? Favourite artist?

Burial – Near Dark and any artist with a passion for what he’s / she’s doing.

It’s been said that a life in music can be a hard one. Would you agree with that?

Yes – it’s a real struggle and hard earning respect or good money.

Do you have any words of advice for aspiring young producers?

Practice, Practice, Practice.

Any other projects on the horizon that you’d like to tell us about?

As mentioned before there is a lot of music coming your way in the near future.

And finally – are there any tracks / artists that are relatively unknown that you’d like people to know about?

Detz – Seasons EP

Thanks so much Black Paper!

Thanks a lot for having me. It was a pleasure.

Black Paper’s EP ‘Inhale’ and his other releases are available here.