Enter the world of 21-year-old music producer, sound designer, and electronic musician Lamar Bradley. He makes music under the name Black Box Theory here in Asheville and has an impressive collection of sounds on both Spotify and Bandcamp. We spoke with him about how he got into making music, the process of creating a new track, and more. Read everything after the jump!
Tell us about who you are and what you do.
I'm an electronic music producer and I guess you could say I'm a sound designer. I do my best to make music that communicates what I'm feeling while I'm making it. I tend to create things that have very strong grooves that put you in a trance, but I like to make sure that people feel something when they hear my music. I'm not good at describing who I am and that's a lot of why I make music. In a way the sounds I make are meant to give you a look at who I am.
When did you start getting into making your own music?
I've been into music since elementary school, taking piano lessons, joining the school band in middle school, etc. I started really making music when I was in 8th grade I think. At that point I had gotten into metal and EDM. A friend of mine showed me something by Datsik I think. After that I went home and tried to figure out how to make dubstep and figured that I would try it out with this browser-based beat making thing called audiotool. After that I decided to really look into how this stuff was made and pretty much became obsessed with music tech after that. Now I'm here.
How would you describe your sound?
My sound is all over the place really. If I had to pin it down with a few words they would be explosive, heavy, thick? I don't know. I like to make loops with really deep layers. Layers of sounds that turn into big lush walls of rhythm.
What's the process of making a new track like?
It's a pretty simple process. At this point I grab a couple records, turn on my laptop and my controller and flip something. Either that or I'll just come up with a nice sound and then embellish upon that initial loop until I'm satisfied with it. After that I just have to play it or program the entire song and that's about it. It's an intense process for me because I'm also trying to work out what I'm feeling when I'm making something. That's the satisfying part, though. Once I have something, I can listen to it and sort of have a conversation with myself. Every new layer is like an answer to a question that the loop is asking.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations?
I got a lot of my inspiration from guys like Samiyam and Flying Lotus when I first started thinking about making music my career one day. I liked that their music always sounded like them. At this point It feels weird to say that I'm not inspired by anything around me. Every interaction has value in some way.
If you could perform a set anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?
I kind of just want to play wherever there's a crowd of people that don't care about anything except being moved by the music they're hearing. I don't know where that is but that's where I want to play.
What's been the coolest experience for you so far since you've been a musician?
I played at this guy's birthday party in a shipping container house. Shit was tight. I was playing on this platform that was above the crowd. It was one of the first times I had played to a crowd of people who had no idea who I was but they were all receptive and getting down throughout my set. After my set I met some new people and kicked it with them all night. Not gonna lie, I felt like I was the shit that night, lol.
What've you been listening to lately?
I've been listening to this guy named Dedekind Cut. Weird electronic stuff. I've also been listening to a lot of techno.
Favorite restaurant in Asheville?
My favorite restaurant is probably Baba Nahm. It's cheap and it's really good.
Follow Lamar Bradley on Instagram (@blkbxthry) and Facebook