BLK ODYSSY is the KUTX Artist of the Month for August 2021.
BLK VINTAGE, the debut album from Austin’s BLK ODYSSY, has been a long time coming. Singer Sam Houston shares a birthplace–Plainfield, New Jersey–with Parliament-Funkadelic. He grew up immersed in that particular culture, running into band members in the neighborhood and soaking up psychedelic funk with the extended P-Funk family tree. When he moved to Austin, Houston met Alejandro Rios, a guitarist from Florida who leaned more into a classic rock direction. But by teaming up, the pair pushed each other’s musical boundaries. The result is BLK ODYSSY, a band that delivers a psych-damaged soul sound with a wallop.
For BLK VINTAGE, Houston says he wants the music to speak “from the perspective of trivialized communities in America. It gives an inside perspective to how life is, not just on a tragic level but on just a day-to-day level.” The band first started working on the album about four years ago, and last summer’s social unrest helped give the final recordings a sense of urgency.
This week on My KUTX, Houston and Rios dive into the many creative inspirations that shaped the album. From Frank Ocean’s poetry and Kendrick Lamar’s mind-blowing epics to Led Zeppelin’s power and, of course, the inevitable Parliament influence, this guest DJ set is a great introduction to BLK ODYSSY’s emerging world. Hear BLK ODYSSY’s My KUTX on Saturday, August 28 at 6 p.m. or listen anytime in the player above.
Art Levy // producer, My KUTX
Playlist:
1. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley – “Road To Zion” (feat. Nas)
2. Roy Ayers Ubiquity – “Everybody Loves The Sunshine”
3. Kendrick Lamar – “Institutionalized” (feat. Bilal, Anna Wise, & Snoop Dogg)
4. Sault – “Threats”
5. Frank Ocean – “Seigfried”
6. The Notorious B.I.G. – “What’s Beef”
7. Outkast – “Elevators (Me & You)”
8. Parliament – “Funkentelechy”
9. Led Zeppelin – “Since I’ve Been Loving You”
