Location: Antone's Nightclub
Date: Aug 31, 2024
Time: Doors at 7:00 P.M. / Show at 8:00 P.M.
KUTX Presents
Former KUTX Artist of the Month BLK ODYSSY, project is pushed by liberation. On his first album under this new moniker, titled BLK VINTAGE, BLK ODYSSY―born and raised in Plainfield, NJ, based in Austin, TX― dives into his personal history as a Black musician and the world he’s grown up around. It’s an album deeply informed by individual experiences but applied to the plight of Black Americans everywhere.
After making a name for himself as an Americana musician, BLK ODYSSY decided to ditch the popularity he gained in favor of creating music that would reflect his own experiences and worldview. The result is BLK ODYSSY, and this first project, BLK VINTAGE, moves with the urgency of an artist finally realizing their true sound. “I want to create something that will be culturally impactful for my people. I want to do something that is impactful on a larger scale, something that is for groups of Black people across the country.”
Neo-soul artists like D’Angelo and socially conscious MCs like Kendrick Lamar are clear touchstones, but BLK ODYSSY also takes cues from the celebratory funk of Parliament who also came from Plainfield, on tracks like “Funketology” (Listen below in their Studio 1A session). All the musicians that I grew up with are relatives of Parliament members. We grew up in that culture, it inspires who we are,” explains BLK ODYSSY. This potent combination of politically-charged street anthems, party-ready funk jams, and top-down, head-nodding beats makes BLK VINTAGE a sterling debut and one of the most powerful and timely releases of the year. BLK ODYSSY speaks to his predecessors, but the new concoction is all his own. It’s a triumphant testament to Black power, a message to the kids that look like him that there’s someone in their corner. “The Black youth has been poisoned numb because of the shit we have to deal with,” BLK ODYSSY explains. “I want to speak to our experiences and let people know it’s okay to shed that layer and really, truly feel.”