Luke Black Talks To Demur About His ‘F23.8’ Mental Health Journey And Namesake For His Latest EP
We had a chat with Luke Black following the release of his EP titled ‘F23.8,’ as Luke reflected on how touring in China influenced the sound and direction of his EP. The EP’s title, F23.8, is a psychological diagnosis of interrupted perception of reality, representing Luke’s own mental health journey during the pandemic and his rediscovery as an artist. The EP’s opening and closing tracks, “A House on the Hill” and “238”, respectively, relate to the overall narrative of the project as a battle with heartbreak through storytelling. Luke is currently competing for Eurovision Song Contest and has new music in the works.
How did your experience touring in China influence the sound and direction of the EP?
I had a lot of time to reflect on the creative process after the tour in China. In the beginning of my creative endeavours I tried to think from the perspective of someone else, but the fans in China loved me being myself so I started making music much more intuitively after that. It took a few years and a pandemic to build things from scratch, but I finally managed and F23.8 is the first step in that direction.
Can you talk about the meaning behind the EP’s title and how it relates to the themes explored on the project?
F23.8 is a psychological diagnosis of interrupted perception of reality which encompasses the mental health journey I had unexpectedly throughout the path of the pandemic and rediscovering myself as an artist. The theme is a battle with heartbreak through storytelling – I wanted to approach heartbreak and healing through a horror story, hallucinogenics and hypnotising poetry.
The EP opens with “A House on the Hill” and closes with “238”, can you discuss the significance of these tracks in relation to the overall narrative of the project?
A House on the Hill is a horror tale and a love story of two people finding each other in a place that most people are afraid of and which represents sanctuary for them. Their love is as infamous as the town’s haunted house, but it’s their haven. The haven turns to hell before gun-like drop and the theatrical scream in the song. I wanted to finish the EP with a track about regaining consciousness which has F removed – signifying the end of the battle with surreality.
How did your collaboration with Creative Director Vasso Vu come about and what was the process like in creating the EP’s artwork and visual world?
Me and Vasso Vu are both from Serbia, and have met at quite an early age. Being very creatively forward and potentially overambitious for that time we have started supporting each other visually and melodically. Our creative journey has always been intertwined – from themes – to darkness and colour. In a circumstance of a distant reality we have both turned into video games and anime and wanted to portrait the pain through colourful expression. The artwork is an augmented helium balloon jacket taking me up far away from all the problems. Through Vasso I have met and collaborated closely with Razorade, an absolute genius and our creative sibling – his artistry has and will hopefully paint my music in the future too. The visuals informed the music so much in the process, I was inspired by their creative direction to search for new sounds that appear on the EP’s tracks.
Can you speak to the role of your cultural background in shaping your sound and aesthetic as an artist?
This is a very interesting question as I don’t think or haven’t seen people noticing it! I sing with a lot of Serbian or Balkan ornaments which is a result of growing up there and being surrounded by Balkan music – it wasn’t really a conscious decision but something that came quite naturally. Sometimes I like it sometimes I don’t but I try to be as intuitive as possible while creating music. My aesthetic isn’t informed by the Balkans, at least not now, but I did explore the Slavic mythology and culture in my previous work. I’m mostly inspired by whatever I am playing, watching or reading at that moment.
Your lead single “Amsterdam” has been described as “pensive and psychedelic”, can you talk about the meaning behind the song and what it represents for you as an artist?
Amsterdam is one of my favourite songs I have ever written, it is a collaboration of intense joy and sadness – there were times when I had a sever tummy-ache being really sad and then it would shortly turn into hope and happiness like a burst of autotune thoughts and that is how I wanted to compose the song – melancholic and hyperpop. The music video was just a camera following me around having a bit of a hallucinogenic journey – sometimes you can see what I see sometimes you can’t – which is exactly like the unattainable moments of happiness I was experiencing.
What can fans expect from you in the coming year? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations in the works?
I am competing to potentially represent my country on Eurovision Song Contest and I’m gearing up to deliver a dream performance. There will definitely be new music in the works both in the realm of my previous releases, but also works of flirtation with new genres.
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