Last night Dev Hynes (better known as Blood Orange) surprise released his highly-anticipated album Freetown Sound, the follow-up to 2013’s Cupid Deluxe.
The album is just as much a homage to New York City (where Hynes resides) as it is to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where the artist’s father was born (and from whence the album takes its name). In a new interview with Zane Lowe, the singer-songwriter talks about the inspiration behind the album, as well as the recording process for it. One of the more interesting parts of the chat is learning how Miles Davis‘ process in creating the iconic Bitches Brew played an integral part in the making of Freetown Sound.
“I’ve been reading the book on the Bitches Brew sessions and I have a whole new appreciation for that record,” Hynes said. “You listen to that record and it sounds like a bunch of dudes jamming all night at 3 a.m, maybe a little fucked up and just doing their thing, but the actual crazy process was 10 a.m. to 1 p.m…they did five minute takes between that time period exactly 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. everyday, and then him and Teo Macero got the tapes and cut the tapes up and edited in post-production.”
Hynes admits that recording for Freetown wasn’t as rigorous, but he used Miles’ approach of cutting and splicing together parts throughout the album, especially in regards to a lot of the street recordings featured. The result, in Hynes’ words? A project that’s “straight hip-hop, straight jazz and straight classical.”
Hynes also chatted with our sister site Okayafrica about his third full-length release, going into detail about the titular Sierra Leonean influences. “There’s different moments that are musically indebted to the rhythms of West Africa, and lyrically as well,” he explains. “In the end of the song “Augustine,” I sing in creole, you can hear it slightly at the very end.”
If you haven’t given Freetown Sound a listen definitely do yourself a favor and check it out.
The post Dev Hynes Talks ‘Freetown Sound’ + ‘Bitches Brew’ In New Interview appeared first on Okayplayer.
