The Pit speaks to South-East London’s alternative, DIY artist Theodor Black about the inspiration for his new double single, ‘Slow Burns / Anxiety’, the inspiration behind his debut project, ‘Black Boy Blues’ and which London-based artists you should be keeping an eye on.

Emily: How does South-East London influence your sound?
Theodor: It’s that place that I grew up in. The place that birthed me and gave me the experiences that made me the artist I am today. Without those experiences, I wouldn’t be able to talk about what I talk about and make the music that I make.

What was the inspiration for your latest release, ‘Slow Burns / Anxiety’?
Growth and realisation. I’ve started to see things in a different light due to the things I’ve experienced in the past few years. ‘Slow Burns’ touches on global decay, the world as we see it is falling apart, it’s slowly burning and nobody is trying to do anything about it. This ties in with anxiety, having experienced a severe panic attack, I discovered that I suffer from crippling anxiety, this song is a rejection of that bad omen.

Why did you choose to drop a double single and what was the creative process of creating it?
The two songs are two sides of the same coin, different in sound and texture but similar in terms of energy and emotion. It’s a ‘two bird, one stone’ metaphor.

What was your inspiration behind, ‘Tangerines’ and how was creating the video?
‘Tangerines’ is perhaps one of my favourite songs, it’s carefree and liberating. The song speaks about a love towards a person but a lack of reciprocation and openness from the other, I grew tired of the games and decided to leave it alone. The video was fun to shoot, I had a lot of fun making that with my, now, girlfriend Moeysha.

Why is having a DIY attitude important to your creative process?
Because it’s fun, and it’s important to be self-sufficient, especially, when the people sat in their head offices aren’t paying attention to all the amazing things happening right now, nor helping. So fuck it, might as well do it ourselves.

What were the main themes and inspiration behind your project, ‘Black Boy Blues’?
‘Black Boy Blues’ is a self-reflection of the struggle of being a coloured man in such a versatile place like London. The content was drawn directly from my personal experiences, things that I’m sure a lot of people can relate to.

How do you feel your sound has grown from your first release up until now?
I’ve definitely grown to be more confident, and more explorative.

Which London-based artists are sparking your interest and who would you recommend?
Joviale, Haich Ber Na, Josif and MTMBO.

What was the inspiration and main themes behind your project, ‘Conversations’?
I wanted to find a more theatrical way to communicate my thoughts. Phone conversations tend to be intimate and usually held between two people, it’s a distant connection that makes a whole, so I wanted whoever listens to this to feel connected to what I’m saying.

Are you working on a full-length project?
Maybe ...

What can we expect from 2020?
Whatever the journey brings.

Artist Spotlight: Theodor Black