Interview: Q.Z. Tha Leader Discusses His Self-Produced New Album "Dark Matter(s)"
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““Dark Matter(s) “ has 3 meanings. The first meaning is obviously the space meaning. I’m such a space stan, it’s ridiculous! The second meaning is in reference to the actual content of the album. The third meaning highlights the importance of melanated people in today’s society. We are not always viewed as equals. ”
Congratulations on the completion and release of your new album "Dark Matter(s)"; what are you most proud of with this project?
Thanks bro, I really appreciate that. This is a two part answer for me. I’m really proud of the fact that I was able to speak freely about my truths. It’s things on this album that I’ve been wanting to speak on for years. I held back in the past for fear of ridicule on certain subject matters.
Secondly, I’m proud to have an album that’s has a human feel. There’s live instrumentation all throughout the project. My most organic album to date!
Tell us about your creative process for the development of the album's 13 tracks. Were there songs that you created that didn't make the final cut?
I usually start with making the sketches of the beats and move on to constructing a demo. If I like the full demo enough, i’ll move on to adding the lyrics and live instrumentation afterwards.
I do have a couple songs that didn’t fit sonically into the theme. Those will probably see the light in a few months on another project I’m currently working on!
From a conceptual and sonic perspective, how would you compare this album to your last project “Moment of Genius: Opus II (MOGO II)”?
Conceptually, “Dark Matter(s)” Is more detailed body of work than MOGO II. MOGO II was merely an EP, so I could only stretch the concept so far with so few tracks.
With “Dark Matter(s)”, I was able to play with the concept of space to accentuate the textures of the songs. I have space commentary, actually space sounds, and space references littered throughout the album. Sonically, “Dark Matter(s)” has a lot more experimentation than MOGO II.
Shout out to all the artists who are featured on this dope album; how did you decide which artist should appear on which song?
Honestly I work with a close knit group of artists, so I know what they like, don’t like, and what they would sound dope on. I knew I wanted to showcase melodic hooks and cinematic verses. So I reached out to the artists and vocalists who could bring those textures I was looking for.
What does the album title "Dark Matter(s)" represent to you and why is the title track the first song we hear after the intro, "M.O.E."?
“Dark Matter(s) “ has 3 meanings. The first meaning is obviously the space meaning. I’m such a space stan, it’s ridiculous! The second meaning is in reference to the actual content of the album. The third meaning highlights the importance of melanated people in today’s society. We are not always viewed as equals.
The title track appears after the intro to sort of set the tone for the rest of the album. “M.O.E.” views our society from a macro lens. Whereas “Dark Matter(s)”, the track, tackles the social ills in my worlds orbit.