Multi-expressionist artist Alexander Blackstar just dropped a new track and video, “Noir Presage.” His music and aesthetic are a legacy of American shock rockers like Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne, and Jim Morrison. As a descendant of several generations of painters, Blackstar attaches a lot of importance to the connection between words and visuals in his art. Read our exclusive interview inside the mind of Alexander Blackstar.
Firstly, huge congratulations on your newest single “Noir Presage “
Thank you for having me. I had a blast working on this single, I always try to do something different at each project; I've learned so much from making it.
Let’s discuss how you created this unique masterpiece, lyric wise how did you begin writing this?
Honestly, it came very naturally. I had the idea of using a raven's croak a few months ago before beginning the writing, I was waiting for things to get together. One day, on a piece of paper, I wrote the first words of the song "Today, I feel dead. I won't get off the bed. I see a raven by the window". Rain was pouring outside; everything was grey and so were my thoughts. I jumped on the occasion, musically, and continued to write the lyrics along with the music. I remember, the atmosphere was very obscure, darker than usual and therefore adequate to write this kind of track.
Is there an important significance to this song from your own personal life?
Like in each one of my songs, yes. I can't write if there isn't a certain proximity with my personal life or intimacy. Choosing this path in life confronts you to a lot of people that don't believe in you, especially at the beginning of your career; but I know my worth and the potential is high. They did everything to make me think that I'm worthless as an artist, because I wasn't suitable for their expectations, because I dare to take risks in order to grow and have a weight in the music industry without being approved by a label. This song is a response to them, after being silent for over one year; in order to go forward in my artistic evolution. I'm coming back to take my revenge, and it's gonna be deadly.
In the music video, you have multiple stages and sceneries is this a part of the meaning of the song as well?
Well, it could, but to speak my truth, I prefer visuals that are supporting and developing the general mood of a song. The meaning (or scenario) is always secondary to me, my first objective as an artist is to induce an emotional reaction to the public and it can't pass by the process of analyzing an intention. It needs to be frontal, primal; like when you're in the wild and you see a beautiful sunset. The colours are magnificent, you're seized by emotion but it has no particular meaning; or if there is one, it's the meaning of life itself. The sceneries are more here to visually express the metaphorical images that I had in mind when I wrote the song, in order to reinforce the emotional reaction that the spectator can have.
Your lyrics have a dark noir feeling to them, like an Edgar Allen Poe story, and it is said tormented artists create the best art, do you feel you need to tap into that when creating music.
Thank you for the reference. I believed this myth for a long time, that you need to be fucked up to create, but this thing will get you nowhere and will even be prejudicial to your art (and career) in the long term. Since the beginning, my approach has always been to write music to heal myself and to rebalance fate. Because even if I'm strong on the surface, I'm a damaged person and I don't need to add negative things to the ones that I already have. I want my story to end positively, not by a bullet in my head or by a needle in my arm.
While working on new music, how do your spark your creativity? Is it locking yourself away and focusing, listening to a certain artist for a theme, or does it just come to you?
Locking myself away to focus on writing is always a good start. I like to be isolated from everyone and everything I know, so I generally end up in another country or taking an AirBnb far away from my loved ones. Then I surround myself with books, movies, documentaries, all in taking the time to discover new things if I'm abroad. I can be uninspired and tortured for three weeks when a random thing sparks my creativity. You need to put yourself in the good conditions to create, but you can't control what the universe will bring ; it is what I learned, especially by making this record.
Who are some musical influences you feel that shows in your work?
I'm influenced by any kind of music, or art; but we'll find in this single my usual solo-rock singers’ inspirations like Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie etc ... also a lot of Bauhaus merged with a dark pop vibe that has been inspired by what is on the top of the charts. I like my music to sound current, I'm not the conservative kind of person who says, "Rock and Roll was far better before”; I think we have a work of modernization to do in order to create what will be in the future "Neo-Rock". For that, we need to be competitive and to learn what makes hip-hop and pop such great products to sell. It passes by great visuals, styling, more modern sounds and of course innovations in terms of communication.
In 2020, you released your first studio album, do you feel you benefited from the unfortunate lockdown, allowing new fans to discover you.
Yes indeed, Facing Hell came out just before the pandemic. Like in every situation, I took advantage of it and started to write the very first day of the lockdown. I won't say that it has automatically helped to discover new fans, they came naturally. But the mood wasn't focused on the Future at the time, and it wasn't a great period to think of what tomorrow brings. That's probably one of the reasons why I sing in the song "There's no Heaven for tomorrow". However, I feel we are now in a much better way of thinking and I'm persuaded that this crisis was necessary to turn the page of an old world that just didn't hold the line anymore. We're entering now into a new society made of innovations, and it inspires me more than ever.
Will there be a scheduled tour to celebrate your debut album with concerts returning?
I would love to go on tour! But I never do things by halves. When I'll prepare to hit the road, I will have a stronger community, hit songs and more balanced investments. It could take time, but it will happen. When I have objectives, I'm conquering them, and to go on tour is the main one.
For the rest of 2021, what should your fans expect to see from you, will there be another single release before the year is over?
I can tell you that a full album named Stellanera will be released on November 26th. Therefore, I can guarantee you and the fans there will be other surprises before the end of the year. So stay tuned.
Lastly, what do you want your fans to take away from in your music?
I just want to make them feel something, imagine new possibilities and dream. Because everything is possible when you have ambition and have the guts to take risks. I want to embody this new generation of alternative people who believe in music, art and exchanges in the same way that more experienced rockstars did for me. They made my life better; it is now time to pass the favour.