blackwave.

After a chance encounter gigging in Brussels, little did the now duo of rapper Jay Atohoun and singer-producer Willem Ardui know that their brief exchange at the time would become the boundless, grooving expanse of blackwave. Immediately exercising their creative rapport, they were soon eagerly trading ideas online which culminated in their standout debut project, “Mic Check” in 2017, which continues to catch ears and turn heads the world over to this day.

Their tireless work ethic gained a dizzying momentum in 2018, earning them numerous national TV appearances, multiple number one hits, an international tour, multiple awards and the release of their most impactful single to date, “Elusive.” This would be the first taste of their 2019 debut album, “ARE WE STILL DREAMING?” which would also feature the likes of Winston Surfshirt, Pell, Benny Sings and Caleborate to name but a few. Noticing they take inspiration from life’s events both large and small led them to live their lives to the fullest, compounding their already stratospheric trajectory.

More experiences meant more music. In 2020, the duo decided to move to the cosmopolitan melting pot of Los Angeles. A dream world in which they rediscovered themselves as artists and as people. With renewed passion, inspiration and vision, the duo writes and works on new music, as if in a daze, day and night, with no limits to the creative process. With about thirty demos in their pocket, Ardui and Atohoun fly back to Belgium. Three days later, the first lockdown gets announced, and the regained enthusiasm slowly ebbs away. But they didn’t give in. blackwave. starts polishing the American demos and distills 11 tracks. These now form 'no sleep in LA', which they released independently in September 2022.