Most recently, you raised upwards of one million South African rands since launching your weekly Home Brewed live DJ streams in April. Kocay: In addition to making music, you’re also known for launching initiatives to help your country, South Africa. I launched my solo career in 2005 with a remix of Hugh Masekela's jazz and Afro-funk ballad ‘Stimela.’” It was really in 2003 while working on my solo album that I was chosen as one of two South African participants in the Red Bull Music Academy in Cape Town, and that’s where I was able to really work on my production skills. “For some reason, Robert really believed in my talent and gave me the opportunity to produce a record by myself. Then SA pop queen Busi Mhlongo introduced us to famed Swiss producer and label owner of M.E.L.T. We combined contemporary soul music with traditional African tunes over electronic grooves.
Maphumulo: “I started producing music while I was still in high school, but it was while I was studying music at Natal Technikon that things got more serious when myself and two of my friends and fellow music students Mnqobi Mdabe and Thandukwazi ‘Demor’ Sikhosana formed Afro-pop group ‘SHANA’ (Simply Hot and Naturally).
Kocay: How did you initially get into making music? It could be a mood, a thought my surroundings-anything that connects and resonates with me in a moment.”
Inspiration comes from so many different places. It’s less about how popular or how well-known you are and more about what I’m trying to do with a song. What am I trying to say and what would be the best voice-the best sound to work on a particular song. And I’ll search until I find that one sound that I’m looking for. Sometimes I’ll have an instrumental and I’ll be low key looking for someone to sing on the song. Maphumulo: “Previously, I would try to bring all these elements into house music, which is something I still love but I feel like there is so much more I can say with different tempos, collaborations and artists. Kocay: What’s your creative process like? Where do you find inspiration? 'Subconsciously' is Black Coffee's sophomore album. That’s why we decided it would be the first single and the title track of the album.” It's the modern day Black Coffee, and it represents what I’ve been doing musically, how the melody is written how the song is produced. This time around I didn’t have a concept, but when we did the song ‘SBCNSCLY’ with Sabrina I felt like that song represented a 2020/2021 version of Black Coffee. I didn’t really have a title for the album itself, which is something I usually do. Maphumulo: “ Subconsciously the album title is taken from ‘SBCNSCLY’ the single, the song I did with Sabrina Claudio. Kocay: How did you pick the name of the album? What does Subconsciously mean to you? He was one of those people that I just instantly knew I had to make music with.” I’m a big fan of RY X’s artistry, song-writing skills and his incredible voice. We hadn’t actually met in person previously, but throughout the process we had numerous telephone and video calls discussing the project, talking through elements and striving to hone the song into its best possible version. RY X)’: The song with RY X is something that I worked on completely remotely. It’s a very special song on the album, and it truly represents the quintessential Black Coffee sound. I love her texture, her musicality and how the song became what it is. I think in this moment she was completely herself. I always want any artist that I work with to express him or herself completely organically in the space we find ourselves when we work together. Eventually we got into studio, and I started creating the beat while Sabrina was sitting there with a pen and a paper, and she just began writing. Then our respective management teams started talking to get us in studio together. That’s how we first met and started chatting about working together. Sabrina Claudio)’: We were doing a gig together in Los Angeles about two years ago, Sabrina was performing and I was playing after her. How were some of these collaborations formed, and can you share any stories on how some of the tracks were created? Kocay: The album is star-studded with collaborations, such as Diplo, Pharrell Williams and Jozzy. I still have my rhythms and I have my people on the album, and we all move together with the common goal of presenting who we are without trying to be anyone else.” “ Subconsciously is the first album where I’ve stepped outside of the house music-only approach whilst still remaining true to my roots.