Speaking with the Abstract Concept Charlie x

The work of Haruki Murakami is made of the weird and the crazy. Woven into his tales of ‘normal’ people and not so normal experiences, which must have had you shook in one way or another. He would always hold your hand down a dark alley, point into the encompassing darkness and say ‘look’ to the abstract concepts such as Johnny Walker in Kafka on the Shore.

Nigerian producer Charlie X (CHx) fancies himself an abstract concept. Asides his drive for creating music, there is almost nothing you can find on him. Fortunately, his career stretches back to simpler days, when he was a member of a producer group, this gives you a warped sense of the human behind the mask.

Frequent collaborator Paybac, who also dons a mask, sometimes says his is a “touchstone of his, a reminder to make magic”, Charlie is anything but. If asked, there’s a likelihood he will refute any claims of the mask being special – he is just an abstract concept after all.

Even as he remains a major cause to ponder, his catalogue of projects is getting more and more expansive. After building musical Nirvanas for the likes of Djaji Prime, Boogey and Paybac, he will release the part two of Faceoff, a joint project with the latter two rappers later this year.  

The first installment of Faceoff, released in March 2017, was a project that flexed the strength of every creative involved. It also – more importantly even – showed the peculiarities of their levels of artistry. They were like Little People [read your Murakamis] weaving the chrysalis, powerful but yet unseen. These differing narratives are welcome into the cash scenting folds of mainstream music is needed for a balance.

Enjoy my interaction with the abstract concept.

How did the Lost and Found come about? What period marked the genesis of your interaction with both these artistes?

CHx: The Lost and Found was an idea I had and discussed with all the parties involved. That is Paybac and Boogey as artistes; Sizzle Pro, Black Intelligence and myself as creative directors. 

I started working with Boogey in 2012,  Paybac the following year. I was actually introduced to both of them by the same person. 

How extensive was your input besides the production? Did you influence the themes and final selection of songs?

CHx: The Lost and Found projects were controlled and directed more by the producers. The rappers trust our visions – we talk about the general theme and song themes down to very specific aesthetics.

The truth is, I have a very huge input besides the production of projects I work on. The producers produce on their own after conversations have been had.

What was the usual day in the studio like?

CHx: Boogey and Paybac write to the songs either in the studio or on their own. I call them whenever they are available. The studio is in a home so most studio time is just spent living life. 

What and who did you listen to while making the album? Did any project or producer serve as a resource for inspiration?

CHx: I honestly cannot remember music I listen to when working on a project. I listen to so much random music constantly. I can’t really make an influence list like that – I don’t know. 

Word on the street is that Charlie X is an abstract concept. What feeds this?

CHx: I guess that is subject to the interpretation of whoever is experiencing the subtract concept. 

After Faceoff, you’ve done individual projects with Boogey and Paybac. When was these projects conceived and how long before they were executed?  Talk us through the making.

CHx: I can’t say exactly when project starts because I can have a project idea and start making it before telling the artiste. Or have an idea, tell the artiste before I make it.

I’ve been making several projects with the same artiste, at the same time with several other artistes. So, everything is modelled from a timeline perspective. I usually just write down all the tasks I have and details about each project from the music, collaborators, sounds I want to try out, things I wanna do: Project roll-out plans, people I need for different stages of the project, outstandings, designs, etc. 

How do you keep your sanity in this world?

CHx: I don’t think anyone is sane; that is a very subjective thing. It really depends on who you ask. 

Because we’re in the Internet Age.

O jewa ka eng? [Music edition]

CHx: Most of the things about the things that socially affect others don’t really affect me. I am just an abstract idea after all. 

There still are complaints that BBQ & Shayo didn’t get the promotion it deserved. Why was this?

CHx: It costs a lot of money to promote music. We had an extensive media press run in Lagos for and after the release of the project which cost money. We plugged the song on radio but couldn’t raise the budget we required for a video and promoting the video.

Also, there was a lot of internet noise that did not translate to sales or streams. So it didn’t make any business to keep spending on the project. 

Autopilot by Paybac marked an important shift in the tone of Paybac’s music. Unlike the melancholy of The Biggest Tree, Autopilot was the ultimate fun album of 2018.

CHx: The tone of Autopilot was intentional, hence the name. I initially wanted to make it for random rappers but couldn’t get to anyone willing to work on a project.

Paybac comes to my house to chill a lot. So I told him about my idea for the project. He said he could do it. I made the beats and sent them over. 

Rexx was phenomenal in BBQ & Shayo. How did that song come about?

CHx: The song came from a sample of a song I liked. I made the beat and Rexx heard it. He asked me about it was for and I told him all about the project. He said he would love to add his flavor to it and asked if he could try something on the beat. I’m always open to stuff like that. We recorded and that part of the song was born even before the rappers heard the record and wrote to it

Djaji Prime’s Expression is somewhat a futuristic album in the sense that the production is really different from anything around, anything else you’ve done.

CHx: The sound for the project was achieved the same way I work on other projects the only difference being I spent a long time having regular conversations, watching films and listening to random music with him before we made anything. I did this because this was his first project and I needed to establish the best way to present his ideas.

How large is your circle?

CHx:  I do not think I have any type of circle. Others disagree but people that you hear me make music with are just people that bug me a lot until I yield or someone I just thought would work well on a idea. Or an artiste a person I know talked me into working with.

What genre and movement of music is your sample trove?

CHx: I listen to anything and everything; right now, I’m listening to more ambient music; Jazz and the blues. 

Do you have a solo release in the works?

CHx: I was meant to record something last year. I started writing but got distracted and I haven’t returned to it.

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