We sat down with Smoothwaffle after the release of his stellar new tune 'NOiR...!', to discuss what influences shaped his unique sound. Be sure to check out the single at the bottom and follow him on socials!
Note from the Artist:
It’s hard to sum up the most inspirational songs in my life. Every phase, every season, has its own soundtrack, feeding into my art and shaping my mindset. But as I made my album TRiUMPH…!, there were five records that resonated the most, either as daily listens or as study pieces to guide my approach. Each of these songs played a pivotal role in helping me shape the album's narrative, bringing life to my thoughts, shadows, and self-discovery.
Kendrick Lamar – "FEEL."
Kendrick Lamar is one of my all-time favorites, an artist who speaks his truth in every sense of the word. "FEEL." from DAMN. is like a confession that pours out of him—a raw unraveling of inner chaos. The repetition of the word “feel” becomes a pulse, echoing over a blurry backdrop. It’s not just about what Kendrick says, but how he bares his isolation, frustration, and battles with being unappreciated, like it’s him against the world. When he says, "Ain't nobody prayin' for me," it cuts deep; it mirrors my own moments of loneliness, feeling disconnected or like I've let myself down. The way he transforms vulnerability into verses that jog through his thoughts inspired my approach to writing songs that unpack my own tangled emotions, where every line is a step towards understanding or healing. "FEEL." taught me how to let poetry speak the ugly truths, letting it out raw for myself and for anyone else who needs to hear it.
Marvin Gaye – "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)"
Marvin’s voice in "Inner City Blues" doesn’t just sing the blues; it bleeds it, with a kind of beautiful agony. The song captures every frustration, every ache that comes from living in a city weighed down by Black struggle. The way he moans through those harmonies makes you feel it in your bones. It’s not just despair, but a spirit aching to fight back, a blues for all the places where suffering has left a scar. His insistence on creative control during the making of What’s Going On?—how he pushed back against Motown’s formula—was revolutionary, setting a precedent for artists like me to use their platform for more than just entertainment. I always admired artists with such ambition and devotion to speak for the truth. It taught me that music doesn’t just speak to the pain; it also demands to be heard as a battle cry. For me, it’s about paying homage to a lineage that carried the burdens before I had the words, where every note and every lyric is a piece of our shared experience.
King Krule – "Czech One"
There’s a rawness in King Krule's "Czech One" that feels like drifting through a haze, where reality and dreams blur together. It unlocked something in me—a way to let my lyrics bend and wander, to embrace the fragments of thought and emotion that don’t fit neatly into boxes. King Krule has always been a bridge for me, combining jazz, rock, and blues in a world that feels abstract and aching. His voice—crooning or crying out—carries a longing that cuts deep, making the loneliness feel poetic. "Czech One" is laced with existential dread and longing; its vivid yet elusive imagery mirrors how I approach my art. I’ve always admired artists who can materialize feelings that are hard to pin down, who let the lyrics breathe and bleed naturally. It doesn't always have to be simple or clean. It’s like a map through my darkest corners, where I can dwell unapologetically and find meaning in the mess.
Nas – "The World Is Yours"
Nas’s "The World Is Yours" is more than just a classic track; it’s a mantra. It’s been my favorite song by my favorite rapper for as long as I can remember. There’s a defiance in his delivery, a message that you have the power to rewrite your story, even when the world tries to drown you out. That’s what I aimed to bring into TRiUMPH…!—the grit, the visceral wordplay, where triumph isn’t some far-off ending but every small victory along the way. The way Pete Rock flipped Ahmad Jamal’s jazz sample feels like hip-hop itself breathing life into an older art form, and that’s something I always carry in my work. Nas’s verses taught me how to map out my own world, crafting poetry that navigates the streets, the doubts, and the shadows with an eye for detail, showing that hope isn’t just a feeling; it’s an act of defiance.
Miles Davis – "Blue in Green"
Miles Davis’s "Blue in Green" is like a slow dance with melancholy, where sadness doesn’t shout but whispers something deeper—a quiet knowing. There were times when it was the first thing I’d play in the morning, letting it wash over me as I faced the day. It’s not just a song; it’s a place where all my feelings could exist without needing words. I've smiled, cried, worked, even meditated to this song. This song can impact any mood. As cliché as it may sound, Kind of Blue was my first deep dive into a jazz album, and it became a foundation for the character and mood I wanted to create with TRiUMPH…! There’s a noir spirit in this song that fits with my love for vintage 1940s aesthetics, where jazz captures the shadowy corners and unspoken truths. Each legend from Miles, Evans, or Coltrane plays their part in adding to the space. Between each note, I find inspiration in how the music can be heavy and light at once, inviting the listener to fill in the gaps. Even though "Blue in Green" doesn’t use words, it showed me how to let my thoughts speak between the heartache and the healing, creating a conversation with the silence as much as in the sound.
Smoothwaffle - "NOiR...!"
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