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For a classical strings-meets-hip-hop beats duo, there’s something very unexpected about what Black Violin has become: easy to listen to. That’s both good and bad. Violist/vocalist Wil Baptiste and violinist Kev Marcus have made a choice to evolve over 21 years of fusing disparate styles. But as is often the case, time and repeated exposure can limit the impact of singularity with music and art.
Anyone who can remember how utterly shocking Metallica sounded in 1984 can laugh now that aggressive thrash is the music of choice at major league sporting events.
Such is the case with Black Violin’s initial combo of virtuosity with trap beats: At first it was revolutionary. That was before every car commercial since 2015 used the idea to pair nose-in-the-air luxury with one-foot-in-the-street bad-assery.
BV has been acknowledged for its originality, receiving a Grammy nomination for 2019’s Take the Stairs. The latest release, Full Circle, sounds less challenging than earlier accomplishments. That’s not to say the duo’s chops have suffered in any sense, but in veering from its original blueprint to incorporate vocals and palatable musical styles, the result blends together in a way that older material couldn’t.
Now with DJ SPS, drummer/percussionist Nat Stokes, and keyboardist/programmer Liston Gregory in tow, it’s possible that the new collaborations have brought a democratic take to creating, which may actually suit larger audiences; it’s the price of mass appeal.
