Taska Black Begins North American Venture on Headlining Tour [Interview]

Belgium-based artist Joachim Gorrebeeck, more commonly known as Taska Black, has had quite the musical journey both literally and figuratively as he embarks on his first North American headlining tour.

The Black List Tour kicked off early this month in San Francisco at Rickshaw Stop and has gained nonstop momentum. After curating this tour for some time, Taska Black has brought on the support of Rome in Silver to join him at a handful of major venues. He will be continuing his tour to cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and will take it all the way to Vancouver.

This past year, Taska Black has headlined festivals and served as support to countless shows with the bitbird family. To continue showcasing his sound, he has prepared an exclusive experience for fans that fuses both live and electronic elements. This tour is not one to miss, so make sure to grab your tickets before they sell out.

We had a chance to talk with Taska Black about what to expect from the tour and his musical development as a live performer. Read the full Q&A with Taska Black below:

The Nocturnal Times: You have just begun your first ever North American headlining tour with support from Rome in Silver. How does it feel to be able to craft your own unique tour experience?

Taska Black: It’s been very stressful, but it’s the most rewarding thing to see your vision come to life. It’s only a first step in the right direction, but still it’s great to build something of my own now and show it to my fans.

The Nocturnal Times: What was the planning process like to get the tour started, and when did you first know you wanted to have your own headlining tour in North America? 

Taska Black: I think it was always the goal from the start of Taska Black to make it a live experience as well. I’ve done a lot of support shows and festivals, but the only way to really showcase who you are and connect with your fans is by doing a headline tour like this. I started thinking about what I wanted to do with this tour months ago, so I started finishing up a lot of unreleased music and incorporating the guitar to introduce the live aspect of the project.

The Nocturnal Times: Throughout your career you have played at huge festivals such as Paradiso, Moonrise, Splash House, and even supported San Holo at his Red Rocks show. Do you plan to take a similar direction with your set at those performances, or use this tour for more creative freedoms with your music?

Taska Black: My headline shows will always be a way for me to show people more and more of what the project is about. Festivals and support shows will follow with a similar vibe, but the headline shows is where the innovation happens for me. 

The Nocturnal Times: It seems like you have carefully chosen your locations for this tour with stops at major venues such as The Roxy in Los Angeles and Chop Shop in Chicago. Is there a particular venue you are looking forward to or an exciting story you can share from a previous show? 

Taska Black: I just did the shows in San Francisco and Denver and it was the first time ever for me performing with a guitar. I was very nervous for the first show, but I had the most fun, more than I ever had DJing. I’m very much looking forward to playing at the Roxy, a lot of my friends have played there before and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the venue, so I’m stoked!

The Nocturnal Times: What can fans expect to see from this tour that is different from past sets, and will you potentially drop unreleased tracks?

Taska Black: The new show is different in the sense that it’s less EDM oriented, I still play a lot of my older music but I mostly play unreleased new music and unreleased music from other artists. 

The Nocturnal Times: You released a hit single, “Backwards Love” with TRACE along with a live version due to the song’s success. Do you plan to incorporate any live elements into your tour?

Taska Black: Bringing the guitar is one big step forward in where I want to take the concept of a Taska Black show. I’m a piano player first but I chose to bring the guitar instead because it allows me to be more mobile on stage and shift easier from DJing to playing songs live. I see myself more as a multi-instrumentalist than as a great guitar or piano player, so that’s what I want to showcase in my future shows.

The Nocturnal Times: Do you feel that your music is evolving, and do you think that your performances will serve as inspiration for new music? 

Taska Black: Looking back to my music from years ago, I can definitely say my music and even my taste in music is evolving. I’m looking to go my own way coming from EDM and do again what inspires me. Initially, I made music keeping in mind that I would play it live DJing. Now I use the opposite approach. I just let the music come as I feel it at the moment, whether it’s energetic enough to play at festivals or not. I put the music first now and allow myself to build a show around my music instead of making music to play at festivals.

The Nocturnal Times: After the tour ends, what do you have planned for new releases and events for the rest of this year?

Taska Black: This year I’ve been working behind the scenes on a lot of new music and I’ve been busy planning it all out and getting it to perfection. 2020 is the year I can finally show people what I’ve been working on and I’m stoked to play these songs live for the first time.