Interview with Kevin Abstract about the inevitable end of Brockhampton. (2021)

T8: TO START OFF, THIS NEW VIDEO STORE SHIT IS INSANE DUDE, CONGRATS.

KEVIN: WERE REALLY JUST TRYNA BUILD A NEW WORLD WITH VIDEO STORE STUFF AND THIS NEW ERA OF KEVIN ABSTRACT WHILE B.H. IS LIKE, ON HIATUS, AND ONCE THE GUYS GO OFF TOO AND START BUILDING THEIR OWN WORLDS, WE COULD KINDA, AT ONE POINT, HAVE ALL THOSE WORLDS COME TOGETHER AND COLLAB TOGETHER LATER ON. BRING THOSE WORLD’S TOGETHER WHEN WE COME BACK AS B.H.

T8: ARE YOU LOOKING AT VIDEO STORE AS A COLLECTIVE?

KEVIN: YEAH, I MEAN... IT'S MORE THAN A COLLECTIVE. IT'S A COMMUNITY. THAT'S HOW YOU REALLY AFFECT CULTURE AND MAKE CHANGES BY WORKING WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE SO I DON'T WANNA RESTRICT  MYSELF WITH ONLY WORKING WITH THE B.H. GUYS AND THEY FEEL THE SAME SO WHY RESTRICT WORKING WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHEN WE COULD JUST TAKE A BREAK AND START SOMETHING NEW.

T8: SPEAKING OF COLLABS... ARE YOU GOING TO BE

WORKING WITH DOMINIC FIKE ANYTIME SOON?

KEVIN: I THINK HE'S ON FIVE ALBUMS SO FAR. SO, YEAH. I THINK..DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S FUNNY? I THINK I MAKE MY BEST MUSIC WHEN I’M COLLABORATING WHEN I'M IN MORE OF A ‘DR.DRE TYPE’ POSITION WHERE I COULD HAVE SOMEBODY WRITE MY VERSE BUT I'M PUTTING THE WHOLE SHIT TOGETHER STILL, LIKE BROCKHAMPTON. WHERE IT DON'T MATTER. I REALLY LIKE JUST PUTTING THE SONG TOGETHER. LIKE I WOULD HAVE REALLY JUST LIKED MATT TO HAVE DONE THE SECOND VERSE OF PEACH HAND FOR ME TO HAVE DONE THE REST BEHIND THE SCENES...

T8: NO WAY...

I MEAN, REALLY?

KEVIN: АНАНА YEAH. BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I'M LIKE KILLIN EVERY FUCKIN' VERSE OR NOT... IT’S JUST MAKING GOOD MUSIC WITH MY FRIENDS.

T8: WHY DO YOU HATE PUPPY? JUST SAY IT.. IT'S NOT AS GOOD AS PEOPLE THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE, REALLY. I REMEMBER TELLING ALL THE GUYS... "OKAY LIKE, WE JUST GOT PUT ON W THIS SATURATION TRILOGY SHIT.. NOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA PLAY ATTENTION TO US SO LET'S JUST DO THAT AGAIN IN A POPPIER WAY. WILDFIRE FEELS KINDA LIKE THAT. TRUMAN FEELS KINDA LIKE THAT.. READY FOR WAR WAS.. YEAH IT WAS THAT FOR SURE! I'M HAPPY WE DID SOMETHING MORE DARING AND OUT OF THE BOX. I FEEL LIKE IT WAS A STRONGER MOVE

KEVIN:

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, HOW MANY MORE ALBUMS DO YOU SEE B.H. MAKING?

T8:

I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY SMART DECISION FOR YOU GUYS TO TAKE A HIATUS AND TAKE A BREAK. THE ROLLOUT THEORIES OF A KA3 TAPE, MERLIN SOLO TAPE, A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES OR PUPPY ALBUM FOR FAN SERVICE, AND ONE LAST FINALE IS THE BEST WAY TO GO OUT AND WHEN ITS SMART TO COME BACK, THATS ON YALL BUT SMART A S FUCK. I'M CURIOUS THOUGH. YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ON TWITTER ABOUT PUTTING SONGS LIKE "FISHBONE" OR "TWISTED'' ON STREAMING.WILL THOSE BE ON THE FINALE OR A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES ALBUM?

KEVIN:

LET ME TELL IT T O YOU LIKE THIS.. RICK RUBLIN GAVE ME THIS IDEA.. HE WAS LIKE "YO.. YOU GUYS SPENT ALMOST LIKE 2 YEARS ON THIS ALBUM.. THIS NEXT ALBUM YOU SHOULD PACK YOUR BAGS. TWO WEEKS. MAKE SOMETHING CRAZY.JUST PUT IT OUT. FINALE." SO WHENEVER WE GET IN THE STUDIO FOR TWO WEEKS, THAT WILL BE THE LAST BROCKHAMPTON ALBUM EVER. WHATEVER WE MAKE IN TWO WEEKS. DONE. PUT IT OUT.

T8:

HOW DO YOU GET INTO THE BEST HEADSPACE WHILE MAKING AN ALBUM?

KEVIN: 

I GOTTA COME UP WITH A WORLD FIRST. I HAVE TO HAVE THE NAME, WHERE I AM, WHAT'S GOING ON.. LIKE BEFORE WE EVEN MAKE A SONG W E SIT DOWN AND GO "WHAT ARE WE NAMING THIS?" LIKE I WANNA MAKE A WORLD AND AN ATMOSPHERE WHILE YOU'RE LISTENING TO OUR MUSIC. ONCE WE GOT THE NAME, WE COULD MAKE LIKE 200 SONGS. EASY. 

T8:

I BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE.. ROADRUNNERS WORLD IS CONFUSING AS FUCK TO ME. BETWEEN ALL THE RANDOM ADS AND VIDEOS,I COULDN'T SEE WHAT WORLD YOU THOUGHT ROADRUNNER WAS..

KEVIN: 

THE WORLD OF THAT ALBUM IS THE SLOPPIEST ONE TO DATE BECAUSE WE TOOK SO LONG ON IT. MY IDEAS KEPT CHANGING. I THINK EACH MEMBER SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN ANSWER FOR THIS ONE BECAUSE WE ALL RECORDED THIS SEPARATELY.

T8:

WHAT IS ROADRUNNER TO YOU?

KEVIN:

AMERICAN RETRO FUTURISM. IT'S AN IDEA O F SOMETHING THAT LIVES IN THE PAST AND FUTURE AND CURRENTLY IN THE MOMENT. BUZZCUT NAILED THAT. GREAT QUESTIONS.