In a ten-minute interview with BBC, Frank Ocean, the second act on their Sound of 2012 list, reflected on his year and discussed the status of his forthcoming debut album, due this spring. The project, Ocean says:
...succinctly defines me as an artist for where I am right now and that was the aim, just to make something that represents where you are at that time. It’s about the stories. If I write 14 stories that I love, then the next step is to get the environment of music around it to best envelop the story and all kinds of sonic goodness—sonic goodies.
Ocean opened up some about his life outside the studio, saying that when he's not at work he's body-moving or in a book. "I could be doing monkey form by the beach, I could be doing indoor rock climbing, I could be reading; Wikipedia pages on random information, I could be doing anything." In a cardigan and glasses, the well-tailored singer offered a bit of personal philosophy, too.
I think we all change each others paths. I don't know which law or idea that is in physics. But I don't think any of us can live without effecting one another and not to be broad but it's true. I think my path has been changed and effected by everyone who I've encountered in my life... I've been feeling really mortal lately. If I could do anything from today, not even looking at it in years but from today on, it's just really about trying to do what it is that I do, at a level of excellence.
Read Matthew Schnipper's 2011 Frank Ocean cover feature, from FADER #75, here.
