Tag: Eclectic

VISSIA – My Wom [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

salt, moonlight, butterflies
(but I really wanted to answer in emojis)

Tell us a few things about your new song and it’s remix. What is the main idea behind it?

I wrote “My Wom” as a way to honour the badass women in my life. I feel really grateful to have a solid group of smart, wild, funny, supportive, daring women around me, especially over the last 18 months. We celebrate each other’s triumphs, we listen when someone needs to vent about something, we goof off, we say things that need to be said instead of what the other person wants to hear. There’s a lot of mutual respect and encouragement. “My Wom” is about embodying our full selves unapologetically and not waiting for permission to shine or speak our minds.

When my producer (Nich Davies) connected with Montréal producer Moses Belanger to do the remix, we didn’t give any direction on what should be done with it. I think it’s really important to relinquish any artistic control when you ask somebody to do a remix. Otherwise you’re just getting in the way of someone else’s artistry. Moses’ remix came back to us as what feels to me like a meditation on the essence of the song, coming from the lyric: You know she’s fine on her own, but she knows how to hold space. I love that that’s the part of the message he chose to focus on. That line holds a lot for me. It’s about being so grounded in yourself that you don’t actually need anyone or anything to fulfill you. You’ve found your peace within. With that self-awareness, you are able to invite a person or experience into your world if it resonates with you. It’s about protecting your energy and your peace while also staying open.

Challenging the patriarchy in music. What should be the first step?

I think it has to be challenged from every angle, but top of mind for me is that men in the industry have to work on this on their own and hold each other accountable. Women shouldn’t have to constantly defend themselves and their work or explain why they deserve to be where they are or why some comment or attitude is inappropriate. It’s exhausting. At the same time, I don’t wanna see men going around self-righteously blaming one another. That’s not the point either. Men need to ask each other and themselves questions. Why do you think that? Why did I say that? Where does that rhetoric come from?

How Important are political statements by music artists? Can music have an impact on politics?

Political statements by music artists are important because artists can help affect change through the relationships they’ve grown with fans. I think artists – especially influential ones with well established platforms – have a responsibility to use their voices and respond to what is going on in the world. I think that’s going to look different depending on the artist, who they are, and what is appropriate in terms of taking up space, but to me it’s more important to speak, make mistakes, and learn how to do better, than to just say nothing. I’m not sure that music itself impacts politics very much, but I think the artists behind the music can in the ways they help mobilize people, encourage them to step up and take action, and draw attention to the issues.

For which lyric are you most proud of?

When I’m talking I hear your words rocking from my lips like a song I used to know (from “Doorway”)

Favourite album of the past year?

Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales

One last thing we should know about you?

pisces sun, capricorn moon, sagittarius rising

Thank you!

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PleasePrettyLea – Ohheycide [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Iridescent, Daedalian and correlative.

Your music has an experimental tone. Should music as a form of art always challenge the listener?

Its actually never my intention to challenge the listener, I write from within and its mainly Freestyled so I guess it’s just my complexities becoming exposed. It’s amazing that the consumers of my music allow my creations to influence self-reflection. Art for me should just always be congruent. There is power in brutal honestly and sheer vulnerability.

For which lyric you are most proud of?

Psht, that’s so so hard, do you know how many lyrics I have haha! I guess one of them is at the end of Ohheycide – “No, not this time” after experiencing suicide ideation and coming out of it, it’s not the most intricate but its deep for me, you know.

Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?

James Blake, FKA Twigs, Sevdaliza, Moses Sumney.

What would you change in the music industry?

I could go into the logistics of streaming rates, more opportunities for smaller artists etc but my heart today tells me to say, more people with honest intentions, more people that do it for the Art and not the rewards.

When not writing music, how do you spend your time?

Funny enough, writing music is a small part of my day I get about a few hours on an evening or sometimes on a weekend when I have free time which is why most of my music is written whilst I’m in the bath!
I work full time in social services, I’m a parent, I like to run and exercise so I’m busy most days!

Should we expect an album in the near future?

You can expect several x

Thank you!

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Soul Dolphin – Founders Of The Modern World [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Psychotropic bounce music

Tell us a few things about your new work.

We just had fun with the creation process and dropped the album. We tried not to think too much about it and worked with our intuition on this one.

Which song off the album reflects you the most?

“No Expectation” is a good example of our sound, but all of our songs are pretty different. It’s difficult to choose one song to represent us. The entire project reflects us the most.

Favourite album of the past decade?

Section 80 by Kendrick Lamar and Currents by Tame Impala

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

It’s getting more people to listen to our music. We will keep making music no matter what, but having more listeners would also be cool.

Favorite film ever?

Spirited Away

Future plans?

No expectations for the future. We’re just gonna to keep doing what we love, and see where it goes from there.

Thank you!

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Delasito Project – Filodia [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Subversive, captivating, groovy

Tell us a few things about your new work.

The album “Filodia – A musical journey to jazzality” is an exploration of the contemporary jazz world and consists of original compositions where the vibraphone prevails. Five virtuoso musicians disclose their influences and inspirations, thus creating a unique soundscape.

Which song of the album reflects you the most?

The track “Naida” stands out, due to the combination of the mystic vibraphone with contemporary rock elements. The canun that also appears in this track, further reinforces the track’s “haunting” atmosphere, while progressive fusion sounds lead to a redeeming finale.

Favourite album of the past decade?

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – The Centennial Trilogy. A true masterpiece!

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

The recording of my first album was undoubtedly a challenging process. Every single step, from the groundwork and rehearsals to the arrangement, recording, distribution and production, is a valuable experience.

Favorite film ever?

“Cidade de Deus” directed by Fernando Meirelles Swiftly increasing pace, outstanding soundtrack.

You’d give up making music for…

There is not really anything that would make me stop making music. To me music means pulse, emotions, creativity. Music equals to life

Thank you!

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The Century Band feat. Bobby Harden – New York Song [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

New York Soul

Your new song “New York song” has a very positive vibe. Tell us a few things about your creative process

I wrote this song on the piano in my apartment in Brooklyn during some of the darkest days of lockdown in 2020, when a lot of people were leaving NYC and it seemed like even more people were kicking us while we were down, so it really is like a love letter to the city as cliche as that sounds. I started writing the tune with the blues changes on the piano and then came up with the ‘Man I love New York’ chorus and built it from there. NYC isn’t an easy place to live sometimes but that is part of the charm of the city so I really wanted to convey some of those realities of living here while hopefully spreading some optimism to New Yorkers about why I love it and why our future is always bright.

What do you love/hate about NYC

I love most all things – the people, the food, the music, the culture, the hustle. I hate the Subway in the summer. lol

Which city is the world’s music capital? NYC? LDN? Or..?

I’m not sure there is a correct answer to this one b/c there are so many inspiring places in the world to both discover new music and thrive as a musician but I’m a bit partial to NYC. I’ve also had formative musical experiences in New Orleans and Detroit so I highly recommend both.

Favourite album of the past decade?

Tied between To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar and Black Messiah by D’Angelo. Both records are works of art that will no doubt be looked back upon as classics. I was lucky enough to catch D’Angelo on the Black Messiah tour in NYC and it was INCREDIBLE.

Do you prefer writing music in the studio or performing live? And what would be your dream performance venue?

I’m comfortable in both settings although the approach is different for each. On stage it’s about performing and making sure I’m playing my best so the audience appreciates what’s happening. In the studio there is more creative space to try different things and see what works so you don’t have to prepare the same way, although trying things in the moment on stage is fun too. They are 2 very unique things that are special in their own ways and I love both.

Favorite music related film?

The Blues Brothers.

There is a great scene in that movie where the band is playing this like honky tonk barn club in the country and the owner of the club comes out after the show and says something like, ‘Well I owe you $300 for the job and you boyz drank $400 worth of beer so the way I see it is you give me $100 and we’re square!’ and Jake and Elwood immediately pack up and drive out of town. I’ve played a lot of gigs with club owners like that where driving out of town as fast as possible after the gig seems like the best option so it cracks me up every time.

Thank you!

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Salt House Lavish – Do Not Follow Them [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Diverse, Eclectic, Bold.

“Do Not Follow Them took about 2 hours from start to finish”. That’s Impressive. Tell us a few things about your creative process.

The creative process for ‘do not follow them’ was a bit different from other songs, I was playing around with the Electro Harmonix guitar pedal called Freeze, which basically freezes with input and plays continuously the nanosecond of sound, so while playing around with playing some Bill Evans piano from Miles Davis’ Kind of blue, I basically samples the sound of the piano and made a mini synth with it. That part took the longest, then I found the drum sample from some that I had waiting to be used. I accidentally found the vocal sample in a bunch of other samples and it all just seemed to fit together perfectly. Overall the creative process is similar, I’ll play around on the guitar or bass and a riff with come through or ill play something into Reason and sample it and process it and come up with some really experimental.

Your sound has an experimental vibe. Should music always challenge the listener?

I don’t think music needs to challenge the listener to be good, and it doesn’t need to be complicated tonally or structurally. I love listening to jazz, from the cool period right through to the 80’s and some of that got way to complicated sometimes often sacrificing the tune and the listener from the experience. I do like to experiment with sounds though, trying to create a musical landscape that’s unique and different.

Favourite producer?

If I had to pick just one, it would probably have to be Brian Eno, but Nigel Godrich (Radiohead) comes a very close second

How do you relate to the UK music scene?

During the 90’s I was involved in a few bands that were good enough to be big but just never in the right place at the right time. I took time out from music for a while due to work and life commitments and only got back into it about 3 years ago, so I don’t feel that im part of the scene at the moment. Hopefully once all this covid stuff is behind us I might look at putting together a live show

What would be your dream performance venue?

Ever since I started playing music when I was around 14 and started gigging with bands, my best friend and former band member Chris had a deal that if we ever played Glastonbury we had to do it together, so I would say Glastonbury.

What is the most useless talent you have?

I don’t really have a useless talent to speak of. One thing ive done since I was young, I don’t really celebrate new years eve, I treat my birthday as my new year, and for years now I really deep dive into something and have that as personal gift to myself. So ive studied astronomy, physics and quantum theories, sleight of hand magic, computer science. Some things have stuck others are a bit rusty now, so yeh I don’t really have anything useless, everything has a purpose at some point.

Thank you!

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Pixi Ink – Ripple [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Soulful, storytelling, soundscapes.

Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?

‘Ripple’ is inspired by movements to promote gender equality in the music industry and the world in general in recent years and my own experiences with sexism and desire for a free, more equal world for all.

For which lyric you are most proud of?

“Sugar Daddy’s got a Pocket full of notions” is a pretty cheeky one 🙂 or “Boys will be boys all the way up to the courtroom”- my friend clapped when she first heard that line, haha!

Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?

Cholly an Electronic Producer and Singer-Songwriter from the UK is incredible or Krapka,KOMA they are a female duo from the Ukraine making Electronica and Downtempo music and they are incredible too.(sorry I couldn’t choose between them)

Why is sexism, and even outright misogyny, so pervasive in music industry?

It’s a strange game the music industry and lets face it, statistically run disproportionality by white males as is most of the world! Women have been historically objectified and placed as the sexy face/body on the album cover for as long as we have existed in the industry. Now with the models shifting and giving more power in a sense to independent artists, women have been able to take control over their own careers, image and truly express who they are and what they want to say as artists, rather than just “be sexy” but that’s not to say sexism is gone away. The industry is still full of bigoted gatekeepers, shady agendas and young girls with big dreams and no idea how to reach them. That’s where the imbalance lies, but the tides are changing and diversity is slowly improving. I have worked with more female artists and producers this year than ever before and that to me is super encouraging for the future!

What advice would you give to your younger self?

“Your dreams have no expiry date”

You’d give up making music for…

I’ve had to sofa surf my way through music college, living on noodles and 3 years on I’m still fairly poor and I’m still making music so it’s safe to say I won’t be giving up any time soon. It’s clearly an addiction haha!

Thank you!

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Carina Torres – Nowhere [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

That’s a tough one because I feel like it’s still changing but maybe I’d say:
Intimate, emotive and ever-changing.

What is your creative process like?

I write most of my songs on piano because it’s my favourite instrument (and the only one I can play well enough haha). I usually start playing around with different chord progressions and melodies and a sentence or two I really like will come out and I write the rest of the lyrics following that and mostly draw from my own feelings and experiences. Sometimes lyrics come first but usually the music is what inspires it. I’ve also written a few songs that are inspired by experiences that aren’t from my own life, which is always really fun.

Which is your most personal and honest lyric?

I would say out of the songs I’ve released my first single “If I Knew You” is the most personal.
My favourite lyric of that song is probably:
“I just wish I knew you then, wish I could’ve taken your pain away”
I wrote it as a letter to my younger self, wishing I could give her the love she wasn’t giving herself. I’ve written a lot of really personal songs that I haven’t released yet but hopefully I’ll be able to share them soon.

Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?

I think one of my main inspirations is probably Adele. I absolutely love her songwriting, her voice and her melodies. I think I could sing every word to all of her songs. Some of my current favourite artists are Billie Eilish, Olivia Dean, Joy Crookes, Jorja Smith, Dodie and I could go on and on. I also have a big background in Musical Theatre so I’m sure that influences me in more ways than I even realise.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

One of the main challenges right now is that I don’t know that many people in the industry yet. So it’s difficult to find the right people to work with but since I started I have met meeting some lovely musicians which is has been incredible. So little by little, I guess. I’m still at the very beginning of my journey as artist but I am excited for what is to come.

When not writing music, how do you spend your time?

I still absolutely love theatre and I love going to dance classes. I’ve been going to a lot of open mics in London and I’d never been to one until like 2 months ago. This past year I’ve been working in hospitality, which can be exhausting and time-consuming, so a lot of my time is spent applying for other jobs! Hopefully one day I will be able to make a living from music, that would be incredible.

Should we expect an album in the near future?

Not an album. I would love to release an EP relatively soon, but there are many moving parts and it takes longer than one might think but it’s definitely coming at some point!

Thank you!

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Roos Meijer – I Dream Of A World [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Intimate, honest, raw

Tell us a few things about your new song “I dream Of A World”. What is the main idea behind it?

‘I Dream Of A World’ is the second single of my upcoming debutalbum ‘Why Don’t We Give It A Try?’, which was inspired by conversations I had with changemakers. This song was born after speaking to Zaïre Krieger; a powerhouse of a woman who is a spoken word artist, law graduate, activist for anti-racism, feminism and intersectionality, and the recently announced translator of Amanda Gorman’s speech and book in the Netherlands. We spoke about activism, faith, intersectionality, and perseverance.

The clarinet part was a very interesting surprise. Tell us a few things about your creative process.

My creative process for this album was totally new to me. I started by having conversations with changemakers; people who commit themselves to a societal goal. Later, I would listen back to the conversation and write down every sentence or idea that I thought was essential to their story. From there, I started improvising with melodies and harmonies. After I had a full structure musically (based on the essense of the conversation), I would start writing the lyrics. In the demo process I would make arrangements and record multiple instruments, but in a later stadium I also invited guest musicians. The clarinet you hear is played by Ghaeth Almaghoot, who improvised his whole part! It was such a perfect addition to the song and I am so happy to have him apart of it.

The vocal delivery in this one is very expressive, well done! Which is your favorite vocalist and your main influences in general?

Thanks a lot! That’s actually quite a difficult question to me, because I mostly feel inspired musically/songwriting wise by people. Singers that I really admire are Joni Mitchell, Laura Marling, Linda Perhacs, Victoria Legrand, Fairuz and Thom Yorke. I think I carry a little bit of each one of them with me when singing.

What would you change in the music industry?

Sometimes I feel like all people care about nowadays are numbers, and I do think that is a pity. There are insanely beautiful songs and albums that have not been heard by many people, and that doesn’t say anything about the quality of the music itself. I actually really love Spotify, because it’s such a strong tool to discover new music and also to have your music heard all over the world. But in my opinion the focus on Spotify playlists and streams is not sustainable; I’d rather have a 1000 real fans than a million streams on one of my songs, just because it got into a few huge playlists which people listen to in the background. A combination would be highly appreciated as well of course 🙂

What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?

I saw my first Wes Anderson movies; Moonrise Kingdom and The Budapest Hotel, which I both really enjoyed. His style is so particular and the cast in both movies is magnificent. Furtermore, I have always felt like I would adore Éric Rohmer movies, and I finally dove into that world. The one that I watches most recently was ‘La Femme de l’aviateur’, which I can really recommend (if you’re into nouvelle vague). To me, it is such a refreshment from modern cinema, where everything needs to be fast and thrilling all the time. Rohmer really focusses on dialogue, and sincere human interaction, which I find very inspiring.

What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

I’ve always felt really connected to human rights issues, so I would probably be doing something in that area. I love working with people so something social would fit me very well. Writing is something that has also been a big part of me since I can remember, so being a writer would be something I aspire as well.

Thank you!

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Stephanie Heitz – Fading Away [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

The three words that come to mind to describe my sound are soulful, soothing, and jazzy.

Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?

My new single, ‘Fading Away’ was inspired by my own personal journey with self-worth. My goal was to keep the overall vibe super edgy so it would appeal to a diverse audience. I hope my listeners walk away reflecting on this simple truth…If you’re constantly trying to prove your worth to someone, you’ve already forgotten your value.

You are not afraid to blend genres. For example, you worked in last year with Zak Vortex in some 80’s pop. What’s next?

I’m all about showing a little versatility with my craft! Zak Vortex reached out to me with an invitation to work on a collaboration together, and I thought, “Why not?!” We had such a great time creating the two songs we released, and one of them even got some radio play on BBC Radio. While my heart gravitates toward R&B and soul music, I’ll continue to remain open in the future with my creative projects.

Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?

My number one inspiration by far would have to be my jazz musician grandmother. She made a tremendous impact on my life. However, I’m a huge fan of Stevie Wonder! I feel super inspired when I listen to gifted artists like Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, and Joss Stone.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

The toughest obstacle I think I’ve faced as an independent artist is simply reaching people with my positive message. It’s not like I have a team of people working for me, so I have to be my own press agent, marketing expert, graphic designer, and the list goes on!

What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?

I finally got around to watching The Revenant during the quarantine, and it was definitely worth the two hour & thirty-six minute time investment!

Should we expect an album in the near future?

I’m so glad you asked! I just completed an EP with a fantastic producer from London that I’m planning on releasing this fall. Four songs will be featured on this EP, and I’d describe the theme as “faith-infused, gospel funk!” I’m really excited to share this heartfelt project with my listeners!

Thank you!

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