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Haven

Haven – Take Me Away: Iridescently Hyped Pop

Posted on 29 July 2018

Haven’s single Take Me Away, is one of those rare tracks you listen to and it instantly hits you with familiarity, the accessible EDM Pop hit is set at the perfect tempo for you just to slip into. Every pitch sits at the perfect level to allow this iridescently hyped Pop track to resonate with you, as you get caught up with the beat and the viscerally powerful vocals at the same time – it makes for quite the aural experience.

Haven’s take on contemporary Pop music is pretty much as refreshing as it gets, there are no hints of fragility or nativity in her vocals, just pure, uplifting empowerment which bleeds through into the mic as the romantically inclined lyrics are versed. From the track progression you can expect deep, dubbed drops a plenty around the lush hooks which make this track so immediately amiable.

You can check out Haven’s latest single Take Me Away along with the rest of the 2018 EP ‘Escape’ by heading over to SoundCloud now

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Haven – Escape: Pensively Euphoric Pop

Posted on 21 May 2018

Pop singer songwriter haven has just released her debut EP ‘Escape’, I wasn’t prepared for the connection that I would make with the sound. Haven’s contemporary blissful stylistic approach to her music won me over before the first verse was through. The title track from Haven’s EP has just set the bar for Pop artists everywhere. The sound is grounding yet at the same time uplifting, how she created that paradox in a track I’m not sure. But, I can guarantee you will feel every emotion which is pensively projected into the microphone from the emerging artist. After checking out Haven’s entire EP, it feels as though I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster. If more Pop artists were reminiscent of Haven, I have no doubt that the genre would gain infinitely more respect. There isn’t the slightest hint of plasticity to her ethereal sound.

You can check out Haven’s latest sensually soulful Pop hit Escape and the rest of her debut EP which was released on April 13th, 2018 on SoundCloud now or head on over to Haven’s website for more music & info.

If I don’t hear this track on the radio in the next few months I will have officially fallen out with mainstream music channels.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spiralling into Success: A Candid Encounter with Dream State Empire

Posted on 13 April 2024

This week, we sat with the members of Dream State Empire, a band that’s been carving a unique path through New Zealand’s underground and surfacing with their award-winning live performances and air-played hits. As they gear up for the release of their latest single, “Spirals,” on April 12th, our conversation took us through the labyrinth of their recent successes, the creative fervour behind their upcoming track, and the ambitious horizons they aim to reach.

Dream State Empire, thank you for the opportunity to sit down with you and discuss your upcoming single, Spirals which will reach the airwaves on April 12th. Which lyrical themes does this single explore and what inspired its creation?

The lyrics were written to be an abstract depiction of a panic attack. It’s chaotic, introspective and a little nonsensical. The ambiguity is on purpose, to reflect the warped perception that comes with them.

It’s not a story-based song, it’s an attempt to describe the mindset of someone experiencing a panic attack. The focus isn’t so much on the ‘fear’ aspect, but the sense of disorganized thought and inability to interpret reality clearly – this is what is intended by the word spiral.

The song is basically a frenzied attempt to regain mental control during a panic attack. The ending is defeat, the acceptance of madness – something while not true of a panic attack, certainly feels like it during the experience if not contained.

Has your songwriting style and your sound evolved for this single?

Our band started with the intention to jam around some blues but has warped into an entirely different beast over time that is much heavier and peppered with funk. This single has arisen from this formula and features some verse grooves, big choruses, and a hectic breakdown.

During the songwriting process, we consciously tried to create a song with enough energy to wake bar punters up and get them to the stage as a set opener. Spirals fits that criteria, and dislodged one of our long-time favorites it is set to become the tune we love to blast open shows with.

What does your collective creative process look like?

We have a pretty open/collaborative approach to writing. Usually, someone brings a tasty riff or two to share at Sunday practice, or sometimes the bones of a complete song. From there, we bounce around ideas until we’re all happy with how the different sections and instruments mesh together.

This system works great when everything gels, but we also have a whole stable of cool riffs that we haven’t managed to quite find the right puzzle pieces to yet. Hopefully, one day soon they’ll blossom into proper songs.

You’ve had your fair share of successes in recent years, including playing at RnV, and winning BOTB, has this added more fuel to the DSE fire?

We’ve been blazing through the Wellington circuit of four or five bars for several years now, so hitting big milestones like winning BOTB has definitely added fuel to our fire! Mainly it’s been a great way to network with other bands and score some invites to play outside of the local scene and see what the rest of the country has to offer.

Getting to record this single at the legendary Lab Studios in Auckland was also a big highlight. Olly is a production wizard and has recorded a huge number of Kiwi heavyweights, ranging from Blindspott to Dave Dobbyn.

How did you secure the win at the Battle of the Bands competition?

It was actually our third year entering BOTB, so part of the win may have come down to dogged persistence. By the finals, we were feeling pretty comfy on that stage and also got to play to a home crowd of rowdy mates in Wellington, rather than making the punishing drive up to Auckland.

We also noticed energy waning in the crowd during a few of our slower songs during the earlier rounds, so ended up axing those tunes in favor of putting our foot down for 25 minutes and blasting out what was probably our highest tempo set to date.

How did it feel to make your national radio debut?

It was exciting and a bit surreal to hear our tune on the airways for the first time on The Rock. It was a big surprise, considering we hadn’t even debuted on student radio before that point. We were pretty chuffed by their enthusiasm and had a few phone calls from relatives working in Australia letting us know they were digging it too.

We’d love to hear your take on the New Zealand music scene and your experiences with it.

The New Zealand music scene is bursting with talent. We’re mates with a ton of multi-instrumentalist maestros who can play just about anything and play in 5 plus bands each, looking to crack into the scene.

We have friends who have transitioned to roots/reggae style bands who have rapidly gained a big following and hit the festival circuit. These bands have been king in NZ for a long time but there are also healthy underground scenes for just about every genre from metal to industrial techno.

While you don’t get to play the big stages too often (think sticky-floored dive bars over open-air stages), the rock scene is super friendly and supportive and manages to sustain itself by putting on multi-band gigs. Hire/ soundy costs are usually covered by 15 bucks on the door, so it’s definitely a passion project, rather than a money maker. Most bars at least treat the thirsty band members to a free jug of skippers.

What’s next for Dream State Empire?

Our first goal is to get this single released, then with a bit of luck, ride the momentum to open some venue doors in other parts of the country. We’re also super hyped for our next gig, Porirua Rocks! This will feature some crushing bands including Shepherds Reign and All I Seek, with a backdrop of pro wrestling and a huge selection of the regions’ best craft breweries. We’re always down for a big gig, so feel free to hit us up if you like what you hear.

Stream Spirals on all major platforms, including Spotify, from April 12th.

Stay up to date with all new releases from Dream State Empire on Facebook.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

GeeMarr ignited a carnal flame with his exotically expansive RnB hit, Fire & Desire

Posted on 8 April 2024

GeeMarr, the UK’s RnB firebrand, ignited the genre with his latest single ‘Fire & Desire‘. The stylistic fusion of RnB, afrobeat, pop, and soul elements showcases GeeMarr’s versatility and creativity when blending diverse musical influences.

The intro of ‘Fire & Desire’ is a nostalgic nod to the 80s era of RnB, setting the stage for a contemporary twist that GeeMarr executes flawlessly. The track pulsates with modern cuts, seamlessly integrating autotuned reggaeton-esque vocal lines with sun-pierced melodies. The sax lines spill soul by the smorgasbord, weaving through the song and adding a rich, emotive layer to the already vibrant soundscape.

GeeMarr’s lyrics in ‘Fire & Desire’ resonate like mantras, creating a heady sonic haven that you’ll want to occupy all summer and ensuring that the midtempo vignette captures the sweetness of finding someone who evokes feelings of both love and lust. Even if you’re riding solo, you’ll get a taste of how sweet adding fuel to your carnal fire is.

Born in Jamaica and raised in South London, GeeMarr’s global influences are evident in his music. His repertoire spans Afrobeats, R&B, and Soul, and ‘Fire & Desire’ is a culmination of his artistic evolution. After a 5-year hiatus and a series of captivating freestyles on social media, GeeMarr is not just making a comeback; he’s redefining his sound.

GeeMarr’s involvement in every stage of his music, from writing and producing to mixing and mastering, ensures that his sonic signature blazes through ‘Fire & Desire’. This track is a must-listen for fans of RnB and anyone looking for a summer anthem that combines the best of global beats with the soulful depth of RnB.

Stream the official music video for Fire & Desire which dropped on March 28th on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Duality resounds in Touch By Mirror’s cultivation of ethereal visceralism, ‘Send Flowers’

Posted on 11 March 2024

Touch by Mirror’s latest single ‘Send Flowers‘ from the EP ‘A Fox is a Wolf Who Sends Flowers‘ is definitive proof that there are always new intersections to explore in alt-rock. This 6-minute track transcends far beyond the ordinary bounds of sound; the genius lies in its masterful contrast: the raw, overdriven guitars clash and harmonise with ethereal electronica melodies, crafting a visceral and delicate atmosphere in the same progressive breath.

Juxtapositions in the same vein resound in the vocal chameleonic finesse as the vocals oscillate between the grungy rawness of Kurt Cobain and the haunting, melancholic harmonies that echo the legendary Ian Curtis of Joy Division and Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen. This vocal duality adds layers of emotional depth, making each listen a compelling discovery through the corridors of Touch By Mirror’s creativity.

The South African artist’s rapidly growing discography is a haven for true music aficionados. His experimental soundscapes are not just heard; they take listeners on a journey through varied sonic landscapes.

Remarkably prolific, Touch by Mirror has already graced 2024 with an EP and an LP within the first three months; most artists would kill to know the secret to his unfaltering creativity and alchemically affecting ingenuity.

Stream Send Flowers on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Put Material Reality in the Rearview Mirror with Zac Zhan’s Alt-Pop Ear Unicorn, Fantasy Fantasy

Posted on 27 February 2024

Zac Zhan is in his euphoric element in Fantasy Fantasy, a track that defies convention and carries you to a new realm by taking you on a vibrational voyage that you’ll want to embark on time after time. If you want to be transported beyond the confines of the ordinary and the chaos of reality, hit play on the mesmerising blend of dance-pop, alt-pop, house and hip-hop, which pulsates with infectiously kinetic energy.

The artist and producer meticulously crafted Fantasy Fantasy from its lyrically intimate inception to its exhilarant production climax. It’s a hyper-pop masterpiece that not only showcases Zac’s vibrant approach to music but also cements his commitment to providing a haven for an ever-expanding fanbase.

The track’s 8bit-esque instrumentals weave a captivating fantasyscape, engulfing the listener from the outset. Zac’s vocals, both electrifying and eccentric, enhance the track’s wildly exhilarating aura with a sense of playful, unbridled enthusiasm. For those who find solace in the sounds of Charli XCX, Grimes, or Carly Rae Jepsen, Zac Zhan’s Fantasy Fantasy is a must-listen and a vibrant echo of freedom in the realm of hyper-pop.

Zac Zhan said:  

“To create Fantasy Fantasy, I embarked on a deeply personal and introspective journey, one that mirrors the complexities of the human condition and the perennial quest for solace in a world brimming with chaos. The lyrics, steeped in vivid imagery and raw emotion express a universal longing for escape, a utopia amidst the trials of life.

I wanted to invite listeners to envision a world where they are the architects of their happiness. It’s a call to embrace the beauty of creation and the freedom that comes from releasing the burdens of the past.”

Fantasy Fantasy was officially released on January 18th; stream the single on Spotify.

Stay up to date with all the latest releases from Zac Zhan via Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Meaninglessness of the UK Misogyny in Music Inquiry

Posted on 3 February 2024
Misogyny

The UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has recently concluded an extensive inquiry into the pervasive ‘Misogyny in Music’, a probe that spanned over a year and a half. The committee’s findings, encapsulated in a hard-hitting report, lay bare the stark realities faced by women in the music industry. The report begins with a powerful statement, highlighting the myriad challenges women encounter, ranging from limited opportunities and support to gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and the ever-present issue of unequal pay in a sector rife with self-employment and gendered power imbalances.

Despite some progress in representation, the report underscores that these issues are deeply ingrained and further exacerbated for women contending with intersectional barriers, especially racial discrimination. The report delves into these issues in detail and puts forth several recommendations. For the British government, these include enhancing protections against sexual harassment and discrimination for freelance workers and legislating against the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of sexual abuse, harassment, misconduct, and bullying. The music industry is also addressed with recommendations such as labels committing to regularly publish data on the diversity of their creative rosters and workforces, including gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Furthermore, the report suggests licensing recording studios with a sexual harassment risk assessment, a mandatory accreditation programme for music managers, and incorporating conditions to tackle bias, harassment, and abuse in the licensing rules for music venues.

However, the report also takes a broader societal perspective, stressing the need for educating boys and men on misogyny and consent, and how to respect and support women better, acknowledging that these issues are often unfairly deemed as solely women’s concerns. The report’s release has prompted responses from various industry bodies, acknowledging the gravity of misogyny in music and society and the need for concerted efforts to address it. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and UK Music have expressed their commitment to tackling these issues, emphasising a zero-tolerance approach to misogyny and discrimination.

…If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is

Amidst these developments, there’s a palpable sense of scepticism about the potential for real change. The UK is on the cusp of a general election, with the ruling Conservative party, in power since 2010, now facing a resurgent opposition Labour Party. The government’s current focus seems to be on internal politics, quick-fix policies, and cultural battles, leaving issues like misogyny in the music industry on the back burner. While individual MPs, including committee chair Caroline Nokes MP, have shown commitment to these issues, the transformative change needed in the music industry’s heart, as Nokes points out, seems a distant dream.

The report, though clear in its recommendations, may only see significant attention post-election, possibly under a new government. Of course, there is no guarantee that the Tories won’t get to extend their tyrannical rule over the UK, and let’s not forget, the Conservative Party is just as misogynistic as what they are pretending to go up against to benefit women in the music industry. Remember when they trashed tackling sexism and racism as ‘woke concerns’? Remember when Caroline Nokes called the party institutionally sexist? Remember when the home secretary, James Cleverly, made a date rape joke? Don’t fall for the populist agendas.

As much as I would love to see the music industry become a meritocracy that is free from misogyny, that optimism doesn’t make me naïve enough to believe that the UK government is going to do anything to support musicians in any capacity. In recent years, the music industry has been decimated by Brexit, the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and the general lack of appetite for new music because nostalgia tastes so much sweeter when modernity is sour. Not all of the above can be pinned on our current government, but they certainly haven’t helped with their proclivities towards disaster capitalism.

5 Ways the UK Government Has Failed to Support the Dilapidating Music Industry

  1. Inadequate Support for Live Music During the Pandemic: One of the significant failures of the UK government in recent years was the lack of appropriate support packages for the live music industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sector, which heavily relies on live performances and events, was one of the hardest hit, yet the government’s response was criticised for being insufficient to address the unique challenges faced by artists, venues, and support staff.
  2. Unresolved Streaming Royalty Issues: Despite numerous reports and discussions highlighting the unfair distribution of streaming royalties, the UK government has been slow to address these concerns effectively. Many artists and industry professionals have expressed frustration over the lack of concrete action following inquiries into streaming services, which continue to leave many artists under-compensated for their work.
  3. Brexit’s Impact on Touring Artists: The government’s Brexit plans significantly impacted the music industry, particularly in terms of touring. The lack of consideration for artists and musicians in the Brexit negotiations led to increased bureaucracy, visa issues, and transportation costs for UK artists touring in the EU. This oversight has been seen as a failure to acknowledge and support the international aspirations and careers of UK-based artists.
  4. Underfunding of Music Education: The UK government has also been criticised for its underfunding of music education in schools. This lack of investment not only diminishes the quality of music education available to young people but also impacts the long-term sustainability of the music industry by failing to nurture the next generation of UK talent.
  5. Neglecting the Grassroots Music Venues: Grassroots music venues, crucial for the development of emerging artists, have faced neglect and lack of support from the government. These venues, often the starting point for many successful musicians, have struggled with issues like rising rents and strict licensing laws, with little to no governmental intervention or support to address these challenges, leading to closures and a diminishing music scene at the local level.

Article by Amelia Vandergast

Harmonies and Healing: A Musical Conversation with Alison Wahl

Posted on 22 December 2023

In the rich tapestry of musical expression, Alison Wahl stands as a versatile artist whose compositions traverse genres and instruments, aiming to foster genuine human connection. Her latest collaborative venture, “Christmas is the Right Time for Us,” alongside fellow songwriter Brian Berggoetz, encapsulates her ethos of bridging emotional gaps. In this exclusive interview, we delve into the creative minds behind the song and explore the diverse musical worlds Alison Wahl has inhabited.

Your music is known for its diverse range of styles and instruments. How did this eclectic approach shape the creation of ‘Christmas is the Right Time for Us’ with Brian Berggoetz?

We had so much fun recording this in the studio together, and I drew on lots of different types of vocal production techniques and colors as we worked towards the right sound. Between takes I’ll sometimes run scales all the way up and down my range and at full volume, so I can make sure I’m always really connected to my breath even when I’m singing in a more intimate or quiet style. I always lean on my training as an opera singer that way. We recorded three different versions of my vocals at different levels of volume and intimacy, and we ended up using the middle version that wasn’t full-voiced but wasn’t completely hushed, either. Our engineer Duncan Stitt played around with different types of microphones to capture my fuller sound better. My experience singing in lots of different unamplified and amplified styles helped me find just the right sound for our song.

The song aims to bring a sense of connection and healing. How do you see music playing a role in addressing feelings of loneliness and isolation, particularly during the holiday season?

Music has a central and powerful role in healing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Leonard Cohen said, “Songs don’t dignify human activity. Human activities dignify the song.” There’s a good reason we associate certain types of music and specific songs with the holiday season — they make us feel connected to our traditions and to the things and people we love. I like to think about all the holiday playlists that exist online, and think about people lovingly choosing the songs that make them feel cozy, joyful, warm, loved, and happy. Whether we’re attending a performance of Handel’s Messiah or the Nutcracker, listening to Ella’s famous Sleigh Ride, singing familiar carols, going to see young family members perform in their school holiday shows, or listening to new songs about the holidays, music remains a central part of our celebrations because it gives us a space to feel and be together. The way we engage with the music makes the music meaningful. I absolutely love sharing the immediate vibrancy and intimate joy of music as a performer and as a listener. If you’re listening to my recording, please know, I am so happy to be singing for you!!

Having been praised for your “bright, vibrant soprano,” you’ve performed with esteemed orchestras and ensembles. How do these experiences influence your songwriting, and did they play a role in the collaborative process of this festive tune?

What a great question, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked this before! Being onstage under bright lights, in a ball gown and shining jewelry, with the music of a beloved composer in my voice and body, is a thrilling and reverent experience for me. In those moments I feel myself to be the mouthpiece of the storytelling, even if I didn’t write the story myself. Songwriting is so much more intimate and private. I write songs like some people knit scarves — I make little things that I use to keep warm when I’m cold, based on what I’m feeling and needing in the moment. As a songwriter I accompany myself on the guitar, and that gives me a kind of cover I don’t have as a solo singer. When I’m a soloist under a spotlight, out in front of an orchestra, I am very aware that I’m the first point of emotional contact between the audience and the music, with numerous colleagues surrounding and supporting me. Performing as a songwriter I am the composer, orchestra, conductor, and singer all at once, and it’s on a much smaller scale. It’s a different kind of pressure — I don’t feel I need to represent anything other than my own human self, but at the same time I’m the only thing on display. The music I love to sing in the concert hall has absolutely influenced my writing. I like to use large leaps and melismas, which I learned to love in the music of my favorite composers, Handel, Schubert, Saariaho, etc. The way I think about form has been influenced by the classical music that I sing, too, and I think that has come through in this tune I wrote with Brian. We have a moment towards the end with some unconventional vocal harmony. There’s a dissonance between the voice parts but it has a formal role of expanding the spirit of the music at that point, so it sounds consonant and resolving even though we’re singing a 9th apart from each other. I do something similar with my ornamentation at the end of a Handel aria I often sing, and my songwriting ear has for sure been honed and influenced by my training improvising in the style of 18th-century composers.

Brian Berggoetz, as a collaborator, brings his own unique perspective to the song. How did the synergy between your musical backgrounds contribute to the overall sound and message of ‘Christmas is the Right Time for Us’?

Our collaboration was so wholly supportive and creative. Brian started with the chord progression and began by sending me some lyrics that he described as “just an architecture,” sort of place-holder as we workshopped the words. I took some of his ideas and added my own, focusing more on specific images of moments that I love about being with my family and friends during the holidays. I thought about some of the holiday songs that haven’t aged well, or that have problematic elements, and what I’d like to hear about instead. Brian has an amazing ear for style and color, and that comes from his experience and expertise as a singer-songwriter and bandleader. When I first heard his ideas, I immediately thought the melody and hooks that he came up with were absolutely lovely. From my perspective, my role was to fill out the song like a metalworker creating filagree to set a stone — Brian had already provided the gem, and I helped shape the lyrical form around it.

The song’s title, ‘Christmas is the Right Time for Us,’ suggests a special significance. Can you share the inspiration behind the song and how the holiday season influenced its creation?

When I first pitched the idea of a holiday song, Brian came back with a re-working of an unfinished tune that he had in progress. The chorus was all his creation. But to me, the holidays can often come with so much pressure and pain, especially if we’ve lost a loved one, if we’re struggling or lonely. I wanted to get behind the message that whoever you are and however you are, you deserve to feel warmed and welcomed fully by the spirit of the season however that works best for you. You deserve to enjoy the simple, good things in a meaningful way. There’s no wrong way to express and cherish the love in your heart if it’s genuine and tender. I hope and wish for a right time for all of us this season, and to trust that we are more connected than we know.

Resonance and Resilience: Navigating the Independent Music Odyssey An Interview with Sean MacLeod

Posted on 7 December 2023

In the dynamic realm of music, Sean MacLeod stands as both an architect of melodies and a sage of musical wisdom. With a rich repertoire of albums and singles like “Let the Light In” and “That’s When the Earth Becomes a Star,” MacLeod’s sonic journey transcends boundaries. In this exclusive interview, we delve into the inspiration behind his current single, “The Sweetness,” explore the narratives of his past releases, and gain insights from his latest book, “Behind the Wall of Illusion: The Religious, Esoteric, and Occult World of The Beatles.” Furthermore, MacLeod shares invaluable advice for aspiring artists.

Your current single, “The Sweetness,” carries a unique resonance. Can you share the story behind this track and how it fits into the broader narrative of your musical journey?

‘The Sweetness’ is a song I wrote many years ago. Originally, I tried to record it with a band I had some years ago, called Cisco. The song funnily enough was written when I was going through a Brian Wilson ( of the Beach Boys) stage and the lyric – ‘don’t let that worry you’ – is borrowed from Brian’s song  ‘Don’t Worry Baby.’ I was also listening to a lot of Britpop bands at the time too, so it has that pop guitar feel to it. I have always been influenced by good melodies and electric guitars so the song is pretty much what Brian Wilson might have done had he been in Oasis rather than the Beach Boys :).

Lyrically, it deals with a theme that often crops up in my songs which is the kind of bitter sweet symphony that is life. I mean it is such a mad, sad, crazy, exciting, paranoid, happy, tragic, soulful, beautiful inexplicable thing we all have to go through . I mean its like we are all characters in some Shakespeare  play and I think Shakespeare is ultimately right we are all just actors on a stage and if we can remember that it kind of allows us to relax a bit and not get so caught up in everything we are doing. I think the song kind of explores that idea a bit. There is a line in the song which I should really have accredited to the Romantic poet Shelley – We fall upon the Thors of life- because it is his line. I’m far from being a poet like the Romantics or Shakespeare but I like the idea of pop songs being poetry at the same time. I guess Lennon and Dylan did that really well.

Production wise I was very happy with the final result because I had decided to go into the best studio I could afford- which was Westland in Dublin. It’s a rather old study which had its main successes back in the seventies when it was recording groups like Thin Lizzy and Van Morrison. Because now a days you can get pretty good recording quality on home studios I always feel there is a kind of polish missing from the end result and that can often make the difference between an ok record and a great one.

Unless you have a big record company behind you you have to try and get it right first time round if you are going to use a studio like Westland because you can’t really afford to go back in and do it again. So, I’m really pleased I did that and I got the song sounding as good as it should

With albums like “That’s When the Earth Becomes a Star” and singles like “Let the Light In,” you’ve demonstrated a diverse musical palette. How does the upcoming album continue this exploration of different styles, and what themes can listeners expect to encounter?

Apart from the albums and singles I released with Cisco, quite sometime ago now I have released now five solo album and quite a lot of singles- which sadly very few people have heard. I don’t know really how much things have changed so much from the first solo album Cool Charisma I just try and write three-minute pop songs essentially and hope that they mean something to people. They are very much in the songwriter tradition of the Beatles, Bowie, Dylan, right through to the Stone Roses and Blur and that kind of thing. I often have lots of different types of styles and songs but mostly in the pop/rock/singer-songwriter genre. I kind of think if its a good melody and good arrangement and well produced that’s good enough and hopefully it makes people feel something, something positive about themselves or their life because that what music has done for me ever since I heard the Beatles’ ‘Penny Lane’ when I was 11 🙂

I like the idea of music progressing and I think as an artist one should always be exploring but at the same time things cannot be forced and there is no point in just trying new things for the sake of it or to be different, because that’s not really being truthful to myself and what I do, which is write simple songs.  But I do play and listen to lots of different music lots of classical music which I like playing on the piano and things like minimalist composers and microtonal music which I have been exploring a lot over the last few years. Actually, the last album ‘We Don’t See that We Don’t See’ was purposefully applying different tuning systems and microtonal music to the 3 minute pop song. I was very happy with it but I haven’t actually released the album yet just some track from it because it was a bit underground and experimental and I got caught up doing the last album. But I think I’ll release it in the new year.

The new album When the Earth Becomes a Star is still in the traditional songwriting tradition, but I have elements of microtonal tunings on it to just give it that flavour. The single ‘Let the Light In’ is the first song from the album. It’s a great song and a good recording but it’s kind of a blend of Oasis meets Cream meets Gospel music 🙂 It just could do with a gospel choir at the end of the song.

In addition to your musical pursuits, you’ve authored books, your latest work, “Behind the Wall of Illusion: The Religious, Esoteric, and Occult World of The Beatles,” is intriguing. Can you give us a glimpse into the inspiration behind this book and others that you have written and their connection to your musical endeavours.

When I was 11 I had quite a profound experience with hearing the Beatles’ song ‘Penny Lane.’ It wasn’t even the Beatles’ version but Jimmy Osmond singing the song on the tv show Fame. If anyone is interested, you can find it on YouTube. The song just struck me right in the solar plexus and the next day I was coming home from school and saw in a record shop that I used to pass by everyday a copy of the Beatle’s Rock n Roll Album vol 2 for 2 pounds. I got the money of my mum and rush back and bought the album. When I put it on the record player- we had an old bush record player with only one speaker, but all the songs were just amazing. I mean they were better than anything that I was hearing on radio or tv at the time and I just became a fan. I was hooked. Luckily all my friends’ mums and dads still had all their old Beatles records and so I was able to borrow them all and within about two years I think I had heard most of the albums. I was reading about them all the time and that got me into other bands like the Kinks and the Who and not some much the Stones but some of their stuff and then Motown and then that got me into Mod groups and for a while I played drums in a Mod group covering lots of Jam and Who and Motown covers and then I just got into the history of pop music two-tone and punk and new wave etc. I knew quite a lot about 60s 70s 80s 90s music and one day someone gave me a Shangrilas CD. I don’t know why or why they were listening to them we didn’t talk about music. Actually, the guy just worked in my local shop and one day I went in to buy a pint of milk and came out with a Shangrilas’ CD it was quite surreal now that I think of it. I put the CD on and again I was really impressed with a lot of the songs and the productions. There were a lot of Greenwich and Barry songs on it who were a big deal songwriting couple in the 60s but I didn’t know much about them. SO I realised that there were all these girl groups out there that I had never heard, apart from the Supremes and the Vandellas and so I started to find groups like the Ronettes and the Shirelles and the Marvellettes and I thought that these groups had more or less been forgotten by history so I began to write about them and soon I had a book called Girl Groups of the 1960s and I found a publisher. I wrote another book on Phil Spector for that publisher, and I wanted to write something on the Beatles and particular from the perspective of spiritual science. That’s a kind of research developed by the Austrian philosopher and seer, Rudolf Steiner. His philosophy is essentially that man is a spiritual being and that there is a kind of spiritual cause behind or involved in everything we do here in this world. I am very interested in that, and I think music is something that very much relates to that because it’s not quite physical or tangible in a sense. I think the Beatles were very interested in that and the whole 1960s culture was tapping into and exploring these ideas. The experimentations in music and drugs and even social changes I think can be seen from this perspective. I don’t think Steiner would necessarily have seen every aspect of the 1960s culture or music as positive but certainly we can try to understand the spiritual impulses behind the events of that period which, as I said the groups and the people of the time were dimly aware of and trying to penetrate deeper into what we might call the invisible realm or the super-sensible realm.

Today, I think this is kind of difficult because we are so much more immersed in technology and in the material world- living in the material world as George Harrison might say- that we are becoming or have become more disconnected from what I think is our spiritual nature. Although it’s quite clear, due to a lot of stuff that has happened over the last three years that people are beginning to what to know more about these things. So that’s kind of what the book is about, and I guess what my songs try to be about.

Looking back at your previous releases and forward to your upcoming projects, how do you see your artistic evolution? Are there specific moments or experiences that have significantly influenced your musical journey, and if so, how do they manifest in your work?

Yes, as I said my experiences with the Beatles ‘ music was a major point in my life which began me wanting to know more about musical and to be a songwriter. Apart from that specifically my interests are more related to philosophy and that has influenced a lot of how I think about music maybe. I think my whole life has been connected to music, so it was kind of like for me a destiny moment meeting the Beatles because they opened up something in me that was able to enter into the world of music and my journey through life has been inextricably linked to my musical journey. I think there for example is a spiritual science moment. Of seeing something happen in your life that comes to meet you and moves you in a certain direction. It has nothing to do with me its something outside me but it has a tremendous impact on my life and my life, like everyone’s, has a tremendous impact on so many other people, in fact on the entire world. So, trying to understand that event and other similar events in our lives is a way of bringing us into contact with these impulses that are kind of invisible. I guess some people might call it chance or coincidence and that all things are chance, but one thing is that it has a profound meaning for me and that as I said influences everything and everyone around me. If it is just a chain of chance events then there is no real meaning, which of course some people might say, but if there is no real meaning then why do we feel the need to give it meaning, why is meaning inherent in our lives? Anyway, the point here is to think about these things and be open to them rather than having to prove they are right or wrong. Because ultimately, we cannot really prove anything only know something is as it is or experience it as so.

Embarking on a career as an independent artist often involves navigating uphill battles and overcoming challenges. Can you share some of the significant hurdles you’ve faced in your journey and the strategies you’ve employed to surmount them, providing insights for emerging artists grappling with similar obstacles?

There are so many uphill struggles and failures and disappointments and challenges.
Playing live on national radio and putting your capo on the wrong fret on the guitar and then singing the song in one key and playing the guitar in another is a pretty embarrassing moment – though I did manage to get my voice intone after a few seconds 🙂

Playing gigs to nobody is hard. Making records that no one hears is not very satisfying trying to get gigs and find other outlets for your music is hard. Feeling at times you aren’t any good is a struggle at times. But strangely I find as I said at the start if you see it as a space to learn and grow and see yourself as an actor on the stage it suddenly doesn’t seem as bad as you thought. You can actually enjoy it all. That’s what I have learned and every day you get better as a performer, a writer, a recording artist. You get to the point where you can say I am a musician. I am a songwriter. I am a recording artist. And it’s a bit like being able to do something around the house like cut the grass or something. You just do it and enjoy doing what you do and try and get better at it. That bit requires concentration. I mean to concentrate on what you cannot yet do and keep at it focusing even for ten minutes a day until you crack it. Mostly likely if you keep at it, you’ll do it. But of course, you need to know what you can do and what is the most realistic step to take next. That I think is important. So, I know that I am a songwriter. I have been honing that craft for many years I know I can play various instruments and that I can sing to a certain degree. So I stay within that comfort zone but I know that If I spend ten minutes a day playing a certain thing on the piano that I cannot quite do so well yet I will be able to do it in a few weeks and I keep doing that until in a years’ time I can do all the things I could do a year ago and now I am on a higher level and can do more things as a musician and feel confident do that. But I need to give a few minutes every day to it. Steiner would say that it is not so much spending hours every day doing something that helps us master something but doing something even only 5 minutes is what is important because this activity we absorb into our being and after a time because who we are. I think this is true. So, you just keep doing the thing you want to do every day.

Unfortunately, if you want to be successful in a materialistic sense like be famous or rich from it then you might be forever disappointed because these things are often nothing to do with our own inner capacities. Fortune is just that something that is gifted to us from the gods but if we focus on our capacities that will give us joy and others joy too and then who knows the gods might smile on us.

 

Harmonizing Life and Melodies: An Exclusive Interview with Musician Roman Gastelum

Posted on 4 December 2023

Embark on a journey with Roman Gastelum, a Los Angeles-based artist breaking barriers in the realms of jazz and hip-hop fusion. With his recent debut record, “EQuilibrium,” Roman has crafted a ground breaking blend of genres that pushes artistic boundaries. Join us in this exclusive interview as we explore the depths of Roman’s musical influences, the creative process behind “EQuilibrium,” and the unique perspective he brings to the intersection of jazz and hip-hop.

“EQuilibrium” is a genre-defying masterpiece, seamlessly blending hip-hop and jazz. What inspired you to create such a unique fusion, and how did you approach the challenge of balancing these diverse musical elements?

I have been heavily into both jazz and hip hop since I was a younger teen and have always seen similarities between the two styles to the point where they are pretty much interchangeable. They are both very cerebral styles of music that both seem to activate the same part of my brain. I remember always being fascinated by the intersection between the two styles and always wanting to explain to others how modern hip hop that followed in the path of Eric B & Rakim is essentially an offshoot of Charlie Parker bebop. This led to years of me going down the rabbit hole between both genres, which eventually culminated into me wanting to create a balance between the two that I’ve always wanted to hear that I felt I had never quite heard before. I had noticed that a lot of jazz infused hip hop or hip hop infused jazz tends to be lopsided in the sense that it leans more in one direction than the other: hip hop that samples jazz, soul etc., or jazz that is performed over hip hop grooves and has a slow harmonic rhythm. My goal was to create as close to a perfect balance between boom bap and bop that I possibly could by balancing elements from the best of both worlds that, for some reason, never seem to be combined (see question #3). Overall, I wanted the superficial listener to have the impression that they are (mostly) listening to Jazz sampled instrumental boom bap beats; but for the more discerning listener, I wanted a much more intricate, fresh and engaging composition to unfold before their ears.

As the bassist, vocalist, and lyricist for Jigsaw Falling, how does your role in this eclectic progressive rock project differ from your solo work on “EQuilibrium”?

My role differed between “EQuilibrium” and “Jigsaw Falling” with the way that the music was composed. “Jigsaw Falling” was more geared toward collaboration, where all three of us were composing and arranging the instrumental aspect of music in the studio at the same time, and we would all have to come to agreement on the final outcome for every song. This was very time consuming and difficult at times, but this process definitely created some interesting music. The vocals and lyrics are probably the only similarity between the creative processes of “EQuilibrium” and “Jigsaw Falling”. I pretty much had free reign over creating the vocal melodies and lyrics with “Jigsaw Falling”, which would typically all be ironed out during the recording sessions. The major difference with “EQuilibrium” is that as leader, I had full creative control over the entire project, whether it be composition, arrangement, production or any decision-making regarding the band.

Your musical influences span a wide range of genres. How do you navigate the diverse landscape of jazz, hip-hop, funk, soul, and more to create a cohesive and innovative sound in your compositions?

Taking many diverse influences and fusing them into a cohesive sound is definitely a challenge, especially because I wanted to approach it differently. Hip hop is already comprised of jazz, funk and soul, so composing music like this is naturally going to have inflections of funk and soul, both in the melodies, harmonies and rhythms. Because these styles are prerequisite for classic hip hop, the music tended to write itself depending on the feelings I wanted to express. The main challenge for me was that I wanted to combine certain elements from different genres that aren’t typically combined in order to strive for something fresh, yet still familiar. The first step in striving for the sound I wanted to achieve was to take the soundscapes of hip hop – most of which are sampled (in the classic sense) – and reproduce them with live instruments. This meant that I had to create melodies that gave the same avant-garde, disjointed, almost atonal sense of counterpoint that hip hop sampling conveys, and put them over boom bap grooves. The second step was that I wanted to put rich post-bop harmonies and jazz forms to these hip hop soundscapes. This way, the composition becomes a vehicle for the soloist to create an interesting lyrical solo as if they were the rapper soloing over the track. The compositions ultimately become reversible in the sense that they can either be performed as boom bap beats, or as jazz standards.

“EQuilibrium” features a talented lineup of musicians from the Los Angeles scene. Can you share how collaboration played a role in shaping the album, and what each musician brought to the table?

Collaboration played a huge role in putting this record together. I chose every musician based on knowing that they would fulfill my vision of the project – each one of them has a unique voice that I knew would bring it all to life. Drums are probably the most important part of the overall sound on a record for something that is boom bap oriented, so I had none other than Jason Pruhko play drums. He is a highly versatile drummer that has an in-depth knowledge of hip hop grooves and gets the overall aesthetic, so I knew I would be secure with getting a solid balance between hip hop and jazz in the end. I went with Andy Waddell on guitar because he has strong modern sensibilities and works with a lot of great sounds. He also has a certain intensity to his playing that took the record to another level. We had a blast getting creative and recording in the studio together. Scott Tibbs was on keys and synths throughout the entire record. He was the oldest on the project so the experience and insight he brought to the table was key. His approach added great depth and balance to the compositions. Brandon Wilkins played tenor saxophone and Aaron Janik played trumpet. They make a great duo, are incredibly efficient, and they both played some killer solos throughout. “EQuilibrium” would not have been a reality of course, without Brandon Wilkins, who was my right hand man throughout the entire record. If he didn’t offer to take on the project and my vision wasn’t mutually accepted, it might have been much longer before I would have gotten it off the ground. He recorded, mixed, and mastered the entire thing and worked closely with me co-producing throughout the entire process to make sure that everything was getting the attention that it deserved.

As a musician actively involved in the Los Angeles music scene, how has the city influenced your sound and creativity, especially in the context of the vibrant and diverse music community that exists there?

Given the massive metropolis that is Los Angeles, I don’t think I would have the opportunity and potential to perform the wide array of styles that I have performed, or will be able to perform in the future if I didn’t live here. I have played anything from rock, pop, alternative, r&b, jazz and country. There is something here for everyone musically and you don’t need to live in the middle of LA to get it. It all depends on what kind of scene you’re looking for. For example, if you live in LA City and don’t like what’s going on there at the moment, you have the rest of LA County. If that’s not enough, you can always head to Orange County, Ventura, or even San Bernardino Counties, which each have something completely different to offer. There are probably only a few other locations in America that offer such a wide and frequent selection of musical styles, so it made sense for me to move to a place where I knew I would have a lot of room to expand musically because I have always enjoyed playing a wide number of styles since a younger age. The longer I have the ability to be surrounded by an eclectic musical environment, it only encourages me to grow as an artist by taking on new experiences and challenges.

Your debut album marks a significant milestone in your musical journey. How do you see yourself evolving as an artist, and what aspirations do you have for the future of your music career?

Now that I have released my debut full length solo record, I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off of me and I can now pursue other things that I’ve been wanting to pursue. It’s hard to say at this point if I will be creating more records in this specific style of jazz and hip hop, or if I will move onto something else in terms of composing new material. I do feel that I have expressed most of what I wanted to express on EQuilibrium, so if this is the only one, I am content with that, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I don’t have more to express within the same idiom in the future; a lot of it depends on demand. What I do know is that at this point in my life I am definitely ready to expand as both a bassist and a composer. I have mostly been playing within the jazz realm over the past 4 or 5 years while neglecting the live performance of other styles, and am craving performing within many genres of music on a regular basis, although of course I will continue playing jazz. Different musical genres fulfill different sides of me artistically, and being active in as many as possible makes life more interesting and usually creates more opportunities for me. One style of music that I haven’t gotten to play enough of in LA and am just as passionate about as any other, is real country music – honky tonk, outlaw and bluegrass – and I would like to expand in that realm. I would also like to play in more various rock and pop settings. All of the aforementioned typically lend to playing in front of larger audiences. Lets just say that if I don’t stay in Los Angeles, somewhere like Nashville could be written in my future.

Find out more about Roman here