Browsing Tag

producer

The Alt-90s Cinematically Lives and Breathes Through Agent Envy’s Grungy Industrial Rock Single, No Friend

Posted on 9 December 2022

San Diego artist and producer Agent Envy is fresh from the release of her sultrily fierce single, No Friend, which cinematically amalgamates trip-hop, industrial rock, grunge and metal. Under the wide-spanning influence of acts including NIN, Tool, Massive Attack and Deftones, Agent Envy found her own striking sonic aesthetic that is nothing short of iconic in itself.

Any fans of Warpaint and Wolf Alice will want to sink their teeth into this demurely powerful protest against life’s prolific protagonists who guise their usury entitlement as friendship to take what they can, and guilt trip you when they’ve bled you dry of your empathy but still haven’t quite had their fill.

“No Friend is about finally saying, “enough is enough,” and captures the triumph and catharsis of setting a boundary. The track explores a powerful side of my vocal range not previously featured in my earlier songs, along with the deep, sultry vocals that my audience is familiar with.”

No Friend will be available to stream and purchase on all major platforms from December 9th. Catch in on Spotify & YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Suspenseful and Seductive in the Instrumental Realm

Posted on 5 December 2022

This has been a great week for new lo-fi tracks. In addition to the stellar producers that I’ve been handed earlier, a couple of days ago, I also get to talk about playNo’s newest instrumental “My Chick.” The Texas born producer and composer has released a fantastically psychedelic music video on his YouTube channel. The music is great, but the swirling colors looking like a tie-die fractal is something I could stare at for days.

The track is simultaneously upbeat and laid back, which in and of itself is quite an accomplishment. Beginning with some sound-design cascades offering a mood setting intro, the track breaks into new chords and pulsating static notes that take over the tune. The playful marimba and piano dialogue make for a mysterious sound – but not something that takes itself too seriously, which is nice. If you could cross some of the best music from “Plant Vs. Zombies” with an upscale jazz club in Harlem, you might get a sense of what I’m describing. Background vocal samples round out the dazzle with “My Chick” and we have a lovely listening experience.

Hopping over to playNo’s Instagram page will be a joy for dog-lovers. Many of his stories feature his pet pit-bull which is an adorableness overload. It’s nice to see the personal side of a gifted producer who obviously works very hard on his craft but isn’t afraid to play also.

From the Southeastern Woods of Louisiana, Rayne Kristine Spoke with A&R Factory on Her Motivation to Create Moody Tracks for Lost Souls

Posted on 21 November 2022

Whether it comes to you in a crowded room or grips you in the midst of your reclusive routine, loneliness has become endemic across the globe, here to shatter the stigma and to comfort the lost souls is the neoclassic electronica artist, Rayne Kristine. Who sat down with us to discuss her inspirations and motivations to bring a slither of solace to those who find beauty in melancholy.

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Rayne Kristine, welcome to A&R Factory! We were introduced to you via your stunningly serene neoclassical EP, Transient, which was released in September 2022, but you have been involved in multiple projects since you entered the music industry in 2006; is the EP a departure from your former projects? 

Thank you, it’s a pleasure to talk with you. Neoclassical music has always influenced me in some way, ever since I was a teenager. However, I also wanted to give the music on Transient a dark “soundtrack” vibe. This is most evident in “Charon’s Vision,” where the distressed sounding vocals tie in with the synth layers.

How did you first immerse yourself in the music industry, and which artist(s) sparked that passion?

At 14, I fell in love with opera, and my musical journey began. I ran across a few of Loreena McKennitt’s tracks and was spellbound. A few of my other favorite artists/bands were Enigma, Cocteau Twins, and Dead Can Dance.

We love your motivation to create moody tracks for lost souls; where does that inspiration come from? 

The world is filled with people who feel isolated from society in some way, yet they often find beauty and comfort in things that others disregard. They tend to connect with melancholy music more so than happy music. They may be labeled as “weird” or “morbid” for this preference, but music is a cathartic experience for them. If my songs can touch the hearts of shy loners, then I have succeeded as an artist.

You make your music from the woods in the Southeast. How much of a bearing does that have on your sound?

The woods can be quite spooky but so comforting at the same time. Whenever I feel unmotivated, a walk in the forest can set me on the right path again. There is no painting on earth that is as beautiful as nature. Trees cloaked in a cold morning mist, the shimmering sun peeking through the trees…. It’s the perfect visual for the type of music I create.

What draws you towards instruments such as the harp and the glockenspiel? 

As a kid, I was mesmerized by the mellow strains of the harp. It sounds like no other instrument. Just playing a simple glissando is therapeutic because you cannot make a bad sound. The chime-like tones of the glockenspiel are also captivating and eerie.

You create all of the visuals for your music along with producing it. Is it important for you to be in complete control of the final product?

Yes, I prefer to be. You know your own music better than anyone. Being self-sufficient gives me a better idea of how to frame the overall project, and the visuals play a role in this process. In addition, I also have a better idea of how to execute future works. Photography is my passion, so it makes sense for me to design the album artwork.

You’re currently working on an LP for your other electronic project, Silver Carpet; can you tell us a little more about that?

Déjà vu is scheduled for release in the Spring, and I’m halfway finished with it. It is so strange how you can love a track one minute and despise it the next!  The album will feature more industrial elements than my previous music. It’s coming along, but all things take time.

Listen to Rayne Kristine’s EP, Transient, on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Follow the artist on Instagram.

 

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Meditate in the moodily cold synaesthesia of Rayne Kristine’s ambient neoclassic score, The Faded Curtains Remind Me of Home

Posted on 17 November 2022

Taken from her EP, Transient, Rayne Kristine’s ambiently neoclassic single, The Faded Curtains Remind Me of Home, is an arresting extension of her commitment to creating moody tracks for lost souls.

The minimalist instrumental score pours lush reverb over the neoclassic progressions to envelop you in an atmosphere that epitomises sonic catharsis. The meditative layers stand as a testament to the Celtic harpist, pianist and music producer’s tenacity in spilling synaesthesia with her cold yet meditatively tranquil soundscapes, which capture the harsh facets of life and convey the gravity we feel to whatever will abstract us from the brutality of them.

Rayne Kristine has been recording music since 2006, influenced by the music of Loreena McKennitt. During her time as an artist, she’s worked on electronic and metal projects to sculpt her intrinsically authentic artistic vision.

Stream Transient in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Paper White and the Lake synthesised Avant Garde electronica in their latest release, Need Everything

Posted on 30 October 2022

For their latest release, ‘Need Everything’, the leftfield electronica producer, Paper White and the Lake collaborated with Chris Peters to create a jazzy feat of synthesised electronica that utilises textures of 80s synthpop in the spacey soundscape that brims with uninhibited authenticity.

The tamed melodic discord that comes complete with stabbing horns may be a little too Avant-Garde for the mainstream, but for any fans of experimental art with the capacity to disturb the comfortable, Need Everything is everything you need on your playlists.

Take the psychedelic trip with Need Everything for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

It’s four to the floor in Audio Jacked’s club hit, Love What You See

Posted on 27 October 2022

After his defiantly electric debut, Won’t Be Locked Down, which aired in early 2022, the UK-based songwriter and producer Audio Jacked (Daniel Puddick) is keeping the euphoria flowing. His latest EDM Pop hit, Love What You See, is a throwback to the era that saw him running club nights across the UK, but modernism didn’t go a miss in the clearly contemporary production that throws a few nods to the likes of Stardust and CeCe Peniston, but you’ll find no dust in this high-fire club hit.

One hit of the pulsating bass and we were right back on a 90s dancefloor, drinking in the lusty grooves and getting high on the salaciously powerful melodies that fizz with the kind of passion that can only transpire on those hedonistic nights enabled by rhythmically gifted producers such as Audio Jacked.

Love What You See officially dropped on October 14th. Check it out on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

We Need Hope: Peter Xifaras shows us deep inside the Lost Innocence of this harsh world

Posted on 5 October 2022

Performed by the exquisite Czech National Symphony, Peter Xifaras shows us deep inside a tragic moment for humankind as the tears flow, bloodshed reigns, and bullets fly everyday on Lost Innocence.

Peter Xifaras is a USA-based world renowned classical musician, composer, guitarist, orchestrator, and producer who is the mastermind of this deep experience.

”Peter Xifaras, the creative force behind the symphoneX Orchestra, is an award-winning artist whose music has topped Billboard’s Classical & Crossover charts. Whether it’s Cinematic, Classical, Jazz-Fusion, or Spoken-Word, Peter’s body of work has garnered praise for successfully crossing over musical boundaries.” ~ Peter Xifaras

Taking us into the destroyed woods where the fire burns deep and the haunting mourning only increases, Peter Xifaras is absolutely excellent on this track that features the outstanding Czech National Symphony.

Lost Innocence from the USA-based multi-talented classical creative Peter Xifaras is a really stunning song that needs to be played loud all over the world. Its texture is packed with true love to the world, as this is a real message that should strike hot to so many who have felt the pain.

Performed to perfection, this is a statement song.

Listen up on YouTube and see more on Facebook.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Kihmy added a new depth to house with her imploring vocal range in her cinematically arrestive single, It Won’t Be Late

Posted on 30 September 2022
https://soundcloud.com/user-509612915/it-wont-be-late/s-Fxm7xm3Txk5?si=f0a681cccbec445f9d7a1fb963a7a55e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Swiss-born electronica artist and producer Khimy has released her subversively arrestive single, It Won’t Be Late, which starts with an archetypal for house intro before the soulful resonance sombrely transforms the energy of the dance track by appealing to the deepest sense of your consciousness through the lyrics which decree that all will happen in good time and on time.

Uniqueness isn’t always synonymous with greatness, but with Kihmy’s imploringly deep vocal range and the way the complexity of her lyricism recontextualises her entrancing beats, those adjectives fit snugly hand in glove.

It Won’t Be Late is due for release on September 30th; catch it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BISH gave Shakira’s ‘Whenever’ a trancey rework in his luminous remix

Posted on 3 September 2022

Whenever by Shakira will forever be one of the greatest hits in pop history; it has spawned countless remixes, including the trancey revival by the San Francisco producer and DJ, BISH.

The up-and-coming artist and professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants made the most of his time away from the field during lockdown by working on his production skills, which transpired from learning the piano at a young age. It is safe to say that the time locked away in his home studio was well spent on the basis of Whenever.

Bringing the heat from his hometown, Whenever is radiant under BISH’s touch, which is highly influenced by his idol. Kygo. We can’t wait to hear where he takes his melodic brand of dance music next.

Stream BISH’s remix of Whenever via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Will Roesner does it Vampire Style in his latest ethereally ambient soundscape

Posted on 19 August 2022

‘Ethereal’ may have been inanely bound around so much that it has lost all meaning and resonance, but if there is any artist that the adjective should have been reserved for, it is the eclectically experimental creator of aural worlds, Will Roesner.

Especially based on his latest single, Vampire Style, which brings back the romanticism and gothic glamour of Interview with the Vampire. In place of fangs and frills, there’s cavernously lush 80s-Esque reverb, synth-carved ambience, and gorgeously delicate lamenting harmonies over the tear-jerking accordance.

With a new album due for release in early September, all eyes should be on Will Roesner and his command of evocative minimalism.

Vampire Style is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast