LISTEN MAG ISSUE 006 - GALIMATIAS

LISTEN MAG A NEW YORK–BASED ONLINE MUSIC-LIFESTYLE PUBLICATION THAT BRINGS YOUR NEW FAVORITE ARTIST TO THE SURFACE.

TEAM FOUNDER: CHRISTOPHER WALSH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: SIMRAN SHARMA DEPUTY EDITOR: BELINDA UNG ART DIRECTOR: SAM MORGAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR: ENKHLIN TSOGTBAYAR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: STEPHANIE RAMIREZ COPY EDITOR: CHLOE ANDERSON

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006

I can’t believe we’re able to create the sixth issue of LISTEN MAG, it truly feels like such a blessing. Looking back to our first issue, Simran & I made it with no experience in design or any knowledge about the publishing industry, and now LISTEN has grown into a team that’s compiled of the most passionate, intelligent, and talented people who I’m extremely proud to have as my closest friends. My team and I have worked extremely hard to present you with this issue. We’re proud to present our cover star Galimatias, who is pushing boundaries within music by creating an otherworldly experience. I’m also extremely eager for everyone to indulge and hopefully find their new favorite artist within this issue, I truly believe that everybody featured is currently shifting the soundscape. Thank you to everyone who has read, bought a copy, been featured, or engaged in any of our content, I truly appreciate all the support from everybody since the beginning.

Until next time, Chris

CONTENTS

SNAPSHOT NTU SPENCER BARNETT FLWR CHYLD MEI GALIMATIAS JULETTA + ISHAN AKUREI YOUR GRANDPARENTS XELLI ISLAND KYLE STOCKMAN NICK VYNER

PHOTOS: CHRISTOPHER WALSH

SNAP SHOTS

NEW YORK, NY

NTU WORDS & PHOTOS: CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Brooklyn-based Electro-R&B artist, Ntu (pronounced: “in-too”), is bringing Afro-futuristic aesthetics to the surface through an extremely unique and personified debut, Perfect Blue. On this project, we see a glimpse of what their artistry has in store for us, as they seamlessly blend futuristic and cryptic sounding production with their celestial vocals, creating an atmosphere that feels familiar and somewhat parallel to fellow R&B powerhouse Kelela. The rising star began their musical journey at the age of 15, experimenting with production on their high school’s laptop in Virginia. Heavily inspired by iconic acts like FKA Twigs and Björk, they began to hone their craft soon after moving to New York to study at the Clive Davis Institute. In addition to being a self-taught musician, Ntu is also a filmmaker and a professional contemporary dancer, an expansion of their craft they see stretching by each day. We had the pleasure of discussing Ntu’s work in depth, exploring the inspirations behind their music, films, and the drive to discover your sound.

Where does your name Ntu come from?

My parents were born in South Africa. There’s this guy named Desmond Tutu, who is a philosopher, and he was writing a lot during the Apartheid movement and so one of the philosophies he was writing about was Ubuntu, which basically means, what benefits me, benefits everyone else, and what benefits everyone else, benefits me, it’s a very humanism kind of thing. So like etymologically, that Ntu (IN TO YOU) part means human, but it also started with my actual first name with the same letters and I was like okay.

And I feel like search engine optimization would be bad if I tried to go as Nala.

Do you mind introducing yourself?

I produce, sing, and perform. I’ve danced for a long time, for about 10 years now. I make experimental Pop and R&B music. The whole aesthetic is centered around Black Futurism and that comes up in a ton of different works whether it be recorded music, a show, or visuals.

It reminds me of Kelela!

AH! I love Kelela. That is my favorite artist!

Totally! Your sound definitely fits within that Electro-R&B space. I also noticed that your first single came out in 2019. When did you start making music?

I started making music halfway through my sophomore year of high school, which was in 2016, and I went to a private high school in Virginia, which was predominantly white. I went to Flint Hill, which is near Nova. At the school, you’re given laptops, which came preloaded with Garageband. A type of culture developed from that, where students would do remixes and edits then upload them to Soundcloud.

At the time, I really liked FKA Twigs and her production. I wanted to produce but held it off for a while and then once I saw people doing that, I started to do it.

ART DIRECTION: SAM MORGAN & ENKHLIN TSOGTBAYAR

I watched the short film that you made. It was very introspective and I really loved it. Where do you see yourself creatively? Are you a musician first? A filmmaker? Dancer? Or does everything fit underneath the all-encompassing “artist” umbrella?

It’s an all-encompassing thing. I think of music as the core of it but then everything else can get expanded. Like does this song deserve a music video or does it deserve a dance?

Because I love people like Bjork, who can take their music and just blow it up to planetary proportions.

So what made you want to make the film?

I wanted to start documenting what I was doing. Cause I got that residency, and it was the biggest thing I’ve ever done and friends were a huge part of it. Moving forward, I was thinking if I ever wanted to do another residency or just like keep it as a show that’s in the repertoire and bring it back in 10 years and make it better.

Interesting. I also felt that it was super intimate. Some of your songs like “gaslight” feel very intimate and vulnerable. Do you feel nervous or anxious about being vulnerable on a project?

No, it’s almost like at the end of the day, I want the song to be the best song it can be. Like if me being scared about intimacy is a block to that then I have to get rid of that. There have been times while making Perfect Blue I’ve thought about how much to share. Because I think the concept of oversharing is real and some people are not like that and they’re willing to write everything down. I think I was figuring that out throughout the process and stories can both feel very intimate and not as clear as in terms of the narrative for other people, but you can still find that balance.

When thousands of people are judging, critiquing, and listening to your intimate and vulnerable moments, does that intimidate you at all during the creative process?

I think by the time that it’s out into the world, it isn’t yours anymore. When people used to say that, I didn’t really resonate with that but then a couple of months ago when Perfect Blue was being released, incels found my music.

There were these Instagram pages dedicated to hating women and they were commenting on my post like “great music.”

So you started making music in 2016 during high school.

How did Perfect Blue come about?

Perfect Blue is the first project I’ve released in music. It was me figuring out what I wanted to do musically and by the end of the project I had enough skills to produce and sing.

All from high school to the point of its release was like “can I make songs kinda thing” and then those were the best five songs that I’ve been creating the last couple of years.

How long did it take to make?

It took about two years, a lot happened in those years, broke a hard-drive, didn’t have a backup...still don’t have a backup. “Gaslight” was on the old hard drive but I had an instrumental bounce from that one. The people I worked with on mixing/mastering were Daniel Neiman and Gabe Zimbler, they were able to bring it back to life.

What gravitated you towards making Electro-R&B music?

FKA Twigs. But before that, I grew up listening to Black artists, along the lines of Anita Baker, Seal, and Sade. Then FKA Twigs came out sounding kind of R&B-ish but also not quite that and that opened my mind to the possibilities of what music can be. For the longest time, I’ve tried to replicate that sound, and I started from there. Began researching producer credits, and then got really into ARCA. I think once I started the R&B sensibilities of just listening to a bunch growing up, and then an element I wanted to add which was experimental Electronic music. So for a while, I started getting into Aphex Twins and a bunch of other warp artists. Then it started to make some sense.

But dance too was a huge part of that, I just felt like Electronic music could be a bit more dynamic in how it moves.

Was it difficult to find your own sound after wanting to replicate Twigs?

I feel like I’m still figuring that out. I feel like Perfect Blue is almost like me being like “I love all you guys” and then what I’m working on in the future is a bit more centered in my own music discovery.

It has been hard because so much of me growing up was wanting to be a part of music and this very specific scene or idea of it. Then coming to New York, making friends here and stuff, I realized there are so many different scenes around here that are just as cool and just as important.

I think that helped, and I started listening to a lot more new music since I’ve started producing and being a lot more open to Ambient, Metal, and Country, and all that stuff. Like it forms a lot of it, because you can pick everything that you like and it will always make something new.

What’s your favorite song off of Perfect Blue?

It’s the least streamed one but “Overture To” because that one felt like ‘I can write a song!’ If you took out everything, even the piano and the voice, I feel like it can stand on its own. Just as a piece of songwriting, and I’m really proud of the chords and the progression. It felt like everything clicked there. In terms of the lyrics being about build-up and the beat being like a build-up from the piano to all these Electronic sounds.

Who are you listening to right now?

Right now, I’m listening to Brandy. Specifically B7. I’ve been really ranting on Twitter about how dope Brandy is. I feel like people don’t give R&B its credit for being a really progressive music genre and how Brandy has so much to do with it. I don’t think the people who write about R&B at major publications really engage with how weird and experimental Brandy’s vocal production really is.

SPENCER BARNETT WORDS: CHRISTOPHER WALSH

PHOTOS: BELLAMY BREWSTER

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Spencer Barnett, will be your new favorite Indie artist. Bringing fresh and catchy earworms like “eta” and “48 Hours in Paris,” the rising star will stop at nothing before eventually becoming a household name. Within each track, he reveals his storytelling ability and sonic creativity, which he’s honed by collaborating with notable producers since age 14. The Los Angeles-based artist’s sound can be described as a unique blend of Indie and Alternative Rock, that borders on psychedelic Pop. Gearing up to release the final installment of his debut trilogy, his forthcoming EP finds him opening up like never before. While his sense of melody is undeniably timeless, Barnett endlessly pushes toward sonic innovation, dreaming up a boldly inventive yet subtly nuanced sound. Spencer Barnett is poised to take 2020 by storm, paving the way in a style that is uniquely his own.

We’ve had the chance to catch up with the rising superstar, encroaching on the conclusion of his final chapter to his EP trilogy.

Do you mind introducing yourself to us?

Hi, I’m Spencer. I’m a 19-year-old artist from the Bay Area, but I just moved to New York. I like making music and getting into trouble.

When did you first start making music?

I started making my own music around 13. Before that, I hadn’t really experimented with songwriting at all. I probably wrote about 100 really bad songs before I shared anything with friends though haha. Sometimes you have to get the unlistenable ones out of your system to get to the good stuff.

Throughout your EPs traveling seems to be a very present theme. How have you been adapting to the travel restrictions put in place?

I’ve been able to go work in a few different places since quarantine started. My friend Baerd moved out to northern Idaho during COVID to get away from the noise, and I went out to visit him for a bit and work on the new record. It was insanely beautiful and a very inspiring place to write. Besides that, I’ve been working from home! I just moved to Brooklyn this week and set up a studio to be able to write at any time.

Which place would you say has heavily influenced your sound?

I would say that London, more than anywhere else, has influenced my sound. The music scene there feels super underground which is a really creative environment to be in. It’s also a place where so many of my favorite records have come out of which is inspiring to be near. While working on “I’m Fine” I was lucky enough to work at Abbey Road and in a place like that you’re surrounded by history, it’s an incredible space to create.

You’re currently in the process of concluding your trilogy.

Looking back, do you feel like you’ve evolved since Reckless?

Definitely. My sound is always evolving with every project. It’s interesting because I feel like I’ve grown a ton since Reckless as a person. I graduated from school, I moved out to LA to make music full-time, etc. And with that, the music naturally evolves. All of the new life experiences and sounds that I’m exposed to are ultimately reflected in my songs.

What is the creative process like behind an EP trilogy? Is it different than creating one at a time?

The trilogy actually just started with one project–Reckless. I ended up deciding to make it a series once I started working on its follow up, I’m Fine. But it’s definitely a little bit of a different creative process, for sure. Not only are you trying to sonically and lyrically match the songs in each EP, but you also have to contextualize them with the greater narrative of the trilogy.

I know I’ve asked this question before, but some people’s tastes change. Who are you currently listening to?

My taste is always changing! Right now I’ve been blasting a lot of Michael Kiwanuka, SAULT, Stereolab, Animal Collective, and Phoenix lately. Those are my favorites at the moment!

FLWR CHYLD WORDS: SIMRAN SHARMA

PHOTOS: CHRISTOPHER WALSH

“If I can’t hear the shit I wanna hear, I’m gonna make it,” says Flwr Chyld, producer/artist and the owner of the greatest pair of ears for flawless collaborations, probably. Sure, there are other producers who bring artists together through interesting collaborations, and some who don’t even produce yet live off collaborations (“another one”). But the Georgia State alum is carving out his own lane sonically, because it really is about who did it right, not who did it first. And in his recent EP, Flow, he exemplifies exactly what he means by “blending worlds together.” With features from his closest friends, some new and some frequent collaborators, he creates a universe of reminiscence and inevitable change, an excursion everyone stumbles through yet survives. Describing it as his most introspective body of work yet, the Atlanta native believes cruel transitions in life like adulthood are experiences that need to be processed, and creating Flow was his outlet to emit.

Besides evolving within the project via production and writing, Flwr Chyld admits he is trying to establish a comfort level with being a recording artist as well, i.e. by recording his first solo on the EP. In a candid yet mindful conversation, the producer-turned-artist-turned-future household name drops endless gems on his musical journey, his long-term affair with collaborations, a love for Pharrell and The Neptunes, the city of Atlanta, life-changing advice, and the endless support he receives and has for his friends.

You went to Georgia State University School of Music, were part of the Jazz ensemble and even met a lot of creatives you collaborate with now, how has that experience shaped you as a musician and helped you grow?

Starting on the musician side of things, obviously Jazz band helped me a lot because I wasn’t learning a ton in some of the other Classical classes like Music Theory, which was geared more towards those musicians who were Classically trained. Who would’ve thought that my one little elective (Jazz) that was not required, I would learn so much from. As far as building my team and linking with people, who are very near and dear to my heart now. Like I met my manager there, my sophomore year, he was just like, “I wanna help.” For me, it was just all about connecting and everyone–that’s one thing I really fuck with Georgia State for–there’s a really nice sense of community there. Everything is there, all the colleges, everyone’s kind of in like this big bubble in the city.

A lot of artists sort of shy away from collaborating creatively in the studio in fear of being discredited.

Your projects always have a mix of great artists that sound amazing together, how do you determine who you want to collaborate and connect with on a song?

The music has to be good. I have to play both sides so there’s the artist, Flwr Chyld–it’s really just the way I release music because I’m a producer and writer. But the only reason I’m considered an artist is because I put out music under my name, Flwr Chyld. Kind of like your KAYTRANADAs of the world and Galimatias, those guys. And then there’s the other side of it, which is just the producer, so people come to me and they’re like “oh I wanna work with you.” Usually when I reach out to people, I’m looking to establish some sort of connection with them to where we can build a long-term relationship, it doesn’t even have to turn into a working relationship.

Like hey we worked together one time but we can continue to support one another, and that’s my biggest thing. All the people I’ve collaborated with, I’m still very close to them till this day.

“ If I can’t hear the shit I

wanna hear, I’m gonna make it. ”

Do you think artists should be more open to collaborating when it comes to writing, producing or singing?

Personally, I feel like there’s nothing wrong with R&B artists writing for each other because that’s been such a cult thing for years. And it’s still very lucrative but a lot of people, they see other artists like oh they did everything themselves and it’s a great body of work, those people are very few–there aren’t a lot of people like Tyler, The Creator who can do everything themselves, even visually and just take over. And that’s how I approach a lot of my stuff too, except for song-writing. I take a backseat when it comes to that, I just let the artists do their own thing.

produced song: “I Really Like You Girl,” which is the back half of “Young Girl,” that’s my favorite Pharrell song ever. Neptunes, I’ll give you a top three: “Excuse Me Miss” by Jay Z, “Take It From Here,” by Justin Timberlake, “I Still Love You,” by 702.

Talk about “Moonlight,” your first song recorded and performed solely by you. How was that experience?

Recording is really hard. Like really hard, and [“Moonlight”] was recorded in the most janky way but we did it with a great mic, and I work with excellent engineers so it ended up working out. We went through so much shit to get that song done. First of all, I didn’t want to go anywhere and record, I didn’t want anybody in my house to come record it because we’re in You’ve said in the past that growing up Jill the middle of a pandemic so I’m like how does Scott, Pharrell, A Tribe Called Quest were this work? The one feature I wanted to get on some of your influences. Their careers, there, he couldn’t do it which was fine. I was especially Pharrell’s, started off as a legendary producer and then an established like I have to record this song because I really want this on here. I hit up my engineer and he artist. Do see yourself evolving the same comes to my house but he forgets to bring way? his mic stand, so I’m holding the mic as I’m That’s a great question, I have been talking to recording. Literally at the edge of my bed just my friends about that. For me, my mindset is like that the entire time. Grimm Lynn (co-writer) just to try and make great music and I don’t comes through as well to record background know how I’m going to do it, but however I’m vocals. Unfortunately I changed the tempo... going to do it I just want to be great. And I’ll do anything to make sure that comes together, there were tempo discrepancies and it was like listening to two different songs, a cluster fuck. and that’s how you got all this music in the We spent, I want to say like the last two weeks first place from me. It’s hard for me to get leading up to the drop of the project working on comfortable with my voice, and it took awhile that song. for me to put “Moonlight” together because I was like, damn somebody else is supposed to What were some of your inspirations while be on this. The song was written, it just had creating Flow? to be recorded and I was like fuckkkk! I don’t I was listening to a lot of Men I Trust and The like my voice! But other people really like my S.O.S Band at the time, you’ll hear elements voice, and I’m grateful for the support around of it in “But I Tried.” My goal was just to make me. So I’ve been putting myself a lot more in something that sounded retro but futuristic at the artist mode, but my go to train of thought the same time. Even in the vocal production, I is to collaborate with people. I love bringing wanted the vocals to feel like 1985 or ‘86 but I my sound to people and blending those also wanted the production to feel like 2030 at worlds together. To make shit someone has the same time. never heard before, that’s my goal.

Your Favorite Pharrell/The Neptunes produced record(s)?

I have a Neptunes playlist, there’s 95 songs on this playlist. I can give you my favorite Pharrell

“ I love bringing my sound

to people and blending those worlds together. �

For your second EP, Flow sounds a lot more concise and mature. How was the process for this one different from your first EP, Iridescent Luv? You really listened! As you all know, that transition from college to adulthood is brutal.

I was depressed as fuck when I graduated school in 2019, because I was like, what is this? I gotta go to work? And I made a point to never work full-time because I was like I hate coming here and I felt so uninspired coming back home. There would be weeks where I didn’t make music because I was fucking tired. There’s so much mental preparation to go to a place you don’t want to go to. And it’s like, why do I have to be here? I hate it here. Basically, that was the headspace I was in. The only track that I have produced prior to me graduating was “AuraBlu,” and I made that literally the last week of July in 2019 and knew exactly who to get on it because me and Elujay, we’ve been homies for a while and I felt like it was time. That was kind of like the start of Flow, that was like the onset of everything I was going through.

Throughout school I had a really tough time telling people I do music, people were like “oh do you have a back-up plan?” Like no, this is it. One of the best lessons I got was from this author at a fast-food place and this guy said, “If you have a Plan B that means you’re not serious about your Plan A.” And he says, “You know where all the greatest ideas are? The graveyard.” Fast forward to me graduating with that same mindset and people are still asking me what I’m about to do so I’m like, Ima keep doing this music shit. And I just put all of that in the project.

Like I said I took a back seat to the writing, but [the artists] wrote great songs, and I felt everything in the song. All the writers on the project were able to create great emotions.

Iridescent Luv was just me creating vibes, Flow was more intentional and me processing going through the shit I went through. It was the most introspective project, like looking in the mirror.

Being from Atlanta, which has a huge influence on the music industry, how has the city impacted you creatively?

That’s a hard question for me to answer because when people listen to my music, they’d never know I’m from there. But the influence is there through the energy of the music, more so than what you’re hearing sonically. So if you feel something different that you’ve never felt before, it’s because Atlanta provides that for the rest of the industry. It really revolves around the culture and influence of Atlanta.

Favorite Atlanta artists?

OutKast, Future, Young Thug, Young Nudy. Who else? Oh, my friends, of course! Grimm Lynn, I have to always mention because he’s worked really hard to get to where he’s at. There’s Nai Br.XX, shoutout to her. Tony Velour, Fitzroy, yeah.

What are some Atlanta stereotypes that people get completely wrong and what are some that are accurate?

Lingo, that’s definitely something that people try to copy and we’re like, that’s not fucking right don’t ever do that again. I saw a tweet one day that went like “Atlanta is the only place where you’re expected to have a hellcat by the age of 18,” and that’s fucking true!

Your dad has been a great inspiration to you, what’s the best advice he has ever given you?

“Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance,” that’s what he says. That’s his shit. That quote is literally applicable to anything in life.

Lastly, what are you currently listening to?

I’m listening to a lot of the older shit, I’m not gonna lie. The S.O.S Band, Frankie Beverly & Maze. Ego Ella May, Mk.gee, and Nick Hakim had some of my favorite albums this year.

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MEI WORDS: CHRISTOPHER WALSH

PHOTOS: SOPHIE GRAGG

Raised in Chicago but currently based in Los Angeles, Mei, formerly known as Brandt Orange, is a singer, songwriter, and producer with a distinctive perspective on the crests and troughs of modern relationships. On his latest release, “Rudimental,” the 23-year-old singer-songwriter gives us a glimpse of what’s in store for his debut album.

Despite being the last song that made the cut for his upcoming debut, it was the first one he ultimately decided to share with us. Meeting at the crossroads of Pop and R&B, the kick-off single feels more personal and vulnerable, compared to the fictional stories that were released under his previous moniker.

We’re currently witnessing the evolution of Mei as he steps into his own artistry, writing tracks that represent the themes of conflict, identity, heartbreak, and relationships in the digital age, as intimately and reflectively as possible. From the get-go, Mei allows his vocals to be at the forefront. He creates a lush and soothing soundscape and lets his voice soar uninterrupted. As he digs deeper, employing a rawer singing technique, the production around it simultaneously intensifies as well. The rising singer culminates with a lull that is peaceful and cathartic, and in an immersive conversation, tells us about his backstory, the art of growing as an artist, and upcoming releases.

Do you mind introducing yourself?

Yeah sure - I’m Mei, I’m a singer-songwriter in LA. I’m ChineseAmerican. I recently came to terms with who I am. I hope you’re able to find some company in my music.

You debuted two years ago. When did you start making music?

I started playing piano when I was about 5, but I started writing my own music when I was 12. I finally convinced my mom to get me an acoustic guitar and a shitty microphone, so it was just me writing and recording songs onto Audacity (shouts to those who still know what that is) at the time.

When I was first introduced to your music you went by the moniker Brandt Orange, what made you want to re-brand to Mei? When I first started writing music, I didn’t believe that I was interesting enough to be an artist. I didn’t feel like my stories were worth telling, and I didn’t feel like my personality was unique enough to stand out, so Brandt Orange is an alter ego I created to kind of cover-up those insecurities. He’s a character you could fall in love within a movie, someone more confident and enigmatic than me. Through the process of writing this upcoming record, though, I realized that all of the songs I was writing were about my own experiences, which is what ultimately prompted the name change. It marked the first time in my career where I felt like being my authentic self was worth exploring. It felt weird to tell my stories through some character I made up. That being said, I don’t think Brandt is necessarily gone...he may come back in the future at some point, who knows haha.

What are some of the thoughts and decisions that go behind rebranding your artist moniker?

Going through a re-brand is definitely a big undertaking...I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re 100% ready to be in the weeds with it.

It’s also a bit of a gamble. I think the biggest thing you have to consider is hoping that your fans and the industry are properly caught up on what’s going on. Otherwise, there is a serious chance that you could get swallowed in the confusion and chaos. There are thousands of independent artists in this game; it’s tough to expect everybody to be up to date on your personal journey as an artist. That being said, my manager and the team at the label are incredible and take care of most of the grunt work in that department haha.

How does it feel to create music using your real name and not a persona? Is there a difference?

Yeah, there’s a huge difference. The whole point of Brandt is that it wasn’t me, it was a character that I dreamt up. There’s some pressure involved with putting the spotlight on myself like that, but it’s refreshing. It’s also timeless. I’m not going to be subject to changing trends or culture. I can always be myself and it will feel authentic. I’m going to grow and change over time. It’s inevitable, and now there’s space for it. Characters don’t ever change though.

Tell us more about “Rudimental.” Does it reflect the sound that will be displayed in your upcoming project?

I think “Rudimental” reflects the album’s sound in a way you wouldn’t expect. I’m just a singer-songwriter at heart...If you strip away all of the drums and bass from the songs, a lot of them are going to sound very similar to each other. In that way, I think “Rudimental” is actually really similar to the other songs, yeah - the songwriting always comes first and the vocal is always pushed as forward as possible. But in terms of production, I wouldn’t necessarily rush to put this album’s sound in a particular box.

I feel like your music shifts between Pop and R&B. What drew you to that particular sound?

Honestly, it’s a mix of what I listened to in my dad’s car growing up. He always had the 80s throwback radio station on. Lots of Chaka Khan and Michael Jackson, even artists like Madonna or Rod Stewart. I feel like those influences kinda bleed through the page for me.

“Frankstein” feels so stripped back and raw. Do you mind telling us more about that track?

That’s the next single, should be out in a couple of weeks.

Usually, the writing process is pretty grueling, there’s lots of doubting and reworking and tweaking things until it’s right.

Every once in awhile, though, you get one that just comes out fully formed, and you kind of have to give those ones some room to breathe. I didn’t wanna suffocate the songwriting at all...I think that’s where the magic is for this song.

Who are you currently listening to?

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t like the way that a lot of up and coming/indie artists are playing into the industry at the moment; it seems like a lot of attempts at a quick hit without much consideration for longevity. It’s a tempting and dangerous game to play haha. I don’t think that’s how music is able to move forward...it discourages artists from pushing the envelope. Not to say there aren’t any current artists that are breaking that cycle, I’m just personally more intrigued by older artists at the moment. I’ve been listening to a lot of Stevie Wonder, John Lennon’s solo projects, and Sly and the Family Stone.

GALIMATIAS GALIMATIAS GALIMATIAS GALIMATIAS GALIMATIAS SOUND D WORDS: BELINDA UNG

GALIMATIAS GALIMATIAS GALIMATIAS GALIMATIAS IS ELEVATING DESIGN PHOTOS: JAKE WANGNER

“I am always trying to become the Renaissance man” From his meticulous sound design to his signature smooth production, it is hard to replicate what Galimatias does. The Danish producer began creating music as a teenager, and has since built up a substantial list of credits and has earned himself an outstanding reputation in the production realm. Despite the praise he’s received from audiophiles all over the internet, he is quick to humble himself.

Galimatias and I connect over a Zoom call to do a deep-dive on his debut album Renaissance Boy, an 11-track saunter through his otherworldly dream-scape that incorporates Electronic, R&B, Hip-Hop, and more. It chronicles a moving experience of love and desire, intertwined with moments of remorse and regret through its uniform cinematics, inventive approach, and unique composition. Coming off a string of his own singles and remixes through the years, as well as his notable 2015 Urban Flora EP with Alina Baraz, Renaissance Boy is Galimatias’ long-awaited and first full-length introduction to the world as a solo artist.

Galimatias distinguishes his latest departure from his previous work as his first high-level attempt at self-exploration. “Embracing the whole songwriting side of music—writing lyrics and using my own voice—is a new endeavor that has kind of been the focal point, in a large part, of this album,” he says. “It’s been a really nice and healthy challenge for me, and it kind of reignited my love for music. There was a point in time where I just felt like I was maybe getting a little bit stale with just doing production work and incorporating vocals. It gave me a fresh perspective and has really humbled me in many ways.”

For Galimatias to find a name that rightfully encapsulates such a meaningful project, he reflects on that very underlying theme. He ultimately decides on a phrase that combines the concepts of humility, continuous growth, and the lessons learned on the journey towards becoming a true Renaissance man himself; hence, Renaissance Boy.

“I thought a lot about this one word that I came across that is from Zen Buddhism—shoshin.” In English, shoshin means “beginner’s mind.” Even for someone with Galimatias’ musical expertise, he believes that there is always room for improvement, emphasizing the importance of listening and making room for perspectives other than your own. He also adds that to assume a role of arrogance stunts growth, no matter how long you spend working on a project.

“The name is a play on words with the definition of Renaissance man, which means a person that has a lot of skill or knowledge in many different areas.”

Galimatias embodies this very definition, exploring various parts of the creative process to produce a body of work as sonically cohesive as Renaissance Boy. “I am always trying to become the Renaissance man, but it’s really about the chase to get there and the challenge of being able to improve yourself. That’s part of the whole game to me. That’s what makes it fun and keeps it interesting.”

He traces back the conception of the album to May 2018. After returning from his Costa Rica trip with a renewed visa and new inspiration, it was then that the first two tracks of the album were created.

“In the beginning, there are some recordings that I did of the jungle in Costa Rica,” Galimatias recalls. “They just have the most beautiful texture to them. It was raining one day and you could just hear raindrops on the leaves and all these different birds because it’s so lush down there.”

Being able to assemble a rich cinematic experience is an objective Galimatias strives towards in his work. “I feel like that has such a very poignant and evocative effect when you’re listening to something that places you in an environment.”

He continues, “There’s like a certain quality to that because it just feels like you’re more involved in the story. I wanted that to sound like a sequence of memories and then it fades up. I thought it’d be cool if those sounded like specific memories that I had with this girl, like you’re cycling through it all.”

“There’s another transition later in the album where it sounds like you’re inside of a car and the music that’s playing is supposed to sound like it’s coming from the stereo inside.” He refers to the track “Everywhere,” one of my favorite segments off the album. “I like to have those moments because it just feels like world building.”

Texture is the keyword when it comes to Galimatias’ composition, and there is no way you’ll miss it while listening to Renaissance Boy. “At the heart of it, I am always enamored by innovation within the scope of sound design.” He explains that a majority of what inspires his music usually derives from a unique sound that arises out of experimentation. “I might take a sample from an old record from the 60s and then, you know, reverse it and pitch it down and put a filter on or something. All of a sudden, you have this completely new sound that is sort of undefinable. I think I always veer towards that approach, and that’s what gets me most excited.”

He makes it sound easy enough, but his execution is incomparable. Galimatias’ ability to create sensually spacious and gorgeous landscapes is what puts him in a league of his own and makes an uninterrupted journey through Renaissance Boy a singular experience.

With the centerpiece of the album being his own voice, I’m curious to hear the story behind “GPS,” the only song on the project with any features. The four-minute track is accompanied by R&B gem Xavier Omär and Dreamville rapper Bas; however, this isn’t his only collaboration with Bas. Galimatias played a part in producing “Don’t Hit Me Right Now” off the 2019 Dreamville compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III, as well as reworked a recent collaboration titled “Risk” featuring Bas and FKJ. “I actually think ‘GPS’ was made before any of that,” he remembers. “I had just worked on the vocal and instrumental parts, and thought it would sound good with Bas on it. I’d been talking to him, so I sent it over and he listened to it. He dropped down a verse and after listening to it, I tried to do a second verse myself but felt like it didn’t hit.” Xavier Omär’s name was suggested by a friend of his from Denmark, and Galimatias had reached out to him through Instagram, thus, the birth of “GPS.” His approach to collaborations is fairly casual, but with the exception of maybe Frank Ocean, he is primarily focused on creating work as a solo artist.

He finds it difficult to pick his favorite song, but one stands out particularly in the moment. Galimatias muses over the fifth track, “Sly,” one he found challenging to complete. “I went through so many different iterations of it. Just the fact that I managed to even finish it and like it was a very cathartic feeling.” He contemplated scrapping the song, but eventually returned to it months later with newer ideas. “But I don’t know if it’s my favorite. That’s hard to pick…I’ll have to leave that one up in the air.”

I compliment the art direction of Renaissance Boy, eager to find out who’s responsible for it so that I can follow them online. “Jake Wangner,” he replies. “He has an amazing style, very personal.”

He describes Wangner’s creative process as very analog-oriented, contrary to today’s digital domain. “He just works with light in a very peculiar way that’s unique to him,” Galimatias reveals. I’m pleasantly surprised to learn that the scratches and bits of dust on the artwork are from the original shot itself. “It stands out because you can tell it has a certain level of texture. The fact that there’s noise on it translates well to how I use noise in my music, like the jungle sounds. I like those sorts of textures audibly and visually.”

I ask Galimatias to share any important lessons he’s learned through his growth as an artist leading up to the release of Renaissance Boy. “I’ve learned that it’s better to work faster and pull out ideas while they’re there.”

“Once you get further into the process, it becomes very stale and hard. It feels like work trying to finish the song,” he explains. “Just last year for the first time ever, I managed to start and finish a song in a week! I figured out that the quality didn’t suffer from the fact that I was working faster, and I got more stuff done. I was working based on instinct.”

“There’s something to be said about speed when working creatively,” Galimatias continues. “Of course, it’s good to be very detail-oriented, but I think that’s my strength and weakness. Sometimes it comes at the cost of working way too long on the same thing and not getting enough done. I think working faster has been a huge thing for me, so that changed a lot.”

Wrapping up the interview, I ask him about any music he’s listening to now that he’s particularly excited about. He mentions Frank Ocean, whom he would love to collaborate with, and Son Lux, an experimental trio known for their dynamic arrangements and genreless melodies. “They just came out with an album [Tomorrows I]. I just heard the first track from it, but I know that I’m probably going to like it. I’d heard some of their stuff before and they have such interesting sound design. Once you listen to it, you feel like you’re in their world.” He also references British R&B/Soul singer Celeste, praising the character in her singing and writing style. “She’s going to be such a huge star, and is absolutely captivating to listen to.”

Renaissance Boy is a story Galimatias has been waiting to tell. With each chapter binding the highs and lows of love and self-reflection, listeners get to immerse themselves into the narrative he’s worked so diligently to share.

Galimatias is here to establish his presence as a solo artist, and we’re honored to join him in his voyage.

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JULETTA

PHOTOS: ALISON DIAS WORDS: CHRISTOPHER WALSH

+ ISHAN

Electro R&B duo Juletta + Ishan are shifting the landscape in music by cultivating a unique sound curated around the real-life experiences of strangers. On their upcoming album, If I Ever Hit Land, the duo channel an airy, ethereal experience combining elegant strings and striking electric guitars that create a euphoric sensation. Raised in California before eventually moving to Italy for a brief period of time, and then settling down in New York, Juletta met producer and DJ Ishan in 2018. Soon after meeting, the duo released a Folk-Pop EP, Wild Nature, along with a string of singles under Juletta’s name. As they continued to work together, the duo expanded their sound to interpolate elements of Hip-hop, Deep House, and Electronic music.

Even though the duo have different styles on their solo endeavors, Ishan & Juletta come together and make music as if it was destined to be. We had a chance to delve deeper with the two about their upcoming album, If I Ever Hit Land.

Do you guys mind introducing yourselves?

J: I am Maddie and I release music under the artist name, Juletta.

Ishan and I have been working on a debut project together that’s coming out in October. We make electronic R&B. I: I am Ishan and I am the producer of the project.

What’s the story behind you two working together?

I: We started working together in college. We had a mutual friend that loved us both dearly but we never met and we just like ended up at the same party. We got along and just hit it off and that’s when Maddie told me about her idea to make an album and eventually two years later here we are sitting for an interview for it. We got along really well that night and then not too long after that and she came over to make a song and the first song wasn’t anything too special but we just kept at it and kept going.

J: It was special to us at the time!

I: Yeah, exactly!

I see, yeah because “Orca Fuck” sounds completely different than what’s on this upcoming album.

I: Yeah it definitely does! The other way I think about music that might present a shift, is that a lot of it is in technique, that I get to try out and experiment with. I think the techniques that I used and different ways I thought about making a song like “Orca Fuck” in a lot of it does translate into some of the new stuff and the new stuff allows me to express different things or look at the same technique and try to apply them in different ways.

So, how does the final decision to make Electro-R&B music come about?

J: We definitely didn’t decide the genre prior to making it. I think it was just after we made it, we were like ‘shit what should call this’ Because we came from different backgrounds, Ishan makes songs like “Orca Fuck” and then I lean towards making more folk music. In our collision, it was a new territory for both of us, finding how to crossover, and would become of us crossing over. I think afterwards, we were just like ‘that’s what it most sounds like?’ But it wasn’t something that we chose consciously.

I: What comes out is similar in emotion and tone. I have my likes in music and Maddie has hers. The stuff we cross on is in a genre where we make music too.

J: Yeah, it’s funny because growing up I always made music on a piano. So for me, I never define myself through a genre. But I would just call it Folk because that is the closest thing to what I was doing. But I wasn’t recording, so I had all demos that were just on the piano and so they can go anywhere. I don’t think I ever felt constrained by a certain genre. When me and Ishan started working together we just did what we liked. We replicated the sound we were attracted to and both of us had this infinity to Electronic music.

That’s awesome. I feel like you can sit in Washington Square Park and just overhear conversations all day.

J: Exactly! That’s exactly what I remember doing too. I would just be outside and overhear these snippets of full-lives people had and it was beautiful. It’s cool too and now I have all these audio clips of the city, like dogs barking and subways rolling, and it’s just super cool to document the city that way.

How have you guys been adapting to COVID in NYC? J: It’s kind of lucky to go through the release process instead of recording. Because I’m going to be in California most of the time and Ishan is in New York. So for producing, because we like to be in the same place, that’s been a little difficult. But it’s been a time.

I: One of the last songs on the album called “Gut Feeling” and also “Spiral” were made during the first week of COVID, like March 12th. So like, Maddie & I went to visit my parents, and that same exact weekend COVID hit, so we just didn’t go back for two months. During that first week we made that song, that eventually would make the album. That’s the very last song we made and we mixed it and mastered it and now we’re in the release process. I think we’ve been lucky so far, but creating in the future will have to look different and be remote from now on.

J: It has broken my spirit in some ways. I’m very sad that during this release process we can’t connect with people in person and perform too, that was something we were preparing for.

Performing in person, nothing beats that, connecting with people in that way.

Yeah I feel like online concerts aren’t hitting the same way for me.

J: People are just washed with so much advertising and content all day that it’s difficult to feel a real connection at this point. It just feels like more advertising for me.

Like everything is almost an ad!

J: Yeah it’s so weird to see my favorite performance and think about that as advertising but that’s what it feels like just in the way that I’m receiving it.

Who are you currently listening to?

I: I just exited my second very intense Beatles phase. So I like re-studied The Beatles, I’m reading multiple books about The Beatles, and now I’m really studying the sound of the 60s and learning from it and The Beatles are of course the epitome of that.

So, The Beatles is one for sure. Now as of recently I’ve shifted towards the 80s. 1978 to 1984 to be specific, I’ve just been listening to so much music from that era, like a lot of Prince and Disco, just like been looking for a lot of songs to DJ, from that era.

A lot of Quincy Jones production, Luther VanDross, my head has definitely been in the past with what I’ve been listening to.

J: The song I’ve been repeating the most has been Adrianne Lenkers new song “Anything.” I’ve just been listening to that on repeat and her new album, songs and instrumentals, is coming out in October. So, I’m just preparing for it.

AKUREI WORDS: CHRISTOPHER WALSH

PHOTOS: GOLDEN VESSEL

Connor Grant, who is known for his elusive moniker, Akurei, creates a sweet and somewhat nostalgic Indie-Electro-Pop sound that is so effortless to fall in love with. The lush production and delicate celestial-like vocals create a soundscape that’s equivalent to walking outside on a summer morning and feeling the linger of its vibrant air and orange glow. The gentle guitar strings and heartfelt lyrics that are scattered throughout the three-track EP, HAIRDYE, prove to be Akurei’s most organic project to date.

The songs on this EP were mostly written on guitar, and have a more natural and transparent feel to them, making it easily relatable. Following the release of his previous three-single EP, SERATONIN, the Brisbane producer plans to release another three-track project before the year is over. We had the chance to chat with him via email about the creative process behind his recent work.

Do you mind introducing yourself?

My name is Connor, I write and release music as Akurei.

How did you first start making music? What were you listening to growing up and has it influenced what you’ve been creating now?

I grew up on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It’s basically a city by the beach, so I feel like by the time I got to middle school it was either surfing or playing music with friends, and I’m quite uncoordinated.

I grew up listening and playing Metal and Hardcore music and that was pretty much all I listened to as a teenager. I’m not too sure it’s influenced what I’m doing now though, maybe just the DIY nature of that scene?

That’s a big part of how I work and what Maxwell and I are doing with sumoclic.

I found you went by a previous moniker, WHISPERER. How do you think you’ve evolved since then?

Hahaha uh oh. A lot, I hope.

That was my first foray into songwriting and producing myself. I can look back and appreciate it and see how I’ve grown

as a songwriter, they were literally the first four songs I wrote.

Who is AKUREI? How do they differ from Connor Grant?

Hmm, that’s a good question.

Akurei is probably just a branch of myself, an outlet for me to explore creativity and storytelling. Not a character, but not wholly me. When I’m not putting my mental energy towards this I’m a friend, brother, son, uncle, human. I like to keep a degree of separation between the two for my mental health.

I like the concept you do of releasing 3-4 song EPs. How do you get to the end result as to which songs make it in a particular project or which ones get scrapped?

It’s been super exciting! Probably because the process has been so malleable, the project has evolved and changed from its inception as simply an idea.

I’ve been able to change and adapt as I write new songs. I think a big part of that is the label I started with my best friend Maxwell (Golden Vessel). We’ve got so much freedom and the ability to release and share music however we like on our own timelines.

"I have been able to change and adapt as I write new songs. I think a big part of that is the label I started with my best friend Maxwell."

What was the creative process behind HAIRDYE? Fairly all over the place. “HAIRDYE” was written by myself over a weekend I spent alone. “STAY AROUND” came together quite intentionally with Maxwell on a writing trip.

“CHARLOTTE” was the most exciting for me - I started that song over a year ago, with the guitar part. I felt like I’d come across something special and decided not to put anything into Ableton until I’d written the whole song solely on guitar, which is not something I usually do.

Each of your EPs have a specific sound and vibe centered around them. How do you think HAIRDYE differs from your previous projects?

That’s hard to say, I guess it feels quite raw and honest for me, more so than anything else I’ve done.

What is your favorite song or EP you’ve released so far?

Ooh maybe “SUCKER,”or “CHARLOTTE.” Who are you currently listening to?

I can’t ever really get away from Toro Y Moi or Frank Ocean.

I’ve spent a bit more time lately with Kanye, Dijon, Jean Dawson, Golden Daze, The Nicholas & Huron John - to name a few.

YOUR GRANDPAREN

WORDS: SIMRAN SHARMA PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE ORCHARD

ENTS

For artists as multifaceted as Your Grandparents, it’s hard to avoid the perception of being boxed in and creatively limited. But the genre-blending group continues to break out of any mold as they master every aspect of their craft and shift the culture. With the perfect balance of R&B and Hip-Hop pulsating through their soulful, nostalgia bearing records, the trio of Jean Carter (vocals), DaCosta (vocals), and ghettoblasterman (producer), set up a world that not only resonates their lives, but the future of music itself.

From their remarkable introduction of a debut project to their individual success, Your Grandparents finally made their long awaited return with the critically acclaimed single, “So Damn Fly,” and recently, “Tomorrow,” from their upcoming yet-to-be-titled album scheduled to be released next month. The Los Angeles collective have spent the past year tunnel visioned on the album, only improving and exceeding creative highs as they inch closer to the anticipated release. In an in-depth Q&A, Your Grandparents discuss their time off, inspirations, love for cinema, the journey of album making, and what to expect when you finally hear their labor of love in November.

“

Each song will be unique in its own way. You can expect something different when listening to each track for sure.

“

You take a lot of inspiration from the 1970s and the feeling of nostalgia, is that where the name “Your Grandparents” evoked from?

Absolutely! We want to pay homage to the greats that came before us. People like Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers made it possible for us to be where we are now.

Without them there would be no us.

You all grew up together in LA, when did you guys decide to do music as a collective?

When we all met we were about fourteen or fifteen years old. We knew each of us had an interest in music so shortly after meeting we recorded our first song at sixteen.

How has the past year and the time off affected you creatively and mentally?

We really took that time to grow and seriously focus on our craft. That year was spent figuring out how to improve in every way we could. Now we think it’s safe to say our creativity is at an all time high and we can only improve from this point moving forward.

In “Tomorrow” and “So Damn Fly,” and even throughout your debut EP, Been Cold, you have honed the art of having the perfect balance of rap and melodies and singing. How do you guys find that balance and execute it?

It didn’t always come easily; we had to figure out our work flow early on so that we could communicate to each other and create the perfect blend. Now our work flow is as smooth as it could be, we know our strengths and how to use them to complement each other.

The video of “So Damn Fly,” is equally as pleasing and charming as the song itself.

It’s almost like a look inside your lives and inspirations; how did the concept come about? And whose idea was it to include the skit? (which was excellent, btw!)

We came together and thought about the concept and really cool shot ideas for the videos. We wanted to show that we were more than just rappers and singers. We love film and plan on giving more creative and fun visuals. We actually went back and forth about the skit and decided it showed personality and that’s always a good thing.

So thank you we’re glad you enjoyed it!

I’ve read that “Super Fly” by Curtis Mayfield was one of the inspirations behind “So Damn Fly.” With that being a soundtrack for a film, would you guys consider making music for a film in the future?

We have a love for cinema that might be just as strong as our love for music. Film is definitely something we plan on venturing into. We want to touch all aspects of the film industry. Acting, directing, and scoring films. Nothing is off the table.

“Tomorrow” and “So Damn Fly,” are both quite different from each other sonically but very defining of your unique sound and versatility. Is the blend of upbeat Funk and soothing Jazz something we can expect more on the upcoming project?

Each song will be unique in its own way. You can expect something different when listening to each track forsure.

Walk us through what a typical day is like during a song making process/at the studio for “Your Grandparents.”

Our best songs tend to write themselves. The process is usually just us vibing and translating what we feel into some smooth tunes.

How have things changed since your debut in terms of the direction of your music and production?

The biggest change has probably been the access to resources that have helped us bring the ideas we have to life.

Will we be seeing any collaborations in the new project, in production or vocals?

Ghettoblasterman worked with a few producers on our upcoming album such as Two Fresh, Cole MGN, and Adam Kaye. We also had the opportunity to work with our good friends Chris Nelson & Brandon Stroup at their amazing studio Soundspace LA where most of the album was completed.

The live performance of “So Damn Fly” for Fader Fort was so sick! Since shows with actual audiences have been put on hold, is recorded live performances something you guys would like to do more with the upcoming release?

We miss playing live shows with an actual audience so much.

But doing recorded live performances is still pretty cool, it allows us to practice so that when we can do live in person concerts we give our audience the best experience possible.

WORDS: ENKHLIN TSOGTBAYAR PHOTOS: OLIVIA PURUGGANAN

X

Xelli Island Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Xelli Island is the independent, dream Pop project of Lianna Vanicelli. After transitioning away from her previous group and moving to LA, the half-Filipina, half-Italian singersongwriter is ready to do things her own way. Using the long journey she has taken as reference, Xelli perfectly weaves a playful sound with her sentimental and introspective narrative. A colorful soundscape will reverberate your speakers as Xelli croons and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. It’s hard not to fall for her charms and downto-earth yet hopeful spirit. We recently had a chance to chat with the artist on her lyricism, current favorites, and her upcoming debut EP out this month.

Could you introduce yourself?

Yes, hi! My name is Lianna and I create music as Xelli Island. It’s my own flavor of dreamy, quirky Indie Pop. I’m originally from Detroit, MI where I lived most of my life until moving to LA about three years ago. I’ve been pursuing music for the last 14 years singing in various projects and bands. Xelli Island is finally the project that is fully mine and I’m so happy to have landed here. It’s been a very long road. I like to think that I’m a decently wise and grounded human who’s learned a lot over the years, but most of all, I just want to laugh at shit and make fun of my friends.

What made you want to pursue being a musician?

There was a moment many years ago when I realized how special it is to be able to capture a specific experience or emotion and translate it into sounds, melodies, and words. Since then, I’ve been trying to make a career out of doing that. It’s been incredibly challenging but nothing beats the feeling of knowing people connect with your music, either in a live setting or through the recordings.

I noticed you were in a group beforehand, has going solo affected your relationship with creating music?

I think my deep, personal relationship is still the same. But it has definitely changed my creative process and the way that I visually represent my music. There is way more freedom as a solo artist and it’s actually made collaboration easier and a lot more fun, in my opinion.

Your single, “Bad For You,” reflects on the longing and defeat one feels with a love interest, do you think frustration from real life situations is vital to make good art?

Haha! Yeah I think it’s probably vital on some level. Being highly emotional over something is definitely when songs are born with ease.

Your songs have a bubbly, airy quality which is contrasted by lyrics that sometimes take on a darker, more pessimistic tone. What inspired you to implement that duality within your art?

My lyrics have always been on the darker side because they are exaggerated inner thoughts, emotions, insecurities, and truths. The sounds and airiness are just naturally what I lean towards. I love music from Nintendo 64 games and organic, natural sounds. I didn’t really think about the duality between them that much, but it has definitely become a definitive pattern.

If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

Too many things. But honestly, I don’t even know where to begin. It’s both a mess and a mystery.

Does your single “Bad For You” reflect the sound that will be in your upcoming EP? Yes and no. It’s a little more poppy than the rest of the EP, but the palette is similar. I like to think of the EP as a mini roller coaster. It’s nostalgic, quirky, melodic, and emotional.

Who are you listening to right now?

I’ve been really digging this South Korean dream-pop artist, Aseul. The new Glass Animals album is great, this LA artist Model Child has been releasing amazing stuff, and been getting into Arlo Parks! I have a little Spotify playlist of my current favorites. I like going for walks and listening to music, so it’s for that.

STAFF FOLLOW OUR PLAYLIST

PICKS FOLLOW OUR PLAYLIST

KYLE STOCKMAN WORDS: CHRISTOPHER WALSH

PHOTOS: KYLE STOCKMAN

In upstate New York, Kyle Stockman is taking his time to perfect his craft and it’s nothing but evident within his sound. After writing, producing, and creative directing his two albums, Currents & Hearts, the rising star has proven himself to be a promising act through his extensive and versatile catalogue. Bobbing and weaving between floating vocals and captivating production, the singer leaps through genres like R&B, Pop, and Alternative Rock with ease throughout his discography. Each album lives within its own universe and feels like an extension of his consciousness. Growing up, the artist always had a natural affiliation to music, and prior to making his two genre-bending albums, he was trained in Classical piano for ten years while producing for over eight. His persistence to constantly outdo himself with every release garners witness to the fact that Kyle Stockman is here to stay.

We had the opportunity to discuss with the NY native his two albums, his creative process, and how strongly he believes in his art.

Do you mind introducing yourself?

My name is Kyle Stockman, I’m a 20-year-old, self-produced artist originally from Upstate New York.

Looking back into your discography I noticed that your debut was two years ago in 2018. When did you first start making music? Also, what motivated you to make music?

Well from a very young age I’ve played piano and I took lessons for about 10 years, I’ve been studying classical. At the age of 12, I started fiddling around in Garageband and noticed I had a knack for making beats. Then by around 14, I was making songs and posting them to SoundCloud with no real goal in mind. But around senior year in high school, I was like “okay I need to make a project” because I had all these ideas and concepts spinning around in my head. But I would try to throw them together without a precise idea as to what I want to do. So my first project was my attempt of creating a solid piece of standalone art, which is something I’ve never done before.

What goes into the process of making an album for you?

I think for me it really relies upon what is inspiring to me during that moment in time. For both of the albums, I’ve made them under intense inspiration in my life. Where I am just getting ideas for songs every day and I can write with strong thematic elements. Whereas like if I’m making a single or something its usually just an individual thought or idea I want to convey. I tend to work best when I’m creating a larger body of work. It’s hard for me to convey all different emotions when it’s just one or two songs. So its really about being able to fully realize everything I want to get out.

I totally see that reflected in your music. Currents & Hearts sound like each of them lives in their own world and has their own unique sound. What can we see in your next album?

I think for the next year, I’m going to be focusing on releasing three or four singles. At this point in my career, I already have a large body of work so I’m going to try forwarding the press I’m getting and the coverage I’m getting as opposed to pouring my time into an intense project of ten songs. But for projects in the future, I’m going to try and get more honest with my songwriting, even for myself, sometimes I’ll write a song and I’m like “what am I really talking about in this song?” For me, at this point, it’s really understanding what my emotions are and the feelings I’m trying to convey in my music is and being as honest with myself as possible because I feel like that’s how you get the best songs in the end.

No 100%, I wanted to bring up the point that when it comes to rising musicians, a lot of them tend to hold off on releasing an album or an EP but you already have two bodies of work that are self-produced, self-written, which I think is extremely impressive. I wanted to pick your brain and get your thoughts on how you feel about industry trends. Where A&Rs and labels repeat the formula of songs under two minutes and pumping single after single before releasing an album or EP that’s filled with half of the singles that came out and one new song.

That’s something I feel very strongly about. I made my first two projects before I even knew “what you supposedly should be doing to be successful in music.” When people read about how to become successful it’s always “release a single a month or blah blah.” But my projects never came from a point of wanting to be successful, it was really just my passion in life, and like something I needed to do for myself because it was such a healing and therapeutic thing for me. I think it’s kind of fucked up when people are only in it to like - I don’t think you can create the right kind of art when you’re trying to follow a preconceived template for what you’re creating. At least for me, it comes naturally to me. I find it very hard to reconcile with the idea that I’m supposed to be creating this one thing to be successful. If I can continue to be honest, I think it will all work out, because I’m confident in the things I create.

What was the story behind Currents & Hearts?

Currents began as a couple of songs that I really liked. As I mentioned before I was just releasing songs on SoundCloud and I was like I can’t continue to do the same things with these because they felt more special. I really believe that when you have a - people are afraid to release a longer project in the early stages of their career, I felt that it was necessary to put this complete body of ideas and work. After I had four songs, I was trying to keep them together and in Currents, the two interludes so those were more experimental pieces for me where I was exploring my sound and seeing the possibilities of what I can do.

As far as Hearts goes I actually started the album with the first three songs. After that point, I needed to write an album based on those first three. So, that was in my year after school, throughout the winter of 2018, I was just writing and producing non-stop. The album is representative of the progression I wrote the songs in aside from “Crazy Dreams” which was a single release. It was really this progression of thoughts and ideas that came together really well in the end.

I feel like you are the definition of a “genre-bender.”

What gravitated you to not be confined to a specific genre or one specific sound?

I think that having that capability has allowed me to explore different things and go into directions I’m interested in at a certain moment. Other than saying “ah shit! this doesn’t align with my sound. I can’t do it.”

I think that with the capability of going in any direction, it really opens me up to different styles of songwriting and production. I really like the idea that I can step in and out of a genre based on what I want to write about and convey it into music.

Did growing up in Hudson influence the sound of your music?

I wouldn’t say that it did. I think that growing up in a place like this allows me to be close to nature. Growing up in this environment was really conducive to giving me a way to realize the things I want to write about.

When I was living in Harlem, I was having a hard time identifying the emotions I was having. But in nature or having a mixture between really artificial things and natural things I think is a lot easier for me to identify the feelings and the vibe I want to create within my music at the moment.

Who are you currently listening to?

One of my biggest inspirations right now is Choker. His music really inspired me. Even before I was listening to him I was into a lot of genre bending but he bends so much of like downtempo R&B with Electronic elements, I think it’s so cool. I’m really enjoying this resurgence of the 80s in music right now because I was talking to my mom about this the other day. It’s like people are bringing back the 80s sound but it feels so much more clean, crisp, and finessed than it did in the 80s with synths and dated percussion. There’s also an artist named Kacy Hill and she has a song called “I Believe In You” and I fucking love it right now, its so good.

NICK VYNER

WORDS: BELINDA UNG PHOTOS: AUSTIN KIM & WILLIAM GEOFFREY

With his candidly poetic writing that touches on topics like betrayal and the complexities of adolescence and young adulthood, Nick Vyner is claiming his space in the Indie Pop world. We’re already a few releases into 2020, and Nick is just getting started.

Music was always a prominent part of his life, being raised by a drummer for a dad and listening to legends like Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire. Born and raised in Houston, the emerging talent was classically trained, spending a majority of his childhood and teenage years singing in choir. Later in high school, Nick began exploring a more contemporary side of the music world, gaining recognition as one of the 2018 YoungArts Foundation winners in Popular Voice, and participating in the 2017 GRAMMY Camp for Vocal Performance.

Since then, the 20-year-old artist has relocated to Los Angeles, spending the last couple years developing his craft and exploring his sound.

When did you begin writing and producing?

With the stuff I have out now, I didn’t engineer any of it but I’ve been getting more acquainted with the production side for the past couple of years. I’m at the point now where a lot of the stuff I’ve made I’ve been producing myself. I’ve been taking this time to get better at all the technical things.

I know people say it all the time—what you put in is what you get out. I’m finally at a point where I’ve figured out what works for me.

Has your creative process in writing changed alongside the development of your production skills?

I label myself as a pretty inconsistent writer, even though that’s probably not true, but in the way that I craft songs.

For some songs, I have a full idea completely fleshed out in my head and need to get it out. Other times, I start working through stuff with no idea where I’m headed. That’s a lot of what’s been happening lately.

I’ve been just seeing where my gut takes me. It’s like, “What sounds good to me right now?” Half the time, I’ll come back and say, “This is so bad, no one can ever hear this.” For other songs, I’ll think, “Okay, we got something to work with here.”

How long does it take you to get to the point where you’re finished?

It’s like bringing a child into the world. Dropping a song really feels like that, especially now because I think I tend to sit on things for quite a while and sometimes it ends up burning me out.

Other times, I’ll come back to a song that I thought was done six months after with a new idea that actually finishes the song. I did it with “Tracing” and “Magic.”

Those I thought were done for quite a while but I had more ideas I had to come back to.

I’ve had a couple things lately that were done in a day.

I’ve been trying to lean a little bit more into the “less is more” idea and stopping myself early. I usually take a long time, but it’s been a little bit quicker for me.

With your last few releases, how did you meet and begin working with Stanley Rudolph, the drummer for Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera?

Yeah, we have a mutual friend named Chris Pat/Christopher Bounds who is a drummer from Memphis and played with Christina Aguilera and ZZ Ward. He’s just the most incredible human being and musician. He’s the one who connected Stanley and me, and I just got to work out the stuff we made in those first couple of sessions.

Is there a song of yours in particular that you feel drawn to?

It’s changing all the time. I think it’s really useful for me to take breaks when listening to my stuff, which, in quarantine, it’s been harder to do because I work in my bedroom and my studio’s set up in my room so I lie in bed looking at it.

Before all the drops, “Tracing” felt like the statement piece of the three (including “Magic” and “Lied To Me”).

It’s shifted back and forth, but I’m really excited about the unreleased music. I feel like it’s exactly what I’m trying to say right now.

Do you have anything that you like to refer back to when making music?

Even if I’m having an off day, I try to get something out of it that I can come back to because it’s just useful. I saw a HAIM interview about their last album [Women In Music Pt. III] and how they went into the studio everyday. They were like, “Look, you don’t have to come out with a full song. We can walk out of the studio with a great verse or a really good bridge or even just this great guitar idea.”

I’ve been trying to practice that—at least one thing everyday that I can come back to and use. A lot of the time I’ll have made a demo and end up taking the melody over the lyrics I wrote and putting it onto something else that I hear. I’ve also been, you know, trying to figure out how to navigate motifs musically and establishing that for myself.

Who are you currently listening to?

I’ve been taking this time to listen to as many different things as possible. I have so many people in my life who like all kinds of music, so I get stuff sent from every corner.

The new Aminé album [Limbo] was great. I really enjoyed that.

Angel Olsen just dropped two new singles “Waving, Smiling” and “Whole New Mess,” and those were so good. Her writing just kills me. I got a Maude Latour song that popped up on my Discover Weekly. She dropped a single called “Furniture” and it is such a good song. Oh, and Flo Milli—that whole album [Ho, why is you here?] is so good. I can’t stop.

The Phoebe Bridgers album [Punisher] is still from start to finish the best thing I’ve heard this year. Here’s the thing—I kind of view albums like a movie. That’s how I equate them in my head; an album is like a movie and a single is like a scene.

That’s kind of how I try to think about long-form projects.

It’s really interesting to see how my brain applies that to people creating tonal cohesion. But man, the Phoebe Bridgers album kind of just takes you up and down and then the last two minutes of that album is just catharsis because it’s so big and loud. I listened to it on a super cloudy early morning in L.A. I had my windows open and it was just foggy and cold outside.

I had my cup of black coffee and I just sat here at my monitors and listened to the album and was just in the zone. It was so perfect.