We’ve been busy hooking some new things up this week here at the Whyd studio. There are lots of screwdrivers laying among bits of wire. Something truly awesome is coming, and we can’t wait to tell you about it…
But it is also the cat days of winter, where the cold is damp and the rain gets stuck in the air, giving up its quest for the ground. For those of us who are riding out the end of the winter, a melody has resonated. The delicate voice of Michigan’s own Sufjan Stevens delivers a heartbroken message across his signature strums and hums. “No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross" is his grief pure, a window into the place where the love for his lost mother is hiding in a corner, knee-deep in tears. He lays is bare and clear:
A brand new artist, one who used Whyd as a tool to help start her career, presents herself after releasing her very first EP, say hello to ZEN@.
Introduce yourself!
I grew up in Shanghai, and went to the States for high school and college. I love wandering around, outdoors, tech and the cosmos. The most interesting thing to me at the moment is “time.” I like to think it as an object and pretending that some things in the scale of time are fixed.
When did you start writing songs? Can you walk us through your songwriting process?
I started last fall when I was in Shanghai and traveling around Europe. I just write whenever I got an idea, and I picked four to make this album. They were all written in different ways. Both “SoundCloud" and "One Of A Million" had the chorus first, then I finished the whole songs weeks after. "Kairos" was written over an instrumental track that the producer Bravin, gave me. When I first heard this track, I had the melody of the song right away, so I just asked the producer if I can write a song over it. "Treasure Island" was fast. I wrote both the lyrics and melody in one morning. It’s not really or only about Pirates, but it’s based on an Oscar-winning documentary film.
I actually used Whyd to communicate ideas and inspirations with my producers. The playlist is the best feature for that!
Which artists have the strongest influence on your music?
Really a lot. I listen to a variety of very international music, from all over the world.
The strongest influence would be Sia. And even everything evolving around her music is so artistic.
Each of the 4 songs of your EP sound very different, what are some of the common themes that link them together?
Yes, they are! I wanted this album to have songs of very different styles initially, so it ended up like that. I worked with producers from three different countries to make them all sound different. I have many international friends and I love traveling. I guess it’s important for me to make music that has very diverse elements and feels like traveling. These four songs are still not enough to be diverse. It’s an experiment. It could be good or bad. A lot of the artists have their very distinctive music style, but I never want to have a specific style. I like changing, as long as the biggest goal is the true emotion with a good melody and lyrics.
One common theme is that they are all adventurous or about adventures.
Tell us about your song “SoundCloud.” What’s it about exactly?
It’s about graduation from college. I met many cool people in college. They have crazy hair, crazy outfit, crazy attitude, crazy dreams, and crazy cool everything. But when it’s their fourth year, everything changes. They cut their hair, start to wear black suits, delete all their social network accounts and hide in dorms to prepare for the next job interviews, mostly in finance or consulting. They said they want to work in those industries for two or three years. And afterwards, they would do whatever they are really passionate about. This is just blowing my mind.
Then I read two really good essays by Marina Keegan that talk about such phenomenon and graduation from college - “Even Artichokes Have Doubts” and “The Opposite Of Loneliness”. There are some references in “SoundCloud” from her essays. She was going to be a writer for The New Yorker, but died in a car accident just five days after her graduation from Yale in 2012. It’s really sad. She’s so talented and so inspirational.
What are your plans to develop and promote yourself in 2015?
I don’t know if I will have time to promote haha
The priority is to write more good music.
I definitely hope more people will hear my music. I am also designing and building some stuff. It is primarily about music, but it will also be some other things about creativity. I will probably share some of my crazy inventions there, too. I have more songs to be released very soon.
We’re only at the middle of February, on the historically superstitious day of Friday the 13th, and already one of the year’s biggest releases has reverberated around the globe propelling the single to the top of the Hot Tracks here in Paris. Kendrick Lamar just scooped up a GRAMMY for best rap performance for “i” (for which he also claimed the much more prestigious Whyd Track of the Weekend), and his newest effort “The Blacker The Berry" encapsulates the perilous state of race, spitting his signature verses with anger across reggae calls all summed up with the proud statement: "The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice."
A big thanks to Encee x Kalab’s for getting it to Whyd first!
Onward. The next installment of our awesome Playlist of Reference series moves to the eccentric world of Jazz, curated by one of the Whyd team members, the one that wears bowties with ducks on them. Let’s get the story behind the playlist:
When did you start listening to Jazz?
I went to a jazz club once on a high school trip to New York City. There was something so alluring about the environment. I felt like we were there to listen to the musicians, not just there to listen to a repertoire of music performed by a band I liked. No two performances can be the same.
Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Jazz started speaking to you?
Seeing Jazz live was always special, but I admit I didn’t listen to it much outside of those occasions. It wasn’t until I was working on art projects when I lived in New York City that I would put on Jazz radio as my soundtrack to creation.
Recently here in Paris, the advent of Electro Swing and Electro Jazz, combined with the awesome Whyd community, have given me more reasons to listen to it!
What are some example situations when you would listen to this playlist yourself?
Jazz is Sunday afternoons. Painting, working on art projects, writing, reading. Jazz is unique in the sense that it can be the soundtrack to anything you want. For me, it fades into my thoughts, giving them a hop they wouldn’t normally have.
If you had to choose just one track from this playlist, which one would be your favorite?
God I hate this question! (And I wrote it!) but I just think that Duke Ellington hits the notes that I would hit if I were a legendary musician. Particularly “Jeep’s Blues.” It’s got a vibrancy in its sadness, and it’s catchy as hell.
The cold is instilled in our bones here in Paris. Our breaths smoke like dragons. Les chauffages are bien allumés. Luckily for us, there is sound, and when that sound is beautiful, with a little boogie, it’s enough to shake the chill from our souls.
This week that funk is “Vanilla Fraise" (Strawberry Vanilla) by L’Impératice, a light-hearted romp that is reminiscent of the glory days of Rinôçérôse or Air, French electronica at its most delicious. It’s easy to see why it was the most popular track on Whyd this week.
The French artist THYLACINE, originally from Angers, just received the honor of the track of the weekend with “Closing” feat. Dyllan. It’s the third track on his new EP “Exil” which came out last week. So how does the EP stack up?
Released: January 26, 2015
Genres: Electronic, minimal, trip hop
Tracks: 4
Who would like this EP?
Fans of Wood Kid’s orchestral harmonies, and people who like Kavinsky’s beats.
Our thoughts:
Though there are certainly some unique elements at play, mashing harmonies on top of the hollowness of something deep, this EP is a product of a lot that came before it. The highlight track, “Closing,” features the pleasantly subdued and haunting voice of Dyllan, an element that could’ve taken the other tracks on “Exil" much further. Instead the three other tracks swerve between strings, minimal beats, and trip, making for a pleasant listen but one that remains more shallow than complex.
Hello! When did you start WiseSound? How did you get the idea?
Hello Whyd! Before I was in the habit of sending a bunch of MP3s of new discoveries in electro-pop, rock, or techno-house in monthly emails to about 50 of my friends, along with a list of concerts coming up that month with the question: “who’s coming with me?” Basically it was to share my new favorites and have some company when I went to see their shows… The lists got longer and longer and a few people recommended that I put it online. WiseSound has existed since January 2014. It’s our first birthday!
You do a lot of live reviews on WiseSound. What are the fundamental parts of a good live review? Do you ever give bad live reviews?
To give a great show, you need emotion. Whether it’s the crazy jumps of Birth of Joy or the crystal voice of Goldfrapp with a classical orchestra, the performance must be felt like a trance that connects the group to their audience. I try not to be objective, that’s not the goal, but to be faithful to what I’m witnessing in that moment. I even admit sometimes to shedding a tear, completely transported.
I also write when I am disappointed about shows, when I was bored with the nonchalance of The Drums or the last sloppy performance of WhoMadeWho who seemed like they preferred to have fun rather than playing their tracks properly. I describe the scene but also the audience, and in doing that there are also a couple of fun bits that come out of it all.
For festivals, I would like to do more video reports like for the Plages Electroniques but I don’t have a good camera yet! Check this out!
How do you pick which album of the month to review?
Now that is purely subjective. The album of the month is supposed to be the album where I appreciate every track without skipping any of them. For example I didn’t find an album like this between the new Black Strobe in October and the Ghost Culture album in January, so I didn’t do the feature.
Sometimes, I feature an album that’s not very recent, like PVT's album from 2013 for example, where I just absolutely had to talk about it, so much had I listened to it enthusiastically on repeat. Taking a step back, I realize that these are usually very rich albums presenting sonic research or unexpected rhythms, and an explosive mix of multiple genres. The group must not close itself into producing the same pop track from 1 to 12, that's boring as hell. So that's why I love groups like Bot’Ox, those who touch everything and with verve! Everything that stays in my electro-pop, rock, and techno-house head, of course.
How do you select tracks for your playlist series WiseList? Who should listen to these playlists?
Everyday, I listen to the latest releases and the small lines in festival line ups to find new tracks, I also keep up to date with magazine, blogs, and other publications. And as soon as one resonates with me, hop! I add it to Whyd. Then I go through those tracks every two weeks cutting out everything except for 20 straight up bombs.
Who should listen to WiseLists? Well everyone in the world, of course! The alternative rock barflies, just like the dancers at electro parties, or people let down by what’s on FM wavelengths. Maybe even people with a penchant for underground or those who are sick of commercial dance and R&B.
From the synth-pop to the house-techno passing by rock, the specter is rather large to please everyone. Dare to discover something else: very talented artists who need you to hear them or simply to continue to create!
Do you have any plans for 2015 and beyond?
For the moment the project is still small and new but ideas are coming together. Maybe starting to build a voluntary team, constructing partnerships around events, finding a webmaster to improve the site and propose different interactions between visitors, bring in video formats for interviews. I’ve received a few propositions, need to consider them… In any case, I will continue to promote people that deserve it and I will try to bring more and more people with me to concerts using contests with free places to win!
You know their song “Stolen Dance,” you know how well it rhymes with their name, but what else do you know about Milky Chance? The German duo answers your questions in this Whyd interview:
Your humble beginnings are well-documented. When you were in your home-made studio cutting “Sadnecessary" what were your realistic expectations?
We did not have any expectations. We just enjoyed the time making music and producing. There was nothing special we wanted to achieve. Music was just always our passion!
How long had you been writing the songs on “Sadnecessary?” The depth of the lyrics implies that they are polished, or were those songs more spontaneous?
Stolen Dance took two and half years to write! We had some parts very early but the rest came to us very late. But there were other songs who came into existence in the studio within 15 minutes. In whole the album took us about two years… in any case, sometimes there are these strong feelings that make you write a song in a very short time.
You probably get asked this all the time, but where does the name Milky Chance come from?
There is no story behind the name but there are often days when we ask ourselves how we came up with this stupid name :)
It was just that we had always several bands where we played, and we had written down some potential names and there came the day we had to choose one - we decided spontaneously!
What was the best concert you have ever attend?
One of the best we’ve been to was the concert of James Blake, last December.
What was it like to perform at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC?
It was our first gig in the USA, so a very big step for us!
Heavy wet snowflakes are falling here in Paris, and winter feels real. There is an indoor feeling, something cozy and warm, calling for a musical cocoon to envelop us. A perfect track for that cocoon is this week’s Track of the Weekend. “Closing" by THYLACINE feat. Dyllan is steady like the ocean waves, elevated on the wings of a soft, angelic voice until it drives through the build and attaches itself firmly into your memory.
The emerging French artist THYLACINE (which was the largest marsupial carvinore, also known as a Tazmanian Tiger, but is sadly now extinct) released his EP “Exil” this week, something to definitely get your hands on.
Thanks (comme d’hab!) to Le Coup du Lapin for slipping it into our streams this week!
Another week, another installment in our new series delivering you trendy subgenre Playlist of References curated with love and attention from our community of music lovers. But it’s not enough just to accept the music, we also want the story behind the curation. This week it’s Collective Soul curated by the creator of Underground Playlist, Sal Cannata.
When did you start listening to Collective Soul?
Collective Soul is a recent addition to my playlist catalogue on Whyd. Soul music has always been one of my favorite genres and I have seen a big change in how it has been implemented in music the past several years. Generally when one thinks of Soul they tie it in with R&B but with all the cross-genre experimenting going on, a lot of Soul-based music has translated into a unique style of Indie music that touches the boundaries of other genres. Despite the different genre influences of these particular songs they all sound so right when placed next to each other. I thought it would be great to put together a sample of this kind of music that we feature on Underground Playlist and showcase a new wave of Soul music to the Whyd community.
Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Collective Soul started speaking to you?
Totally. I live for this kind of music. Soul singers bring a lot of passion to each lyric. The artists in these songs have a great way of conveying emotion and I connect with that a lot. It seems like whether these particular songs contain certain elements of Pop, Rock, R&B, or Electronic, the aspect of Soul brings everything together and connects with me in a big way.
What are some example situations when you would listen to this playlist yourself?
I find that the overall tone of this playlist centers around relaxation. That could be useful in pretty much any situation except for maybe the dance club. For me, I’ve found this playlist to be a great listen towards the end of the day as things wind down. Everyone listens to music differently so this playlist can be used for all sorts of things like during work, cooking dinner, lounging with your friends, the list goes on!
If you had to choose just one track from this playlist, which one would be your favorite?
It’s hard to choose just one track out of the 80+ in the playlist. From a Whyd experience the Robin Schulz remix of “Waves” is one of my favorite finds on Whyd. I remember just browsing around and clicking on the song to see what it was about and instantly became a fan. I love how a bootleg can turn into a mainstream hit a year or so later. It’s rare and awesome that I was able to witness that journey early in the game. When I would hear the song on the radio in front of my friends I’d make sure to let them know how long ago I first heard this song and where I found it. Thanks for the bragging rights Whyd! :)
From a more musical standpoint, Ben Howard’s cover of Keisza’s song “Hideaway” blows me away every time. I love how an artist can flip a song and give it a brand new feel. A few others that never get old to me are Jordan Bratton - “The Grey,” Harper - “Animal,” Shy Girls - “Renegade,” Ari Lennox - “Bound,” The Prince Fox remix of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” and the newly added Kevin Garrett - “Coloring.” There are so many that I love but those are some standouts in this playlist. Stay tuned as I plan to update Collective Soul with new additions as time goes on!
Thanks Underground Playlist! Check out the personal account of the creator of Underground Playlist, Sal Cannata for more Indie Soul and extra tracks!