C.H.A.Y., the Flordia native, just released his electro house EP, Travel Far, on the prominent label mau5trap. Almost 9-minutes long, the EP kicks off C.H.A.Y.’s journey through sound. The new EP displays his production versatility and unique creativity within his diverse vibrations.
Speaking on behalf of his new EP, the young artist himself states,
“My EP ‘Travel Far’ takes the driving sounds of techno and electro, infusing dark cutting bass swells, hits, sequences, atmospheres, and rhythms with a balance of melodies in-between. Music has always been a way to escape and reflect on life, and that’s something I wanted to hit on specifically throughout my EP.”
C.H.A.Y.
C.H.A.Y. has spent the past few years building himself within the Orlando underground music scene. As a child, he grew a strong interest for the piano and drums. Developing his music sense on his own, he later on found a love for the electricity of house and techno where he found himself producing his own work.
Performing all over the world, he continues to showcase his raw and unique talent. C.H.A.Y.’s music has made onto record labels such as mau5trap, Dirtybird and Toolroom. He is inspired by many including Claude VonStroke, Gesaffelstein, deadmau5, and Daft Punk. His love for electronic music continues to grow as he dives more into his creativity with sound and production.
Exclusive Interview With C.H.A.Y.
Cheyanne with Festival Squad: How did you first make your way into finding a passion for the electronic genre, specifically house and techno?
C.H.A.Y.: I’ve always had a passion for music in general, but the electronic hits of the early 2000’s really struck me as something I loved. I was about five years old at the time and I’ve loved electronic music since. Over the years I developed a sense of what I liked in the genre which lead me towards making house and techno as well as other styles on the side.
FS: What is one thing you want listeners to take away from the music you create? A creative aspect of yours that makes your music unique.
C.H.A.Y.: Anything they want, any feeling they have. As introspective as I am, I’d hope that someone understands the music in their own way like I do. A creative aspect of my music is that I like to record a lot of things by hand, I use analog gear and field recordings to make the sounds one of a kind.
FS: You’ve mentioned writing “Floxen” was an emotional rollercoaster. You had no idea what you were going to say lyrically before turning the mic on. Can you tell us a little more about the lyrics. Without knowing what you were going to sing, what was the emotion and meaning behind the words you developed on the track?
C.H.A.Y.: I wrote the track around the passing of a close family member. I was thinking about life, the inevitable, what we do in between, and how we’ll never know what the future holds. I just sang and the words came out without thinking about it. Listening back was when the meaning really hit me, we’re all human and each of us has a path of our own.
FS: What was your creative process behind Travel Far? What was your most favorite track to create and why?
C.H.A.Y.: I try to let the tracks write themselves, the sounds determine what I write usually. One sound can inspire a whole song. I can’t say one is a favorite over the other, but I can say “Crime” was an analog only experiment out of the three where as the rest have field recordings in them.
FS: You’ve performed with artists such as Louis The Child, Golfclap, Amtrac and others. Should your fans be expecting any new collaborations in the future?
C.H.A.Y.: Yes…more than one.
FS: At a young age, your interest in piano and drums played a huge roll in your musical career. Do you ever perform live playing instruments such as the piano and drums?
C.H.A.Y.: I plan to one day. I use to do an ableton live set with a midi keyboard but I’ve been spinning on decks for most of the performances I’ve done recently.
FS: Are you preparing your fans for a tour in the near future?
C.H.A.Y.: Yes, but who knows how near the future is. We’ll have to wait and see.