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We have caught up with some of the artists from SGV7, to ask about their song, what it means to feature on a compilation such as Sui Generis: Volume 7, and a whole lot more!
Artist 1: CARADON
What inspired your contribution to this mixed genres compilation?
"Ride The Lightning was born out of a Razennous project, primarily the 4-on-the-floor section near the beginning of the track. I heard it while I was on call with him and he was surfing through projects, and I immediately said “Ok, you’ve GOTTA send that over to me” (I love it when that actually works). I stayed on call with him and messed around with a few minor things while moving towards the dubstep drop. As much as I think my contributions to the track were good, the highlight for me is still the 4-on-the-floor section Raz made initially; it perfectly encapsulates the kind of energy he has, and can bring to any project."
Can you share a bit about your musical background and journey into the EDM scene?
"My Mum always tried to get me into theory from a young age, but the thought of staring at sheet music for hours disgusted me. I started going to music groups near where I used to live (the generally dreary and upsetting location of Stoke-on-Trent), and upon reflection, they were immensely valuable. These groups were held in a massive room at the back of a church; they had around 8 Macs set up with Ableton 9 Suite + MIDI keyboards and Launchpads dotted around everywhere. They really gave me the itch for music tech and collaborative work. Since then, I’ve mainly been exploring different scenes online. I met Raz through the Fox Stevenson discord server (back when he was primarily a visual artist); he made the majority of cover art for my previous alias (Andy the Jay)."
How would you describe the overall vibe or theme of your track on the compilation?
"Ride The Lightning - in most places - is high energy fun (similar to a lot of other Razennous tracks). I think I brought some more weird stuff to the table; I don’t think Raz would’ve gone for something like the 2nd drop by himself because - admittedly - it’s quite an extreme deviation. Furthermore, I like to think the ending (which I primarily wrote) is inspired by the works of Murray Gold (the main composer for a lot of modern Doctor Who)."
Can you walk us through your creative process when producing your track?
"Upon snatching the project from Raz, I knew the section that came after the 4-on-the-floor should probably be a little break from the energy, so I threw in the massive reverb-y piano, and realised I’d essentially just made a bridge section. The drop after that section (of which the bones are really just re-sampled and altered sounds from the first drop) came pretty naturally to us because Raz and I are pretty experienced when it comes to dubstep (see Razennous - Over My Head, or my flip of Shaft - Sway).If I remember correctly, the 2nd drop comes from a call at around 1am UK time, where I went: “What if I just did this, cause it’d be funny”, and pretty much just threw together an 8 bar section for a laugh. Ended up working pretty decently though I reckon."
Were there any unique challenges you faced while working on your song for this compilation?
Raz is one of the most skilled musicians and producers I know, but sadly, he’s on the other side of the world to me. Finding times where we’re both available (and not really tired) can be difficult, but we thugged it out in the end."
Artist 2: INVENTA
How do you feel your track adds to the diversity of the compilation?
"I feel like there's such a particular flavor in my simple sound design and in how I arrange my tracks that makes it feel so different from what the other people on the compilation have brought."
Can you share any behind-the-scenes anecdotes or interesting stories from the making of your track?
"This track was initially supposed to be MUCH heavier. The orchestral vibe was going to lead into a much more intense drop, but on a whim I loaded a marimba patch and played around with a lead line over top of the basses I had and the drop just moved around so much cleaner."
How do you approach blending different genres in your music, and how does that manifest in your contribution to this compilation?
"Typically I'm not making music with a specific genre in mind, it's much more a feeling I'm trying to convey in my music. Crossing genre boundaries is just sort of a natural part of the process at this point. In "EVERYTHING," I just wanted to convey the feeling of wanting to try everything!"
Were there any moments where you had to push through creative blocks or doubts while working on your track?
"Absolutely. For several months I only had the first half of the song itself as I'd found myself in a huge block for a while. Eventually I just loaded up some drum pads on a synth and started randomly playing this sporadic rhythm and it inspired the entire midsection."
How does it feel to be part of a compilation that showcases emerging talent in the EDM scene and also showcases a vast array of mixed genres too?
"It feels great! I love all of the tracks showcased and I have nothing but love and respect for the other artists on this compilation. It's always so cool to see so many different ways of making music showcased in one place!"
Artist 3: daycomet
What advice would you give to other aspiring artists who are navigating the challenges of breaking into the industry?
"Kind of a bold question to ask, considering I have been one to see absolutely no success “breaking into the industry” up to this point haha, but I guess a couple of pointers I would give are (1) connect with every producer you find interesting and/or you look up to. Literally nothing can go wrong with this, and even if it doesn’t work out in the end you still tried. I’ve made a lot of connections with ppl who are talented like that. (2) LISTEN to people who are better than you at making music when it comes to constructive criticism, but also know when to reject certain unnecessary pieces of criticism from others that contradict your vision of the song. At the end of the day, you’re making music for yourself, not for other artists. Still listen to every piece of feedback, though; good feedback application = better song = more interest in your music = swag profit. (3) Don’t gatekeep your unreleased music. If you fw your music, wouldn’t you wanna show it to like, literally everyone? The way I’ve gotten people tapped into my music is just being like “yo I make music u wanna hear lowk” and most times out of 10 they’ll be like “sure” and BOOM I got a new fan. Just figure out who would like your music the most and seize the opportunity when provided one!"
In what ways do you think technology has influenced your approach to music production, especially in the context of this compilation?
"Well, technology quite literally carries my whole music production career, especially on this song. I would say the same for the other people off this compilation, too. Without technology like DAWs and plugins and stuff, how would we have made the bangers off this compilation? DAWs, VSTs, mixer effects, etc make up the entirety of my song. Also shout out FL Studio FLEX plugin, wish I had that in Ableton tbh."
What message or emotion do you hope your track conveys to listeners, particularly those who may be discovering your music for the first time?
To be honest, although I wrote this song to have a set meaning, I think this song could have multiple meanings and feelings to different people. I’ll leave it up to the listener to immerse themselves fully into this song.
How do you envision listeners experiencing your track, whether it's on the dance floor or in a more introspective setting?
"Memory garden–alongside a lot of my other present (and future) work–is something that definitely needs to be seen with a different perspective, viewed more as an art piece rather than just a “song” in my opinion. I typically convey a lot of my own feelings in the most accurate way possible through my music, so you definitely got to listen to the songs I make more thoughtfully if you really want to get the most out of it. Not to say that stuff I’ll drop in the future though are going to be solely focused on trying to appear as “art,” per se; I have a lot of songs that will be written in that way that you can for sure go off to for sure! Not sure if it’ll be built for the dance floor though, especially for stuff like senior year prom. They usually save songs like Gangnam Style, Crank That and Mo Bamba for that. And I guess Carnival by Kanye West or something nowadays. This song is NOT built for the dance floor lol."
Artist 3: Phorizon
Can you share any insights into how your personal experiences or emotions shaped the direction of your track?
"This song initially started as a part in a collab with my friends for a joke collective comp. My section was way too good to be on that collective, so i had to take it out and move it to a far better place LOL! For a long time i didn't have any ideas to extend and finish that track. As the deadline approached, i began to start working on it again and just had fun with it, the track slowly started to become what it is today. I am really proud of this one."
How important is it for artists to stay true to their unique style and vision, even when collaborating on compilations like this?
"Staying true to your style and vision is the same as being yourself. For example: there won't be anything unique if everybody copies everybody or the same source, like, what if you have a mind blowing idea that could change the industry forever, you know? Its this uniqueness that gives artists their own identity. One can take all their influences and inspirations combined and shape it into their own sound and style."
What role do you see music playing in society, especially during challenging times like the ones we're facing today (such as AI artwork and audio creation programs)
"It isn't hard to point out an AI song right now. This is changing really fast tho! I feel like the music that people put their heart and soul to is more important for the listener rather than a completely generated thing. The feeling that the artist wants to bring to the listener is far more important than just generated content, which is something an AI can't do."
What are your thoughts on the future of EDM and how it intersects with other genres?
"I think EDM is starting to become so huge that genres are beginning to fuse together, creating weirder, hybrid and all sorts of combinations, and that is really good. With stuff branching out from IDM to EDM, we're starting to see the industry change in front of our eyes. Music will not be the same as time goes on. This leads to a lot of creative and unique ideas that will probably result in new genres."
Is there a particular moment or memory from your journey as an artist that has profoundly influenced your music?
"The most important moment from my journey is my first contact with the DAW. I have never felt so much joy and power on my hands like that day. Another notable memory, this one leans more to my personal side but, i am only making the music i enjoy today because of my favorite musician of all time, False Noise. There is a specific song from them that marked a point in my life where i truly found myself and who i wanted to be as a person and as an artist."
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