There’s a story behind every track, or at least the good ones.
Welcome to our new music discovery feature, Listening Room, in which we share a stream of a new track and ask its creator about making it.
Today we talk to Kelly Sylvia about her track Remedy (Beatport | Traxsource | iTunes | WPP | Juno Download).
Is this your label, Kelly? This is new, right?
Yes, Blood & Stone is my newly launched label. The last few years or so have been quite transitional for me. A lot has changed in my personal life and I feel like I’ve been going through somewhat of a rebirth. I had already been releasing tracks on a previous imprint of mine but the concept of it didn’t feel right and as I’ve been experimenting with my sound and constantly exploring my creative self, so I felt it needed to reflect that in a more expressive way not just musically but artistically.
I have always been a visual arts person which has led way to an interest in poetry and using imagery in writing. With Blood & Stone I want to explore more of these interests instead of just releasing beats to dance to. I also think what we create should reflect who we are. The name Blood & Stone is a reference to what we’re made of – all the differeing facets and emotions we have as human beings – love/hate, joy/sadness, foolishness/seriousness – that when we put them all together they produce great things. God that sounds so serious… For the record, I take my music seriously, but don’t like to take myself too seriously… Guess I’m just a bit of a romantic!
Tell us the story behind “Remedy”, from the original conception to the final mix.
I’ve been writing a lot over the past year or so but a very small percentage makes it through my perfectionist filter to see the light of day. Remedy was the first track that in a weird way actually kind of finished itself. I had been going through a lot of emotions in my life related to my relationships and I was having a weird relationship with my creativity too. I was asking myself a lot of questions and there were lot of ups and downs which meant things were going unfinished. It sounds cliche but I had that eureka moment where I realised these emotions were all a part of the creative process as well as a normal part of my relationships. So I just embraced that and let it take me along for the ride. In simplest terms, Remedy is about that journey. And coming to the realisation that these feelings can be baffling and at times uncomfortable but if you stick with them, the result is rewarding.
The remixes here are very simple – no wild interpretations to cross genres, no other remixers at all, actually. Why?
Maybe I shouldn’t really call them remixes – I guess I see them more as variations. It’s really hard for me to write a track without exploring different ways it could sound. But since I’m a very detailed oriented person – even the smallest difference in something I can find impactful. I guess they are just a reflection of my mood and I was just experimenting with ideas. They all come from me so there’s a common vibe but there are different facets to my character too and I wanted to be able to express that. I’m not opposed to getting remixers, but it was always my intention with the label to not just do one mix. I just wanted to see where I would take each track.
Awhile back, when Erica interveiwed you for 5 Mag, you mentioned you wouldn’t call what you do singing as much as experimenting. This is full on singing, though. This is a vocal track. It’s a song. This is a big deal, right?
Haha! Yeah I guess it kind of is a big deal now (cover blown! ;)) ! I’ve always been writing and singing – mainly for myself – and knew I wanted to eventually incorporate it into my own tracks but wasn’t ready to push the boat out until now. Singing is really just another tool to express myself and what I’m feeling. I’m still trying to find my voice so to speak but more importantly, singing is very spiritual and cathartic for me. I’m doing it for me and if it resonates with someone along the way that’s a huge bonus.
You can reach Kelly via Facebook, Twitter and on SoundCloud.
“Remedy” was released last Friday by Blood & Stone is available now from Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, WPP, and Juno Download.
