Kleo Caplan On the Making OF “Monachopsis”
What was the creative process like for this particular "Monachopsis?"
”Monachopsis” was finished in parts throughout a period of like 2 years. when I set out to make my debut EP, I had a specific vision of what things should sound like. The beat selection had lots to do with the storytelling element of the EP and what I wanted to say on each track which allowed me to build this world around the EP with sonic choices. It was very fun and challenging working on “Monachopsis” and after 2 years of working on it, it finally became something very beautiful I get to share 😊
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "Monachopsis" to life?
“Monachopsis” was produced entirely by me. Working on it for a prolonged period really allowed me to go into extreme detail yet also see the bigger picture in its production. The emphasis on wanting this song to connect with someone who felt that the world can be two-faced was the core of how the sound design was influenced. It has layers on layers that bring out a beautiful ambient bed on the track that a normal listener may perceive as a single layer of music yet it’s a quite detailed session. I also have made the preliminary mix myself til I sent it to my mixing engineer who helped me with the EP, Robin brought more professional taste and techniques that brought out the vibes and standards that I was looking for.
What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
I made the music video at a time when I was burnt out just after the EP’s release and had gotten the flu that was going around so it was a pretty hectic process haha. My Favorite part is definitely the bathtub scene because I got to recreate my cover art for BLIND and bring it to a new visual world for “Monachopsis.” Plus it was the most challenging because not only did I have to get over my fear of bathtubs for every scene, I had to stay still as much as I could because the glass behind me would reflect the setup and most of the upper chest did not have makeup so things would look mismatched haha.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
Yes, of course, I made my debut at the start of 2020 with veryyyy minimal musical background. Since then I’ve been blessed to release 9 singles and an EP as well as perform in cool places such as atop the Uki insect which is a bug-shaped buggy full of speakers. I mainly write songs around my life experiences, and I want to bring in people who also relate to what I go through to my world whether it’s through the songs that speak on betrayal, accepting yourself in a way authentic to you or even songs that make us feel good like my track Gucci Girl! I always share bits and pieces of my life on social media and that makes me feel close to my people.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
Honestly, it changes faster than my mood. I’ve had songs that were inspired by the people around me, or feelings they evoked within me. I have songs that tell a story of a friend I know and some that are a result of reflections upon myself and what I’m doing. It’s not always a stable source of inspiration which is why songs take me time to write, granted that they would be satisfactory to me. But I also do write songs that are more general and copy paste like what everyone else is doing, its really about the balance in the art and what I feel like that day, am I going to write a really evocative song or let’s all shake ass to a typical trap beat, no one knows.
