RZN8R On the Making Of ‘VXN Remix Album’
How does this 'VXN' Remix Album reflect your musical journey and growth as an artist?
The RZN8R music project is known for encompassing “sleepy R&B” and chilled trap. ‘VXN’ introduces my departure from that sound into something new and different. I’ve been noticing that the music that raises my frequencies lately has been world dance music as well as dance music in general. Specifically, I’ve been loving afro-beats, amapiano, baile funk, garage, jersey club, afro house and soulful house. It’s music that puts me in a happy place and I wanted to create my own songs inspired by those dance genres.
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of this remix album?
I was at Bossa Nova Civic Club, a club in Brooklyn, and I observed that the crowd reacted higher when the DJ played remixes of popular songs rather than solely original music. I could visually notice a stronger reaction from the audience to the remixed music.
I decided to make my own remixes but along the lines of female power. I wanted to remix pop divas but give them a new sonic landscape for their songs to be reinterpreted. I’ve been surrounded by female power my whole life and it’s very potent so I wanted to channel that energy. I named it ‘VXN’ pronounced “vixen” because a vixen is a very spirited and fierce woman. She has claimed and embodied her power.
I sketched out the first ideas for the album while in Los Cabos, Mexico, and rode the creative wave from there.
Which song(s) from 'VXN' Remix album do you think best represents your artistic vision?
I took a popular song from the turn of the millennium, “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera. The vocals and instrumental are in mainstream cultural ethos, as well as the song’s controversial sexual power. I wanted to rework the song in a way that was innovative and fun. Throughout this album, I kept the ideology of “lightness and enjoyment” with every sound and song I made. With my previous work, I took my production process too seriously and obsessed over every nuance. Sometimes, I would over-produce the sounds and the result would be refined but stale. For this album, I ensured the approach kept me in the mindset of having fun while making it. Also, I wanted to blend genres together that I had been listening to and had been resonating with me, in this case, baile funk from Brazil and amapiano from South Africa.
Can you recall a creative challenge that pushed your boundaries and led to a rewarding outcome?
I wanted a new genre for the bridge of “Keep Moving” to keep the listener engaged and I wanted it to speak to the lyrics. It couldn’t be an abrupt change but needed to be fresh. I wanted to see what was new and current but still spoke to me. A connection from college has a party called Habibi’s House which focuses on Middle Eastern and global dance sounds. I did a deep dive into the playlist and immersed myself with learning about Middle Eastern drums and rhythms, like the darbuka, and baladi. I placed them into the song, kept a continuous pumping four on the floor while still adding in the unique rhythms and sounds. The string phrases did not fit within Western pitch scales so I had to adapt them and give them a continuous pumping pitch common to dance music. I wanted to approach this in a way that honors the Middle East’s unique sonic palettes while still producing music that is authentic to my vision.
I think it’s easy to fall into the realm of “cultural appropriation.” I aimed to create from a place of curiosity, excitement, and respect. For every instrument I used, I learned about its unique function and message.
I utilized this approach for all of the genres that I borrowed from in ‘VXN.’ For instance, I heavily borrowed from Baile funk/funk carioca of Brazil. I learned about the characteristic “tamborzão beat” that drives the rhythms originating from Miami Bass, samba and hip-hop. I drew from my experience as a touring choirboy growing up and visiting Carnaval parties and the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and wanted to channel that energy. Also, I asked some of my Brazilian friends about their connection and feelings to the bail funk genre and what energies the genre brought out in them. I DJ’d the genre for the first time at one of friends’ parties. It was space rodeo themed and in a large warehouse in Brooklyn and the music resonated deeply with the audience. They loved the driving bass lines and slinky, syncopated rhythms. I knew I had to try the genre out for myself and discover what I could contribute.
For my day job, I sell music technology gear. One of my customers heard me playing “baile funk” on the loudspeaker and he showed me “amapiano” music. I instantly fell in love with the sound and did a deep dive on that genre as well, a genre that is also heavily present in ‘VXN.’
How do you approach understanding an artist's vision and translating it into the production process?
We discuss the vision first. What story are we telling? What message? What genre conventions should we begin with? What feeling do we want to evoke in ourselves and the listener? We can change the aspects later but it’s important to begin with something that can evolve later. It’s important to let the song take on an identity of its own and follow the vision. Creativity is not something we intentionally do, it’s something we follow and allow ourselves to be receptive to. We use our sharpened skills and intuition to follow our creativity wherever it chooses to travel.
In dance music, I usually start with the drum basics. If the drums hit right and groove, the rest of the song can be crafted around the drums. When creating, it’s important to be receptive to ideas and reach a shared energy level. I brainstorm different ideas and flesh them out. If we like it, we keep it, if we don’t like it, we don’t keep it. However, it’s important to let the ideas freely flow.
