Skaivi On the Making Of “Selene Of The Night”
What was the creative process like for this particular track?
“Selene Of The Night” is one of those songs that took many months to bring fully to life. I’m not sure about the exact amount of time I took on it, but it was definitely close to a year. I started being in total creation mode with this song after finding a rough idea I had stored in my Logic projects. It was a few layers of various arpeggiated synthesizers, which would become the intro to it. I built on that more, and I’m pretty sure, at first, I just played around with a really cool bassy synth I found that added a darker vibe to the song. I thought of a simple sounding progression that I believed sounded epic with the arpeggios. I didn’t particularly plan anything out, like a lot of my work…I just kept moving on from one part to the next–often with the bassy synthesizer leading the way–and went with the flow. Each part inspires the next, and I don’t know what I'll end up with, so it’s neat to just see where the journey takes you. And, of course, because I love layers, I made sure to add many of them in this song–from the main melody synthesizers, to the lower end, to the ambient pads. Layers help to make it sound more immersive and full, and really add to the magical atmosphere. After I finished the instrumental part of the piece, with exception of some tweaking here and there, I decided to write some lyrics for it, as I thought that vocals would complement it well. For some reason, I’ve always wanted to write a song about either Greek or Roman gods and goddesses, so I started heading in that direction with the lyrical content. When Selene, the goddess of the moon, came to mind, I knew that she would be the perfect topic for a song that sounds like this. So icey and dark, and dramatic, yet so cinematic and beautiful. I did research her a bit more to make sure I got the lore down correctly in the lyrics and that I didn't accidentally mischaracterize her. When I started writing, I wanted the lyrics to reflect that she is a powerful moon goddess, yet have a comforting feel to them. After I came up with lyrics, I messed around with different melodic vocal ideas that could fit into the song, which was pretty simple. That’s the main gist of what happened creatively.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "Selene Of The Night" to life?
So, I’m the producer for this track. As someone who worked with me, I think I’m a pretty decent team member, haha. Just too much of a perfectionist at times. Someone should let that Skaivi lady know that she should focus more on the fun and experimentation instead of needing to come up with a masterpiece for everything she creates! I’m also technically the “recording engineer,” which just means recording my vocals with a USB-attached Shure microphone under a blanket and recording the same lines a million times. You gotta make it with what you got! The mixing and mastering engineer is this really talented musician named Yarku. I sent him all the separate tracks (or stems, as some call them) for the song, along with a demo I made and a general idea of what I wanted the final product to sound like, and he sent back an amazing mix and master! His skills really elevated the song. A good mix and master is extremely important. It’s what makes music have a clear and high quality sound to it, and it can also often make or break the success of a song.
What impact do you hope "Selene Of The Night" will have on your audience?
I hope that my song can help them cope with their struggles, or even just help them relax from life a bit. Nighttime can be especially hard for many people, as that’s when you’re most alone with yourself and your thoughts. I wanted to try and help turn the situation around to be like, “The moon, up there, glowing in the sky, is here for you. You’re not all alone. Feel the serenity and calmness of the night. See the millions of stars shining. Meditate on it. And, when you’re ready, be whisked away into a peaceful slumber that will bring on a fresh day with a new start.”
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in music?
Sure! Hello there, wonderful reader. I’m Skaivi, from Chicago. I make electronic music. I pretty much live and breathe music. I not only write and produce it, but I listen to it all the time. I love finding new things to listen to and new ways to create. I started music with the intention of making EDM-aligned electronic, but I removed those borders from myself and found out that the type of electronic I love most is the kind that’s more on the experimental side, and more ethereal, often gothic…so, that’s the kind I’ve been creating lately. I’m inspired by many artists, but especially inspired by Grimes. She’s the reason I started learning music production at 17. I have been into music since I was as young as I could remember, but professionally and seriously, I started writing my first lyrics ever at 13. Tyler Joseph, and my mother, who was a lyricist herself, were big inspirations for that. I don’t recall there being a pivotal, “I have to become a musician!” moment. I’ve just truly always felt music and music creation in my blood. I somehow automatically knew that I would be a musician before I knew anything else in life. Music always felt natural to me.
Are there any genres or styles you'd like to explore in the future?
Definitely! I’ve been a big lover of heavy metal music since I was around 16, I think. Honestly, for the past few years, it has been a dream of mine to eventually form a metal band in the future. Right now, I’m focusing on my solo career only, but getting together a band is absolutely one of the musical endeavors I have to complete in the future. I’m not sure exactly what style it would be in, but I would be down for anything from symphonic metal to alternative metal. For the former, I’d want to brush up on my opera skills, as it has been quite a few years since I’ve taken lessons with a professional. For the latter, I’d for sure want to learn how to do harsh vocals like screaming and growling, though safely, of course! When I think about other genres, if we’re talking about the nearer future, I want to keep exploring various ones like witch house and experimental, and incorporate it even more into my music. I also think it’d be awesome to release a fun Lady Gaga styled dance-pop EP or something. I think that pop music is missing that sort of unique, electronic excitement these days. When’s the last time we saw something like “Telephone” or “Bad Romance” from pop musicians? I really miss that, so it would be great to bring it back, at least temporarily.