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Interview with "Velvetine" (Aruna & Myon/Shane54) Live @ JCC 1 Dec

Started by Gober, 26/11/12, 10:09

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For those unaware, Velvetine is the EDM group that consists of DJ/production duo Myon & Shane54 and American singer-songwriter Aruna. The three made the decision to form the Velvetine project after collaborating in 2009 on 'Helpless ' because they had ideas for tracks that didn't exactly fit into the Myon & Shane54 clubby vibe and the trance vocals Aruna had been associated with.

"We wanted a musical outlet free from the confines and impositions of typical club music, a place we could really pour all our musical training into and take more risks," says Aruna.

Velvetine's first official track "Safe" was released in August 2009 on Anjunabeats Volume 7. Immediately intrigued by the familiar vocals and progressive, ethereal sound, fans were thrilled to find out that three of their favorite artists had formed an offshoot EDM group. Armin van Buuren liked the song so much that he created an intro mix for it as well as a mashup of 'Safe' with his own track 'Face To Face.'

Besides taking elements from trance and progressive music, Velvetine's influences are all over the board, deriving from classical musicians like Chopin and Debussy, jazz-fusion artists The Yellowjackets and Pat Metheny, film scoring legend Thomas Newman, downtempo greats Late Night Alumni and Ulrich Schnauss and even pop music.

"The Velvetine sound is the place where all three of our tastes overlap," says Shane.

Here is our interview:


1. What was the reason for unifying three great talents under one name and what does Velvetine represent?

Aruna: We decided to form Velvetine because in the process of working on our first track together "Helpless", we realized that we all have this creative urge to make something a little different from typical club tracks, something more musically sophisticated, where we could stretch our legs more. We all have such diverse backgrounds in terms of what we like to listen to, so were looking for a more artistic project to pour ourselves into. Also for me I was looking to get away from the whole 'featuring' thing, I wanted a format where all of us were equal.

2. How does the artistic development work in the Velvetine studio? Who typically writes the lyrics, develops the melodies, chooses the basslines?

Aruna: All the lyrics are done by me, and those always come last. I write all my own vocal melodies as well, although Myon oftentimes will have suggestions with those, hold that first note longer, change that last line etcetera. Chord progressions we usually write together. Pretty much all the production is done by Myon, but I do prefer to comp and edit my own vocals. I usually have a very specific sound that I'm looking for and am very meticulous about combing through every take to hunt for the best performance for each line. It's a lot like editing a film in a way, I really enjoy that part of the process.

3. Given the current trends in electronic dance music today what direction is Aruna planning to head? Progressive, Trance, House? Something new?

Aruna: I'm still finding my feet a bit, honing in on my sound, and of course it will vary somewhat depending on who I'm working with, but the heart of what I do is this pop sensibility that I bring to my writing. I was a pop artist and writer long before I got into dance music. I really love how simple and logical and memorable those melodies and song structures are. I intend to bring that to every track I do, no matter the genre, although I'm always trying to broaden my melodic language and say things in new ways.

4. As a child what type of music did your parents listen to and has it influenced you today?

Aruna: My folks were big into 70s music, especially that folky, California-tinged flavor of it: Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, Linda Rondstadt, The Eagles, so I would say yes I was heavily influenced by all that, even though I was so young at the time that I didn't realize it. To this day I still love it. Every time I hear America's "Horse With No Name" on the radio I instantly feel 7 years old again.

5. What was the first album you ever fell in love with and why was it so magical?

HAruna: Hard to say. When you're a little kid you fall in love with someone's music for silly reasons, but Madonna's Like A Virgin and Duran Duran's Rio were definitely at the top of my list. Madonna to little Aruna was just the coolest girl ever, so liberated and raw, such a rebel, so pretty. I definitely wanted to be like her, as did most young girls back then. And Duran Duran of course I was completely in love with, I had posters of them all over my room! But listening back to their music it definitely had something special. Simon had this very sexy, whiny way of singing that I still love. I've even heard similar inflections in my own voice from time to time! Guess it goes to show that parents should be careful what they expose their kids to!

6. Is there an Aruna album in the future? Live gigs?

Aruna: I've been going back and forth on the issue of an album for quite a while. I think the chances of a Velvetine album are quite high, but I'm not sure with my solo stuff. Its a LOT of work and considering the current climate of the music business with all the illegal downloading and whatnot I'm not really sure it's worth it, to be honest. As for gigs, yes there are quite a few coming up, San Francisco, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Indonesia and Thailand, to name a few. I love performing and traveling, simply can't get enough of it, and of course getting to connect in person with my fans...well thats definitely the best part!

[h2]LIVE @ SMIRNOFF ICE POPUPCLUB  1 DECEMBER @ JCC JAKARTA[/h2]

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