NOSTALGIA

DKJ011 | 23.09.2022

Certain sounds tend to evoke certain emotions within us. From our countless conversations with our favorite melodic producers we know that emotions are the center of their work, may it be by expressing their emotions in their music or facilitating emotional journeys through their DJ-sets. CHROMA is an artistic experiment to further explore the link between music and emotions.

We asked 10 of our favorite producers to create a track based on a certain emotion. Each EP of the five CHROMA EPs is dedicated to one emotion and contains two tracks by two different artists.
Do you feel what we feel?

Like a soothing voice from the past, nostalgia signifies a sense of yearning for what was, perhaps even for what was lost. It’s an emotionally tainted view back onto bygone times, carrying both melancholy and solace in remembrance of the lost qualities we prescribe to them.

For his interpretation of nostalgia, the Melbourne-based Elliott Creed created an interplay of filled and open space within his track 'Depth of Emotions’. A careful choice of expressive synths and echoing cymbals build up to a fully immersive soundscape, just to then collapse into a minimalistic and airy moment, offering space for memories of nostalgia to arise and linger while the build-up starts anew. The perfect tune to hypnotize a dreamy crowd on a foggy festival morning.

The Sri Lankan, NY-based Rïa Mehta celebrates her debut on our label with the heavy & spacious production ‘Alone’, representing her creative take on the feeling of nostalgia. The track leads with a roaring baseline and soft, organic percussion, creating a wide cushion for the yearning synth and the melancholic vocal of Cathy Rocher to unfold. The composition culminates in a long and soulful breakdown with the baseline transforming into a verberating echo from the past, reminding us of its inherent transient quality.

Interview

What is your personal association with the emotion of nostalgia that found its way into your track?

Elliott Creed: "The emotion of nostalgia is a trigger for happy memories that exist within someones mind. It is the sentimental yearning to return to a period of the past. The personal association to nostalgia that I connected with Depth Of Emotion links to a period of time during 2019/2020 where I had finished my undergraduate degree. Throughout the year I was able to travel Southeast Asia and experience Burning Man for the first time. There were many sunsets, sunrises and moments where I tried to slow down and pause to remember the moment. Throughout the narrative track, I attempted to draw on these memories and transpose different parts of the happy memories into corresponding sounds."

Rïa Mehta: "I associate happy memories when using the word "nostalgia"... and when I think back to one of my favorite tracks as a child, "Thriller" by Michael Jackson usually tops the list. It has so much suspense and I love that. "

How did the approach of translating an emotion into a track influence your production process?

Elliott Creed: "The idea of translating emotions into sound is always an interesting concept. Usually sound triggers emotion, not emotion triggering sound. I found myself looking back upon various videos and pictures of my travels and used the rich colours of the landscapes to try and trigger inspiration for the various synths that travel throughout the track. Similarly, the overriding experience, being humbling and grounding, provided legs for the baseline to be the root of the track. The narrative was driven by the idea of slowing down to pause for a moment, before also remembering to continue to live happily."

Rïa Mehta: "As with most of my favorite old-school tracks (from Bollywood, to MJ and Deep Purple), I wanted the track to be focused around the vocal and have a simple melodic hook. You can hear the bollywood influence in the 2nd half of the track, and that bass influence from Deep Purple. I then added a twist to the breakdown (and some of the melodic elements) to have the track fit into today's modern melodic techno scene :)"

If you could choose another emotion to interpret, which one would it be and why?

Elliott Creed: "If given the chance to participate in something like this again, the emotion of "feeling inspired" would be a great opportunity. It would allow me to explore a similar writing style with the chance to write with some potentially powerful and moving sounds."

Rïa Mehta: "Suspense / haunting, probably. The track is definitely for the dancefloor but Cathy's beautiful vocals sound haunting in the 2nd half of the track (also my fav part of the track along with the breakdown)."