Today we are going to talk a little about our latest release Bright Blue Dot, an upbeat jazz hop made by multi-instrumentalist Raul Coca, who implements a modern groove in this instrumental hip-hop production!
The structure of the song is formed by a bass line with a lot of presence, which in the B part of the song becomes the main beam of the song being responsible for sustaining and linking the chord progression.
The drums have an impeccable construction and a beautiful choice of timbres together with a harmonic progression marked by a beautiful Rhodes timbre with a lot of movement.
Once the structure is done, Bright Blue dot is very well founded, some producers would be satisfied with such a robust structure, just a few transition effects added to a simple melodic line would be more than enough for a beautiful and well-grooved song. However, Raul made a point of bringing us a complex line of melodies, textures, and effects that transform a beautiful base into a Magnus Opus.
I took the liberty of talking to Raul about his trajectory as a multi-instrumentalist and producer, his production, and consequently his plans for the future, so let’s go!
1. Tell us a little about your trajectory as a musician
A musician since I was little, I have always had contact with different musical instruments. I have a degree in Agroecology and during college, I participated in Afro-Brazilian percussion groups, bands, and experimental music projects. My main instruments are bass, drums, flute, keyboard, and synthesizers.
During the pandemic, I immersed myself in the lo-fi universe and started producing and releasing music with my first project, the duo Pitaya Kush. We were very well received by the Brazilian Lo-Fi scene, participating in important compilations and albums.
I am currently pursuing a solo career, debuting with the song “Tarde em itapoã” on the compilation Brazil Goes Lofi Volume 1 and entering Spotify’s Sunny Beats editorial playlist. This fact gave me a lot of joy and confidence in continue producing without fear of expressing my musical identity.
My production focus is generally more energetic beats (upbeat), like chillhop and jazz hop, and I like the idea of enjoying a lo-fi beyond the moments of study and focus.
2. How is your workflow during a new production?
I like sound synthesis, especially subtractive synthesis. Creating tones from scratch on analog and digital synthesizers is something I always use in my productions. I usually start my productions without many rules, harmony, noise, and a rhythmic base.
I consider the bass a very important instrument in my songs, so I pay a lot of attention to the process of creating it and how it will interact with the drums. I think about frequencies and how to fill in the spaces: bass, mid and treble instruments, noise, reverberations, and delays, reverses, sound effects, among others.
3. What are your main references to music?
My musical references come from trip-hop, downtempo, chillhop, post-rock, and synth-wave. I like well-built atmospheres, well-placed ambiance, and noises. My biggest reference currently is the French producer C Y G N, who mixes spatial elements with synthesizers very well, melted vocals, well-placed bass and beats with a lot of grooves.
On the national scene, my biggest reference is Epifania, which does a very well-done job with well-constructed and grooved ambiances, vocals, and beats.
4. How did the creative process for Bright Blue Dot work?
This song started with a harmony created on the piano and followed by the beat, bass line, and guitar. With that base ready, I kept playing with the melody until something that sounded interesting came up.
Percussions such as half moon and shakers were recorded and the arpeggiator synthesizer was created on an analog synthesizer. This song’s idea is to counter the view that our planet, this land full of life and mysteries, is just a “bright blue dot”.
5. Plans for your music career
For 2023 I intend to release an album that is already under construction, some eps and collabs.
Bright Blue Dot is available on all streaming platforms and of course on our Jazz Hop | Lofi Jazz playlist! Don’t forget to follow Raul Coca on Spotify to be the first to know about his upcoming releases!