With winter and cold weather well on its way, we’re looking for a little bit of sunshine anywhere we can get it. That includes, of course, bright, tropical singles. The U.K. is in luck this year, as south London is home to one of the newest tropical pop and dance producers, &around.
While visiting Southeast Asia and New Zealand, the new artist created the single “Dreaming All Night,” recording a demo as he traveled on a motorbike through the countryside. The upbeat, melodic single is one to keep you happy and dancing through the winter months.
We had a chance to talk to &around about his travels, his passion for producing, and his hometown of London. Get to know his story below.
Congrats on your new single! Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind and process making “Dreaming All Night”?
I found this vocoder toy in Bangkok and took it with me writing demos around the world. It had two preset Thai pop songs you could sing along to, or bypass it for this cool, but pretty naff, vocal sound. When I got back to London, I developed it some more and “Dreaming All Night” just felt like a vibe.
I guess the inspiration for the track was feeling free, but also knowing that you’ve gotta just keep going, keep moving forward with life. Reassurance that it’s okay to dream—it’s okay to not really know what you’re doing with your life because no one really does, but you gotta just crack on and enjoy it.
It was written while traveling through Bali, Australia, NZ, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Why were you traveling originally? Do you have a favorite spot you visited?
Just needed to get a different perspective on life and London was getting on top of me. The landscapes in NZ were incredibly inspiring it’s such a beautiful and open place.
If someone asked you to describe your sound, what would you say?
Tropical pop/dance.
How did you first get into making music? Do you have any big influencers?
I’ve always written music, I guess it’s how I channel my emotions. It just felt like the right time to release and start something. As for big influencers… Jamie xx, Daft Punk, Petit Biscuit, Talking Heads, Blink-182.
Who are your dream collaborations?
Drake, Daft Punk, Rihanna, Pharrell.
How do you discover new music? Anyone you can’t stop listening to right now?
Mostly playlists on Spotify and my mates send me things. At the moment, I’m really into Eden, Fakear, and Tame Impala.
You’re from south London. Do you have any favorite neighborhood spots?
The Nines in Peckham or Skehans for boozin’.
What do you do when you’re not making music?
I’m into fitness as it helps my busy mind, so I play basketball. My friends run a CrossFit gym in Peckham called The Yard and loads of creative people train there.
I’m big into food so cook all the time, there’s so many good places to eat. Artusi, Theo’s is good for pizza or there’s this lil’ place opposite Peckham Rye station called Asian Express that makes chicken wraps. Trust me.
What’s in store for 2018?
New music, hopefully some collaborations, and &around live shows. I can’t wait for people to hear what I’m making at the moment, and yeah, hopefully a fun year ahead. &x
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