[vc_row el_class=”interview”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”intro-text”]Singer, producer, DJ and EDM sensation, Gianni Blu, burst onto the scene earlier this year with his infectious dance floor hit ‘Thinking About You‘ featuring the world-renowned vocalist and Kaskade collaborator, Sansa. Following the success of his breakout single and its heavily rotated remix EP, Blu has been playing countless shows alongside big names and working on a ton of new music.
Just last week, the Chicago-native unleashed the seriously smooth ‘Right Amount Of Wrong‘, a vibrant house track packed with silky vocal hooks, addictive basslines and plenty of club bounce.
Earlier this week, we were lucky enough to catch up with Gianni Blu to talk about how he creates this magnetic sound that his rapidly growing fanbase loves so much.
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- Hey Gianni, how has 2017 been going for you?
- 2017 has been amazing. Definitely the biggest year I have had musically. Getting support from some of the biggest DJs in EDM from Martin Garrix, The Chainsmokers, to Hardwell has been incredible. Also, seeing my independent record ‘Thinking About You‘ grow has been amazing. It has grown steadily for the last 6-8 months and has been amazing to watch. I have played more shows this year than any other, and with some of the biggest artists I have ever shared a bill with. It has been incredible. One major highlight would be the festival I played in Haiti in July alongside Thomas Gold, Jowell & Randy and Serani to name a few. I also wrote and produced more music than ever before this year and I cannot wait to go into 2018 with the catalogue I have on my computer!
- How did the idea for ‘Right Amount Of Wrong’ come about? Is there a story behind it?
- This track has a very interesting story. I started the beat early January. I came up with the main melody of the baseline within minutes and knew it had a ‘Show Me Love‘ vibe right away. I then went away from the track for a few weeks. When I opened the session again maybe 1-2 months later, I heard the vibe with a completely new idea. I opened my voice memo app on my phone and immediately started just freestyling vocal melodies on top of the beat. I probably freestyled for 10 minutes straight. When I listened back I heard the line “just the right amount / of wrong / I love that feeling”. Once I had that part the rest of it came together very easily. I think the way I approached music this year has helped me create and write at a much quicker pace. I tend to just go off the immediate vibe and energy I get during the track and not think too deeply about it. I try and lay down as many ideas as quickly as possible. Afterwards, I can go through everything, rearrange it and see what fits and what doesn’t and go from there.
- Will the new track be getting the same style of remix treatment as ‘Thinking About You’?
- I have a few things I’m working on currently, you’ll have to wait and see! I think though that ‘Right Amount of Wrong’ could get some amazing remixes just off of the nature of the song.
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“One thing I pride myself on most is my ability to create many genres of music.”
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- It’s a very danceable track. How would you say your sound has evolved since your days of working with Chicago-based rappers?
- One thing I pride myself on most is my ability to create many genres of music. I go through phases weekly or monthly. If one week I’m listening to a lot of hip-hop/rap I will make 5 hip-hop beats, 1 every day. If I’m listening to a lot of dance music, I will do the same that week. I try and keep myself always experimenting and creating new sounds. My sound though from my early days has evolved tremendously and I would say that’s more so from spending thousands of hours on the computer and constantly listening to new music – especially music that I wouldn’t necessarily listen to when I was younger. I am constantly learning more about how to engineer, mix, and create in different and better ways.
- Has your classical training with violin and drums had any impact on your songwriting style/sound?
- Definitely. In primarily understanding song keys, scales, and overall music theory. That early knowledge has helped write and create much faster now. Violin was where I learned to read music, notes, and scales and drums helped me with rhythm and flow. Both techniques go hand in hand with everything I currently do.
- Have your roots within Haitian culture played a part in your influences and songwriting techniques?
- In different ways, I would say yes. I am very influenced by the Caribbean sound. The drums, the vibes, the energy, so I try and incorporate it into a lot of my music. I definitely would say that a lot of the newer releases I have planned for 2018 will have a lot more influenced by them for sure!
[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxZcZxNvq1Q”][vc_column_text el_class=”large-quote”]”I try and spend 10-15 minutes and just kind of lose consciousness and go off the energy or vibe I am getting through as I explore different sounds.”[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
- What’s your go-to technique when producing a new track?
- Freestyling. I never try and spend too much time creating the initial idea of a song. Whether it’s producing or writing it’s a technique I have really applied to all aspects of my music creation this year. If it’s production, I try and spend 10-15 minutes and just kind of lose consciousness and go off the energy or vibe I am getting through as I explore different sounds. I try not to think too hard, once I hear something I like I just lay it down, then I try and add a countermelody. From there I can either continue or change things around and the vibe starts getting created. With vocals, I literally either get on the mic or if I’m just vibing I turn my voice memos on my iPhone on and just freestyle over the beat. I could literally do this 2-3 times back to back. I Then go through everything and i usually find parts or melodies I like and then I rearrange, cut, and start to have the initial idea or vibe of the track.
- Do you have any exciting collaborations in the works?
- I was just in Jamaica working with Dancehall Artist Serani who had a massive hit a few years ago called ‘No Games‘. We were working on some incredible new music so definitely stay tuned for that in early 2018. I also have a big Spanish song I am doing, but I am going to keep the feature a secret for now. I also have some secret projects with other amazing vocalists that I cannot wait to share with the world.
- What are your top 3 albums/mixtapes from 2017?
- Major Lazer – Know No Better // Calvin Harris – Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1 // Drake – More Life // R3hab – Trouble // Migos – Culture
- Which producers or DJ’s should we keep an eye on for 2018?
- I have been really listening to this guy RVSSIAN, he’s hot right now in the Caribbean/Spanish music scene. Major Lazer I feel are going to drop some amazing new music. Some others I would say are Jay Pryor, Murda Beatz, and my boy JYYE.
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