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Hip-Hop Lives Here

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It is morning in America when Chrystabell greets me over Zoom and despite the early hour there, she welcomes me with a glorious warm and glowing smile. My day has been a long one and this is a welcome sight after hours in front of a screen. But there is some sadness to the call too as hours before the singer and I speak, she has been told her world tour plans are in shreds because of the pandemic. I had questions planned about her shows across the UK and they are now binned for a fascinating chat about her music, videos and working on the Twin Peaks update with legendary director David Lynch.

Chrystabell has released four acclaimed albums and featured in a series of musical projects with Lynch. Having launched her career in the late-1990s with the neo-swing band 8 1/2 Souvenirs, she first joined forces with Lynch for a song featured in his 2006 film Inland Empire and has worked on more music projects with him since, as well as being a central character in Twin Peaks. Acting though has been a side-step, music is her passion. Latest single Midnight Star is a glorious slice of space age electro-pop with a wonderful video.

She tells me the visuals are critical to her art; “It's imperative. Having worked with wonderful directors, one in particular over the top wonderful director, I always had that sense of wanting a full experience with music. That really started with musicals in my very young years. I really love just giving that full experience, all the elements involved. “

Chrystabell is from San Antonio, Texas and speaks with a lush deep south American accent where every has feeling. She is intense but funny, relaxing into our conversation and admitting that this world of video interviews has become a comfortable norm. She is someone obviously at ease in front of a camera, even when speaking to tired journalists. In her latest music videos there is that space-age, futuristic glamour as well as a sense of having fun and no limits. The video for Midnight Star was written and directed by Polish filmmaker and long-time collaborator, Archon. Chrystabell says she likes to explore the combination of visual and music:

“Most of that though was guided on intuition with directors. I want to collaborate and follow my intuition, an inner guidance. If I get with a director that I've got a good feel, something sparkles, I get that cosmic yes going! Once that's happening, I say yes and that's the first threshold. I gotta feel it but at that point I really allow the director to have creative control and go wild and to experiment.”

As a singer, actor, and model, Chrystabell has many talents and this willingness to try different things with her videos and, perhaps, push the boundaries, has come from a varied career:

“I've always loved photography and modelling, where I was going out with photographers in strange locations and doing things differently. To conjure a feeling that from the art something different was happening. So, with the visuals it's feeling that confidence with the director and then letting he or she just go wild. I love to collaborate and I'm just I'm in it to win. There is a part of me that wants to be glamorous and beautiful, but that's not what I want to be boxed into. There's this part of you that says you have to really push yourself out of that and say yes to these things happening. When everyone is just allowing that collective energy to really be in full force and not feel like oh God you know what if Chrystabell and will she like this, let's just go with it and I'll figure it out!”

The plan was for Chrystabell to play shows in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Brighton, and London in February. The cancellation came days after she had returned from playing a live show in Europe. Given the change of her schedule she is even more grateful for having the experience to take part in celebrations of Serbia's second-largest city Novi Sad being elected as one of the three European capitals of Culture for 2022. She is delighted and thankful to have had that experience:

“We performed in this outrageously beautiful centuries old gothic church and the priest had to sign off on the performance and say that it was okay. We were the first band playing electrified music and it was spectacular. Now of course it is even more special. Everything about the trip was a triumph and I'm so glad that we had that experience. Over the last couple of years some of the magic things that have happen against all loads are just really special. That doesn't mean that when we get back to doing gigs and doing all the things that we used to maybe take a little bit for granted, but it just makes those moments even more special.”

She says the pandemic has focused the mindset to enjoy whatever is happening as much as you can:

“I'm definitely more trained now on appreciating every moment for whatever it is and maximising things. We don't know what's gonna happen. It is a choice you can make in every moment for your perspective, which way you're gonna lean and what you're going to lean into. It can be a daily discovery. I find the most personal fulfilment in seeing the richness of my experiences. That's the measurement for me, how much I'm getting in the moment from that experience. Because of the nature of my career and the span of it, I've had a wide range of experiences and so you can get the kind of glitzy super glamorous moments and those that can fall flat. If you don't make the effort to make them amazing and special and wonderful it's really a choice that you make.”

Chrystabell admits that in some places around the world audiences before the pandemic were not always as enthusiastic as they were for this gig in Serbia. She is not the first singer, and certainly won’t be the last, to find London shows slightly more restrained. She says in capitals like London and Paris, audiences have so much choice that perhaps there’s more appreciation in the likes of Kosovo or even Moscow. The fact the tour has been delayed means she will spend some time rethinking the shows and considering how those extraordinary visuals from the videos can be incorporated. Expect those gigs to be even more glorious as a result. The delay may benefit us all.

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  • Erick Alonso Moreno Introduces Listeners to “Dark Pop,” a Single and Genre All in One

Erick Alonso Moreno Introduces Listeners to “Dark Pop,” a Single and Genre All in One

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Artist and producer Erick Alonso Moreno brings listeners a fresh sound in his latest single, “Dark Pop.” The California-based musician is known to write, record, and produce his own records, including his newest release, scheduled for early November.

Music came to Erick Alonso Moreno as a therapeutic outlet. Faced with depression, Moreno turned to music for solace and healing. “One of the reasons I got into music is my brother suffered from depression, and it was something I experienced, too,” shares the musician.”

Connecting with music and composing not only elevated Erick Alonso Moreno’s mood—it helped him on a path of self-improvement. Sharing his story also allows Moreno to connect with listeners through his ups and downs and inspire them on their path of self-improvement.

Moreno’s musical influences include a wide variety of genres, including a recent love for Tyler the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West. “I love betas and how they rhyme songs,” explains Moreno. “I’m trying to mix that into my own song and identity by listening to other artists and then making my own style.” Another large influence in his music is Latin music, which he infuses in his songs to further develop a unique listening experience.

If Erick Alonso Moreno had his own genre, it would be named “Dark Pop,” after the single and inspired sound. The vibe is a blend of pop with hip hop and rap influences. It is the opposite of dreamy pop, as dark pop has grit.

Moreno’s musical abilities enable him to be a one-stop shop for music creation. He envisions, writes lyrics, composes, and produces his own music from start to finish. “I write the melody, make sounds, play guitar, produce beats. I produce my music as I intend for the song to sound.”

For Moreno, each song is crafted with a unique meaning to share with listeners. “Each album shares the whole story of a period of time where I struggled and addresses how to overcome or fix or improve from that struggle,” explains the artist. It’s the singles that give a true glimpse of each issue, from depression to self-improvement.

The single “Dark Pop” was born from exploration. “One day, I was producing melodies and somehow came up with this piano. From there, I remember hearing the piano and came back the next day and tried to follow the rhyme, putting random words until I found myself rapping. Before that point, I didn’t know if I could see myself rapping / doing hip hop.”

For Erick Alonso Moreno, “Dark Pop” is about putting yourself out there and saying “look at me and see what I can do, even in the face of adversity.” On a personal note, it highlights the artist’s transition to hip hop and putting doubters in their place. “It was really tough to bring the single to life,” shares Moreno. “While recording the vocals, I struggled because I wasn’t comfortable hearing my own voice in this new kind of melody, hearing myself do something new.”

Leaving the single to settle for a few weeks, Moreno was awakened by a dream in which he was told by an eccentric individual how to record and make his vocals stand out of the mix. “I was struggling to hear my own voice, but this dream Brough it to life,” he adds of the uncanny experience.

In addition to the release of his latest single, Erick Alonso Moreno is excited to share more music with listeners. His album is currently in the works.

Make sure to stay connected to Erick Alonso Moreno on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

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