Debuteren op het vermaarde Burning Witches Records is niet voor iedereen weggelegd. Wel voor Conor Loughran aka Gyan Rosling, die met zijn album ´EMBRACE´ prachtige melodieuze en emotionele synthwave heeft gemaakt. Een waar genot om naar te luisteren. Bijzonder vereerd ben ik dan ook, dat ik nu naast Hunter Complex een tweede muzikant mag interviewen van dit geweldige label.
Debuting on the renowned Burning Witches Records is not for everyone. Well for Conor Loughran aka Gyan Rosling who made beautiful melodic and emotional synthwave with his album 'EMBRACE'. A true pleasure to listen to. I am therefore particularly honored to be able to interview a second musician from this great label in addition to Hunter Complex.
Conor, can you please introduce yourself?
I’m 24 and produce synthwave music under the guise of ‘Gyan Rosling’. I’m originally from Ireland but moved to Edinburgh for work. I was always very interested in music growing up and was exposed to all genres of music at an early age by my Dad. I attended my first concert at 7, which was R.E.M. I began playing music at the age of 13 and eventually got into production at around 16, initially I made tracks trying to emulate the likes of Justice and Daft Punk. Not long after I became familiar with Ed Banger Records and then eventually Kavinsky and the Valerie Collective. The first track I made was in 2012 on FL Studio, but even then the ubiquitous Polysix bass sound was present in some tracks and very much in the realm of synthwave. My primary focus has definitely been the Gyan Rosling project but I also have a love for house and disco as well as ambient and rap. I have produced tracks in those genres and have played out a handful of times as a DJ, which I enjoy immensely.
Congratulations with your debut album ‘EMBRACE’. I think it's an amazing job that you did and I hope many people will agree with me. What can you tell us about your album?
Thank you very much! I am incredibly happy to have it finally out. The first track RESET acted as the catalyst, which was actually an old forgotten project that I started 3 years ago but after going back and reworking it I felt I could produce songs with a common theme which lead to the rest of the tracks coming together. It was the first collection of tracks I felt had an over arcing mood. The concept was an instrumental album that could act as a personal soundtrack to a late night drive or journey; while still being melodic and somewhat akin to the synthwave sound people are familiar with.
Your album is released by Burning Witches Records. How did you end up working together with this great label?
I became familiar with Burning Witches Records through listening to tracks by the excellent Deadly Avenger, with several of his releases being put out on vinyl through the label. It was the calibre of artists they have worked with as well as their passion for physical releases and professionalism that made me want to be involved. They have a very devout fan base, their vinyl subscription service is a great idea not to mention every release is incredible and unique in it’s own way. I sent a demo to them a few months ago and heard back the same day! I was very excited to hear that they were interested and wanted to work with me.
How would you describe your sound?
I make progressive and melodic retro-wave inspired electronic music. When I’m producing I imagine scoring a soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist, maybe akin to particular scenes from the emblematic ‘Drive’, for me it encapsulates an atmosphere and aesthetic which I find most exciting within film, music and video games. Consequently, I draw from this as a primary influence, aiming to replicate some of that essence with my music.
You are based in Edinburgh. Can you tell us something about the music scene please?
The scene is rather varied with countless venues catering for everything, from jazz to techno. The Usher Hall and Summer Hall venues are gorgeous buildings, great for live music. Furthermore, Sneaky Pete’s and Mash House are superb smaller venues lending themselves to more intimate gigs. There is also a big following for house and dance music here, unfortunately not much for synthwave (just yet…).
And are there also other synthwave producers based in this city?
I am only familiar with one other artist, ALEX (who has released with New Retro Wave Records). A short while away in Glasgow I’m aware of Garth Knight and Memorex Memories, who are both excellent.
What other projects are you currently working on?
I am returning to some darker and more danceable projects that I felt didn’t suit this release, maybe more in the sphere of Lifelike or Lauer. I also have a collaborative track in the works with a vocalist and instrumentalist in Manchester. Additionally I’ll be chipping away towards album number 2!
What is the last movie that you have seen?
I have recently rewatched ¨It Follows¨, a superbly eerie and slower kind of horror film. An excellent soundtrack by Disasterpiece makes it all the more special and brooding. I’d definitely recommend it.
What do you like most about the ´80s?
I think what I like the most is how everyone has a unique nostalgia for that period, even people that didn’t experience or live through it (myself included). The optimism and advancements in technology present then seemed to be palpable. The aesthetic and sound of that time holds up today and provides excellent source material to draw from as inspiration.
And finally, any last words to the synthwave community?
The synthwave community is special. I am continually blown away with the level of production and support from artists and fans alike. I think it shows that aspiring producers can achieve success and that there is an audience for what we create. Evidently, synthwave can manifest itself in the forefront of entertainment, film and video-games. Within the last 10 years we’ve seen numerous instances where the zeitgeist of synth has bled into blockbuster film, advertisement and some even of the largest pop acts in the world adopting a similar sound. The superb ¨The Rise Of The Synths¨ film superbly presents what synthwave is and how it has developed. I would recommend anyone who is new or is just interested in the sound of synthwave to give it a watch.
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