Noé Solange’s stunning single ‘Nocturnal Lady,’ the Dutch-Indonesian producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer has debuted more nuanced work, unveiling her distinct sound as
she delves into the realm of downtempo electronica. Drawing influences from her heritage and international upbringing alongside inspirations from nature,
she evokes a journey for the listener to immerse in. Pulling from her multiple cultural threads, Noé blends this with melancholic soundscapes, progressive synths and harmonic vocals to create a rich tapestry of sounds.
Alongside is Ross K, a Canadian composer and producer working across indie, classical and electronic genres. Heavily influenced by films and visual art, his music explores the human condition in relation to its surroundings, evoking
distinct scenes for the listener to inhabit. Following the release of his ambitious debut LP Braedalyn
in 2020, Ross has been composing for releases on such platforms as Nowness, SuperRare and co-writing with artists across electronic and classical genres.
As ‘Time’ begins with melancholic keys, subtle bell sounds and soft synth patterns, the listener is ushered into a gentle trance. The delicate pads and guitar played by Ross effortlessly shimmer over the track, bringing a sense of warmth within these wintery soundscapes. These naturally interweave with Noé’s textured synths and gentle strings that blissfully drift
in, propelling the track forward with a glimmer of optimism.
Throughout, Noé’s serene vocals coax you into a deeper dreamlike state. Her pure words contrast a sense of ‘cold in her eyes’ with ‘warmth in her mind’, creating an interplay between longing and tranquility. Ross’ vocals then gracefully float in, adding a new element to the harmonic palette, as if to convey a sense of dialogue.
Time’ is a flourishing downtempo electronic piece from the two musicians, taking the listener on a journey somewhere between Air, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Laura Misch and The XX.
There is beauty in simplicity, which Ross and Noé deliver in this intimate and reflective body of work, offering a moment away from reality.
Hi there! Where can we find you right now? How did you start your day?
Ross K: Crashing on my friends couch in lovely Kew Gardens – started my day with coffee and toast.
Noé Solange: Chilling at home in East London. Started my day with a nice cup of coffee
How did your project ‘Time’ take shape? Has it always been something you wanted to do?
Ross: It came spontaneously – we were part of this Community Sessions gig, an amazing initiative here in London run by the Sound Sniffer.
Noé Solange: We worked on it together in person for one session before it became a virtual collaboration between me in London and Ross in Lisbon.
How would you define the sound of your latest work? What is the concept behind it?
Ross: ‘Time’ is a really natural combination of both our sounds. This song in its early stages always made me think of one of my favourite Leonard Cohen songs ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ in that it conjures up similar imagery for me, and the vocals / lyrics similarly have a storytelling quality to them – so I feel this is the backbone of the track around which there are many layers that pushes the track into more of an electronica territory.
Noé Solange: We were both very inspired by our surroundings and nature and wanted to create a piece that was raw, intimate and connected to the elements, as we were so closely surrounded by them – the water, wind, air, cold. I really like that although it’s quite a melancholic piece, it has a hopeful, optimistic energy to it.
What artists are you currently interested in at the moment?
Noé Solange: I am currently listening to Ólafur Arnalds, Portico Quartet, Elkka and Liam Mour.
Ross: I’ve been listening to Ryuichi Sakamoto’s work, one of my favourite tracks is a remix done by Electric Youth of ‘Andata’. Sakamoto deals with harmony in a really beautiful and unique way – this fused with amazingly produced dance music by Electric Youth creates something super cool & fresh.
How do you manage to combine such disparate genres? How do you manage to give them unity and harmony?
Noé Solange: Art has no limits and cutting loose from the conventions of one genre gives you more creative freedom to explore with sound and self-expression. I’ve always been exposed to such varied music that it’s made me realise there is no one way to create. Breaking the pattern just makes the writing process more exciting! The less you think about fitting into one style the more natural synergy will exist between these different elements.
Ross: This has been a constant journey for me. My tastes are super vast, I grew up loving Michael Jackson, Prince, Bowie, but equally so Jeff Buckley, Kate Bush and Mahler, Ligeti, Bill Evans. Bringing together music that moves me physically, emotionally & intellectually has always been a point of fascination. I think keeping your sound sources limited and having timbral ‘threads’ through a record so the sonic palette is coherent (this could even be a reverb that is constant so as to create a consistent space) allows you a surprising amount of freedom to explore different feelings & influences.
How would you define your sound?
Ross: Ethereal. Bold. Passionate.
Noé Solange: Melancholic. Ethereal. Hypnotic
Can you tell us something about your current or future projects?
Ross: I’ve been moving towards writing music in a much more ‘live’ way. So that it naturally translates well to live performance, and doesn’t feel stale. Trying to embrace blemishes and places for improv more within structured tracks. Also scaling down my set up so that I get the most out of the tools I’m using. I’m also exploring audio / visual collaborations with some really exciting visual artists surrounding the release of my next record ‘Takaya’.
Noé Solange: I’m currently working on another EP, which is very inspired by Indonesia and nature. There’s such an interesting dynamic relationship between making music and drawing influence from nature, which I’m exploring at the moment through both the lyrics and composition. Production wise, it’s also more technical than my previous work, delving deeper into sonic manipulation and synthesis, which I’ve also very much enjoyed!
SOCIAL MEDIA: Noé Solange
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/noe_solange/
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/1mn0xkOCIsGf36mamUq7M6?si=I2W4kmkwTGqqgUXlFOFC-g
Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/noesolange
Bandcamp – https://noesolange.bandcamp.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/noesolangemusic
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChRM8Cuj30-AR21Oir5uQCA
Ross K
Website – www.rosskmusic.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rosskmusic/
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/2hYBVGshjkne0n74VdS4Ke?si=8yOhoIhwRsSy1PLKTp6vDw
Bandcamp – https://rossk.bandcamp.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rosskmusic/
Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/rosskmusic
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1yn4Lll5T7SyPHP3ErwiA
Twitter – https://twitter.com/rossk_music
PRE ORDER LINKS: https://ffm.to/time-rosskxnoesolange