Esports Player is ...?
Esports Player is a brand-new musical project that draws influence from synthpop, alternative, electro, and r&b. I started the project during the lockdown, so at that time I was very aware of the socially isolating and dystopian nature of the modern, digital world. It was strange. In the day I was working via webcam on Microsoft Teams, then at night I was recording music in the same room. I’m not much of a gamer to be honest, but I have friends who spend a lot of time introverting themselves in that virtual world.
So, the phrase “esports player” struck me as a good alter-ego (or stage name) to capture what I was feeling at that time. It also spawned the line in my latest single: “The esports player, the webcam host / Is mine the avatar you see the most?”… That neatly summarises the mood.
Esports Player
‘Esports Player’ is the eponymous second single by Nottinghamshire songwriter and bedroom producer, Jack Kwiecinski (aka Esports Player). Drawing influence from neo-psychedelia, dance and hip hop, the track combines pounding electronic drums, a tight grooving bassline and luscious synths.
Gut gewählte Beschreibung zum Song muss man sagen, Electropop im Stile der 80er mit dem Touch des neuen Jahrzehnts. Soziale Isolation und Einsamkeit als Themen gut verarbeitet. Die Vocals gekonnt eingearbeitet in den Synthpatterns, leicht groovige Basslines unterstützen die Drums bzw. machen das gesamte Stück tanzbar, sollen den Hörer auf die Floors bringen. Die eigentlichen Lyrics die zum Nachdenken anregen in Akklamation des Tanzes quasi ein Discotrack der neuen Zeit im Gewand der Vergangenheit. Gut gemachter Alternative Pop Track der Anfang 20er des neuen Jahrtausends.
Q&A
Who inspired you to make music in general and especially to the song "Esports Player"?
I wouldn’t say anyone inspired me to make music in particular. I love the way music makes me feel, and I’ve always been quite passionate about my favourite artists… that thing of finding depths in their music that you think talk exclusively to you and your situation. So, on one level, maybe part of it is that I want my music to be that for someone else. But the main thing that motivates me to make music is that I find it to be the best way to maintain my mental health. It helps me express and articulate emotions and thoughts that I would otherwise repress in a damaging way. All I know is that I’m considerably more unhappy when I’m not writing songs.
The track creates a great 80s feeling, is it your favourite decade, concerning music?
It’s hard to say… I love music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s to be honest! As a child, my parents played a lot of music from the 60s and 70s… then I was really into 90s/00s hip hop and r&b as a teenager too. I think the reason my music comes across quite 80s is mainly because I prefer the sound of my vocals drenched in reverb, which is stereotypical of 80s production.
Also, the way I make music is by recording different instrument layers with a midi keyboard, so I think that lead me more towards 80s synth sounds as well. So yeah, it’s more a side-effect of my self-taught, amateur production and composition as opposed to a desire to emulate 80s artists haha.
When do you decide that a song is ready for a release?
With me the biggest thing is more deciding when a song is ready to take to the recording studio. I try to get the song to a level at home that I’m happy with in terms of lyrics, melody, structure and instrumentation. Then I take it to the studio where I record the vocals, and it gets mixed and produced. Generally, when the song comes back to me from the studio, it just needs mastering and then it’s good to go. I can’t afford to pay for more studio time! That’s why it’s important to work with people who get the best out of your music first time around.
What is your creative process like?
My creativity comes massively in fits and starts. I’ll go for months without really feeling that creative or having any ideas, then suddenly I’ll have 3 or 4 in quick succession. I always make notes on my phone of lyric ideas or memorable phrases that I’ll return to when I come to that stage of the writing process. But when I sit down to make a song it normally starts at the piano, then I get a good beat going and build on my initial idea from there.
Funnily enough I do find that giving myself a deadline helps me to create. For example, I’ve booked in studio time before without having a song ready to record. I found that that had the effect of unlocking my creative process and enabled me to work a lot faster. I imagine that sounds crazy and totally counterintuitive to a lot of other creative people though.
What is the most useful talent you have?
I like to think I’m pretty good at wordplay and writing poetry. That massively helps my song writing to be honest. Mainly because I see it as a bit of an artistic comfort… even if I’m not technically the best musician or singer, my lyrics will save me from it being totally sh*t. In general, I don’t see myself as being particularly talented though. It’s a cliché to say, “hard work beats talent”, but I feel like I’ve worked really hard on improving my artistic skills to this point, rather than having an abundance of natural talent.
How do you feel the Internet (especially Social Media platforms) has impacted the music business?
I think there are benefits. The internet and social media can enable you to get your music heard by a lot of people who possibly wouldn’t come across you otherwise.
There are obviously loads of practical benefits to high-speed internet in the mixing and mastering process too, as files can be shared easily. But overall, I think that the internet is pretty damaging to the music industry too. Streaming doesn’t pay well, and social media algorithms are cynically monetised.
Without physical record sales, it’s hard to see how most artists can earn a living, let alone reinvest money back into their music to make better quality art. Over time, surely the quality and diversity of music will suffer, and the industry will become exclusively accessible to those starting out with enough money to pursue their passion without needing to get a full-time job… if that’s not the case already!
What’s next for you?
I have a couple more singles recorded and ready to go, so I’m going to be active in promoting those over the next few months. I’m also working on my live set at the moment, so I’ll be looking to start gigging regularly again for as long as we’re allowed to! Aside from that, I’ll just be writing more tunes and trying to grow my fanbase.
