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Nostalgic Authenticity: “Big Time” by Rogue FX and Mayah Camara

“Big Time” by Rogue FX and Mayah Camara Today, we’re opening the gates to our blog in classic style – classic '80s synth-pop, to be precise. Whenever the words ‘80s’ and ‘synth-pop’ are mentioned, Rogue FX is never far behind. Drawn to the essence of that decade, he dives deep to retrieve a flawless pearl and then showcases it in his musical shop window.  His latest track is called “Big Time,” a collaborative project with Retrowave/Nu-Soul artist Mayah Camara . The story revolves around a relationship at a crossroads, caused by the success and fame of one partner who has reached the “big time” mentioned in the title. Jealousy and insecurity take hold, but there’s a shared hope that the relationship can survive and grow.  Rogue FX cleverly packages this story in the big-city vibe of the '80s, creating an emotional counterpoint to the relationship through his astute selection of sound and rhythm – the big-time lifestyle of that era. From the start, the listener experiences the

"Bell" by Willjoy

Willjoy

Originated from Pori, Finland comes an artist who combines high belly synths with a dash of Rock&Roll, EDM elements with a slices of Funk and your musical stew is ready to go. With an attitude filled vocal performances and universal stories inside the lyrics anybody and everybody can find a story to relate to. Willjoy was born in the late 1980s and you can clearly hear the influences from the decade, but with a modern twist and flavor added to it.
Whether it's to make you dance or to light a candle in the dark, the versatility of the soundscape will keep you on the edge of the seat or jump up and down while listening. Willjoy is a singing storyteller who takes poems, rhymes and life advice and compiles them into songs. Through sounds and lyrics can lift your spirits up or get you into a deep soul search of your inner psyche.


Bell

Heute verlegen wir unseren musikalischen Schauplatz nach Finnland, genauer gesagt nach Kirkkonummi. Noch nie gehört? Macht nix, wir bzw. ich auch nicht. Was wir aber auf alle Fälle wissen und bestätigen können ist, das der Ort, wenn es darum geht kreativ zu sein, egal ist. Kirkkonummi nennt sich die Heimat von Willjoy, dem Künstler, den wir heute vorstellen möchten. "Bell", der Name seines aktuellen Tracks.
Die Veröffentlichung ist vor allem deswegen interessant da es sich um einen wunderbaren Genre Mix handelt, dort wo Electro Dance Funk auf Dark Pop trifft finden wir den Artist aus dem Land der tausend Seen, welcher es durch seine imposanten Dance Grooves schafft zu überzeugen. 
Es sind die effizienten Interaktionen aus Bassline meets Drums meets Vocals and Sounds, die immer wieder stark an die End 84er Depeche Mode erinnern und Erinnerungen wachrufen. 
Seine Inspiration zu den Lyrics selbst, fand Willjoy in einer On/Off-Beziehung, welche er am eigenen Leib zu spüren bekam. 
"Bell" by Willjoy a perfect Electro Dance Track with the touch of 80s and a bit of darkness, created to bring you back on the dancefloor!


Q&A

Willjoy is...?

Willjoy is jack of all trades who turned himself into a recording and performing singer/songwriter, with zero knowledge on music theory Willjoy does every song playing by ear and freestyle jamming to idea on top of idea. There is rarely any structure to the process that takes place making a song.


Who inspired you to make music in general?

Many great artists have given me inspiration, but outside of that one of my biggest influences has to be my father. My father was a working man so not much musicality in him except that he listened to a lot of great music with great variation, that played a big part why I got into music at a later age.


What's the story behind your song "Bell", respectively what was your inspiration?

The story behind "Bell" is pretty much my experience on an on/off relationship with a girl who gave me hot and cold for a while and then ditched me for another person. Not long after she figured that the change didn't serve her as she wanted she started to make approaches to get me back, still having feelings for her I had to put them aside and think as rationally as possible to the situation. 
After a while of these attempts to get me back I mustered up the courage to put the final nail to the coffing and tell her that it's over for good and I deserve better treatment from whoever wants to be my significant other.


When do you say/decide that a song is ready for the release?

It is sometimes a maddening process to get a song finished cause you can always find things to tweak. I try to focus a lot on the things that work in the song and once there's more working parts than tweaks to be made I know I'm close to a release. 
None of it ever finds perfection but in my mind there isn't a need for that since art doesn't have to be. I like my songs to have some rawness to them and I have had to lose a lot of self criticism to make that a reality.


At this moment what would be your "All time Top 3 Songs"?

Queen - Scandal
INXS - Mystify and 
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
These are not in a particular order, they just are great!


What is your most useful talent besides music?

My hands in general! I have a large variety of skills meaning I could fix your car, make you a great dinner, set the table that I made from scratch for the dinner and after we go for a night out I can make your jewelry for the night. 
And if you happen to fall into pieces at some point I can weld you together or sing you a song to soothe things over. This is just a part of what I'm able to do.


Do you remember your first ever self-written song?

Easily since it's so fresh. My first ever written song from start to finish is "Game On" I made the song when the Reddit community made the news on the Game Stop stockmarket "manipulation". 
The same kind of gamified thinking can be applied to so many things in life like music for example, we just have to play the game we can at the best of our knowledge. I have written just plain lyrics before in my life but "Game 0n" was the first song that actualized itself.


What’s next for you?

I have a couple collaborations on the way, but my main focus now is to get my debut album "One Coin Two Sides" out for the summer
I'm well on my way achieving that and I have already started building two more albums toward the future so busy busy times. I have no dates yet but I can't wait to get on a stage to perform my songs!


SUNSAY - "Enough Is Enough"

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