Find out more about the new artist XYN. — a unique combination of musician, animator, brand, and character. I had a chance to interview XYN. and ask them about their journey, purpose, and ideas for the future. See interview below…
XYN. Interview
KW: Again, thanks for taking the time to talk with us, XYN. So as a listener and a watcher (and fan!) of your content, I’m curious to know more about XYN.’s backstory and what XYN.’s got planned for the future.
XYN.: Well it’s awesome to be here, and big thanks to you, KirkW, for taking the time. I’ve been following your twitter and medium accounts for quite some time, so it’s pretty dope to be showcased here.
KW: You didn’t have to say that, but thank you! So let’s jump right into it. Tell more about your creative process. Is it true that you create everything from scratch, both music and visuals??
XYN.: So most of my content is hand crafted from the ground up. I use stock footage for backgrounds and leverage AI to both gain inspiration, and to augment my work. So, I don’t create EVERYTHING from scratch, but the vast majority of what you see from XYN. is designed and built from the ground up. The same goes for my music, but I tend to use less outside influence for the music.
KW: Your visuals are unique to what I’ve seen an artist/creator put together, can you tell me more about your visuals and animations?
XYN.: I use a mix of 2-D & 3-D design platforms and rendering services to create my pre-production kit of parts. I then use a mix of self-recorded and stock footage to create what you eventually see as a XYN. Short or music video. The final product is basically a melting pot of different digital creative apps and real world moments.
KW: You mention music, congrats on your new release, Deep Space Dream States (DSDS). Who would you say influences your music?
XYN.: So I’ve always had a unique relationship with sound. From movie scores to symphonies to the sounds from NASA expeditions, I tend to draw my influence from everything I hear. From a musical perspective, I think my biggest influences include elements of House, Soul, Techno, and Orchestral. Then I have a few ‘Music Gods’ that I pledge fealty to like OutKast, Nina Simone, DeadMau5, and Hans Zimmer. I think the character of XYN. would say they draw inspiration from the universe — seeking out new sounds, sights, and stories.
KW: So I’ve noticed you represent yourself and the character as different, can you tell me about XYN.’s characterization/ representation?
XYN.: Great question, so XYN. is the external representation of the duality that I saw, and still see in myself. Growing up, I lived a dichotomous reality. I found myself consistently seeing different perspectives, and simultaneously living those different perspectives. From the color of my skin to the financial situations of my family, I felt as if an undue judgment was placed upon everyone along the spectrum. It taught me that the concepts of right and wrong, black and white, good and evil, were just that… concepts. So in creating XYN., I wanted to create an entity that, instead of placing judgment or determining value, viewed these concepts as inherently valuable to the balance of the universe. And so I created XYN. in that image. It’s the main reason why XYN. always signs off with ‘We Welcome You’, because inherently all things are valuable in XYN.’s eyes.
KW: Beautiful…Damn. That leads us right into the next question… how does that factor into the XYN.’s physical design?
XYN.: So, when I first drew XYN., I was toying with the nature of things that were not subjective. The first thing I chose was the concept of balance and equilibrium. This is where the Yin Yang facial features come into play. They are also the most prominent features of XYN. The second was the very human feeling of witnessing or being witnessed. XYN.’s eyes represent the ability to not only witness you at face value, but have a second lens to witness all that you are. That’s the reason for the two concentric sets of eyes. The third foundational element was the concept of time, which is represented by the bonsai tree. XYN. has a near faanatical adoration of time. We actually find out more about why XYN chose the bonsai later in the XYNVERSE timeline… so I’ll hold off on more until then haha, but stay tuned to find out more about the bonsai later in the XYNverse timeline.
KW: So, tell me about your album, “Deep Space Dream States.”
XYN.: “Deep Space Dream States” is my debut album. In the album I included bright synths, swaggy horns, and vocalist samples. I wanted to create catchy melodies that would grab listeners’ ear, but, I also wanted to convey the sense of polarization that XYN. represents. I feel this album is the first look at XYN.’s ‘darker’ side.
KW: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?
XYN.: I hope to inspire artists and self-explorers to look beyond the boundaries set by society… to rebel against the status quo and become their own version of what they wish to see in the mirror. Also, I hope to inspire a sense of shared responsibility for maintaining balance in this place we call home.
KW: What’s next for XYN.?
XYN.: There’s a lot going on behind the scenes right now- most importantly Act II ‘Deep Space Dream Space’ video album releases late May 2023. Follow us on instagram at @xynverse for updates. You can also expect more interaction with XYN, including mixed reality interactions, new XYN. Shorts, and an upcoming merchandise deal with an elite apparel brand.
KW: Do you have any final thoughts?
XYN.: I want to give a big shout out to you, KW. Thanks for taking the time. DSDS is out now for all streaming platforms. XYN. welcomes you all to join the journey. We Welcome You.
Social Media Links
- Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/xyn.verse
- Instagram: Follow @xynverse
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/xyn/1672423628
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@XYNverse
- Tok: https://tiktok.com/@xyn.verse
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/xynverse
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/xynvers
