Making P.O.V.

Back in summer of 2019, I decided to visit my good friend Khalid Bounouar, and stayed in his studio in Aachen Germany on Monheimsallee throughout the whole summer. It was like an artist residency. It was a brand new, foreign environment for me. Different culture, different language, My senses were engaged, perfect conditions for new creativity. Plus, as an independent artist, this was very cost effective, thanks to my connection, hence the importance of having friends in this trade. And so here I was, experimenting with sound, listening to music playlists playing in the background of Cafes and shisha bars, taking every situation and turning it into a song. One time, I remember having a conversation with someone who seemed to have very narrow opinions, old world mentality. Me, coming from the “new” world, have learnt to think more critically about things, and how to break free of dogma, backwards ideologies based on fear and what have you. Went back to the studio that day, and started dabbling on the keys. Although I was heavily influenced by the ambient music there, which was mostly the same old reggaeton and trap cadences (which was starting to get very old, very fast), I decided to go back to what I knew best, that 80s synth-funk shit. It was like making a statement to myself. Not compromising my values or taste preference. Not giving in to societal and cultural pressures. I had an overwhelming urge to be me, unapologetically me.

I remember finishing the whole song in one sitting. Stayed up late, but it was worth it. In the meantime, the summer came to an end, and I had to reluctantly fly back to Montreal, pissed off that I couldn’t get my paperwork right to secure an ongoing residency in Berlin, another gem of a place to create as an international musician. Then, your boy Covid hit, and everything came to a standstill. I decided to take a hiatus from music, and get my shit together, because money was a big issue since I couldn’t perform due to recurring lockdowns. Worked a few shit jobs, and made enough money to go on road trips, buy a canoe, and go on long canoe camping trips in the Canadian backcountry, while shit was hitting the fan evermore intensely. I did a lot of thinking on the road, and decided to go back to university. But before I went back, there was something I had to do. Unfinished business. Some songs had been sitting on my computer for months, and I thought, I owed it to myself to release a short EP, just to commemorate the end of an era. No frills, quick fast mix (I mixed it on my headphones because I busted my studio monitors, I used stock plugins, I knew it was doodoo, but I just didn’t care, it had to be done.), minimalistic cover art, no promo or marketing campaign, no pricey video, just a quick story saying “it’s out bro”. That’s how “Snap!” came to life.

And so I moved to Sherbrooke, and dedicated my full brain power to my studies. Until one day, about a year later, I got my monthly spotify report and, lo and behold, the numbers looked funny. At first I didn’t pay it any mind, but every month, the numbers stayed consistent. Better yet, streams were increasing. So I double checked on the website. And, the numbers added up.

I don’t know how long this is gonna keep going for, but I felt like it was a reminder to me that being true to oneself goes a long way. It was the universe’s way of telling me, there are forces beyond my understanding that are at play here. And that when you make a leap of faith, and stay true to yourself, the universe conspires in your favor, as Paolo Coelho would say.