This week we are honored to be introducing a new artist to the team, FLYN, with his debut EP Catalyst. FLYN is an up and coming electronic music producer and DJ based in Denver, CO and his new project Catalyst is an upbeat blend of organic house elements, guitar, and other live instrumentation. We sat down with FLYN to talk about his journey in music and his inspiration behind the project.
Thank you! So stoked to officially be a part of the team! This EP was largely inspired by my experience sailing around the Mediterranean this past summer with my family. We traveled all over from the south of France, to Corsica, to the Balearic Islands, finishing up the journey in Ibiza. The culture and vibe of all of the small coastal towns we explored, as well as the experience of living on, and sailing this beautiful Catamaran around the Med, had a huge impact on me and my music, not only in what I was writing but in the aesthetic direction for the EP and my project in whole. The name Catalyst was inspired by both the name of the Catamaran we sailed on this journey (also Catalyst), as well as what this EP represents to me. Being my first official release and all, these tracks and this project represent a stepping off point or catalyst for taking my music and my project FLYN to the next level.
Thank you, I’m definitely really happy with how all the tracks ended up sounding. I started toying around with Ableton about five years ago trying to make some simple reggae beats so I guess that’s where my producing first started but I definitely wasn’t serious about it until about three years ago now. I’ve always been very musically inclined though. My mom was a lead singer all throughout college and passed on the music gene to me I guess. I got super into guitar and bass, especially reggae, during high school and into college and began playing around with a looper pedal my freshman year just trying to make some simple compositions before getting into Ableton and starting to learn the ropes with the help of my long time friend Weir. Throughout college I fell more in love with house and techno and began producing more in that vein. I’d say the biggest step for me though was moving in with Weir, Mxxnwatchers, and Nobide – some of the most talented producers and musicians I know – almost two years ago. Just being around that energy, being able to check in with them on the stuff I was making, asking questions about what they were making, etc. It was just the easiest access to learning and increasing my skills as a producer so yeah that definitely was a huge step for me. Also, in terms of this EP, Weir was a huge help on the final mix and master of the tracks so huge thank you to him.
Yeah definitely. I’d say both creative outlets are my way of expressing and capturing the intangible feelings that stem from a given experience I’m having. I’m really driven by the pursuit of putting my listeners and viewers into the space I was in at the time and sharing in that experience with them. There’s times I like to explore more somber or moody emotions through both my music and photo/video work but I’d say overwhelmingly I’m chasing those like uplifting, beautiful, happy, emotional experiences with my art… in the pursuit of happy tears if you will hahaha. So I’d say that’s a theme in my work. I know how much music impacts my mood and emotional state and how many times I’ve had those moments with my favorite songs where I’m just on cloud nine driving around, bumpin’ a song that gives me that feeling and yeah, I want to make shit that gives other people that feeling and those experiences ya know?
I think I’d have to go with the title track Catalyst. I wrote that one on the 36 hour crossing from Corsica to Menorca and for me it really just captures what I was feeling at that point in time and on that adventure. That feeling of being out on the open ocean for a full day and a half, sailing through the night and into the next day, was something new to me and it gave me a ton of time to really check in with myself and where I was trying to go with the music I was writing and my project in general, and then once I sat down to write, the track just kind of flowed out which was such a good feeling. It was the fastest I had ever gone from nothing to a fully fleshed out arrangement and song. Like that one really needed to get out and I’m so happy with how it turned out. Also playing it in my sets over the past few months has been so fun! It’s been awesome watching the crowd’s reaction to it, especially when I knew they hadn’t heard it before. So yeah, Catalyst.
Well I’d love to eventually be doing music full time and I’m stoked to really go for it over the next few years and see how the project grows. I feel really blessed and grateful to have so many incredible producers and artists around me in my life right now between the New Something team and more, and I’m just excited to see what becomes of this sick little pocket we have going on. In terms of shows, I’ve got a gig coming up at the Treehouse at Larimer Lounge for the after party for Mild Minds on February 4th. I’ll be playing 11-1 so come hang! And then in terms of projects, I’ve got a filmed live performance of the Catalyst EP dropping on Youtube February 17th! Super stoked for that one as it’s my first time playing with a live set up and incorporating guitar and other live instrumentation so keep an eye out for that! Other than that, just hoping to get some more shows lined up in the next few months and some more releases planned for the rest of the year!
