![GRiZ Drops Vibrant 7th Album & Talks All Things ‘Rainbow Brain’ [LISTEN + INTERVIEW]](https://newselfnewlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GrizPressers2021_0652-copy.jpg)
Immediately, we make a journey contained in the dynamic and good thoughts of DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist GRiZ as he presents his seventh studio album Rainbow Mind in its full, illustrious kind.
From begin to end, GRiZ’s Rainbow Mind is laced with lovely intention as a challenge that feels essentially the most radically genuine to his personal path as an artist. Extra than simply songs, or collectively, an album — these are audible experiences which have outlined GRiZ as a trailblazer in digital dance music, in addition to a optimistic drive of fine.
Current singles “Astro Funk,” “Vibe Test,” “Tie-Dye Sky” and title observe “Rainbow Mind” are becoming a member of the celebration, however there’s a lot extra to discover. For optimum outcomes, play out the continual combine and let your creativeness run wild. Might the album’s fluorescent soundscapes that defy area and time be your solely information.
Within the unique interview under, Grant Kwiecinski aka GRiZ will get actual with us on each stage, discussing all issues Rainbow Mind, together with musical influences, psychedelic experiences, upcoming exhibits and extra. It’s not all butterflies and rainbows, nevertheless, as he additionally touches on the struggles of lockdown, lacking human connection, the lesson of letting go and permitting issues to be completely imperfect.
Hear right here and scroll all the way down to learn what GRiZ has to say!
GRiZ – Rainbow Mind
Stream/obtain: https://griz.lnk.to/rainbowbrain
In the beginning… Popping out of over a 12 months in lockdown, how does it really feel to be again?
It’s so candy! It’s a bit bit nerve-wracking developing on enjoying a few of our marquee occasions and issues that we’ve deliberate. Like, that is the shit we’re getting again into — these are the GRiZ occasions we wish to let you know about, promote, and have you ever come see…
As a result of, in my head I’m such a perfectionist and one factor I’m going to maintain telling myself that may be a lesson… Classes for me, they’re by no means absolutely realized. It’s simply follow. And the follow for me is: It’s going to be what it’s and it’s going to be completely imperfect. Then my organizational mind is like, “Okay, cool! Let’s be sure that we get the whole lot so good and the music is so excellent and on level.” All that form of stuff.
So, it’s really been a tremendous course of. Superb in a way of not all the time good, however it has caught me in amazement. Is {that a} phrase? No matter. Let’s go together with it! The lesson of letting go has been the deepest and most course setting lesson for the pandemic.
Then, going again into enjoying exhibits, it’s like — let’s continue learning and simply let go into the expertise of the world. Which is, we’re going to play our music and it’s going to be a stunning affair as a result of it was constructed from love and eager to have a stunning night of music for everyone. The celebration of sunshine, getting again into it. Then, my coronary heart will get in align with the intentionality behind it after which issues get actually, actually candy. So, that’s the place I’m at at the moment.
How has your artistic course of shifted over the course of quarantine and has the intention of the GRiZ challenge modified in any respect?
Undoubtedly. I believe it retains swirling and I’m realizing increasingly more that I’m a chameleon of my very own artistic ambition, as a result of it’s so dynamic. To place myself inside of those guidelines that I form of put myself in over my whole profession — and all the time attempt to break outdoors of these guidelines — however, “What does this factor have to be for myself? For different folks?”
The artistic course of has actually taken me on a journey outdoors of these issues. Breaking outdoors of this horrible field that I energetically and emotionally put myself in once I’m sitting down and creating — like, “What does this have to be?” It doesn’t actually have to be something apart from the expression of the journey.
So, in the course of the time of the pandemic… Wow, it began off feeling like this lovely, enjoyable sleepover factor. We’re all consuming wine each evening and having enjoyable, pillow forts, watching films and memes and shit. You understand? Then, it’s like “Rattling, I’m shedding the sense of my life’s goal,” which on the time was to operate within the area of reside efficiency and throwing events principally with folks and these celebrations of life. And coursing away from that was so miserable. Dropping that essence of being with folks. We’re actually being remoted and shedding that connection to one another.
So writing music throughout that point actually got here in a stupendous area of — Alright, let me let go, into this sense with abandon and create music that’s giving me the power that I really want. Which is, I must throw my very own private dance events within the studio on the every day to maintain my sanity! So, that’s the motivation proper now for the challenge, is to make the most of this area as a type of non secular satisfaction. It’s not that it hasn’t all the time been so in step with that, however it has positively been a life saver. I’m so excited to be inside the situation of eager to carry folks collectively. That’s the large factor — cultivating tradition and letting folks arrange and reside their tradition via the GRiZ area the best way they want to try this. Giving it 100%. Let’s do that proper and set this area up so folks can specific themselves and create tradition collectively once more!
You’ve clearly stayed busy making tons of latest music… Are you able to describe how Rainbow Mind got here along with its title and idea? That second when it’s taking place…
I took a pandemic journey to Chicago. Pandemic journey… Shit! And that’s the place we wrote the title observe with ProbCause and Chrishira [Perrier] and I used to be like — “Rattling, this factor is admittedly about us as buddies,” being the creators.
I maintain my buddies so dearly in my artistic area as a result of I simply actually fuck with artistic folks. And I can positively embrace you on this, Karlie — the writers, the folks which might be manifesting and making and creating. Creation to me isn’t so one dimensional, prefer it’s a musician or no matter. It’s any person making one thing. That’s an thought. These are phrases. I like the phrases and spelling — and spelling is like casting spells in the best way that you just create phrases and dialogue actually is like magic. Manifestors, creators, I gotta embrace and shouts out to that!
Additionally, as us as writers inside a tune and being magicians in that area… The thought of magic and what’s magic and that mud of psychedelia intertwined. That was when it actually began feeling like issues have been coming collectively. I used to be form of creating into this void of — “Let’s make some dance music that’s fucking superior, as a result of I’m feeling like shit and I simply wish to really feel dope about myself! So I’m gonna write a bunch of dance music that feels actually good to me and is motivating me to fucking not lose my thoughts!” There was some extent the place that magic was beginning to coalesce into this record of a narrative, of a guide of spells inside my laptop. Like, “Rattling, alright cool! We’ve a physique of labor right here.” Now, how does this coalesce additional, manifest, right into a narrative or a narrative or a set of sounds, spells, that we wish to share with folks. That was the epithets of it, going to Chicago and being with ProbCause and Chrishira. Simply connecting with folks once more was — “That’s it! That’s the one!”
Because you talked about psychedelics… Have you ever had an excellent prolific journey whereas on psychedelics that has guided you in your music?
Yeah, one of the profound experiences that I’ve had… Now I’m connecting the dots… Was in Chicago on my buddy’s rooftop with my different buddy Freddy Todd. We began making music in the very same time and place — that’s a protracted story for a distinct time! He’s one in all my closest music buddies and in addition simply buddies usually… We have been in a band collectively in highschool and shit… Center faculty even. And he had simply completed his album referred to as Neon Spectacle Operator — which, I don’t know the way he comes up with these titles however I’m so fucking jazzed and impressed by his artistic mind. There are only a few on this planet like his!
And there was an expertise the place I actually felt tremendous at peace with the idea of separating my energetic soul from my bodily physique and astral projected out of my physique, watched myself go away, and was projected into some kind of extraplanar area airplane the place I used to be standing on the fringe of this grid right into a sundown of infinity watching the cosmos drift by. And this inexperienced alien wrapped me up — I’d say alien, however not within the conventional sense of it was like Alien vs. Predator alien — however a non-human kind, swaddled me basically and let me know that the whole lot was okay. I had by no means felt extra in tune with my non secular energetic self. Understanding that this separation between spirit and human physique — the inevitable separation which I believe manifests itself within the type of what we name demise, or the best way that I personally perceive it, a passage past human bodily kind… I’ve by no means felt extra pleased with that.
My psychedelic journey has continued to blossom since then. Loads of this document was created all through the pandemic whereas having fun with and occurring journeys with psychedelics and experiencing. Additionally, occasions of deep sobriety, as a result of I wanted a break from all of the consuming that I wrecked my mind with at the beginning of the pandemic, which positively led to a deep melancholy. Spending time additionally being sober and persevering with my meditation practices and getting actually deep into that connection.
Loads of this music was impressed and continues to be impressed by these areas. The way in which that the album artwork was created was a path of a few of the imagery that got here to me from that have in Chicago. So, Chicago appears to be a bit little bit of an power vortex for this album and for me usually.
That’s superior! Shifting into musical influences for the album… It feels like quite a lot of old skool dubstep…
One of many tracks on the album is named “548 Mac Ave,” and I didn’t actually know the way I wished to inform this a part of the story. It appeared like a form of tongue in cheek solution to do it, however that’s the handle of this place referred to as the Monty Home. That’s a co-op at Michigan State College the place I went to varsity for 3 years. Then, finally, I graduated within the very Kanye method… Uhhh… I made a decision I used to be completed. [laughs] And I went out to Boulder, Colorado to solely pursue my dream and do music. However that place holds quite a lot of the inception of the narrative of me falling in love with DJism and reside music efficiency. At the moment, all of the music I used to be enjoying was Flux Pavilion, Physician P, Rusko — and Skream, Benga, Coki.
That early dubstep sound — it did this magical factor for me, the place in highschool I used to be listening to Crime Mob, Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz, Paul Wall, after which the West Coast hip hop, so a bunch of Jurassic 5 and A Tribe Known as Quest. However there was this actually deep connection to Soiled South bass, sub music. I used to be actually related to that as a result of we’d rock round in our buddies’ automobiles and they might have subwoofers that may bump and blast in 808s. I’d be capable to hear in first interval when my buddy have been late to class as a result of I may hear them roll up with the subs of their automobiles simply shaking the fucking — Ya know? My first hour was proper subsequent to the parking zone so you would hear it. I’d be like, “Oh, that’s my buddy Trent or my buddy Bo pulling as much as faculty — Hey!” [laughs] It was such a visceral, I don’t know… It fucked me up!
The cool connection right here was that I lastly, at the moment of listening to this dubstep sound, this bass music sound — I used to be like, “Rattling, this sound is a trippy model perhaps, or a dance model rooted inside reggae dub roots,” and I felt so related to that! Like, this actually feels prefer it’s for me! This feels so new and undiscovered. I bear in mind exhibiting a few of my buddies what dubstep was at the beginning, and so they have been like, “Rattling, that is terrible.” I used to be like, “I like it!” And there was this connection of spirituality between the beats and the bass and the rhythms of the synth tones within the bass and the best way the sub would work together that felt loads like rapping, instrumentally over this beat. I used to be like, “Rattling! That’s so fucking sick!” And I’m completely simply dissolving into this sound. There are slight homages to that inside the creation of this document. This sound is so fucking badass to me and that was giving me an excellent vibe!
Are you able to share a few of the variations, creatively, between Rainbow Mind and your different albums? For example, you might have the continual combine… I’m a sucker for these! It’s the little particulars that make it actually particular!
Yeah, there are some actually cool particulars. There’s this interlude referred to as the “R O Y G B i V interlude” and the bells in it, there’s this arp — and that’s a pattern of Studying Rainbow.
Cease!
Yeahhhhh! After which, inside that, all of the vocals are additionally sampled from an episode of Invoice Nye the Science Man. Additionally, in my tune “Tie-Dye Sky” is Invoice Nye being like, “Alright, give me all you bought!” There are these small little enjoyable issues… There’s additionally a recall of a melody from “R O Y G B i V interlude” into the final tune which is named the “The Echo Tree.” And “The Echo Tree” is one thing that we’re going to see within the film that’s created for Rainbow Mind. (Watch right here!)
There are all these tie-ins and creating from that sense that the complete physique of music was all talking and compounding upon itself was so fucking enjoyable to do! I like creating stuff that has such a deeper context. I believe previously I’ve form of dirty it by talking an excessive amount of on what it’s presupposed to imply, as a substitute of letting folks really feel their very own interpretation from the factor. I’m gonna kinda simply let this one occur a bit bit extra.
The foremost variations… The continual combine was impressed by a mixture sequence referred to as Late Night time Tales. There’s a bunch of various DJs who’ve achieved their visitor mixes on it. And in addition from BBC Radio 1 important mixes that I fuuucking love. So, that comes impressed by these areas and particularly the Bonobo Late Night time Tales steady combine. You simply press play on this shit and gotta vibe all through it!
And storytelling moments as properly… There’s additionally included inside the Late Night time Tales this little bit of narrative. So there’s this spoken phrase piece on the finish of it that I discover actually endearing and particular. Intertwining spoken phrase into it and these audio journeys…
I additionally wished to verify every observe, you would play it out or hit play on Spotify and it might really feel like a whole tune. Additionally, it was a brand new problem to have each single — the album is 23 songs lengthy, however nearly half of these are ‘tweener tracks. So the album was inbuilt a method the place you possibly can hearken to all of your favourite songs, but in addition you would press play at the beginning of it and there’s all these transition moments that get you from tune to tune. It has these sorts of — my buddy Lane would name it a “butterfly checkpoint.”
Yeah, his story is occurring a psychedelic journey via the jungle in Thailand. This was a 12 months earlier than I went with him there, however we did the identical journey on the identical head stuffed with doses… However each single time they’d get to those clusters of butterflies they’d be like — “We’ve reached the butterfly checkpoint!” So there’s all these little checkpoints all through the album which might be getting you to the following vacation spot.
I like that! You talked about this album is the most authentically true to your self — What does that really feel like, placing one thing so private on the market for the world to listen to?
It sucks, however it’s liberating. The difficult half about sharing stuff is that it turns into not yours anymore. Like in the event you introduce an object into an area the place there’s just one viewer, the complete notion of what that factor is is just from that viewer’s perspective, and subsequently is just outlined by that one particular person and subsequently the fact of that factor is that one particular person’s description of it. It’s solely in our actuality via that one particular person’s notion of it, and so subsequently it’s that one particular person’s factor.
Because the creator, now it’s at the moment solely mine. As quickly as you give that to folks, the catch 22 of it’s there there’s a lot magnificence… I discover a lot magnificence in the best way that individuals see a physique of labor — whether or not that’s an article, a portray, a bit of structure, a dope gardening job — the best way completely different folks create these completely different perceptions about it and write these completely different tales about it of their minds and share that narrative… I discover it so lovely that that opinion could be completely different, as a result of having the ability to have these completely different variations of storytelling is admittedly such a spice of life.
You could possibly carry two completely different folks right into a scenario of “it rained on the water park.” One particular person is like, “That was so cool as a result of this,” and one particular person is like, “That ruined my day due to this.” Neither particular person is true or incorrect, it’s simply two various things. The unfavourable a part of it for me is that this factor that was private then turns into outlined by different folks and that’s not one thing I can management.
So, going again to that narrative of letting go. Actually, in the event you love one thing, let it go. I’m letting go of all this shit that I like a lot, and have birthed and conceptualized and created — and now I’m entrusting it to different folks to share in that narrative and to inform the story of what this factor is. As a creator, for me one of the simplest ways to all the time go about it’s simply letting it go. Letting these tales be informed by all people. Then that turns into what that factor is — it’s now not what you simply made it. It’s what all people thinks it’s. It’s as lovely as it’s tough to let go. Herein lies the follow. We hold doing it.
Generic, however vital query — What does the album imply to you?
Shit… What does it imply? It means we’re persevering with to inform the story. It means there was by no means a interval on what occurred previously — it was simply one other area, it was one other comma, it was not an ellipsis, not a punctuation mark that there’s a dot-dot-dot. I’m persevering with to seek out myself within the area that I’m creating and we’ve extra pages within the guide to jot down.
Having simply celebrated Pleasure Month, I wish to speak about its significance and the protected area your challenge has created for the LGBTIQA+ group… Are you able to share what you’ve skilled from popping out till now?
I believe from then to now I’ve discovered how vital it’s to have queer buddies. That’s one thing that was so lacking in my life. To bolster myself by sharing in that group as a substitute of simply being part of the group however having zero relationship to it, in addition to perhaps having a boyfriend or one thing… Ah, shit! It’s so vital to really feel supported and to really feel like I’m not such an outcast. As a result of I’m not — and neither is anyone within the alphabet mafia. Y’all bought folks on the market!
For me, the best way I see it at present and particularly via the genesis of the extra socially aware facet of TikTok… There’s superb folks on there speaking about it and all these views. From the subservience of Gen Z tradition feeling very deserted in how real Pleasure Month feels due the commercialization of the capitalistic machine placing rainbows on the whole lot and disseminating that out into the world in such mass that it loses its inclusivity. To seeing folks within the older homosexual tradition — crying on a TikTok — speaking about, “If I noticed that as a 7-year-old queer particular person strolling right into a WalMart and seeing Pleasure shit in a rural city, that may have simply saved my life.” To get that form of at the very least providing of normalcy and publicity on the earth is admittedly vital.
Proper now, the best way that I really feel in regards to the LGBTIQA+ area is eager to proceed to maintain my thoughts open and simply listening. I don’t assume I’m going to be the individual that has solutions for anyone — apart from it’s vital to hear and to speak and share even when it’s a “silly thought,” there’s no dangerous concepts right here. We’d like to have the ability to share the best way we’re feeling and hopefully these areas we’re sharing in could be protected areas. And hopefully these are conversations with folks which might be keen to hearken to what you must say, not admonish you for having a distinct thought. I believe essentially the most lovely conversations will all the time occur between people who find themselves genuinely considering, “Why would any person really feel one thing that’s completely different than myself? And let me get into that!” That’s a relationship, that’s being relational! That shit is hella lovely!
And, no, it’s not simple, as a result of I believe I used to be all the time conditioned in my life to have an opinion and be proper about it. I’m debating and in addition needing to continually validate my existence. I’ve grow to be a really defensive particular person. I have to be confident. Individuals are difficult me on a regular basis. Each single time I get challenged, the notion that I’ve made about myself — my life’s reality is being shook! And each single time that occurs I really feel susceptible. If I’m not having a dialog into an area the place my vulnerability could be revered and brought care of, then I really feel threatened — and that’s scary.
I’m hoping Pleasure Month can proceed to be a spot of differing dialogues between folks the place we’re being relational as a substitute of confrontational and hopefully that can create progress as a substitute of stagnation.
Thanks for that reply… I really feel such as you’ve cultivated that form of group along with your fanbase…
Making an attempt. Actually doing what we will with it. These persons are so dope, and generally we simply don’t understand how dope we’re as a result of persons are attempting to fuck with us. And that sucks! That’s onerous to take care of. Not all people has protected areas the place they will exist, share concepts and specific themselves. I hope that the GRiZ group is all the time a spot the place folks can really feel protected with one another, to have the ability to develop collectively. It doesn’t all the time should be in regards to the music — and it positive as shit doesn’t all the time have to be about me. Hopefully it may be about one another first.
Precisely! So, shifting into some protected areas and celebrations… You will have so many exhibits developing together with three units in a single evening at Pink Rocks! What’s it been like pouring your coronary heart into all these completely different performances?
I really feel like I informed a bunch of individuals what sort of mountains we’re gonna climb — and we haven’t achieved it but. So, I gotta get to coaching. I gotta get some new fucking climbing boots and break that shit in! We’re like, “Okay cool, now we’re gonna do fucking Everest!” And everybody’s like, “Yeahhh!” And it’s like, “Alright, are we actually able to tackle this problem?” We’ll get there! Warming again as much as it. Getting my thoughts and my spirit proper into these areas…
Simply been doing a bunch of free exhibits. I simply wish to be in entrance of individuals enjoying music and bringing folks collectively. What’s that fucking like anymore?! And it’s nice! I’ve been doing it with abandon and that’s been quite a lot of enjoyable. I’m right here for it.
It’s a disgrace that any of these items prices cash within the first place, so simply be capable to offset the load of all of it — and be like, “Yo, we’re gonna do that! Have enjoyable! Present up! Deliver the crew! Don’t carry the crew! Meet the Crew! Cool!” Meet some new folks. That shit is so enjoyable. We’re warming as much as it. I’m feeling prepared!
Which date would be the first time you’re throwing down the brand new album?
We are going to hear it reside for the primary time collectively… [pauses]
I’ve low key performed it already at a free present for the folks. As a result of I’m fucking… I don’t know. [laughs] I believe persistence is one thing in my life that I’m not the most effective at working towards. However, in its true kind — in its most considerate kind — would be the first evening of GRiZmas in July in Wilmington, North Carolina on the finish of this month.
