GOOD MORNINGS
Raindrop’s ‘Might Be Wrong’: Breaking conventions to keep moving forward.
-
Uplifting Indie, Classic Pop, Reggae, Tropical Rhythms & Soul. Embrace Good Mornings, a curated selection of feel-good music that sets the perfect tone for your day. Get uplifted by the vibrant indie melodies, dance to classic pop hits, sway to the reggae rhythms, bask in tropical vibes, and immerse in the soulful sounds. Energize your mornings with this playlist of good vibes and positive tunes, designed to make you wake up happy and ready to conquer the day. Good Morning’s promises to bring the sunshine, infusing every sunrise with infectious rhythms and harmonies that will keep you grooving all day long.
Synthesizer lovers, listen up. ‘Might Be Wrong’ is the latest ebullient treat from Raindrop, the musical project of Sydney based artist and producer Miles Devine. Produced and mixed at The Grove Studios with world-class producer Scott Horscroft (Allday, The Presets, Empire of the Sun), together they’ve pushed the walls of Raindrop’s infectious sound to a cool new zone. As if things couldn’t get any more refreshingly unique, ‘Might Be Wrong’ is accompanied by its own video game that conceptually reflects the music’s meaning. Raindrop chats ‘Might Be Wrong’s’ musical influences, production process, the making of its video game and even recommends two other compelling musicians to follow.
In creating Might Be Wrong can you share insights into the production process, the songwriting journey, and the deeper meaning behind the track?
The song was created from the first drum beat I ever made on a Linndrum my friend SPOD lent me a few years ago. The Linn drum has a distinctly ‘human’ feel to it that gave me more groove than anything I'd ever heard. I decided to form the production of all the instruments around this. The song also features a lot of Roland synthesizers that make all the string sounds and lead sounds you hear at the start and throughout. When I had recorded a demo, I sent it to SPOD who wrote new beat patterns on the Linndrum in ways I’d never even imagined and showed me some cool tricks that these magic little drum machines can do. The next big step was to create a new “voice“ to my sound. Using quite a lot of pitch shifting, distortion and tuning effects, I wanted to have a vocal sound that I’d never heard before and feel like I landed in a cool zone. I also wanted this song to have a vocoder be more predominant than anything I’d released before.
These artificial elements were linked a lot to the emotional meaning of the song, which I wrote with my wife and long-time songwriting partner, Hunter Atari. The song explores the power in moving forward and is a reminder to keep pushing through self doubt no matter the outcome and to just worry less about the unknown. Taking a dive into the unknown involved a sound that I wanted to feel unfamiliar and be more of a risk. In feeling these emotions and using synthesisers, electronic drums and electronic treatment to everything almost gives an intentional disconnect from the world.
Your sound has been described as a fusion influenced by artists like Toro Y Moi and Daft Punk. In the creation of Might Be Wrong, are there specific elements from their music that you consciously incorporate or respond to in your own creative process? Tell us about the moment in the process that you step back and feel that you’ve created a Raindrop release?
The nature of those artists and their taste in production are hugely inspiring to me. Toro Y Moi is one of my favourite artists on earth. His ability to jump from psychedelic rock, to indie , to electronic and use elements like auto-tune on his voice was inspiring to me as a vocalist and influenced my approach to vocal treatment. It made me think of bands that iv liked since I was young like Daft Punk and Air, who always blew my mind with how they robotised the human voice. I don’t ever like to take anything too specific from any artist but more try to harness the fearlessness of their sound, the energy or the groove.
Also tell us in depth about the video game - the idea behind it - who you're doing it with, how you landed at this collab.
The video game has been a lot of fun. We gave ourselves the goal of seeing what we could create within two months, it’s a collaboration between a small group of people that worked on a concept that Atari came up with that lead us to work with our long time friend and life long genius Daniel aka slothlikeman, a game developer based in Seattle, USA who did all the coding to make this creation a reality, without a doubt he took on the bulk of the work, this absolutely could not have happened without him and I am so grateful for all the time and knowledge he poured into this project. We also had the pleasure of working with one of our favourite artists Lalu Permana, an artist based in Lombok, Indonesia who created the visual world of the game, accompanied by Atari who created the objects. I had the role of director, the group were really great to work with and all wanted to make sure I was happy with the finished product and their own work every step of the way, so having this song as the soundtrack to our creation when it came down to my decision making was a powerful thing.
Video games play a huge part in our lives so this was something we were all very keen on doing as a team. Daniel and I have worked together on a game in the past with me contributing the music to one of his games and we had a lot of fun so it was amazing to be able to have him on board and to work on something like this, we had talked about creating a game together for years so to see our goal achieved is a beautiful thing, we’ll definitely continue working together in the future!
The concept of the game is a lot of fun. It plays with the meaning behind the song, The objective is to avoid the shadows and collect rainbow raindrops and get them into a giant space cloud machine before the worlds colour disappears and you have to do it by the end of the song, despite it’s length a lot of work and a lot of love went into this game and I was incredibly lucky to be able to work with such a great team to make something really cool.
Within your circle of musical friends and the Sydney music scene, could you highlight two other artists or bands that are on the cusp of making a significant impact? What about their music or style do you find compelling or innovative?
A Sydney artist that I believe has a lot of promise and is worth looking out for is Tom Somera. An elusive and humble artist that I had the treat of collaborating with last year on a song with. Tom isn’t a “scene follower”, but could literally be placed anywhere and shine. His sound is special and unlike any artist I hear come out of Australia and I believe once he puts more out there to the world he will go far.
As far as impact goes, Richard in your mind (who are based in Sydney and the Blue mountains) are a band I’ve always felt very impacted by on a personal level. I know they’re making some new music and whenever they do, it seems to grow into a new world each time. Their quality of production and songwriting is to my ears of the highest level you can be, and their impact is something that comes in different ways than the typical ‘hype’ bands produce that slowly dies off, their sound is timeless and sometimes bands can generate these impacts in unique ways.
Photo: Raindrop by Hunter Atari 2024
What can fans expect at your live shows? Any specific elements or surprises? Also, could you share some upcoming touring dates and locations for fans eager to catch Raindrop in action?
For the live shows I’ll be trying out a whole new formula to what I used to do, which was a 4 piece band. I will be playing my first shows as a solo performance, surrounded by a wall of synthesizers that will be my band members.
This new setup has been something I’ve always wanted to try and now that the bulk of the drums you hear in my music are drum machines, it just makes more sense to do it this way.
On top of that, lots of the instruments are triggered by a sequencer, which I intend to take along with me so the analog synths I used on the recordings will be making all the sounds in the room.
As we wrap up our enjoyable conversation with Raindrop, it’s evident that ‘Might Be Wrong’ isn’t afraid to defy convention to broaden the musical experience. From the inception of its distinctive sound rooted in the Linndrum beat to the exploration of new vocal territories, Raindrop takes us on a musical and gaming adventure that treds new ground. Keep an eye out for Raindrop’s upcoming live show dates, where fans can get pulled into Raindrop’s infectous groove first hand.
*transition integration on desktop app only
*transition integration on desktop app only
Sound, Style, Scene: From Soup Cans to Leather Jackets - The Factory's Impact on Culture
When it comes to cultural icons, few have left as indelible a mark on the worlds of art, music, and fashion as Andy Warhol and his Factory crew. From the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, Warhol's Manhattan studio and its surrounding scene became ground zero for a new kind of cultural revolution, one that fused avant-garde art, experimental music, and edgy fashion into a heady cocktail of creativity and cool.
Sound, Style, Scene: Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet - A Renaissance Rave That Made History
When Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet hit the silver screens in 1996, it was unlike anything the world had ever seen. The director's flamboyant, over-the-top style collided with William Shakespeare's timeless tale of tragic love, creating a sensory explosion that took audiences by storm. But it wasn't just the movie's storytelling that made it a cultural phenomenon. It was the fashion, the music, and the celebrities that came together to make it an unforgettable moment in time.
From Block Parties to World Domination: The Hottest Hip-Hop Albums That Changed Everything
The Bronx, a borough of New York City, was the birthplace of hip-hop music in the 1970s. It began as groups of young people, predominantly from the Black, Latino, and Caribbean communities staged block parties for friends from the neighbourhood. Local DJ’s played disco, soul and funk music to packed local dance floors.
The Power of Indie Artists: Embracing Creativity, Connection, and Collaboration
In the realm of music, the term "Indie Artists" has become synonymous with the essence of artistic freedom and innovation. As we delve into the world of indie artists, we unravel a story of positivity, empowerment, and boundless opportunities. Today's indie artists are breaking barriers, forging direct connections with fans, and redefining the industry landscape in ways that were once unimaginable.
