Slowz’s acclaimed brand of future soul and moody poptronica has garnered him a multitude of fans around the globe since its inception back in 2013. Earning a wealth of international recognition following a slew of successful single, remix and EP releases over the past decade, Slowz now presents his debut, 13-track album Digital Love on his own imprint Purple Glowz in collaboration with revered Brooklyn-based imprint Peace Bisquit. We caught up with the man himself to find out more.
Hey Slowz, thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. How are you?
SLOWZ : Hey, thanks for having me. To be honest I feel excited but stressed too. ‘Digital Love’ Is my first full length album ever ! I just hope folks will enjoy the record as much as I enjoyed making it.
Congratulations on the release of your album ‘Digital Love’! Can you tell us how the album came about? Is there a particular concept or narrative behind the tracks?
SLOWZ : Thank you! The idea of this record was born during the very first lockdown. I was watching the third season of Netflix’s Spanish teen drama ‘Elite.’ The season I got lost in had this 80’s vibe that I loved a lot. The soundtrack of this season is so cool too and I discovered a lot of good music. It motivated me to work on my own “Original Soundtrack.” I imagined ‘Digital Love’ as the soundtrack for a TV show or a movie scoring cinematic ups and downs with both sad and happy scenes.
How would you describe the overall sound and vibe of ‘Digital Love’? Were there any specific musical influences that shaped this album?
SLOWZ : ‘Digital Love’ is an electro pop record, with modern and 80’s influences. I was mainly influenced by songwriter / producer Oliver Vaughn. I’ve always been a big fan of his music. I would say, Oliver for the electro side, SG Lewis for the disco energy and The Weeknd for the pop side.
Each track on the album seems to carry its own unique energy. Can you walk us through your creative process in the studio?
SLOWZ : When I first think of a project larger than a single release or an EP I always see the bigger picture. I imagine there will be slow songs, a more uptempo one, an interlude here, a song for the intro, outro etc. It allows me to know where I’m going and not be scattered. Sometimes people are asking how I can work on so many parts of the puzzle at once. Having this vision helps me a lot to understand my end goal. So then it’s not difficult to work on a 10 or 15 track project. Once I know where I’m going musically I try to work on the maximum songs possible at the same time. That way I remain flexible. When I have no more ideas for a song, I can jump on to the next one and be re-inspired. That process continues until I’m done. It also keeps me from getting bored because I’m essentially doing everything but the vocals; producing, arranging, mixing, engineering and editing.
How did the collaborations on the album come to fruition and how does working with other artists enhance the creative process for you?
SLOWZ: When it comes to finding collaborators I jump on Soundcloud or search new releases and artists on Spotify. I start from an artist I love and the algorithm is very helpful. It shows you artists with similar sounds and vibe. Once I can imagine the voice of one of them on my songs I just reach out. 90% of the time I have no answer. The 10% I connected and collaborated with are on the album. I’m pretty proud to have all of them. They all have their own paths.
My managers are also helpful as my A&R, for example they connected me with Belle Humble.
How would you best describe your sound?
SLOWZ : Hard to say. It’s a genre fusion between electro, pop, disco and r&b stuff lol. What do you think?
In today’s digital age, artists have various platforms to connect with their audience. How do you utilize social media and streaming services to engage with your fans and promote your music?
SLOWZ : I’ve never been too much of a social media guy. I want my music to speak for me first before any pictures or videos I post on social media. It’s not my thing to be too much on social media. Just enough to connect with my fans. It’s not an easy balance to find because of the flux. People can forget you quickly. I also don’t want to over promote my music. So, yeah, I try to be there by posting a few motion design videos and cool pictures but I don’t share too much stuff.
Do you have any plans to tour in support of ‘Digital Love’? If so, what can audiences expect from your live shows?
SLOWZ : I never imagined ‘Digital Love’ for live shows. I’m more of a DJ and a producer so you may see me on the road spinning or hear one of my DJ mixes in support of ‘Digital Love.’ If there will be opportunities to perform ‘Digital Love’ live with my amazing guests like Belle, J.O.Y, Angus Field and Senpu, I have great concepts on how to bring the project to life on stage.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future of your music career? Are there any new projects or collaborations on the horizon that you’re excited about?
SLOWZ : I’m always working on new music. So yeah, I’m pretty excited for what’s coming next. I cannot tell you more yet but expect some ‘Digital Love’ extras such as Exclusive new remixes, a mixtape featuring previously unreleased music and collaborations… I also have remixes on deck too for artists such as Ultra Naté, Arthur Baker & Jesse Rankins (WATCH THE DUCK), Jody Watley and newcomer, HRM. I also finished the instrumental sketches for my sophomore album so I’m looking for vocalists / songwriters now. Know anyone?!
Slowz – Digital Love is out now via Purple Glowz / Peace Bisquit.