Interview: REFRAKT (NY) - False Memories

"False Memories" is the title track of the REFRAKT (NY) EP with Phisica. In its first week, False Memories charted in the top 20 Indie Dance tracks on Beatport, was selected as a staff pick, and was included in Best New Indie Dance: January and Weekend Picks: Melodic Beatport. "False Memories" takes listeners on a voyage backwards and forwards through time and invites them to consider if the things we remember are ever truly as they seem (or perhaps they’re not real at all). Built on a driving Italo bass line, the track quickly drops a percussive synth melody designed to echo out into the farthest reaches of festival crowds, while an arpeggiator crescendos toward distorted and sliced vocals suggesting our own distorted memories.

By Kamil Bobin

Discovered via Musosoup

Hello REFRAKT (NY). What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?

I play a lot of instruments (drums, piano, guitar, etc.) so I’m able to think about rhythm, melody, harmony, and texture from the perspective of a player. I’ve also been in bands so I understand how musicians leave space for each other in the music - and the magic that happens when everything fits together perfectly.

Also, I’ve always been an “orchestrator,” meaning I think about songs as a whole. That was annoying for my bandmates because I would come into practice with a fully-formed idea (good or bad) and tell them exactly what to play - or at least try. But when writing electronic music, it’s good to have that kind of brain. It’s called “production” but it really is composition. I obsess over the details but for me there always has to be a theme that rises above the noise - like a symphony. That’s what I aim for.

Who inspired you to make music?

My dad was in a rock band growing up. He was (and is) a virtuoso guitarist. That kind of talent inspired my to see the beauty and subtlety in music - but also to work hard at it. His band used to practice in the basement of our house in Flint, Michigan and my earliest memories were of seeing all the instruments down there in the dark like sleeping giants. When they weren’t practicing I could just try stuff out.

More recently though, my producer and creative partner Alejandro Molinari has been a singular force of guidance and encouragement for me. I wouldn’t be making music without him.

Your latest release is 'False Memories'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?

I’m a big science fiction fan and a major recurring theme for authors and directors is the human brain - how it can be manipulated, controlled, or even replicated. But our brains manipulate *us* too. We dream and search for significance in those dreams. We also tend to remember things differently from how they actually happened. How much of that is an intentional act of our subconscious? This track is about that. I think when I wrote it I was questioning a lot of things in my past and present - friendships, love, work, art - and wondering if they were real or if I was just selling myself on illusions. Luckily, I chose to write a song about it instead of adopting it as a world view.

Can you shortly describe each of the tracks that are on the EP?

The title track, “False Memories,” takes listeners on a voyage backwards and forwards through time and invites them to consider if the things we remember are ever truly as they seem (or perhaps they’re not real at all). Built on a driving Italo bass line, the track quickly drops a percussive synth melody designed to echo out into farthest reaches of festival crowds, while an arpeggiator crescendos toward distorted and sliced vocals suggesting our own distorted memories.

Following it up is a powerful remix from recent sensation BadWolf, whose dance floor banger “Dame Mas” reached #1 on Beatport’s Indie Dance charts. His darker, more minimal interpretation turns the flanged vocal slices into the first brushstrokes to hit the sonic canvas, bringing them to a climax a moment before the bass drops like an anvil and the true journey through time and memory begins.

Contrasting with the darkness of False Memories is the pure light of “Ventana Del Universo,” which translates to “Window of the Universe.” Ventana’s trip begins with a simple but slightly distorted Latin beat framing a poem by REFRAKT read by Edith Balderas. The poem is about reaching a higher state of consciousness and finding a more evolved version of yourself that was inside of you all along.

Legendary dark disco producer Alejandro Molinari’s “Ventana Del Universo” remix brings mysticism and elegance to the track, with crisp tablas, sizzling hi-hats and rich analogue oscillators that give the sound a more ritualistic and spiritual quality. His deeply textured sonic canvas crescendos slowly and elegantly, lifting listeners up through the cosmos on waves of undulating sonic ecstasy.

How do you stay up-to-date with the latest musical trends?

I play and attend a lot of music festivals. It’s always inspiring to hear what other DJs and producers are playing - but also to hear how it sounds out there, and to see what the crowd is responding to. That’s the best teacher for me. Otherwise, I’m always buried in SoundCloud sets from my favorite curators, or going down rabbit holes on Discogs.

What makes you different from others?

Freckles? Seriously though, I have a broad musical vocabulary. I’m influenced by everything from classical music to Balinese gamelan and I try to bring it all into my music to take it to unexpected places. I also love sculpting sounds - manipulating them with modulators and warping the signal path. That’s when cool surprises happen, so hopefully my obsession translates to music that doesn’t sound like everything else out there.

What’s an average day like for you?

I still have a day job that I’m lucky enough to love, so weekdays are all about that. But in the off-hours I’m in my home studio with the Hue lights set to tropical pink, blue, and green, incense burning, candles flickering, and probably some kind of arpeggiator sequencing on my Prophet Rev2. I treat music making like a ritual. Maybe I go too far haha.

Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans.

My favorite way to interact with fans is live, through the music itself. There is a beautiful energy exchange that happens when you play live. Making music is hard. But feeling the energy of your audience reflected back at you is fuel for life.

When I’m not playing, though, I’m always happy to get DMs on SoundCloud or Instagram. I respond to all of them. It means the world when someone connects with the music. It keeps me going.

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Have patience and always approach music with a pure heart. Chasing trends is a losing game. Bring yourself to the party.

What are your plans for the future?

I have another release slated for early Summer that I’m very excited about, and a few more tracks I may get out there in between. Also there maaaaay be plans for a full-length electro/synth album but I’m not allowed to talk about that yet. ;)