ROBY Teases Double April Release: “I Like To Think Of My Last Single As A Farewell.”
In the handful of years since he started making music, ROBY has been treating us to ever more intriguing tracks. To watch his style, occasionally self-described as ‘Garage-esque’, develop from track to track has been fascinating to say the least. His music is moving and powerful; meticulously intentional without ever losing its excitement and becoming stale.
The last time we caught up with ROBY was back in November last year, when he joined the lineup for the Metaverse Music Festival, performing his epic live set inside V3RSE, our bespoke nightclub set inside the Decentraland metaverse.
Now, with two new releases set to go live on MODA before the month is out, we thought it fitting to catch up with this Boston based artist on the rise, to get a glimpse of what’s coming in April and beyond.
ROBY, tell us how you would describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard your music?
I would say to anyone who hasn’t heard or has been submerged in the world of ROBY music, just expect anything. Right now I’m really enjoying making electronic pop music where I sing on pretty much every song. Where I’m at now is definitely my favorite musical direction so far and I’m really proud of my evolution.
How long have you been producing music for? And how did you get started?
I’ve been producing consistently since 2018, but my earliest works (which are masterpieces, by the way) date back all the way to 2013 on Soundation, where I was making club music with loops. Once my friends started becoming more intertwined with the music production world, I thought it was my turn to give it a shot.
Were there any specific influences, either musical or otherwise, that contributed to the development of these latest tracks?
Leave Me Behind and HUC are the results of listening to great artists and being inspired by them over the past year or so. I really love the whole genre of “anti-pop” and I’ve been really loving listening to artists like Ramzoid, Aries, Yung Lean, Bladee, DUCKWRTH, and Skrillex. I also really love Ramzoid’s drum production, so HUC definitely used some inspiration from him.
Can you talk about the creative process behind the writing, recording and production process of HUC and Leave Me Behind? Did the creative process differ in any way?
HUC was the first song that I’ve started with only a voice memo. I got the idea for the main “I won’t be the last one to hold you close” vocal melody one random day in maybe August 2022 and I recorded it into my phone. When I had some time I transcribed it into Ableton and made the initial drum beat and vocals for the song.
Leave Me Behind was a result of just messing around with the Unison MIDI chord pack and mumbling some vocal melodies over them. That’s when I created the pre-chorus, “I think you’ll leave me behind,” and the main falsetto melody in the chorus.
Were there any particular challenges you faced during the production of these tracks? If so, how did you overcome them?
I wanted to scrap HUC a few times because I was getting so tired of listening to it that I thought the 808 was out of key. I sat on the track for so long (thankfully), that once I got my new XLR mic I completely redid the vocals and changed the lyrics quite a bit.
Very very glad I didn’t go with the OG version.
How do you feel you have evolved as an artist since your last release?
I like to think of my last single (No Faith) as a farewell to the future garage-esque type stuff that I had been doing for a while. I had been creating in that style since 2020 and I think especially with the world just being so negative in general, it’s time for some more upbeat music. Different grooves, sounds, and trying new things. I also stepped up my vocal abilities since the release of No Faith.
What do you want listeners to take away from these tracks?
I want these to be two songs that people will actually add to their playlists and listen to. These are the first songs that I’ve made since my 2021 EP, False Hope, dropped that have been in my day-to-day rotation. I also want people to say I have a nice voice.
Why did you choose to release these tracks as digital collectibles?
I’m open to experimenting and trying my hand in all avenues of the music world and giving new technology a fair shot. In a few years time, I wouldn’t be surprised if I had some exclusive material for collectors… In general it’s just good to share music wherever possible.
Your jacked green ROBY features a lot in your online presence, what’s the story behind this?
I love the muscular ROBY pics. They’re all completely AI-generated and they’re so funny honestly. Expanding the “green head” universe is something that’s on my bucket list and I want people to associate as many things as possible in the real world with the ROBY brand.
What are your future plans? Do you have any upcoming shows, live performances or other things in the near future?
The future’s looking up! I have a NYC live show with Tabula Rasa coming up in June; I’m super excited for that. I’ll be premiering a ton of new ROBY music there. And I’m slowly chipping away at my second try at an album. Hoping to get that out by the new year!
