When taking new directions, artists risk everything. They risk losing their fanbase, their touring schedule, their streaming revenue, and ultimately, their careers.
But for some artists, that risk is worth it. While every artist has their own reason for pivoting into different territories, all of them seem to be guided by an internal, creative compass showing them the way.
Such is the case for Neil Berry, the mind behind the LUZCID project, who has recently let his compass guide him to the atmospheric and ethereal side of psychedelic electronica. This artistic evolution of Berry’s is most notably captured in his most recent release, Dreamtempo, which River Beats had the pleasure of discussing with him in an exclusive interview.
Neil Miller: I first listened to Dreamtempo while driving on a beautiful sunny day and I caught myself thinking how perfect of a summer record the whole release is. There’s even a song called Cruisin’ – was it a conscious decision you made to create the perfect summer/driving music for this dimension of the LUZCID project?
Neil Berry: The intention was definitely to make music that felt accessible outside the show environment. So much of my past music only made sense to listen to inside the club and I really wanted to move away from that into something that felt more universal both to the type of listener and the environment they listen in.
NM: Is there any plan to go back and maybe do some Dreamtempo revamps of any of your older tunes?
NB: That’s not a bad idea but as of now I do not have plans to revamp any of the older songs. However, some of my older songs like Petal and Flying Lesson are now getting played in my live sets. Dreamtempo has opened up a large portion of my catalog that I never felt comfortable playing till now.
NM: Dreamtempo harbors a markedly different sound from the rest of the LUZCID project. Do you plan on further exploring this angle beyond the promotional cycle for this release?
NB: Yes, Dreamtempo is the new permanent LUZCID sound. I’ll be honest, I don’t really even listen to really heavy music anymore so I feel disconnected more than ever producing it. I’m more so getting back to my roots of old school hip hop and psychedelic electronic music. Some of my first festival sets I saw were Flying Lotus, araabmuzik, and Lotus. That’s the kind of influence and vibe I plan on taking forward into the foreseeable future with LUZCID.
NM: Was there any of your favorite music that inspired the alternate direction for the Dreamtempo release that you’d like to shout out or call attention to?
NB: Most definitely, as I mentioned, I am a huge fan of psychedelic hip hop and electronic. Some specific artists that have always been huge inspirations are Flying Lotus , Machinedrum, Aphex Twin, Joey BadA$$, The Alchemist, J Dilla.
NM: Every time I’ve seen one of your sets, the one takeaway is that you put great care into taking your listeners on a journey. Did you infuse the Dreamtempo release with that same intention to make room for a natural ebb and flow between tracks?
NB: I think that ebb and flow and contrast is a very important part of how I portray my art. Where I used to have primarily heavy sets with moments of floaty bliss, I am now aiming to have a more primarily floaty, melodic-based set that has moments of heavier intensity. There will always be moments of contrast because I feel that opposition is what really creates the story.
NM: A lot of folks might associate you with the Wakaan family but Dreamtempo is a self-released affair for you. What do you feel are the pros and cons of self releasing and is this an avenue you plan on taking for your music moving forward?
NB: I think self releasing opens up the freedom to release a lot more music on a much faster cycle. Since Dreamtempo is something very new to my fans I want to give them a lot of content to immediately sink their teeth into. If I were to do this primarily using labels it would take so much longer to roll out the entire Dreamtempo idea. I’m really excited about this new chapter so I felt best to do things in-house and get it out to the people ASAP.
NM: One of the standout tracks on Dreamtempo is “Stardust,” a gorgeously cinematic tune that comes packed with melody and atmosphere. What was your intention behind the creation of this masterful piece of downtempo?
NB: Stardust for me felt like the evolution of the dreamy bass music I have always made. The main difference in my approach wasthat I was now viewing “Stardust” as a core song within the EP instead of a downtempo accessory to a much heavier EP. I wanted “Stardust” to work on the dancefloor as well as at home or in the car on long drives or wherever you feel like getting dreamy.
NM: The Dreamtempo EP brings vocalist Gary Carpentier into the electronic music world. Some may know him from being a contestant on The Voice, but how did your working relationship come about and how did you end up choosing him as the vocalist for his two spots on the release?
NB: So this is kinda funny and random but my manager plays “Rocket League” with him. We had vocal sketches for the songs originally but needed someone with some serious soul to bring the song to life and give it the energy it needed. My manager Darian immediately mentioned Gary and showed me his audition on “The Voice.” It was PERFECT! Gary absolutely crushed both songs on the EP and you can definitely expect to hear a lot more from us!
NM: What can longtime LUZCID followers expect from the Dreamtempo live experience?
NB: I am trying to deliver the same experience that made me fall in love with the EDM community back in 2010. A well-rounded story that makes you feel the entire spectrum of emotions. You leave feeling refreshed with an enlightened perspective. I think a lot of pressure is put on crowds to express their joy in very specific ways – headbanging, screaming, etc.. For Dreamtempo sets, I just want people to enjoy the music how they need to at that moment. That may mean standing still in complete silence and just taking it in and that’s awesome to me. Obviously these sets are still a party and the primary objective here is to move and dance but there will be some side quests along the way. I know this won’t be for everyone but I think it is much needed for a lot of us right now.
FOLLOW LUZCID
Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
When taking new directions, artists risk everything. They risk losing their fanbase, their touring schedule, their streaming revenue, and ultimately, their careers.
But for some artists, that risk is worth it. While every artist has their own reason for pivoting into different territories, all of them seem to be guided by an internal, creative compass showing them the way.
Such is the case for Neil Berry, the mind behind the LUZCID project, who has recently let his compass guide him to the atmospheric and ethereal side of psychedelic electronica. This artistic evolution of Berry’s is most notably captured in his most recent release, Dreamtempo, which River Beats had the pleasure of discussing with him in an exclusive interview.
Neil Miller: I first listened to Dreamtempo while driving on a beautiful sunny day and I caught myself thinking how perfect of a summer record the whole release is. There’s even a song called Cruisin’ – was it a conscious decision you made to create the perfect summer/driving music for this dimension of the LUZCID project?
Neil Berry: The intention was definitely to make music that felt accessible outside the show environment. So much of my past music only made sense to listen to inside the club and I really wanted to move away from that into something that felt more universal both to the type of listener and the environment they listen in.
NM: Is there any plan to go back and maybe do some Dreamtempo revamps of any of your older tunes?
NB: That’s not a bad idea but as of now I do not have plans to revamp any of the older songs. However, some of my older songs like Petal and Flying Lesson are now getting played in my live sets. Dreamtempo has opened up a large portion of my catalog that I never felt comfortable playing till now.
NM: Dreamtempo harbors a markedly different sound from the rest of the LUZCID project. Do you plan on further exploring this angle beyond the promotional cycle for this release?
NB: Yes, Dreamtempo is the new permanent LUZCID sound. I’ll be honest, I don’t really even listen to really heavy music anymore so I feel disconnected more than ever producing it. I’m more so getting back to my roots of old school hip hop and psychedelic electronic music. Some of my first festival sets I saw were Flying Lotus, araabmuzik, and Lotus. That’s the kind of influence and vibe I plan on taking forward into the foreseeable future with LUZCID.
NM: Was there any of your favorite music that inspired the alternate direction for the Dreamtempo release that you’d like to shout out or call attention to?
NB: Most definitely, as I mentioned, I am a huge fan of psychedelic hip hop and electronic. Some specific artists that have always been huge inspirations are Flying Lotus , Machinedrum, Aphex Twin, Joey BadA$$, The Alchemist, J Dilla.
NM: Every time I’ve seen one of your sets, the one takeaway is that you put great care into taking your listeners on a journey. Did you infuse the Dreamtempo release with that same intention to make room for a natural ebb and flow between tracks?
NB: I think that ebb and flow and contrast is a very important part of how I portray my art. Where I used to have primarily heavy sets with moments of floaty bliss, I am now aiming to have a more primarily floaty, melodic-based set that has moments of heavier intensity. There will always be moments of contrast because I feel that opposition is what really creates the story.
NM: A lot of folks might associate you with the Wakaan family but Dreamtempo is a self-released affair for you. What do you feel are the pros and cons of self releasing and is this an avenue you plan on taking for your music moving forward?
NB: I think self releasing opens up the freedom to release a lot more music on a much faster cycle. Since Dreamtempo is something very new to my fans I want to give them a lot of content to immediately sink their teeth into. If I were to do this primarily using labels it would take so much longer to roll out the entire Dreamtempo idea. I’m really excited about this new chapter so I felt best to do things in-house and get it out to the people ASAP.
NM: One of the standout tracks on Dreamtempo is “Stardust,” a gorgeously cinematic tune that comes packed with melody and atmosphere. What was your intention behind the creation of this masterful piece of downtempo?
NB: Stardust for me felt like the evolution of the dreamy bass music I have always made. The main difference in my approach wasthat I was now viewing “Stardust” as a core song within the EP instead of a downtempo accessory to a much heavier EP. I wanted “Stardust” to work on the dancefloor as well as at home or in the car on long drives or wherever you feel like getting dreamy.
NM: The Dreamtempo EP brings vocalist Gary Carpentier into the electronic music world. Some may know him from being a contestant on The Voice, but how did your working relationship come about and how did you end up choosing him as the vocalist for his two spots on the release?
NB: So this is kinda funny and random but my manager plays “Rocket League” with him. We had vocal sketches for the songs originally but needed someone with some serious soul to bring the song to life and give it the energy it needed. My manager Darian immediately mentioned Gary and showed me his audition on “The Voice.” It was PERFECT! Gary absolutely crushed both songs on the EP and you can definitely expect to hear a lot more from us!
NM: What can longtime LUZCID followers expect from the Dreamtempo live experience?
NB: I am trying to deliver the same experience that made me fall in love with the EDM community back in 2010. A well-rounded story that makes you feel the entire spectrum of emotions. You leave feeling refreshed with an enlightened perspective. I think a lot of pressure is put on crowds to express their joy in very specific ways – headbanging, screaming, etc.. For Dreamtempo sets, I just want people to enjoy the music how they need to at that moment. That may mean standing still in complete silence and just taking it in and that’s awesome to me. Obviously these sets are still a party and the primary objective here is to move and dance but there will be some side quests along the way. I know this won’t be for everyone but I think it is much needed for a lot of us right now.
FOLLOW LUZCID
Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
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