A staple on Tale Of Us’ Afterlife, Colyn evokes transmissions of emotions through layered textures and the soaring sounds of nostalgia. As the reality we know distorts and disintegrates, Colyn takes listeners on a journey somewhere in-between space, time, and your desires, dissolving into pure, unadulterated sonic bliss.
EG caught up with Colyn to talk about the drop of his ‘Oxygen Levels Low’ EP on Afterlife, his relationship with the label and Tale Of Us, his recent endeavors, future plans, and more.
EG: Hey Colyn, welcome to Electronic Groove! How was the start of 2022 been for you?
Colyn: Thanks for the invite. The start of 2022 has been pretty crazy, to be honest. The year started out strong with an exciting morning back-to-back with Innellea at Afterlife Tulum, and the release of my remix for Armin van Buuren. Progressing towards the amazing project with Cercle, and more recently the release of the ‘Oxygen’ EP. Already a burst of highlights that I am proud of and grateful for.
EG: You seem to keep growing year on year as an artist, can you tell us a bit about your journey in dance music to get where you are now?
Colyn: I try to always push my own limits. I think this goes hand in hand with a strong belief in your abilities, and also the motivation to always work hard and keep growing those abilities. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and gather the right people around me that also stimulate the right traits in me. From working endless hours in the attic of the family house, to my student room in Amsterdam, to my studio setup now. The environment has changed but the work ethic and passion haven’t.
EG: What have been some of the most important moments in your career?
Colyn: In chronological order, I think these are some important ones:
- The release of ‘Amor’ on Afterlife was the first breakthrough moment in my career.
- The ‘Resolve’ EP brought the follow-up to ‘Amor’, which solidified my reputation as a newcomer to watch.
- ‘Concepts of Love’ release on Rufus du Sol’s label is definitely a release that broadened the spectrum of my artistic profile.
- ‘The Future is the Past’ has been a very exciting track, as it surfs in between genres and I’d like to think it can still be played a long time from now.
- The remix for Armin Van Buuren was a big success more recently.
- Cercle was obviously pivotal, one of the coolest experiences of my life.
EG: How would you describe your sound?
Colyn: A spectrum that varies from afro influences to melodic techno, to more indie dance. With some quirky side-roads here and there.
“I try to always push my own limits. I think this goes hand in hand with a strong belief in your abilities, and also the motivation to always work hard and keep growing those abilities”
EG: Tell us about your new EP on Afterlife. Where and when did you produce it and what inspired it?
Colyn: The tracks from the EP stem from a different time zone. I think ‘Wait For You’ and ‘KL427’ are the oldest on the EP. ‘Oxygen’ followed after, and ‘Lightyears’ is a recent addition. All the tracks have their own inspiration, the ones with song texts obviously have a more transparent meaning. ‘Oxygen Levels Low’ is a kind of post-apocalyptic song, a kind of Mad Max scenario comes to mind. ‘Wait For You’, for instance, is a romantic song that defines certain emotions I felt at the time I made it.
EG: How did you first link up with Tale Of Us?
Colyn: When they played my song at Loveland Festival Amsterdam back in 2018. I was in the crowd and absolutely taken by surprise. I went backstage to meet the guys and luckily was able to get a hold of Carmine’s phone number. We stayed in touch since and I’ve sent them maybe 100 demos between then and now. A small part of it has been released on Afterlife, as you can tell (laughter).
EG: What do you think are some key factors to becoming a successful DJ and producer?
Colyn: Good and successful are different things we should really separate here. Being very motivated and hungry to learn. You have to get addicted to the music, that’s the only way to keep yourself going when things get dark or don’t go your way. The successful part is not only about your skills as a musician, it’s also about trying to get yourself out there. Try and reach out to people that can further your endeavors, and try to gather a group of people around you that stimulate you and help you grow.
EG: How do you manage a busy touring schedule and life on the road?
Colyn: Honestly it’s not easy, but luckily, I have a mobile studio setup, which allows me to still make music on the road. Besides that, it’s all about trying to stay in touch with your roots, the people at home that you care about.
“You have to get addicted to the music, that’s the only way to keep yourself going when things get dark or don’t go your way”
EG: Who are 3 up and coming producers / DJ’s that you have your eye on at the moment?
Colyn: First, Beswerda, great producer and phenomenal DJ. Followed by Tonco, that has shown up on my radar more recently but his productions are very promising. And last, 8kays, very talented with refreshing productions.
EG: Who would be your dream collaboration, dead or alive?
Colyn: Radiohead/Thom Yorke or Bon Iver.
EG: What’s next in the pipeline that you can tell us about?
Colyn: There are two remixes coming up quite quickly, as well as a new track on the Afterlife VA. Besides that, I’m looking forward to my first time in Argentina, which is set for this summer. It’s a tour I’ve had to postpone two times, so I’m very excited about that. This summer there are some special shows coming up as well, like Afterlife at Tomorrowland and Secret Project at Pula, Croatia.
EG: Finally, if you can only have one thing on your rider what would it be?
Colyn: A bottle of Clase Azul tequila, that will keep me going : )
Colyn’s ‘Oxigen Levels Low’ is out now via Afterlife. Purchase your copy here.
Follow Colyn: Facebook | SoundCloud | Instagram | Spotify
