How did the collaboration come together?
Alexander (aka Fenris): My manager, Nick Camilleri, introduced me to the instrumental and I thought the track was cool so I said I wanted to sing on it. It turned out to be more fun that I initially thought it would be. One funny thing about the start of this project was that Nick and I thought we were talking to Aaron’s manager for 2 weeks and it turned out we were just talking with Aaron the whole time!
Aaron: That’s right! Nick added me on Facebook and got to talking. He said that he’s managing some singers which is something I’m always looking for, so I showed him the instrumental and he sent it to Alexander. A few weeks later “Into My Arms” was born.
How did you come up with and work on the lyrics?
Alexander: I much prefer having complete control over the lyrics so I did all of it on my own without making any compromises. I based them on the tone of the instrumental and it made me feel sad so I started to write a sad song. However, I wanted it to have a touch of hope in all that bitter sadness so the part leading into the drop has a feeling that no matter how hard things get, you’ll be okay. “I would burn every bridge. Just to see you fall into my arms”.
What were some of the tricks you used to give the track a unique sound and feeling?
Aaron: I felt like creating something totally new. There are so many vocal chops out there that sound the same, so I wanted to go a different path. I was working on some music when the solution hit me: I just needed to ask Alex to record a few samples! While everyone is using this typical vocal chop sound I wanted it to sound organic and unique. He sent me the recordings and I used a lot of autotune and distortion to produce this lead sound. It’s crazy because it doesn’t even sound close to the original recording anymore with all the effects I put on top of it but underneath it all. I think listeners can still make out the similarities between the vocals when he’s singing and the samples I created. When we were satisfied with the melody, I added some details like the high pitched layer you can hear if you listen closely.
Alexander: The “Drop voice-thingy” was actually recorded on my cell phone while I was driving down the highway. Like Aaron said, he was was a little frustrated while he was looking for original sounds so he wanted to do something cool with my voice in the drop. All I did was record a lot “aaaaahhhs, uuuuhhhmms and oooohhhs” while I was driving. It was probably the most dangerous recording I’ve ever done but it did the trick and we’re both extremely happy with how it turned out!
What were some of the challenges you faced with finalizing this track?
Alexander: The drop.
Aaron: Yes, definitely the drop! We tried so many versions and new things to make it good until we finally found the right sound.
What’s next for you two?
Aaron: There are many singles I that I’ve finished in the last months which are going to be released this year. You’ll also find a few remixes of one of my songs coming out soon and I’m really excited to show off these talented producers to the world.
Alexander: I’m working on my first album “Oxygen” right now which has a tentative release date in January 2019. I also have a LOT of collaborations coming out this year so you guys won’t miss me! Before we end this interview, I just want to say that Aaron is one of nicest guys I’ve met in this industry!
Aaron: I feel the same way about Alexander! He’s amazing to work with and I can’t wait to continue our work together on some tracks that’ll be coming out in the future!
A big thanks to these two for sharing their music and some more information about themselves! You can listen to their latest release on all platforms HERE!
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