From Toucan's Success to "Melody for the Misfits": Robby's Journey in Melodic House
Tap in with Robby East as he continues to tear up the melodic house scene!!
By 6AM
June 28, 2024 at 12:00 AM PT
Robby East is an Amsterdam-based music producer known for his ‘chill’ take on melodic house music. The half Dutch, half South Korean has made significant strides in his career, signing with the esteemed label This Never Happened by Lane 8 in 2022. Shortly after, Robby’s track "Toucan" was the most played song on SiriusXM Chill in May and June 2023. Besides being supported by notable artists like Lane 8, Nora En Pure and Tritonal, Robby's music has been featured on BBC Radio 1, NPO 3FM and SLAM!FM, cementing his status as an emerging force in the melodic house music scene.
Robby talks to 6am near the release of his next single is "Melody For The Misfits" on This Never Happened.
Hi Robby! Thanks so much for talking to 6AM how are you doing?
Hey 6AM, thanks for having me. I’m doing great, really busy lately with some exciting projects I’m hoping to be able to share very soon.
You've received support from some of the biggest names in the industry, like Lane 8, Nora En Pure, and Tritonal. How has their support influenced your journey, and what advice have they given you that’s stuck with you?
Working with This Never Happened, I’ve been working closely with Lane 8 - he’s been giving me a lot of direction and feedback on my music and I’ve learned a lot in the process. Something we’ve been working on is more instrumental music and not always adding vocals to my music, especially if the vocal doesn’t add much to the track. I’ve been making more instrumental music lately but will be sure to keep a good mix of vocal and instrumental songs.
Having your music featured on platforms like BBC Radio 1, NPO 3FM, and SLAM!FM is a huge accomplishment. How do you stay grounded and focused while navigating the growing recognition and opportunities in your career?
Yes, having my music supported by platforms like the BBC has been surreal. Honestly, I feel like I don’t have a problem staying grounded or focused, but on the flipside always wanting more and comparing myself to other artists and what they are doing is a bigger challenge for me. I stay focused by setting bigger goals to work towards but I’ve learned the importance of taking time away from the studio when I need to and to not compare myself to others but take my own path in music instead, and of course to enjoy the journey as much fun as possible in the process. :)
Your track "Toucan" dominated SiriusXM Chill last year. What do you think it is about your music that resonates so deeply with listeners, and how do you plan to build on this success with future releases?
The response to Toucan has been very flattering. I honestly didn’t expect the reaction, as we decided to make Toucan sort-of the ‘B-side’ of the Marula / Toucan release. I think in the case of Toucan it has been the dreamy, lighthearted mood of the song, paired with a lot of melodies and harmony that play off each other. Melodies are always a very central part in my music and something I try to differentiate myself with. Toucan is also a very chill song, even for my standards. In the last few months I have been focusing on slightly more upbeat music that’s more suitable for playing live, but I am definitely planning to do a ‘real’ chill song like Toucan again soon.
Speaking of your tracks, your upcoming single "Melody For The Misfits" is set to drop soon on This Never Happened. What was the inspiration behind this track, and how do you feel it represents your unique sound within the melodic house genre?
Yes! Melody For The Misfits has been one of the tracks I’ve been the most excited about for a long time. I made it back in summer 2023 so I’ve been waiting for the release for quite some time now. It all started with the synth melody and the rest fell into place pretty quickly and naturally, which is always a nice occurrence as a music producer. I feel like it builds further upon the sound that I’m trying to bring, but with a really open and dramatic synth sound, whereas most of my previous releases mostly used more closed and timid synths.
"Melody For The Misfits" has a title that suggests a unique narrative. Can you dive into the story or message you aimed to convey through this track, and how you hope it will connect with your audience?
I really like making music with a positive or meaningful message. My previous releases with vocals, like Holding Ground, Overwater, Make It Easy, and Start Over all have lyrics that have a message or bring an emotion for me. I’ve had a lot of people telling me that the songs made an impact on them. Especially Holding Ground, which is about hope and being resilient in difficult times, and the message resonated with people. When writing the melody for Melody For The Misfits, I also wanted to convey a message of hopefulness but as an instrumental song it’s obviously a lot harder to be specific about what the message exactly is. I liked the idea of making a song a tribute to people who don’t fit in or are being left out, and I landed on Melody For The Misfits as a title, which had a nice ring to it in my ears and fit the message really well.
Thanks so much for talking to 6AM is there anything else you’d like to add?
Yes - similar to how Melody For The Misfits has been planned for almost a year, I’ve got so much music lined up that I’m really excited to share. Some bigger musical projects as well so I’d love for people to stay tuned and keep an eye out for what’s coming. :)
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