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Interview with
STARYA

(1st July 2022)

Interview by Dave Bruce

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Have you always wanted to be a producer? When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career as a DJ/producer?
Not always. I started out playing guitar in high school, inspired by different alternative bands and indie music mostly, no electronic music at all. When I moved to LA and started being around electronic music and going to shows. Seeing the energy that was possible for one individual to create using only a computer, I felt really inspired to be that person who would not have to rely on anybody else to make that energy happen.

How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
I usually describe it to people as “vocal driven dance music,” sometimes I also throw the word “alternative” in there. Lyrics are really important to me, so I hope that they resonate with the message, whether it be the message I am intending or whatever each individual decides to interpret it as. I also really want to make people dance, so I am hoping that I can resonate with the part of people that wants to dance!

Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today?
SO many. I just saw Aluna (of AlunaGeorge) the other day, and I loved to see her DJing and singing while playing some absolute BANGERS. That was very inspiring because that is basically what I want to be doing right now. Also… Justice, Muse, Bjork, Nicolas Jaar, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jamie xx, Skrillex, Maceo Plex, Boys Noize, Caroline Polacheck, and of course Irish, Bulgarian, and old-timey American folk music, to name a few!

Your new single ‘The Garden’ has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution.
I made this song during the pandemic, which I like to think of as a “music production boot camp” because I had so much time to just spend at the computer, refining and refining different sounds. On a technical level, the bass in this song is definitely a reflection of that attention to detail in sound design and striving to emulate the dubstep producers that create such interesting, powerful sounds. I also love fantasy books, fantasy imagery etc., and I wanted to say something simple that evokes the feeling of being taken into a fantastic world.

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Is there an EP or Album on the drawing board?
Not yet. I am focusing on singles right now, my next single is out on July 1. It’s called “Manipulator.”

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I have an unannounced gig coming up very soon that I am EXTREMELY excited about, but I am not allowed to talk about it. I also am SUPER excited to be playing at Elsewhere in Brooklyn on August 6!

How has COVID affected you to date? What have you introduced to balance the losses from missed events?
COVID was in a way very helpful to my abilities as a producer. It really forced me to buckle down and work on Ableton for hundreds of hours. I also discovered my love for streaming on Twitch, and I streamed a lot of my music production process all throughout the heavy lockdown… and I still do!

If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
I would love to be support on a Sofi Tukker tour. Their fans are just incredible, and they have the best energy. I also love their music and how they combine dance music and live elements. They also seem really accepting, and sometimes the more genre-strict worlds of electronic music scare me a bit since I love to push the boundaries of genres. I would absolutely love to jam with Reggie Watts too, his improv music sets are sooooo fun, groovy and silly, and I love that vibe.

Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist?
My goals are mostly personal, because I feel like that’s where I have the most control. So I would say my biggest aspirations are really just to get SUPER good at making music, so that the opportunities to share that music with the world— touring, festivals, etc.— start coming to me a lot easier. I would love to have the opportunity and budget one day to create a really cool touring production like the Skrillex cell, the Justice Marshall stacks, the Daft Punk pyramid, etc.

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What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
I played to about 6,000 people this past December in Vegas for the Amazon re:Play party, opening for TOKiMONSTA and Zedd. That was definitely the biggest show I’ve ever played, and I actually threw in a ton of originals, which I have never really done before at a show since I basically made all of them during the pandemic when there were no shows. It felt like a huge milestone to finally be able to include my original songs and live vocals in one of my DJ sets. The best thing about performing live is the feeling of playing the music itself, while feeling the energy from the crowd. There is something magical and not quite describable between those two things.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – Faithless – All Blessed
Artist – Skrillex
Movie – Fantastic Mr. Fox
Place to visit – Japan
Venue to play – The Echo
Food – Soup Dumplings
Drink – English Breakfast Tea
Person in History –  Joan of Arc
Tattoo – I love all my tattoos, I have a horse, a cat, a lion, a bird and a pomegranate

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Follow STARYA
Website – Facebook – Instagram
Twitter – Soundcloud – YouTube

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AMNPLIFY – DB

Press Release 1st July 2022 (below)

Rising producer-singer
STARYA
unveils hypnotic single
“MANIPULATOR”
via underground dance label
Popgang Records

Out now across all platforms

“I love the idea of the audience being commanded by the artist on stage, sometimes you are being told to feel something subconsciously, sometimes it is more overt. This particular song has a few very simple commands that lead to a few specific movements that potentially could result in a large-scale coordinated dance.” – Starya

Starya wants to entrance her audience. The LA-based producer and vocalist, formerly known as Tuff Ghost, combines her talents as a beat-maker, singer and mixer to create dreamy, vocal-driven dance music, transporting listeners to other worlds.

After collaborating with heavy-hitters like Durante and remixing versatile artists like Mija under her former Tuff Ghost moniker, the creative polymath launched her current Starya project last month with her debut single “The Garden.” Released via Popgang Records, “The Garden” is an enchanting and fantastical track that showcases her seasoned production skills and knack for vivid worldbuilding.

Now, Starya returns to Popgang Records with her sophomore single “Manipulator.” The bloghouse-inspired, warehouse rave banger beckons listeners from the edge of their seats to the dancefloor, helmed by Starya’s hypnotic, commanding voice.

The track kicks off with a wave of distorted synths impacts and extra-terrestrial sound design, building slowly with soft kick drums. It then drops into its central groove, adding an assortment of percussive elements and futuristic synth melodies to aid in Starya’s repeated instruction.

“Step left, step right, lean back, side to side,” she directs, anticipating a swaying audience induced by a section of high-pitched, electro-style synths blending seamlessly with deep bass tones.

“Manipulator” is a deliberately trippy, edgy dance track that vaunts Starya’s multiverse of ethereal, other-worldly soundscapes.

“Manipulator” follows Starya’s magnetic set at Popgang Records’ Cyber Rodeo: Pride Edition, a special celebration of the label’s recurring sci-fi/cowboy themed house and techno party in Los Angeles. The event took place on Saturday, June 11, and saw Starya performing alongside headliner and blog-house legend Uffie, in addition to other label artists.

Starya is ready to spread her live show prowess across the universe, having already played a residency at West Hollywood’s The Britely and gearing up for her debut performance at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere on Saturday, August 6. 

STARYA
Tour Dates

7/16/22 – 7/17/22: Tim The Tatman’s Tailgate – Frisco, TX

8/6/22: Elsewhere – Brooklyn, NY

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AMNPLIFY – DB