BUTTONZ Drops A Fresh And Ever Addictive Single
The latest release from BUTTONZ definitely breaks down some boundaries when it comes to creating electronic-based music that branches out into elements of cinematic backbone, hip hop, dubstep, and plenty more, as the track is built on so much sonic presence and relevance that it's literally full of surprising turns.
This track doesn't just glitch and hit heavy; it also molds sounds, which is something I think the producer is amazing at and pretty much has always been.
I think that BUTTONZ possibly has way too much fun morphing, sculpting, and changing sounds so that he can create something that's got its own Vibe and atmosphere.
As I mentioned earlier, you definitely get a fistful of surprises here. The song changes as it flows, but still has a steady Pace.
For example, it starts off with this great horn section that you think is going to turn into a sort of hip-hop or rap track, but instead it breaks off and starts getting electro-pop with itself. EDM and hip-hop mixed, especially with the beat at the beginning of the song, and the horn sections.
You also have some strings that come swelling in, and that adds some of that cinematic push as well, but the whole thing sort of grows outward from there.
You get some awesome high-pitched, colorful synthesizers that add a different texture to the song itself and give it that element of flavor that starts letting it branch and change into more of that electronic sound.
By the way, all of this happens within the first 20 seconds of the track.
It's amazing to me how this producer and artist is actually able to blend this classic, almost vintage set of samples and instrumentation and bring it into such an electronically driving soundscape, because you just have this mixture of the natural and the digital instruments coming together uniquely, and although it's got this smooth feel in its underbelly, it actually hits quite hard.
You have a full orchestra performing what feels almost like a film score underneath this experimental electro soundscape, and it works like a charm.
The song changes again about a minute in and brings different synthesizers to the table that sound kind of like theremin, and a little bit of spaciousness or vastness in its undertone.
So now you have this kind of sci-fi, UFO-sounding aesthetic, a hip-hop beat, and classic Dr. Dre-style pianos playing in there, and it's just crazy how it all fits together like puzzle pieces and works with such a natural flow.
Other synths and keys come in building depth, adding climactic builds, and these vocal samples start coming in and out with all kinds of great effects on them.
You can tell the vocals have these great decimeters or distortions or overlaying synth effects that coat them, giving them the same sort of electrified aesthetic as the rest of the track boasts.
The whole thing has a strange way of feeling nostalgic yet futuristic at the same time.
The next change comes at around 2 minutes in, where the beat sort of picks up a little bit and gets a little bit deeper in tone. You have more vocals that come in, and they have the same kind of synthesized effect, but a really low-end style. So it's very busy and broken up like a square synth with sound.
At a certain point in the track, you have the theremin sounding synth, the dubstep edgy synths, the vocals, the hip-hop piano and strings, and new keys and synths that also come in that bring more of a synth-pop or synth-wave style to the song.
So, it's just a song that almost feels ever-changing, although it still has that consistency or glue that makes it all feel whole at the same time.
It's a very unique approach, but it works amazingly.
The song is called "On The Buttonz", and it really showcases how the producer builds songs out. He grabs hold of a groove and starts building off of that somehow.
He's very avant-garde with the choice of tones and sounds for his synthesizers and keyboards, but he is also picky when it comes to bringing in those vintage-sounding elements in the undertone of the song, along with the full orchestrated instrumentation.
It's quite a brilliant way to put everything together and create a piece of work that sort of breaks down walls.
This is one of my favorites from the artist so far. It really changes the game and again, brings together so many different attributes, genres, and Aesthetics.
You'll have to listen to it to understand exactly what I'm talking about.
Perhaps I even broke it down too far.
Either way, when I heard the song, I knew I wanted to have a chat with BUTTONZ himself to find out where the song came from and what might be coming next, so while you listen to this track, have a read through of our interview with Ben Nowacki (BUTTONZ) below.
Hey and thanks so much for taking the time! Let's start with "On The Buttonz! The track had a crazy blend of electronic approaches with heavy handed grooves and experimental undertones! Where did this one come from?
This particular moment happened during an Instrument Garden setup at Big Fam Music Festival, where myself and the Boredomfighters crew built a full studio inside a geodesic dome in the middle of the festival grounds. Artists and producers were invited to step inside, collaborate, and create music together throughout the weekend. During one of those sessions, I was playing keys on my Moog while Detroit artist and collaborator Whitney Waz began singing the now unforgettable “buttonz on the buttonz” hook. The melody quickly caught on with everyone in the room, becoming a running theme throughout the weekend.Once the crew shared their sample folder from the session, the hook began appearing in edits and tracks across the community throughout the year. Eventually, I decided it deserved a full track of its own.
I am hearing those different styles on this release. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Some of my biggest influences electronically are Daily Bread, Pretty Lights, Zeds Dead, and Marvel Years. I also jam a ton of old school hip hop that always gets the creative juices flowing as well.
What kind of DAW are you working with?
I use Ableton 12, with a few analog synths.
Do you perform live?
Yes I do! I've been performing now for about 15 years now
How did this all start for you as an artist and producer?
It all started back in 2011 when my cousin took me to the very first Electric Forest when it switched over from Rothbury. The energy of the music and the people in the festival scene was so captivating for me. I knew I wanted to make this my life. So I started to find local shows around my hometown to connect and vibe with the local djs here, and when I finally got a chance to jump on the decks I ended up picking up djing very quickly. I started to play local shows and got booked more frequently as time went on, but I always knew I wanted more from this and i didnt just want to be playing other peoples tunes anymore, so that's when I sought out how to get into production so that I could play my own music. I think it was around 2018 when I actually started to get serious about music production. It was very challenging to learn ableton at first and very intimidating but if you can get through that part and push through you'll really thank yourself at the end. Now that I've been heavily producing for 8 years now it's becoming easier and easier to pump out tracks, make new unique sounds, and get a nice workflow started. I'm not stopping anytime soon!
What's next for you? Working on more new releases?
Yes! This year I have a full schedule until fall for new releases! I have 3 collaborative EPs in the works, 2 of them dropping this summer, along with a solo album most likely this fall. I can't tell you how excited I am about all the new music for this year!
What kind of advice would you give to other up and coming artists trying to get heard?
Never ever give up! It takes a long time to learn all of this stuff, but if you can make it through the hard parts and never compare your journey to others you'll do great! Always stay true to yourself and your truth! don't make the music you think people want to hear, make the music you want to hear!
What would you say people can expect to hear on this release?
A nice flow of hip hop drums, fat melodic bass melodies and some unique resampling curated by me and friends.
Before we go, what would you want to express to fans of the music?
To anyone that's streamed my music, bought a track, bought a ticket to one of my shows, just know I love and appreciate you all so much, and if it wasn't for your support I wouldn't be where I am today. All the love you show me back fuels me to keep making new art! Thank you all, it's going to be a hell of a summer for new BUTTONZ tunes!
