CHAY of Dirtybird Records Discusses His Plans for New Music in iEDM In

CHAY is an emerging electronic artist based in Orlando who is eager to share his dynamic sounds with the EDM community. He kick started his career by playing intimate shows in the Orlando music scene and where he built a strong fan base and is working his way towards playing nationally.

He has already played at many festivals nationwide including Dirtybird Campout and has earned himself a spot on the Dirtybird Records roster which he joined this June.

He recently released his ‘Who’s That’ EP on Dirtybird which was a monumental moment in his promising career. We talked about what it was like getting signed by DirtyBird records, how he got his start in music, and his plans for the future.

iEDM: Tell me a little about yourself. I know you’re from Florida – have you been living there your whole life?

CHAY: I’ve been in Florida my whole life. I was born and raised in Orlando and have been there until now since I’m starting to travel. It’s definitely a new experience.

iEDM: How did you get your start in music? How long have you been making music?

CHAY: I’ve been playing instruments ever since I could remember. As a child I started playing the drums and piano and started picking up everything I could. I currently use Ableton to make music.

iEDM: What was it like trying to break into the music scene in Florida?

CHAY: It wasn’t easy. I started playing gigs at empty clubs but people I met there kept doing their thing and I kept doing mine and I just kept meeting new people. It kind of happened naturally from there.

iEDM: What’s really cool about the music scene is if you’re willing to put in work everything seems to flow together and fall into place from there.

CHAY: Yeah, it’s so crazy because it’s a really small world. Everyone seems to know each other.

iEDM: Describe your sound to me. What are the vibes or messages you are trying to send across to your audience with your music?

CHAY: I’m essentially making electronic music but I’m trying to do more than one thing when it comes to my sound. The message is for people to feel accepted for who they are and to have a good time.

iEDM: That’s such a beautiful message! When it comes to your sound I know you do not want to limit yourself to only certain branches of electronic music. What kind of sound would you say your recent tracks have?

CHAY: It’s based around a blend of tech house and techno. The vibe is fun but also serious.

iEDM: What are you currently working on and what are your plans for future releases?

CHAY: I’m just trying to make music however it comes about. I don’t go into a track thinking “what am I going to write today?” I just start doing it and go with what happens and that becomes a track. With future releases, there are a couple of things lined up but it is still a surprise since it’s unannounced. I’m stoked! There will be a lot of new music.

iEDM: How did it feel when you got signed to Dirtybird? It must’ve been a crazy feeling since it’s such a huge step for you.

CHAY: It was so surreal. I wrote both of those tracks right before Dirtybird Campout and went there and ended up playing it at a silent disco stage afterhours. Claude VonStroke actually showed up to announce the silent disco because the speakers were getting shut off. I was inspired by this recording of a phone call of my dad and his friend where they talked about really spacey stuff. I thought it was funny so I started writing a track to it. The phrase ‘Meugitions Of Tym’ is actually in the vocals which is how the song title came about.

iEDM: What are some of your ultimate goals or dreams you would like to achieve as a musician?

CHAY: I just want to write and play music for people however I can whether its DJing, doing production, dance music, or moving into game and film. I really like composing every kind of music for what it is. I have more of a pull towards electronic music over anything but I love orchestra too.

iEDM: I love that you want to dive in as deep as possible in every aspect of the musical experience.

CHAY: The arts to me are what moves people. When I say arts I mean music, film, and actual artwork like paintings. I like anything that can move people on an emotional level.

iEDM: You’re doing an awesome job so far and I’m really excited to see where you go with all of this. A lot of musicians only want to focus on making music but you want to do a little bit of everything which is very bold and admirable.

CHAY: I’m just doing me and playing everything by ear. If I get the opportunity to do something I feel passionately about I’m going to do it. It may sound cliché but you should just go with the flow because you never know what will happen.

iEDM: Do you have a favorite song you’ve released so far?

CHAY: It’s really hard to choose so my favorite is my most recent song that I’m working on. Every time I start working on a song it’s my new favorite until I write the next one.

Thank you so much for your time CHAY! We're looking forward to hearing all those unreleased tracks one day and see where your musical journey takes you.

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