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Carolina on emotions, Macbook mics, and (scary) zombies

A refreshing wave of 90s flavoured tunes coming in by way of Carolina out of Hamburg‘s hotbed that is Eimsbüttel. Carolina has been at it for more than a decade, as a studied jazz singer touring with the big bands, as well as teaching herself, while producing her own catalogue of music. Her debut EP is titled Everything and just came out in the rush of dark December, just before Christmas.

Four tracks strong, the EP induces a flashback of late 90s greats, while maintaining a firm step in this decade, driven by vast synths and carried by her ever expanding vocals. Exhibit A, and the first single off the EP, He/She is attached below at your convenience. The track comes with mad visuals too, pasted below, too. That’s all reason enough for Team Poule to investigate and hear from Carolina herself what it’s all about.

How did it all start?

Consciously: with Michael Jackson. Thriller. Loved the song like crazy, but when Michael turned into a zombie it scared the shit out of me. Unconsciously: with my parents. Putting me to sleep, dancing and singing to either Bolivian or Greek music. I guess this is why music has always had a huge impact on me.

Is that the kind of music you grew up on?

Traditional Bolivian and Greek music played an important role in my early childhood. At the age of three I bought my first cassette. Michael Jackson of course. One year later, at the age of four I started to play the piano, which brought classical music into my field of interest. Then I got caught by 90s techno. Here a photo as proof:

My love for 2000s RnB and Hip Hop accompanied my whole growing up. Craig David, Aaliyah, Sisqo, Ludacris, 112 …you name it! Musics variety always kept me excited!

Where do you find inspiration nowadays?

I find inspiration in everyday life, especially in relationships of all types-complicated ones, happy ones, unusual ones, unhealthy ones. Through writing I attempt to dissect the meaning behind something that has happened or to describe a particular feeling or emotion. It’s the best way to reflect, I think. It’s about the challenge of setting communication to music, expressing what we experience in our everyday lives, saying it like it is without overthinking.

What does your recording process look like?

Caught in the rules of composition and harmony, I write my music in the “classical way“. Usually, I start with the beat, because this is the most important component, assuring the music goes directly into the body. That’s where music should be perceived, in my opinion. Not necessarily as wanting to dance, but feeling the connection through your body. The beat with its rhythm and harmonies embodies the basic framework, from which the melodies, lyrics and backings arise naturally.

Has your approach to making music changed over the years?

Not really, to be honest. The main composing/producing approach hasn’t changed. I mean, harmony stays harmony. With time and experience came money, so I could purchase a better, more professional setup for my lil home studio. Garageband and the “oh, so good sounding“-internal Macbook mic were replaced by Logic, Ableton, an AKG C414 XLII and the TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2.

Which emotions do you want to carry to the listener?

Many complex themes express many different emotions. My debut EP Everything corresponds to that exact complexity of life. Joy, love, sadness, longing, fear, despair….just to name some of them. We all feel these feelings and just know how sadness, for example feels like. So there’s a natural familiarness and bond between me, as the expressing artist, and the perceiving audience. The subjective impression of an individual listener is what interest me the most, because he/she could perceive any emotion in a song. Whatever a listener senses in the music is what the music is expressing.

What’s the plan for 2019?

Producing and releasing my first album, being brave, growing as an artist and putting my cool music out there. Cheers to that!

Cheers to that indeed! Thanks for taking the time, Carolina.

Carolina‘s debut EP Everything is out now and everywhere, up on Spotify for portable listening.

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