Interview: Stefano Ark

We're blown away by your new single "You Want Me to Hush Hush"?; congratulations on its release. Tell us about your creative process for its production and your songwriting.

Thank you! The creative process for this track was very relaxed in contrast to my other songs for the EP. I did this whole track pretty quick, started making the beat at around 7 and finished vocals for it before midnight. The whole songs idea came about when I was eating dinner and came across the “hush little baby lullaby” sample I had on my computer, I built the instrumental around that and just thought I’d record and not think about writing too much like I normally do, just say what’s on my mind- just respond to the sample and go from there, that’s how the chorus came about and the begging of the first “you want me to hush hush? Hush hush? That lullaby won’t make me blush blush? No blush blush. Genius but still clueless like I’m in a dash dash, dash dash! myself I’ll always bash bash so please hush hush!”

I mixed this with the intent of it sounding ambient and heavy in reverb! Alfred Hitchcock is a big inspiration of mine, because of this I’m a big horror movie fan and draw musical influence from watching horror films; I’m always paying attention to the sounds used in them. The rap verses & hook needed to match the texture of ”hush hush little baby” sample, ambient (mix wise) but my vocal delivery and performance also had to match the sample, so I was sure to perform in a slow, less varied style of delivery.

You mentioned that "You Want Me to Hush Hush?" will be featured on your upcoming EP; what can you tell us about the project, and do you have a title in mind for it?

The EP is titled “‘MARTIAN!”. The project is a full circle moment for me, I recorded a couple of the tracks in 2013 and finished them this present year (2023). “STEFANOS RHAPSODY!” It's one of them and it’s my thoughts in 2013 vs my thoughts currently in 2023 and where I’m at in life- really excited to share that one. My friends who heard the demo back in 2013 still quote the lyrics.

I have many different sides to myself with fashion, interests, music genres. I grew up listening to Rnb and Hip Hop but also loved the pop punk/rock era that was big while I was growing up. I remember heading to my friends house in primary school, we would sit and watch Kerrang the entire day. When I was home my mum played Rnb from the morning until evening, every day. My mum loves music and would play the same music on loop everyday growing up, that fueled my interest also.

The EP will have a blend of different genres but most importantly represent who I am, and what I love the most about music.

Pop Punk & Hip Hop are genres that I loved the most growing up and have had the biggest influence on who I am today.

I’ve experimented with a lot of sub genres over the last year and I’ve been working everyday on the ways I use and adapt my voice, on the EP you’ll hear my voice used in different ways- multiple flows and cadence with my raps and opera inspired singing.

The EP will be out July 13th!

Tell us about the music scene in Manchester for Hip-Hop and whether it is easy to establish a fan based there as an emerging artist.

Manchester has most definitely got an emerging hip hop scene, there’s many talented rappers performing at gigs around the city! I was actually playing some of my material for the EP to a rapper from the city a couple days ago, Pwynter, he’s a good example for the hip hop talent in this city.

The music scene here overall is very unique, with many gifted artists. Developing a fan base here isn’t as difficult as it is in bigger cities like London. Networking & performing its key, social media alone isn’t sufficient.

How did you get started writing lyrics and making beats and who were some artists and/or producers that influenced you musically?

I started songwriting and poetry at age 11 back in 2009; the Michael Jackson “This Is It” album had been released and I listened to the album over & over at the time. There was a second CD in the album which was just his poetry- I really enjoyed that also.

I spent most of my summer indoors watching MJ’s performances, learning to dance from watching him perform. Just in my room for hours, practicing the dance moves he did on his word tours.

I wrote multiple songs daily. I still remember a few of them, I still need to record a couple, they’ve been on repeat in my head since 2009 so they need to see the light of day.

With rap, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj & Busta Rhymes most definitely influence me. What drew me most to them was their theatrical and animated delivery with their flows and also the humour while doing so. Nicki & Kendrick can rap on any beat, regardless of genre and complement the instrumental. That’s what I do my best to do, understand the importance of delivery on different instruments and genres and focus on lyricism, being clever with lyrics and rhyme schemes.

I started making beats in 2013! I studied Music Technology/Acting after high school, I used Logic when studying but Fruity Loops at home. I was 16 at the time and did work enough hours to afford a MacBook; FL studio was my go to when producing at home until I was 18!

I studied Music Technology at university and the first thing I did with my student loan was get a MacBook and Logic Pro X; that was in 2015 and I still use that MacBook sometimes currently.

If you could pick any artist to appear in a remix to "You Want Me to Hush Hush?", who would you select and why?

If I could pick any artist it would be JID, he’s very talented and his cadence is so dope- I can hear him on a track like “You Want Me to Hush Hush?” I think he would compliment the record nicely.

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