ARTISTS AND SOUNDS THAT INFLUENCE ODESA MUSIC.
ODESA MUSIC BRINGS TOGETHER FEEL-GOOD DANCE-POP, COMMERCIAL HOUSE, PIANO-LED ENERGY, UK GARAGE RHYTHMS, R&B-INFLUENCED VOCALS AND SMALL ELECTRONIC DETAILS THAT MAKE A SONG FEEL IMMEDIATE. THIS IS A LOOK AT THE MUSIC, VOICES AND PRODUCTION IDEAS THAT HAVE HELPED SHAPE THAT DIRECTION.
INFLUENCE IS NOT IMITATION. A CHORD, VOCAL DELIVERY, DRUM GROOVE OR ARRANGEMENT CAN OPEN A NEW CREATIVE DIRECTION WITHOUT BECOMING A COPY. ODESA TAKES SELECTED IDEAS FROM HOUSE, POP, R&B, UK GARAGE AND ELECTRONIC MUSIC, THEN REWORKS THEM INTO ORIGINAL SONGS BUILT AROUND ONE GOAL: FEEL-GOOD MUSIC THAT STICKS.
HOUSE VIBES AND PIANO ENERGY.
HOUSE MUSIC IS ONE OF THE CLEAREST FOUNDATIONS IN THE ODESA SOUND. TRACKS SUCH AS SECONDcity's “I WANNA FEEL,” DAVID ZOWIE'S “HOUSE EVERY WEEKEND,” WHTKD'S “SAY TO ME” AND WAZE & ODYSSEY'S HOUSE PRODUCTIONS SHOW HOW A SMALL NUMBER OF STRONG IDEAS CAN CREATE A RECORD THAT FEELS IMMEDIATE.
THE INFLUENCE IS NOT ONLY ABOUT A FOUR-ON-THE-FLOOR KICK. IT IS THE COMBINATION OF REPETITION, WARMTH, VOCAL RECOGNITION AND A GROOVE THAT WORKS IN A CLUB WHILE REMAINING ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDER POP AUDIENCE.
MEMORABLE CHORD MOVEMENT
BRIGHT PIANO PATTERNS CREATE MOMENTUM, NOSTALGIA AND AN IMMEDIATE CONNECTION BEFORE THE FULL ARRANGEMENT HAS EVEN ARRIVED.
ONE CLEAR HOOK
THE BEST VOCAL-HOUSE RECORDS OFTEN BUILD AROUND A PHRASE THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD, REMEMBERED AND SUNG AFTER A SINGLE LISTEN.
ENERGY WITHOUT CLUTTER
A STRONG RHYTHM, CONTROLLED ARRANGEMENT AND CAREFULLY TIMED LIFTS CAN FEEL BIGGER THAN A PRODUCTION FILLED WITH COMPETING ELEMENTS.
DANCE MUSIC WITH POP CLARITY
MELODY AND VOCALS REMAIN CENTRAL, ALLOWING HOUSE PRODUCTION TO SUPPORT THE SONG RATHER THAN OVERPOWER IT.
POWERFUL FEMALE VOCALS.
THE WAY A LINE IS SUNG CAN CHANGE THE ENTIRE IDENTITY OF A TRACK. ODESA DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM THE CONFIDENCE AND CLARITY OF GREAT HOUSE, POP AND R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCES, ESPECIALLY VOICES THAT CAN MOVE BETWEEN CONTROLLED VERSES AND BIG, EMOTIONAL CHORUSES.
BECKY HILL'S COMMANDING DANCE VOCALS, ADELE'S CONTROL WHEN REACHING HIGHER NOTES, ZARA LARSSON'S POP PRECISION AND THE ATTITUDE FOUND IN CLASSIC R&B RECORDS BY BRANDY AND TLC ALL REPRESENT DIFFERENT SIDES OF THAT IDEA. RACHEL WALLACE'S “TELL ME WHY” ALSO CONNECTS THE SOUND TO EARLY-1990S HOUSE VOCALS, WHILE THE REPEATED HIGH-REGISTER MOMENTS IN DUKE DUMONT'S “WON'T LOOK BACK” SHOW HOW A VOCAL CAN BECOME PART OF THE DROP ITSELF.
A VOICE WITH IDENTITY
THE PERFORMANCE SHOULD COMMUNICATE CONFIDENCE, VULNERABILITY OR EXCITEMENT BEFORE EVERY LYRIC HAS BEEN FULLY PROCESSED.
FROM INTIMATE TO ANTHEMIC
CONTROLLED VERSES LEAVE ROOM FOR THE CHORUS TO OPEN UP, REACH HIGHER AND DELIVER THE SONG'S BIGGEST EMOTIONAL MOMENT.
MALE VOCALS THAT GLIDE AND CONNECT.
ODESA'S MALE-VOCAL TRACKS OFTEN FAVOUR A LIGHT, EXPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE THAT CAN FLOAT ABOVE A DENSE ELECTRONIC MIX. FALSETTO, RASP, VIBRATO AND R&B-INFLUENCED PHRASING HELP THE VOICE FEEL HUMAN EVEN WHEN IT IS SURROUNDED BY POLISHED DANCE PRODUCTION.
THE EMOTIONAL WEIGHT AND TEXTURE ASSOCIATED WITH TEDDY SWIMS IS A MAJOR REFERENCE POINT. JOHNNY YUKON'S VOCAL CHARACTER, THE SCRIPT'S DIRECT SONGWRITING AND HARRY STYLES' ABILITY TO MOVE BETWEEN RESTRAINT AND LARGER POP MOMENTS ALSO HELP EXPLAIN THE TYPE OF PERFORMANCE THAT INSPIRES THIS SIDE OF ODESA.
SMOOTH WITH A RASPED EDGE
A CLEAN LEAD VOCAL CAN STILL CARRY GRAIN, BREATH AND EMOTIONAL IMPERFECTION THAT MAKES THE PERFORMANCE FEEL CLOSE.
PHRASES THAT FLOAT
LONGER NOTES, FALSETTO MOVEMENT AND GENTLE VIBRATO GIVE THE VOCAL SPACE TO GLIDE ACROSS THE TRACK.
FUN, CATCHY AND CLUB-READY.
ODESA TRACKS ARE DESIGNED TO FEEL ENERGETIC WITHOUT LOSING THE SONG. THE TARGET IS THE KIND OF RECORD THAT CAN WORK IN A CAR, AT THE GYM, ON A SUMMER PLAYLIST OR IN A CLUB BECAUSE THE CHORUS AND EMOTION REMAIN CLEAR WHEREVER IT IS PLAYED.
THE DIRECT OPTIMISM OF FLO RIDA'S “GOOD FEELING,” THE COMMERCIAL DANCE WRITING OF TOPIC AND BEBE REXHA'S “CHAIN MY HEART,” AND THE MODERN CLUB ENERGY FOUND IN MUSIC BY SONNY FODERA, D.O.D, POPPY BASKCOMB, CALVIN HARRIS, JAZZY, NATHAN DAWE, PROSPA, CLOONEE AND SYBIL ALL FEED INTO THIS BALANCE OF ACCESSIBILITY AND MOVEMENT.
GET TO THE FEELING QUICKLY
A CLEAR INTRODUCTION, RECOGNISABLE VOCAL AND EARLY HOOK GIVE A LISTENER A REASON TO STAY WITH THE TRACK.
BUILT TO COME BACK TO
THE MELODY SHOULD FEEL FAMILIAR ENOUGH TO CONNECT QUICKLY WHILE STILL CARRYING A DETAIL THAT MAKES IT DISTINCTLY ODESA.
UK GARAGE MEETS COMMERCIAL HOUSE.
UK GARAGE HAS A DISTINCTIVE SWING AND INSTRUMENTAL LANGUAGE. RATHER THAN TURNING EVERY ODESA RELEASE INTO A FULL GARAGE RECORD, SELECTED PERCUSSION, SHUFFLED RHYTHMS AND QUICKER BASS MOVEMENT CAN SIT BENEATH A HOUSE OR DANCE-POP ARRANGEMENT.
JAZZY, BLONDE FEATURING CRAIG DAVID, JAMES HYPE AND NOTION REPRESENT DIFFERENT WAYS THAT UK RHYTHM CAN MEET ACCESSIBLE SONGWRITING. THAT INFLUENCE HELPS ODESA MUSIC FEEL CONNECTED TO BRITISH DANCE CULTURE WHILE THE FINAL SONG REMAINS POLISHED, VOCAL-LED AND COMMERCIAL.
SWING BENEATH THE SONG
OFFBEAT PERCUSSION AND GARAGE-INFLUENCED PATTERNS CAN ADD FORWARD MOVEMENT WITHOUT DISTRACTING FROM THE VOCAL.
GARAGE DETAIL, HOUSE SCALE
THE RHYTHMIC CHARACTER CAN COME FROM UK GARAGE WHILE THE KICK, CHORDS AND CHORUS RETAIN THE WEIGHT OF COMMERCIAL HOUSE.
DARKER COLOURS AND EXPERIMENTAL ENERGY.
FEEL-GOOD MUSIC CAN BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN IT HAS CONTRAST. A MOODY INTRO, HEAVIER BASS TEXTURE OR MOMENT OF SUSPENSE CAN MAKE THE ARRIVAL OF A BRIGHT CHORUS FEEL EVEN LARGER.
THE DARKER ELECTRONIC MOODS FOUND IN IMANBEK AND GOODBOYS' “GOODBYE,” JAY PRYOR AND COLDABANK'S “GOOD FOR ME,” SOMMA'S “FEVER” AND A7S' “NIRVANA” OFFER REFERENCES FOR THAT SIDE OF THE PALETTE. YELLOW CLAW'S EXPERIMENTAL HYBRID-TRAP APPROACH IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT INFLUENCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN A PRODUCTION NEEDS AN UNEXPECTED SOUND, HARDER DROP OR GENRE-BENDING TURN.
DARK VERSE, BRIGHT RELEASE
RESTRAINT AND TENSION BEFORE A CHORUS CAN MAKE AN UPLIFTING PAYOFF FEEL MORE POWERFUL.
BREAK THE EXPECTED PATTERN
AN UNUSUAL SOUND, RHYTHMIC SWITCH OR HYBRID DROP CAN GIVE A FAMILIAR POP STRUCTURE A NEW EDGE.
ACOUSTIC AND TROPICAL TEXTURES.
NOT EVERY ELEMENT NEEDS TO SOUND COMPLETELY ELECTRONIC. THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR IN CHASE & STATUS' “END CREDITS” IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW AN ORGANIC INSTRUMENT CAN ADD EMOTION AND A NATURAL EDGE TO A POWERFUL ELECTRONIC RECORD.
ODESA ALSO USES LIGHT MALLET-LIKE TONES AS A SUBTLE COLOUR RATHER THAN MAKING EVERY TRACK FULL TROPICAL HOUSE. THE PERCUSSIVE MELODIC CHARACTER HEARD AROUND MAJOR LAZER AND JUSTIN BIEBER'S “COLD WATER,” SKRILLEX AND DIPLO'S “WHERE ARE Ü NOW,” AND DUKE DUMONT'S “NEED U (100%)” HELPED INSPIRE THE IDEA OF PLACING SMALL, BRIGHT DETAILS BEHIND A LARGER POP HOOK.
A HUMAN EDGE
GUITAR, PIANO AND NATURAL PERCUSSIVE TONES CAN SOFTEN A DIGITAL ARRANGEMENT AND DEEPEN ITS EMOTIONAL CHARACTER.
MALLETS WITHOUT THE LABEL
LIGHT PLUCKED OR MALLET-LIKE SOUNDS CAN ADD BRIGHTNESS WITHOUT TURNING THE WHOLE TRACK INTO TROPICAL HOUSE.
THE INFLUENCES BECOME ODESA.
NO SINGLE REFERENCE DEFINES THE PROJECT. THE ODESA SOUND COMES FROM COMBINING SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS - PIANO-HOUSE WARMTH, UK GARAGE MOVEMENT, POP SONGWRITING, R&B-INFLUENCED VOCALS, SUBTLE ORGANIC TEXTURES AND POLISHED CLUB ENERGY - THEN USING THEM TO BUILD ORIGINAL, VOCAL-DRIVEN COMMERCIAL DANCE-POP.
HEAR HOW THE INFLUENCES COME TOGETHER.
EXPLORE OFFICIAL ODESA RELEASES ON YOUTUBE, READ THE STORIES BEHIND THE TRACKS OR DISCOVER MUSIC-PRODUCTION TUTORIALS AND SOUNDS FOR YOUR OWN PROJECTS.