X+Y=U [pronounced; x plus y equals u] is a genderless and genre-defying digital composer whose true originals are clouded in mystery and they only communicate with the rest of us through their music. Bringing together a unique mix of eclectic atmospheric sound design palette, digital art and emotionally powerful poetry, the composer seeks to break the mould by offering audiences a whole new world where restrictions and boundaries are broken. Their latest release titled 916 is a culmination of months of extensive work carried out in an isolated recording studio, far from the prying eyes of the world at large. The project is largely composed of sombre piano arrangements, and dark analog and digital fx sound-design techniques underpinned by unfiltered songwriting that exudes raw and candid emotions.
The progressive arrangement strays from the norm as listeners are drawn into a world of love, personal loss, nostalgia, hopelessness and acceptance. They use an extensive array of vocal manipulation techniques that adds an extra layer of emotion to the project as the vocals seamlessly blend in, build up tension and ultimately find resolution through truncated ebb and flow.
The 916 EP comes with an accompanying short film, a collaboration with South Korea-based HEADHEAD and AMBIENCE, was directed and shot in Seoul by the upcoming production teams. The music video/short film is a tale based around human communication and emotional isolation, which has become prevalent in all societies since the COVID-19 pandemic. The visual depicts the worst-case scenario where you can only experience real human emotion by digging up one’s past memory in virtual reality. The story follows a dying old man who is addicted to the VR experience which replicates his youth. His younger self goes through everyday experiences with his lover. As the old man repeats the VR experience, his younger self discovers the other side of the story and makes his way through the nightmarish virtual world, combined with the man’s truth-provoking yet dark past.
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X+Y=U is a member of the XYZ123 collective (The Orchard/Sony), a small collective of various musicians, artists, talents and entrepreneurs from around the world, who create their art as a unit and release them under various pseudonyms and artist names. Based mainly between the UK and Germany, the label is set to showcase, collaborate and create with upcoming emerging talent and like-minded individuals, and was established in late 2022, via The Orchard/Sony.
