Carefully crafting a tantalising sound which she described as “overwhelming yet measured,” electro-pop powerhouse and multi-instrumentalist AYONI’s soundscapes are experiences influenced equally by her upbringing and personality.
Giving another enticing glimpse into her upcoming project The Vision EP, with synth-laden, dance production “Before I Prosper,” the Barbados-born, LA-based musician leads us into a lonely time in her life, weaving through the lows right up until she lifted herself into highs.
In the track, she channels the anger and frustration of humanity before moving towards healing and growth, weaving earnest emotions into crystal clear talent for a heart-touching experience.
Always managing to infuse uplifting notes into her artistry while still never shying away from the raw pain and honesty of traumatic experiences, AYONI’s music is constantly teetering an intricate line of duality.
Whether between sadness and joy, or striking the balance between going for every sonic style she loves and hyper-focused minimalism, what she brings to life is a rich, culturally nuanced musicality drawn from a life spent bouncing around Singapore, Indonesia and America.
Describing how her immigrant status and cultural amalgamation shaped her music, she explains, ”In all ways. Isolation, hyper connectivity, the internet, and folk sounds have all been influential in my life. I spent a lot of time in my own head as a kid. I was really reserved as a kid, always observing before acting and I think that has influenced my approach to music. I’m constantly taking in new information and allowing that to affect my next move and I think that is beginning to reflect for me.”
Constantly pushing the sonic boundaries of her moody and ethereal pop sound, with gentle touches of island soul, Ayoni is set to mark a more mature era for her artistry with her forthcoming EP.
Speaking more on the project, she says, “This feels experimental as it is a ‘larger’ and a more cohesive sound for me. My process has been a lot more self-contained. I produced with my friend Cole Mitchell and most songs either started as me fooling around in Logic like If You Leave or at a piano like Before I Prosper and What to a Sinner is Holy.”
But the EP – out in September – is not the only thing we’ve got to look forward to from this rising pop prospect. To coincide with her release she will be performing alongside acclaimed artists like Khruangbin, Haim, The Roots, Sheryl Crow, The Flaming Lips, and Gary Clark Jr. at New York’s The Big Climate Thing, a transportive and immersive three-day concert that will surely capture the power of AYONI’s straight forward yet experimental pop style.
Asked what one question she’d love to be asked that she’s never been asked before, she answers “ Why I do what I do?” She doesn’t the answer to the question, but if the ability of her music to resonate in our ears and hearts is anything to go by – we’ve got our answer right there.
