salute Releases ‘Shield,’ Showing His ‘Pretty People Music’ Sound

The music is colorful, emotional, soulful and euphoric, yet delivers an energetic tune and a sense of longing. That’s the sound producer and songwriter deejay Salute is known for. Legally known as Felix Nyajo, this tastemaker brings his masterfully produced tunes to audiophiles around the world.his shield The EP, out Friday May 5th, is no exception to his dichotomous sound, which he best describes as “the music of pretty people.”

The four-track production contains swirling, fiddling synths, uplifting soundscapes, bouncy basslines and distorted vocals. This EP has proven to be melancholic and uplifting, culling songs from a wide variety of genres across the dance music spectrum.

According to the artist shield A snapshot of his musical moments at the time is provided, with the oldest track being four years old. He drew inspiration for his EP from French house, melodic house, songs released by Edvanger Records, and classic old house music. shield shows his musical journey.

“I was at a point where I didn’t know how to sound smart or where to go,” he says. “I was still struggling to find a sense of musical identity.”

Nyajo added that “Wait for It” was written around the same time as the production of “Joy”. The goal for both tracks, he says, was to make them fun.

“I ended up writing ‘Joy’ much earlier than ‘Wait for It,'” he says. “[I] I realized that’s how my sound should be. I think “Wait for It” is a continuation of that. ”

The EP marks Nyajo’s vocal flexibility for the first time, and he said he was initially worried about whether people would like it. And he decided it didn’t matter because the song was really fun. He added that not caring what others think was advice he gave to his younger self, and that his ability to let himself go has made his music better.

“[Using my vocals] It felt strange, but at the same time, I now feel helpless relief. People will hear it regardless. Using my voice is something I’ve always wanted to do,” he says. “Someone out there will enjoy it. It’s a big step for me.”

Nyajo’s music-making philosophy is to enjoy the process as much as possible. If not, he says there’s no point in producing it because it’s “so personal” that it has to be fun. Music production, he says, should reflect what an artist is looking for at the moment, such as comfort, happiness, and how they process their emotions.

The songwriter, who started making music at the age of 13, was introduced to dance music by her older brother who watched MTV, and then through YouTube and Boiler Room exposed to genres such as grime, drum’n’bass, dubstep, and garage, and partially His talent blossomed in sound. He was open to all styles of dance music, but watching these videos helped him understand exactly what his dance music tastes were, and how vast the dance music spectrum is. Didn’t recognize it, added that it was an amazing experience. The Viennese-born and Viennese-bred producer said the introduction helped him get an idea of ​​what he wanted to hear in his music, but he listened to a wide variety of genres and wanted to try them all, so At first, he found it difficult. I mean, he struggled to find his sound, but was able to narrow it down over time.

Nyajo’s favorite song changes from week to week, but as of this interview (April 19, 2023), she says her favorite song is her 2022 record, “Pleasures.”

“While making it, I think it was one of those things.” [where] I opened my laptop and blacked out for a few hours, and then it sounded good,” he says. “I remember listening to it and thinking, ‘This reminds me of something I used to listen to when I was a teenager, this kind of sultry French house music.'” is. I think it makes me feel nostalgic not only when I’m making this work, but also when I listen to it again. ”

Nyajo’s other interests include community-based work and community service, which he says was the career path he would have taken if he weren’t involved in music production. But in reality, he says, he had no choice but to make music.

The biggest hurdle he faced so far was finding his identity across different aspects of life. Nyajou left Vienna for the UK to pursue his music career, but at the same time he knew who he was at the age of 18.

“I think over the years, finding my sound and what I’m doing now in music has also been finding myself as a human being,” Nyajo says. “I think the last few years have been pretty spectacular, both personally and professionally. That’s what I still do every day, and I don’t think it will ever stop.”

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