Unseen Plays: Thank you for taking the time to have a quick interview with Unseen Plays. We’re glad to have you with us and to be able to showcase your music today. Let’s start off by learning more about you. Who is UNITY? Where are you from? When did you get started making electronic/trip-hop music? And what got you into this genre?
UNITY: UNITY is a multidimensional creature that travels to different parts of the universe seeking experiences and emotions and writing music to translate them to fellow listeners. I started making music a few years ago when I finally realized that this is the only thing that evokes so many indescribable feelings within me. I feel like electronic music gives you a lot of space for experimenting with your voice and the sounds that you’re using. I love the fact that you always end up discovering unique combinations of timbres and melodies in every new song.
Unseen Plays: I see that you are a music producer! Tell us about that. How has knowing music production allowed you to express yourself? Do you think it’s helped you?
UNITY: Absolutely! I used to delegate the production process to the producers and beat makers but realized it’s impossible to convey what I want to hear as a final result. So I decided it would be way easier to just learn it all by myself. When I started producing my songs it felt like a third eye that was closed for this whole time finallyopened. As a result,d I started seeing and experiencing music on a way more profound level. It felt like looking at music through a window somewhere far away where you cannot really tell what’s happening. And now finally stepping outside, seeing everything vividly and being able to actually manipulate this sonic world. An incredible feeling!
UNSEEN PLAYS: Have you written music for anyone else so far? Or just your own music? Feel free to throw out some artist names!
UNITY: I’ve been working with some underground alt pop/electronic artists as well as filmmakers back in my hometown. But that was more for fun and experience rather than for commercial reasons. After I moved to Toronto I started selling psychedelic hip hop/trip hop instrumentals on YouTube and Beat Stars. I like to vary what I’m doing for the solo UNITY project and for selling genre-wise.
UNSEEN PLAYS: All right, let’s get into your newest single titled “VOID”. It’s the song that attracted us to you and we love it. Can you tell us a bit more about the song? What influenced it?
UNITY: I was navigating through some tough times when I first moved to Toronto on my own at a young age. This song basically compiles all the pain and loneliness that was corroding my mind for months at that time.
UNSEEN PLAYS: We read that you will be releasing an entire album this year! For us and for your fans, that’s something to look forward to. How many songs can we expect on this upcoming album? Does it follow any particular theme? And do you have a release date for it yet?
UNITY: This is a concept album in which UNITY leaves Earth, abandoning everyone and everything precious to her heart. She falls into a wormhole where time gets distorted and everything occurs all at once. She ultimately discovers a new star system where she’s experiencing an array of the most mesmerizing and wildest feelings in the whole universe in their absolute form. Will she withstand their might or drown in their bottomless swirl? You’ll know the answer this fall.
UNSEEN PLAYS: What influences have you had in the past and present when it comes to your music?
UNITY: My biggest influence both sound and idea-wise is probably Pink Floyd especially their concept albums and their lush, etherial guitars and drum patterns. My current major inspirations are probably FKA Twigs and SOPHIE. I love their experimentation and how they’re not afraid to break the rules and widen the boundaries of traditional music making.
UNSEEN PLAYS: Knowing that you are a singer and producer, what is your music writing process like?
UNITY: I usually step outside and let my mind get into a state of flow so that I can focus on the emotion that needs to be expressed in the form of melody and words. As for production I like to work with other musicians because they can bring their own perspective. This allows me to mold the song into something I would never have considered in the first place.
UNSEEN PLAYS: You have a background in the visual arts. Tell us about yourself from a visual artist perspective and for those that don’t know what that is, can you define what a visual artist is and does?
UNITY: I feel like the term visual arts is pretty self-explanatory: if you do anything from sculptures to collages on Instagram, you can call yourself a visual artist. Not only through music, but also through paintings, photography, makeup, and jewelry, I love to unravel UNITY’s universe. I am a creative director of almost all the visual artworks and photoshoots that you can see on my Instagram. I come up with ideas, style, shoot and edit most of my pictures and visuals for music.
UNSEEN PLAYS: What’s next for UNITY? We know you have an album coming up. Do you have any shows, tours, merch, or music videos coming up in the near future?
UNITY: I’m preparing to perform live a lot this summer in Toronto including my live show for the album presentation. We’re also shooting a music video for my upcoming single and obviously working on custom jewelry designed and made by me 🙂
UNSEEN PLAYS: Random question to end this article! We love throwing fun questions in. Which book or movie impacted you growing up?
UNITY: I remember I was mind-blown when I saw “Lucy” as a teen and got captivated by the idea of obtaining knowledge about everything on such a fundamental level when you can control time and space and basically become everything everywhere all at once. I guess people will always be fascinated by the concept of superhuman and unattainable power.
UNSEEN PLAYS: And finally, where can we find UNITY online?
UNITY: I’m most active on Instagram (@whostolemyjohnny) so follow me there to keep updated with the music, album and also get your dose of surrealistic photoshoots once in a while.
Don’t forget to listen to “VOID” – UNITY on all streaming platforms!
If you’re a rapper or singer I would love to produce for you! You can check out my beats on Beatstars.
You can listen to UNITY below and on our Unseen Plays Playlist here:
UNITY can be found online at: