10 Questions w/ Odelet

Odelet, the Detroit-born producer and multi-instrumentalist, has been experimenting between genres for multiple years now, and, with the release of their newest album, Angels (Revived), the experiment has reached new heights.

A dynamic blend of soul, funk, jazz, reggae, and other musical roots, the album encapsulates perfectly the genre-agnosticism that permeates Odelet’s creative output.

Currently based on the West Coast, their work in visual art has slowly become intertwined with their musical ventures, and the ultimate result, which is in part represented in Angels (Revived), has blossomed into a transformation of their creative process and manifestation of sound.

The 10 questions below are intended to dive a bit deeper into what drives Odelet as an artist:

1. What inspired you to become a musician? Is there one moment in particular that stands out to you?

I think for some of us you’re just drawn to creating things, wanting to make something beautiful, and then it’s just about exploring different artistic mediums until one grabs ahold of you… or maybe you start to see a reverence in peoples eyes when they see your paintings, or hear your music… that can be a strong sign that you’ve found your art. No one moment stands out in particular, I’ve always sang, and played music, but I also did a lot of visual art, which I love. I guess over time other artists I was around just sort of confirmed, that for my part, I was meant to sing.

2. What album has been most fundamental to your taste in music?

Uh-oh… I can’t do it. I’ve loved so much music, I can’t pick a favorite album. My taste is open ended… it’s still changing, always. I’ve been a jazz lover, a soul student, a folk singer, a grunge writer… no one album is fundamental to my taste.

3. How did you develop as a multi-instrumentalist/producer? What instrument did you learn first?

I used to play and write on guitar… then banjo. I’ve always tinkered… I could get lost on a piano, but wouldn’t have called myself a pianist. When I met my partner Jack, who is a wonderful producer and analog enthusiast, we started writing arrangements together, and he first encouraged, then pretty much started insisting on me playing my own instrumentation. I love writing piano and bass. We have so much fun building the rhythms for Everlasting Tape, it's crazy. Beat making has definitely become a passion for me now.

4. What is your songwriting process like? Do you start with instrumentals or lyrics? Do you have a place/workshop you most like to write in? 

Ooo… all sorts of things. Sometimes I hear full songs, just floating in the air… lately we do often just make an instrumental first, and I just sort of steer the writing towards a song I can sense is there. The rhythms are quickly captured performances, we don’t practice them, like at all… we just jot down a beat that feels good, then I listen for a song. Lyrics last, usually. But like I said, all sorts of things… songs have been born in very different ways. I like to write in our home studio up in the mountains. We’ve been really loving mixing in Jackpot! Recording Studio in Portland, Oregon, with the great Larry Crane. He’s our dream engineer.

5. How would you describe your approach to genre (in whatever sense you’d like to take that term)?

We ignore it entirely. I like music that makes people want to dance… or not. I also like music that simply hypnotizes. Every genre has wonderful artists working in it, I just don’t know which one I’m in… or really care. I just see if I can make something I like & that feels original.

6. How was this applied to your most recent project, Angels (Revived)?

In every way. Rhythm by rhythm, we just made an instrumental record I loved so much, and could absolutely not have told you what genre it was. There’s Soul in it, sort of… Jazz for sure, I guess… some roots and rocksteady sprinkled in… Calypso… I lose track of what I hear in it. Hopefully it just sounds good and unique to everyone else.

7. How do you feel like you’ve grown between Pisces Pie and your latest project?

Hopefully we’re growing all the time. I think Angel’s (Revived) is the best sounding record yet… 

The production has really solidified in the last year. But we still love Pisces Pie so much. That one’s our jam. We’re also super excited for an upcoming double album release in July, Raindance, and Raindance In Dub. So much coming.

8. How has your work in visual art played into your overall creative process?

Oh wow, it changed everything. It’s made us hear our own music in a different way. Sometimes a visual will change the whole meaning or interpretation of a song, and vice versa. Now when we write music, we can’t wait to see what the visual will do to it, it’s amazing.

9. Have you found collaborators out on the West Coast? What has the music scene been like out there?

Besides my partner, I don’t collaborate very often. We’re sort of a writing island… that being said, like I mentioned, we just started working with Larry Crane in Portland, and his mixes of our material have been blowing our minds. We just finished a big push, and as it stands now, Angels (Revived) is the beginning of a year where we’ll be releasing six albums… we’re super excited for people to hear it all. So yeah, Larry’s been an incredible collaborator. Also, an amazing horn player in the bay area named Balboa Becker gave a song off of Angels (Revived) a little chefs kiss, it’s really lovely. On a different West Coast, in the UK, an amazing painter named Luke Francis Haseler donated a piece for the cover of Angels (Revived)… so that was an amazing collaboration too, in a way. We absolutely love what he did. 

10. Just a fun question: What do you think is the most underrated holiday?

I don’t know…none? Maybe, for me, holidays are just a good reason to cook an elaborate meal, curate a beautiful seasonal space, be in love, have fun with anyone or no one and just overall celebrate the senses and life itself…and I feel that every day is a perfect reason to do that!