Last week, singer-songwriter Ray Lozano released her debut album “Pairing Mode” – an album filled with 12 short stories of longing, being alone and human connections. Having almost not seen the light of day, the album is a fusion of genres blending R&B with hints of German Pop, as well as taking some inspiration from her Filipino roots.
KALTBLUT caught up with Lozano a couple of weeks before the release date to chat about the relevance of radio in Germany, why the album was almost never released and the short film, which you can watch below.
KALTBLUT: You’re about to release your debut album pretty soon! How are you doing?
Ray: I am excited. It’s the first time I’m releasing something after four years. That’s already exciting for me, because so much has changed in these four years.
Musically, of course, I have developed, but society and everything that accompanies a release has changed so much, too, in those four or five years. Sometimes, I feel like a grandma who can’t keep up with these changes. But, as a whole, I’m super excited, even though the album has taken a little longer to finish.
KALTBLUT: What does it feel like releasing an album in today’s fast-paced and doom and gloom climate?
Ray: I find it frightening. I’ve been a musician all my life, and it’s shocking to see the industry changing so rapidly. As a musician you can’t really protect yourself from it. One day, you open Instagram and are bombarded with new songs, features, and campaigns. Of course, that has an influence on how you see music or this business generally.
I still try not to let that throw me off track. Why let it? In the end of the day, I try to make the kind of music I like best. To be honest, I don’t listen to the radio or chart music, so I can’t compare my music and ethos to that. I’ve heard from some of my colleagues the fast-paced nature of music now is overwhelming. Whenever I hear that, I’m more thankful I built this little space for myself. I’ve produced the album by myself with my co-producer at home. That allowed me to ignore that side of the industry.
KALTBLUT: I guess that’s the healthiest way anyway. I find it incredible that some new music that’s released sounds like it’s been optimised for TikTok.
Ray: That part could be dangerous for a musician. Many artists that want their songs played on the radio have a different focus, I think.
KALTBLUT: Do you think the German music industry allows that? If you compare British radio to German, for example, the music selection is very different and a lot more daring than it is here. How do you deal with that as a German artist who doesn’t follow those trends?
Ray: It’s difficult. I have to admit it’s clear to me that my music isn’t going to be played at certain radio stations. I have a clear idea of the kind of people that listen to my music. People who are interested in music, such as mine, will find it. Whether it’s on a small radio station or if they’re actively looking for music that’s bridging away from the general pop sound – even if it’s just a handful of people.
In England, it is completely different. When my music is played at some stations in the UK – whether they’re big or small – I notice there’s a response. I think Germany is not at that point yet.
I have the feeling it’s coming. I’m noticing that now. My music is also not suitable for radio if you can call it that. I still have the feeling there is a resonance, and people listen to it anyway. There are stations in Germany playing my music. I don’t think it’d be on rotation at the prime times, though.
The whole album is like a Polaroid photo for me, where somehow everything has been captured.
KALTBLUT: I don’t think that’s really a problem anyway, to be honest. I read the album was close to never being released. Why did you decide to release it now?
Ray: The album was finished in the summer of 21. Then I suffered a small blow of fate. I had an operation, and my vocal cords have been injured, which led me to suffer from vocal cord paralysis.
I fell into a crisis because I had to learn how to sing again. I had a certain amount of time to regenerate. According to my doctor, I would have had to look for another job. I fell into a hole because I’ve produced this album, it’s just lying there on my laptop, and no one will ever hear it. After I got better, I decided it would be stupid and silly to not release it.
In my album, I’m talking about snapshots. The whole album is like a Polaroid photo for me, where somehow everything has been captured. The journey of this album is interesting because it takes you to this high, where everything is great, and you feel unstoppable. Suddenly out of nowhere, everything goes down the drain, and everything is uncertain.
That grounded me in a different way and gave me another perspective on music and the whole project.
KALTBLUT: I’m glad you’re feeling better! Since the songs on the album are a little older now, do you still feel a connection to them the way you did before?
Ray: I can always put myself in these situations again. You carry these emotions with you. Even if you no longer have this heartbreak or these feelings in general, you remember those situations. Whether it’s in the songwriting process or the situation itself, which is beautiful. It’s the same thing that happens when you look at a photo. Even though you’re no longer in that situation, you remember exactly what you felt like and what happened. It’s quite exciting to realise that these emotions re still there when I listen to the songs now.
KALTBLUT: How would you describe your album?
Ray: If I had to categorise genre-wise, I’d call it Alternative RNB. However, during the last four or five years I haven’t produced any music, which is why I wanted to capture moments and vibes. That’s why there are different types of songs on the album – from slow tracks to more trap-influenced songs. I wanted to give myself the freedom to experiment. During the producing-progress, I realised how many things I wanted to try. All in all, though, I feel that the whole album has a specific sound aesthetic.
What kinda influences did you hear?
KALTBLUT: I definitely agree putting it in Alternative R&B as a whole. There were also a lot of beat-heavy elements, I find.
Ray: Yes, you’re right, there are some beat-heavy tracks on there. I think what connects all those dots is focus of the voice, though. I’m the focus of the album with the music-bits happening around my voice – whether that means it’s going towards Jazz or Pop.
KALTBLUT: You’ve mentioned earlier that the album is made up of 12 short stories. That’s such a beautiful concept. How did you know which moments to choose for the stories?
Ray: I started writing to capture certain moments and then produced the music. Whenever I looked at the music, I asked myself if there was more needed. Then I thought, it’s a snapshot or a diary entry, it doesn’t need more. Basically thoughts in your head that you write down and used as lyrics.
KALTBLUT: Does it feel strange you’re sharing such personal moments with the whole world now?
Ray: No, not really. Well, it is of course there are some very personal thoughts, but I find it exciting to tell something about yourself in the music. I love listening to music and learning something about people.
KALTBLUT: I’d like to talk about the short film accompanying the album. It’s a beautiful piece of work. Can you tell me a bit about the concept?
Ray: It’s exciting, isn’t it? My friend Parissa Charghi, who also lives in Cologne and has previously designed some of my artworks, has this great aesthetic. During the pandemic, we were on a walk together, and I told her I was working on new music. I told her the songs were short, and I’d love to accompany them with something visual.
Then we started brainstorming and sent each other ideas. In the beginning, I was against appearing in those videos myself. I personally don’t really like when other artists perform in their music videos and I didn’t want to be the centre of attention.
After more brainstorming she convinced me to be in the videos saying I don’t have to perform, but show my journey. We landed on me doing a couple of cameos, which I liked. We then filmed six videos, which we turned into one longer film. It was a great experience working together. I was allowed so much involvement and there were no egos in the process, it was all super chill.
Ray’s debut album “Pairing Mode” is available on all streaming platforms here. Follow her at @raylozanoxoxo to keep up with upcoming releases and tour dates.
