Debuting his single ‘Whats’s It?’ today, XVAN marks his foray into 2018, as this Singapore-based producer seeks to put out good music that is refreshing to listeners, and his biggest critic, himself! A smooth but energetic number, ‘Whats’s It?’ is his first international release across all major digital music platforms, aside from his original SoundClound profile.
A song filled with both organic and electronic elements, XVAN has carefully blended a hard-hitting mix of synths and percussions, resulting in an ever-changing rhythmic song – sending your ears through quite the aural rollercoaster. It’s in the subtle details, making you realise his true production genius, as he accentuates an already vibrant song with these minor elements.
Influenced by his personal encounters, XVAN explains that the track was born out of his first-hand experience of what Providence is – with one of the greatest examples being: manna, which is Hebrew for “What is it?”. Going through several strong emotions and tough experiences in his life last year, crescendoing to a point that he almost gave up music for good.
Believing in his faith, he managed to see the light at the end of the tunnel of hardship and faced his adversities head-on. The mellow introduction of the song represents the feeling of neediness and helplessness, which transforms with a lively, energetic chorus that reflects the joy and excitement felt when these needs are satisfied.
“This relates to Manna just like how it was divine providence for the Israelites when they were wandering in the wilderness. I feel as if I was being provided for in my time of need,” XVAN elaborates. “I guess the song itself is just a depiction of the mishmash of emotions I felt during those trying times. I actually came across the Hebrew translation (manna), during a conversation with my mum while I was writing this piece, and I knew at that point of time that the song title would have to be related to the theme of providence!”
‘Whats’s It?’ is a departure from his previous works – with ‘Trickle’ an ambiance track, and his more recent single ‘I’m Ok?’, which was an upbeat trap mix – XVAN’s new sound is to set the mood for his future releases later this year, indicating the musical direction he intends to pursue: a more indie, mellow and chilled-out kind of sound. XVAN adds: “I really wanted to showcase the new sounds and techniques that I’ve added to my arsenal, as I work towards achieving a sound that can be associated with my identity!”
The 21-year-old producer, Ivan Tan, developed XVAN as a moniker to stay grounded and focused on his music. Armed with a smooth blend of electro house, future bass, and indie electronica, XVAN appeals to audiences in both the realms of casual listening and electronic music alike.
While XVAN may just be starting out, he has already gained a healthy following on SoundCloud with a total of 120,000 streams combined, and has even been featured on various YouTube channels, including Firefly Music and JodieStarling’s. Not wanting to let the momentum down, the electronica producer hopes to dazzle audiences even further in 2018, with ‘Whats’s It?’ as a start.
Having been part of a few different music projects and bands ever since he started doing music, Ivan became captivated by the process of arranging and combining different elements to create unified sound – falling in love with music production! However, it wasn’t till 2012 that he entered and was obsessed with the world of electronic music, when he first heard Swedish House Mafia’s “Greyhound”.
Finally, he attributes MYRNE as one of his biggest inspirations. After all, the huge DJ-producer influenced Ivan on new perspectives in music production. He hopes to be able to emulate MYRNE’s fearlessness in pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers in terms of music composition and sound design, while still managing to incorporate conventional sounding instruments into his pieces and giving new life to them. “It’s also very comforting to see that a Singaporean is able to make waves in the international electronic music scene and I really hope to make that kind of impact with the music I do as well,” Ivan notes.
Listen to XVAN’s latest single, ‘What’s It?’ on iTunes and Spotify (below), now! Be sure to look out for another release coming up soon after, as XVAN teases a few other pieces in the works, that he can’t wait to share!
