If you've been frequenting the electronic world in recent times, Mickey Valen might be a name you've come across. The electronic producer has done a good job of keeping himself low key in the scene, with his identity fairly well hidden and only music to represent his character. He's collaborated with some talented upcoming vocalists in the scene, from Noé, Ghita, Lara Maxen. What Mickey Valen has most notably accomplished, is polish a recognizable brand and identifiable sound in his music. His sound is a colorful mix that takes from chilled trap sounds to shimmering future bass. It pushes the boundaries of standard pop music with it's production, but still retains that charming and catchy quality. After his first successful release "Meet Me" with the poppin' label Lowly Palace, Mickey Valen returns with another hit "Wildcard" ft. Feli Ferraro. The producer also had a minute to sit down and chat with EARMILK about his recent successes.
Before Mickey Valen was where he is now, the producer had an alternate lifestyle with a successful career in finance. The Mickey Valen project is fairly new at around 1 years old. The artist mentioned that his transition to music was a significant moment saying, "My proudest moment to date was when I was able to quit my 9-5 job after my first album release with Noosa 4 years ago. Since then I've released over 50 originals/productions and remixes. Regarding his influence and reason for shifting, Mickey Valen stated Lucian as a reason for the career change, stating "I was drawn into the process of recording ideas and being able to play them back. It started out pretty simple and as time went on I pushed myself to learn as much as possible about making records.". With that initial interest, Mickey Valen went full into the learning process of production and never looked back.
As a newer artist in the game, Mickey Valen also finds inspiration from other artists who've just broken into the scene. The creative process involved listening before creating, Valen mentions, "Before working on a new record I usually listen to a bunch of new music to get inspiration. If that's not working, whiskey usually helps. I actually find a lot of inspiration from new artists/producers as well as random singles I find on Spotify. Too many to name! I love how fast the music industry changes because it keeps you on your toes."
Collaboration is key is not only expanding your audience, but also aids opening up perspective as an artist. This is a concept that Mickey Valen has utilized to his advantage, especially as an artist who frequently works with vocalists and other producers. Sometimes it's about making the perfect connections and going out of your way to make things happen, which is exactly the case for "Wildcard" ft. Feli.
"For my latest single I spent weeks reaching out to singers and asking if they have any demos to send over. I'd wake up and spend the first hour of my day emailing 20 singers that I'd discover online. Feli actually reached out to me on Soundcloud and I listened to some of her demos. She wanted me to work on a different song but when I heard "Widcard" I fell in love with the lyrics and Emotion behind the vocals. I begged her to send the acapella and for the next week I developed the song and would send it back and forth to her and different ppl to get feedback. It's important working with other people because a lot of collaborations will push you and give you new ideas that you wouldn't come up with while working alone."
The track "Wildcard" strings together pop and future bass elements, with strong lyricism and pleasant vocals from Feli Ferraro. The synths build up a fluctuating flow that ebbs energy in and out through the track. Subtle details and glowing atmospheres of the track make for an impactful banger. Ferarro's sweet vocals perfectly contrast the chaotic vocal chops. Highlighting an infectious and emotional energy in the track, Mickey Valen plays with unconventional sonic forms to create a track that audiences will remember.
Moving foward, Mickey Valen's presence grows only stronger in the electronic community. With each hit carefully crafted to reach a broad audience, Mickey Valen has an appeal to all electronic fans. His diversity and desire to bridge pop and electronic make Mickey Valen a producer making hits to last.
"I want people to hear something new and get something from my songs that they can't get from others. I want to make music ppl like to pre game to and share at parties :)"
Connect with Mickey Valen: Facebook | Soundcloud | Twitter
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