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Elevated Focusion

Elevated Focusion reanimated the 90s rave scene in his trippy industrial electro-pop anthem, Disco Devil

Elevated Focusion electrified the middle ground between Deadmau5 and Lords of Acid in his alt-electronica anthem, Disco Devil, which features Dime De San and closes his eclectically epic LP, Dark Nights.

With endless transgressions in style, tone and momentum, the synthesis of EDM, electronic rock and industrial pop reanimates the hedonistic euphoria of the 90s rave scene with dark beats, demonic drops, and devilishly dualistic female vox which deliver Shiny Toy Guns-esque euphony in one breath and scathing fury in the next.

Elevated Focusion’s ability to seduce the rhythmic pulses and create dancefloor-worthy anthems follows early exposure to the NY rave scene and an era of experimentation in his earlier project, Johnny Rhythms. In 2023, the Elevated Focusion moniker was born, followed by the eponymous collaborative LP, which deserved to be as revered as the Judgement Night soundtrack, Peeping Tom’s self-titled release and Chase and Status’ No More Idols LP.

Stream the Dark Nights LP, which hit the airwaves on September 20th, via Spotify now.

Connect with Elevated Focusion on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Elevated Focusion Reflects on his ‘Dark Nights’ LP and Sonic Fusionist Style

Elevated Focusion

In this exclusive interview, Elevated Focusion took us into the shadows of his latest album, Dark Nights, exposing the eclectic sonic styles which have shaped his unique artistic identity. From his roots in the late ’90s rave scene to his exploration of outlaw country and dancehall, Elevated Focusion discusses the transformative role of live instrumentation and how classic rock concept albums inspired his approach to producing a yet genre-fluid tour de force. Read on to discover how Elevated Focusion’s past and present musical identities intertwine to forge a path forward in his artistic career.

Elevated Focusion, you made an unforgettable impression on us with your album, Dark Nights. You’ve nailed the darkwave pop aesthetic in spite of the genre-fluidity which permeates the 11 tracks. Who were your foundational influences for the album? 

I am so happy you guys like the album.  Musically it is a real gumbo.  I definitely wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here but rather try to build a really cool car based on parts of the things I love personally.

I grew up during the late 90s rave scene, so The Crystal Method and The Chemical Brothers were an influence here. I was influenced by some of the more modern dark electronic artists like TR/ST and Anders Manga. In the industrial world, I was inspired by the fun experimentation of Raymond Watts and Pigface.

I probably listen to my Outlaw Country playlist every day so that poetic language really speaks to me specifically with artists like Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, and Billy Joe Shaver. Dancehall artists like Patra along with early 2000’s rock artists like the Deftones had their influence as well.

What was the initial spark that led you to create ‘Dark Nights’, and how did the concept evolve from that first idea?

I always loved the idea of The Judgment Night soundtrack where hip-hop artists collaborated with metal bands. That soundtrack came out when I was 12 years old, and was probably my biggest influence in trying to bring musical worlds together as a whole.

I also love the concept behind UNKLE & Massive Attack with having a variety of singers on different tracks.  I personally love listening to an album straight through.  So each album I make is meant to flow from beginning to end.  The overall “concept idea” is inspired by concept albums from classic rock.

Thematically I got the idea for the overall concept from the horror anthology series Tales From The Crypt.  Even though every episode had different stories, actors, and sometimes directors, you could always tell that each episode was part of Tales From The Crypt.  They all stood alone with individual storylines, but they still had something recognizable to tie them together with that show.  And that’s what I wanted to do with this album.  Create a musical Tales from The Crypt…lol.

How did your experiences in Queens during the early 2000s influence the sound and stories on this album?

During the early 2000s, I was in my own little musical world.  All I really listened to was my own music that I would make on my keyboard.  I honestly had no idea about what was going on in the outside world.  So I love creating a little world of its own with each song and album that I create.

From 2001 to 2004, I probably made close to 1000 songs. Most were incomplete and just moods or melodies.  When I stopped making music on my keyboard in 2004, it was the time in my life that I really got into researching other music.  For nearly 20 years, I never did any type of artistic activity.  I just listened and explored every genre and subgenre I could find.

I never planned on ever making music again until my wife convinced me to start releasing my old keyboard music during Covid.  Things just happened and I started creating new music again in 2023. It is a combination of things that brings me to where I am today as an artist.

What role did live instrumentation play in the creation of Dark Nights, and how did it differ from your usual electronic production?

Live instrumentation really helped me take the songs to the next level.  It definitely took my sound from being simply synth music to something a bit more elevated.  I had a very ambitious vision of my mixing my synth drums with live drums as well as mixing all my layered synth sounds with live vocals and instruments.  These things really make you appreciate the role of an engineer….lol. And I happened to be fortunate enough to work with Chris Conway who is an absolute master of his craft.

I don’t really know anything about musical theory, and I cannot read or write music either.  So, working with live musicians really helps with my own limitations as an artist.

Could you give us an inside view into the production process behind one of the standout tracks on Dark Nights? 

Sure, let’s talk about Club Hell. I started out wanting to make a simple fun dance song.  Over time I added, changed, and edited the sounds until I had something that I liked.

I went back to it and thought, this really sounds like it is a club in hell.  So, I started writing to it with that theme in mind.  At first, I didn’t have a rap verse in mind.  Then, I thought it could be cool to have something fun to break things up a bit. So, I created a rap verse section on the instrumental and wrote a verse for it.  Something that was just meant to be fun, not analyzed.

Once the vocals were recorded, I still felt like something was missing.  So I reached out to a bass player to give a really funky synth bass line.  That was definitely inspired by Herbie Hancock. Once I had all my ingredients, I headed to the studio to give it a mix where Chris Conway helped me to find peace amongst the chaos of the song.

How do the lyrical themes of the album manifest in the instrumentation and production?

I usually start with the instrumental first.  And eventually, something will click. I will hear a sound or there is something that brings a familiar memory.  Just as a scent can kinda trigger something familiar. Once I get that familiar feeling, I will really get into character, and then the song comes together very quickly.

How do you think your musical identity as Jonny Rythmns during 2001-2004 contrasts or complements your current persona as Elevated Focusion?

As Jonny Rythmns, my music wasn’t really focused.  My emotions were high but the music wasn’t really there yet.  It was sloppy and wasn’t really mixed properly, but you can definitely feel the raw emotion that was going on at the time. However, the music was still very raw as well.

Elevated Focusion is the product of 20 years of exploring every artist of every single genre and subgenre I can find.  The sound is more focused with the purpose of bringing together every musical influence I have experienced during my 20-year hiatus from making music combined with my own synth style that I developed during 2001 – 2004.

What do you hope your listeners will take away after listening to Dark Nights?

I honestly just hope that people enjoy the experience.  I don’t claim to be the most technical musician out there.  The only thing that I hope that someone would take from listening to ‘Dark Nights’ is that they enjoy it enough that they want to listen to it again.

How has the creation of Dark Nights influenced your thoughts on the future direction of your music?

I loved ‘Dark Nights’ but I’m ready to move on to the next concept.  My next album is already recorded and ready for mixing, so I already know where I am heading…lol.  It is somewhere completely than my first two albums. I don’t want to say too much, but I hope to release it next summer.

Stream Elevated Focusion’s discography on all major platforms via this link.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Surfing The Stratosphere: Queens, NY-based Elevated Focusion breathtakingly boosts our mindsets forever on brilliant interview

Watching from below and moving on from Jonny Rythmns and keeping it rather experimental all the way, Elevated Focusion flows into our lives and illuminates a ray of hope for us all. We find out more in an exclusive interview that can’t be ignored with streetwear added in to make things extra intriguing.

Llewelyn: We appreciate you joining us Elevated Focusion. Firstly, we love your artist name. Where did it come from and what is the story behind it?

Elevated Focusion: Elevated Focusion is the moment where an idea and the execution come together. Counter culture. not being complacent. trying to break the mold. going against the grain

Llewelyn: Please tell us more about your debut album and release of the clothing line?

Elevated Focusion: The self-titled debut album is a genre-bending album in June 2023 that will combine his love for New York culture and all genres of music. It’s a mixed bag from of all my musical and cultural influences as well as life experiences.

Growing up in New York in the 90s, I was a huge fan of the creativity in the graffiti characters in NYC street fashion. The body art in 80s/90s horror always captivated me as well. In addition, I grew up watching trippy cartoons like The Ren & Stimpy Show and Duckman. I love science fiction, and tatoo art always fascinated me. With the Elevated Focusion clothing line, I really wanted to take all of my childhood influences and combine them with the creativity of NYC graffiti and streetwear fashion.

Llewelyn: Jonny Rythmns. That was your artist name before. Please detail the change and what made you rebrand?

Elevated Focusion: I used the name Jonny Rythmns when I made instrumental music on my synthesizer keyboard. All of this music was created during 2001-2004. It is 100% instrumental music made up of hip-hop beats, music for video games, trippy music, concept albums, new age music, experimental music, sci-fi soundtrack, and space music.

In 2022, during quarantine, I decided to release all my old music under the name Jonny Rythmns. The first Jonny Rythmns’ release was my most experimental album called Elevated Focusion.

I chose Elevated Focusion to be my name going forward as it represents who I want to be as an artist, whether in experimental electronic music or as a streetwear clothing brand. My goal with the Elevated Focusion brand is to unite my love for all different genres and art styles through eclectic music and alternative fashion in collaboration with various artists.

Llewelyn: Is there a particular series you’d like to be in or perhaps a movie franchise?

Elevated Focusion: I would love to make music for any kind of movie or TV. But I personally love Horror, Drama, and Sci Fi.

Llewelyn: Experimental electronic music is your game. Why do you love it so much and how did you get into it? Was it through a live show or just exploring different genres?

Elevated Focusion: I really do love every genre of music and I like to make people dance. I’m also a bit of a weirdo. Experimental electronic music just called to me I guess.

Llewelyn: How would you describe your music to someone who’d just arrived from another galaxy?

Elevated Focusion: The Elevated Focusion album is a soundtrack to my life. It is everything I have felt emotionally and experienced physically. It is my life. It is my mind. And it is New York as seen through my eyes.

Llewelyn: Queens, NY. What’s it like there? Some really famous artists are from your home town. Is the music culture alive and kicking like you want it to be?

Elevated Focusion: Queens is the most culturally diverse place in the world. From people to sounds to food and beyond. There is also a mix of darkness, danger, and depression which has heavily influenced my lyrics on the album.

Llewelyn: Lastly, who do you make music for and who inspires you every day?

Elevated Focusion: This is a passion project for me so I make music in whatever way I feel inspired. A lot of love goes into every song. I created this project to reach open-minded people who are looking for something different.

Feel the vibe on Spotify.

Follow the energy on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Grab a Seat: Elevated Focusion embraced the future of fusionism with his alt-electro hit, Tabla Tea Party

https://on.soundcloud.com/KERbZ3gaPJ9vjupF8

The Queens, NY electronica pioneer Elevated Focusion, AKA Johnny Rhythms, caused a solid eight on the Richter scale by dropping his ground-breaking fusionist LP, featuring the standout single, Tabla Tea Party.

The rocksteady release became the ultimate celebration of the vibrant culture in NY by stitching a tapestry of contrasting facets of counterculture against each other to create a galvanic forcefield of friction your rhythmic pulses won’t want to resist.

With East Coast hip-hop and afrobeat bringing the danceable rhythm and the vocal lines breaking the monocultural mould while lavishing the soundscape with rock n roll attitude and soul, every new progression in Tabla Tea Party is a sonic revelation.

By putting mixing and mastering in the hands of Chris Conway, who worked on every LP that inspired the Elevated Focusion project, the East Coast flavour packs a mouth-watering punch; grab your seat at the Tabla Tea Party while the hype is hot.

Stream Tabla Tea Party with the rest of Elevated Focusion’s eponymous LP on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast