MEET OUR SOUNDCAMP FINALISTS (PART FOUR)

It’s time to meet the last two finalists of our Soundcamp 2024 cohort. After taking part in our Soundcamp bootcamp back in February, this duo were selected alongside six of their peers to join us for a further six months of artist development sessions. The eight participants have received direct mentorship with industry pros including Layfullstop, Jack Kong and Werkha, alongside honing in on their craft in a series of creative workshops. All attendees are working towards an evening of exclusive performances at The Blues Kitchen on the 15th of May. Grab your free tickets here.

Meet Alpha Twang and HAZZU below.

Alpha Twang

Hey I am Alpha Twang. I am a producer, I make electronic music and I also DJ as Summer’s Groove. You can find me on Instagram at @alpha_twang and you can find my music on all streaming platforms.

How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?

I would say it’s storytelling with sound. I want to evoke feelings and take listeners on a journey.

What prompted you to get involved in Soundcamp and what are you hoping to achieve from it? 

For me, I have spent the last few years as a bedroom producer. I saw Soundcamp as an opportunity to transition into live performance and to find ways to get my music out to larger audiences. The showcase on the 15th of May will be the perfect way to express my journey since starting to produce in 2019.

Where did your journey with music begin?

I started to produce within Ableton in 2019. Before that, I always knew I wanted to do something with music but I never felt like I could because I didn’t have any training in it. Between 2019 and 2020, I started teaching myself a lot through music forums, YouTube and Reddit. I started to notice myself really improving so I began working with other artists. Since then, I have done some residencies, some sound design commissions and now I am here at Reform doing Soundcamp.

Describe your creative process from starting to finishing a track.

One thing that I love about electronic music is that there isn’t a right way to go about it. I usually go into a project with it as a complete blank slate. I will watch a tutorial video first to see what area of production I want to explore through this specific track. I start experimenting and then hours of chaos begin. About halfway through the process, everything starts to coalesce into something and I hone in on that until I have a finished track.

Who are the main inspirations/influences for your sound and aesthetic?

My biggest influence in terms of music production is Arca. She showed me new portals of what you can do with electronic music, like using textures and creating three dimensional sounds. Flying Lotus is another one, and composers like Philip Glass, Hans Zimmer, Mica Levi, John Hassell and more.

If you could collaborate with anyone on a track, who would it be and why?

I think at this point in my career, I would love to work with a lot of the queer and upcoming electronic artists I know. For example, blood of aza, or Andras 2020. It would be a joy to work with these friends of mine from all of over the world. We all found each other through Arca’s Discord server in 2020 and we created multiple mixtapes together for charities with Arca herself. It’s called MUTANTS MIXTAPE; I recommend checking it out. But yes, I truly see these friends of mine as the future of electronic music.

What are your biggest goals/plans for your music in the future?

I would love to lean into sound production for movies and video games. However, I would also love to work with live instrumentalists. I am a huge classical music fan so it would be amazing to hear my work played by an orchestra. I also hope to continue honing in on the themes I’ve started exploring through my music, like identity, Manchester, and existing in the city as a Black person.

HAZZU

My name is HAZZU and you can find me on all streaming platforms. I was raised in Spain, I’m originally from Senegal, and now I’m in Manchester.

How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?

People always describe my music as ‘a vibe’. I would also describe it as short and intense at the same time.

What prompted you to get involved in Soundcamp and what are you hoping to achieve from it? 

I just want to grow as an artist. Music is my way of coping with both the good and bad in life. As an artist, I hope to personify all of these feelings and my journey. From Soundcamp, I think I will just go higher and higher on the road to being the best I can be.

Where did your journey with music begin?

My dad used to play Akon in the car, anywhere we’d go. I was instantly drawn to it as a kid. From then on, I fell in love with music. When I was about 10, I started writing short poems and four bars of words. I just kept going until I was able to write a full song. The first time I stepped into a studio was 2021 to record my first ever track.

Describe your creative process from starting to finishing a track.

It depends on how my day goes really. To create the beat itself, I will usually buy one thats already made, or I’ll head to YouTube and work from there. My writing process is very mixed. I usually start with the hook and build up from there.

Who are the main inspirations/influences for your sound and aesthetic?

I really like R&B music so some artists that inspire me include AKON, Ne-Yo, and Danny Brown.

If you could collaborate with anyone on a track, who would it be and why?

Currently, I would say Nemzzz. He’s originally from Manchester and we actually went to the same high school. I think my artistry can fit into any project so I definitely think it would work. Nemzzz’s music is something you can instantly vibe to, like mine.

What are your biggest goals/plans for your music in the future?

I just want to make an impact on people, no matter how small. I guess, when I’m not here anymore, I want to be able to reflect and know I have helped people.

Grab your free ticket to see Alpha Twang & HAZZU alongside the rest of the Soundcamp cohort live at The Blues Kitchen on the 15th of May here.