I’ve been kind of listening to the composer Britten and his rendition of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ The opening track is a choral section where all the weird fairies, who are played by kids in the production, sing. It’s a crazy opening melody and chord sequence – really amazing. Dev Hynes Read Quote
I don’t really care about audio quality. If people saw some of the ways that I record stuff, they’d see I don’t care in that respect. I obviously care about things sounding good, but I think quality exists through other things like emotionally connecting with a lyric or a feeling, or whatever. Dev Hynes Read Quote
Every day there’s a lot of things I block out, because if I start visualising things, I tend to go completely insane. I’ve always had anxiety issues, and it can totally overwhelm me and suck me under if I’m not keeping focused. I just think and think until I have a panic attack, and then it dies down. Dev Hynes Read Quote
I was 13 years old at music school talking to my teacher. I can’t quite remember what it was I was trying to describe, but I do remember my music teacher saying to me, ‘Do you have synesthesia?’ In hindsight, it seems a little presumptuous of her to think a little boy in Essex would know what synesthesia was. Dev Hynes Read Quote
Some people say I do it too much, but I’m always asking the artist questions. Sometimes – especially with new artists – you can see they’re compromising in their mind. You see that look when they’re listening to a vocal take and there’s hesitation. And I’ll be like, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to do this again?’ Dev Hynes Read Quote
I don’t want to say I hate remixes, because I don’t, but I hate what instantly comes to mind now when people say ‘remixes.’ Dev Hynes Read Quote
When I was recording music, I’d record all the parts myself, and I wouldn’t let other people in; that’s essentially what Blood Orange is the result of; me trying to find the most comfortable I can be with everything. Dev Hynes Read Quote
Chamalkay’ is an old Guyanese slang word. It means a ‘young mischievous girl.’ It’s not derogatory, but it isn’t over complimentary, either. It was probably a word I just Googled one day, and the song kind of played into the feel of that. Dev Hynes Read Quote