Illinois based artist, Nick Sanzeri just released his third album called Heart Break Beat, and it is a groove to listen to. A singer and a bassist, Sanzeri’s passion for his music flows into the innovation and excitement he brings to each track. With 7 tracks and a 24-minute run time, Heart Break Beat is definitely the next addition to your dance party playlists.
The first song on the album is called, Celebrate Yourself. With a popping bassline and jazzy accompaniments, Celebrate Yourself reminisces 80s dance music. The vocals in this track form fun harmonies, and you will be tapping your foot from the first few seconds of the song.
Venus in Pisces is a slower, seductive track that opens with a fun drumroll. The song has a syncopated effect with its instrumentals and vocals. The vocals progress into a moody, soft vibe as the song progresses. It definitely has a blues jazz effect on the listener.
Heart Break Beat is the song the album is named after. This song takes the 80s disco beat and combines it with modern day electropop. There is a fun synth that complements the fast-paced beat of the song. Nick Sanzeri paces out the tempo of the whole album with this track.
Life is Hard begins with a pop ballad type synth intro. And to be honest, we relate. I love this take on a song that is literally called Life is Hard. A soft, groovy song with beautiful harmonies is exactly the vibe I want to be in, especially when we get stuck in a cycle of work. Definitely adding this one to my work playlist!
Why You want to be like that has more of a lo-fi bedroom pop vibe. The song is a fun track to groove and sing along with. The vocals in this track are low-key but layered, which really brings out this futuristic effect.
Algerian Love Song takes the progressive, lo-fi vibe of the album and transforms it into a melancholic, fast-paced confession of love. This song really focuses on the futuristic vibe that Nick Sanzeri establishes in the previous track. The track is a combination of electronica and pop.
All the World goes back to Sanzeri’s unplugged, almost-acoustic aesthetic. This song gives me country-pop sensibilities. The highlight of this song for me is the beautifully, fingerpicked guitar that follows throughout the song.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Nick Sanzeri and talk about his music. Here is what he had to say about it:
1. Your album, ‘Heart Break Beat’ was very fun to listen to. Can you tell me your inspiration behind it?
Sometimes you go down some dark alleys of obstacles and self-doubt when putting together a collection of songs. These songs were more confessional, and closer to expressing my emotional/mental/spiritual state at the time I wrote them. It is always a little scary putting yourself out there, and then depending on who you show them to, you could get a mixed reaction, which could hinder your desire to finish. I think I showed these initially to someone who wasn’t too thrilled with them. At that point they weren’t finished, but it was kind of discouraging. And then shortly after that my computer crashed, and I had to stop everything for a bit. When I finally got a new machine, many of the tools to make these songs, I no longer had available. And then I brought them up in their more raw form and played them for a music producer friend who I trust very much. Even in their much rawer form, we had a magical time listening to the songs that became this album, and he helped me remember why I liked these tunes so much. It was then that I got re-inspired to finish them one at a time and I am really proud of what came out. He helped me get my mojo back!
2. What led you to music in the first place?
A lot of different things at different times. First it was to belong to a group of friends, to be on the party scene, to get my ego stroked, to create a sense of identity for myself, to feel a sense of self-worth, to make some money. And a bunch of other reasons that quite frankly weren’t good ones.
Now when I make music, it is an exercise in being more vulnerable, transparent, fun, sincere. To have an outlet for my extraverted/introverted nature. Which are much better reasons. And I do it quietly without worrying about the outcome, the style, what people will think, the number of streams, likes, etc. It is now a way I commune with the present moment. More like meditation. I am really re-invigorated by it.
3. The album had a very fusion vibe to it – between electronica and blues-rock and jazzy. Is this type of music something you lean towards? How did you develop this style?
Some of my earliest exposures to live music were blues guys playing on Maxwell St in Chicago, where my dad used to drag me with him some weekends when I was a kid. And I kind of realized at one point that everything I really like is kind of steeped in that sound. At the same time I have always liked technology and innovation in music. So I just blend them to taste in my own songs, and in that way I am able to capture the feelings I have inside me that I sometimes can’t even put into words.
4. Can you tell me who are your biggest musical influences? How do these influences come through in your music?
I know it will sound cliche, but being a child of the seventies, I was all about the Beatles, Hendrix, Donna Summer, The Brothers Johnson, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath. Hendrix helped me realize you don’t have to be God’s gift to singing to be really moving. The Beatles helped me realize that melody is king and that song form and brevity are key. And all of the dance and funk music around at the time, just got into my musical DNA. Even Hendrix was super jazzy and funky, especially his drummer Mitch Mitchell. I am just trying to channel that stuff to this day.
5. Do you have more music planned for us? What do you see for yourself in the future?
I already have a few tunes that I am really excited about that I can’t wait to put out. I usually drop them on my youtube channel in advance of releasing on streaming platforms. I am playing the guitar more and doing more guitar solos which is a lot of fun. I am also playing out live all the time and having fun with that. Hopefully my future will be some variation of my present situation, except that I will be even more in tune with myself and hopefully channeling that through my music and evoking that sense in the listener, even if I am not calling it out explicitly in any way. I plan to continue trying to be in the moment; freer, lighter, more fun and more spontaneous!
What a fun conversation and a great listen this album is! Go Stream Heart Break Beat now!
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
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