Today, Melbourne-based artist, ARCTISKY, unveils his latest sonic exploration with the release of 'Loose (feat. Nic Rippon)’, the second track from his highly anticipated debut album Roots Vol. 1. Known for his genre-defying style that melds funk, jazz, and electronic influences with classic rock, ARCTISKY ventures into a psychedelic realm in 'Loose'. We had a chat with him to talk all things 'Loose', and to delve deeper into his innovative and eclectic musical vision.

So, tell us what 'Loose' is about.

'Loose' is one of those tracks that tells the story of a young rebel who's had trouble adjusting to societal norms and the system. He finds himself in an encounter with some corrupt authorities following an arrest in a foreign country. I'd say the song's about trusting your gut in a difficult situation.

How long have you been working on 'Loose'?

It's been close to three and a half years that I've been going back and forth on this track. It's definitely gone through quite the evolution.

Describe the sound of the song in one sentence.

A blend of rock and funk elements with a sprinkle of that experimental psychedelia touch, which weaves through to give it its unique flavour.

Run us through the process of creating this song.

Nic and I had initially written 'Loose' in 2020. We were in each other's visiting bubbles in Melbourne during lockdown, and we met at music school, so we figured we'd write a song every visit to keep our chops up. 'Loose' was written during one of those sessions, which was pretty fun, not gonna lie. Since then, the track has developed and grown a fair bit; I finished writing the rest of the lyrics at that time. Nic recorded the guitars for the last few sections. I recorded the final vocals, replaced the scratch vocals, and wrote the orchestrations towards the end. We got one of Melbourne's finest Brazilian percussion entertainers, Yuri Lima, to bring the heat to the end of the track and add the flavour of the Brazilian carnival to the final section of the song. That's the layer you hear underneath the final solo.

What was the most challenging part of producing this song?

I'd say, for me, putting some of my own personal experiences into this track was definitely a great way to evoke the sense of danger in the music. However, putting it on the track and getting to share these experiences with my listeners is always a great way for me to tell a story. It was just ammo in my experience bank that was dying to get written about. I always try to write the lyrical content in the most abstract way possible so that all listeners can project their experiences onto those words and feel the rest of the instrumentation. Most of my writing has a deeper meaning to it. This one's more of a storytelling track, and it's fun. I want listeners to have fun when they listen to this tune.

Are there any upcoming projects or releases we should look forward to?

I do have the rest of the Roots Vol. 1 album dropping over the next year. From how it's looking, let's say we have an exciting year ahead. The songs are very personal to me, and I really want the songs to reach the right people. I feel like the market's too saturated right now for independent artists like myself to drop an album without taking the time to find an audience. There's so much great music out there right now—and I love it! So, dropping a song one by one will allow me to actually find my true audience in the process, as well as get a chance to foster a proper relationship with them by connect through my art. 'Loose' is the second song of my 13-track album, and you won't have to wait long to hear the next one!

A QUICK CHAT WITH ARCTISKY