Producer & Multi-Instrumentalist John Hayes Unveils The Hypnotic, Deep-House EP ‘Bloom’
March 1, 2024 BY Emma Orland
Today, Denver-via-Minneapolis producer and multi-instrumentalist John Hayes is proud to unveil his electronic EP titled Bloom. The five-song effort sees Hayes infuse his cinematic ambient compositions with hypnotic, deep-house beats. This refined dance-floor approach signifies a major step forward for Hayes who says, “I really felt I’m starting to tap into the music I want to make.”
Traumatic moments can impact one’s outlook on life and Hayes draws inspiration from a particular moment of grief. At 23, he had a close friend pass away and this experience with life’s fragility empowered him to take advantage of the time he has and dive head-first into his musical ambitions. The result is an inspired sound that is deeply expansive and freeing. Bloom is out now via Nettwerk.
Hayes shares, “I really embraced experimentation when writing this EP. Many of the tracks were born from playing with these synths until I found a little sound that sparked some kind of creative flow. I really leaned into the concept of not over complicating the ideas, and recognizing when an idea is grabbing me and sticking to it. This took quite a bit of restraint, as there are always countless ways to expand on ideas. Sometimes though, the more you expand, you can lose the plot of the original idea. Writing this music taught me a lot about trusting my instincts and taste as a producer. I’m really excited to share this new chapter with everyone.”
Listen & Share Bloom Here:
https://johnhayes.ffm.to/bloom
Bloom represents a massive step forward for producer and multi-instrumentalist John Hayes, as the Denver-based artist expands his own sonic boundaries with smashing results. Across these five tracks, Hayes immerses himself in the world of body-moving electronic music like never before, resulting in music that’s energetic and propulsive but still containing the emotive streak that’s marked his work thus far. Recalling the hypnotic dancefloor psychedelia of artists like Jon Hopkins and Rival Consoles, Bloom is the beginning of an exciting new path for Hayes as well as a full realization of his influences and ambitions.
After growing up with the piano as his primary instrument, Hayes eventually abandoned classical studies in college and started immersing himself in the intricacies of score work, as well as the limitless opportunities of electronic music production. Armed with GarageBand and a Beat Thang sampler, he spent his time in higher education honing his craft and making beats for other artists at school. “Being able to manipulate samples was very eye-opening for me,” he recalls. “I was always interested in electronic music. I just had no idea how to make any of it.”
When Hayes was 23, a close friend passed away—an experience of grief that pushed him to pursue music with even more purpose than before. “That feeling that it could all be gone is why I make music. Why would I not do exactly what I want to do with my time? We’re only around for so long.” Inspired by Nils Frahm’s hybridic neo-classical electronic approach, Hayes has since amassed an impressive and expansive body of work, both under his own name and as Twinsleep with frequent collaborator Maxy Dutcher.
The seeds for Bloom lie in Hayes’ 2020 collaborative LP with Dutcher, Borealis—a creative experience that led Hayes to realize that electronic music “was a route I wanted to go down further.” Bloom was conceived after Hayes’ recent move to Denver, and despite the sonic break they represent from the past, the songwriting process was not dissimilar from the gorgeous piano-led ambience of 2022’s Beautifully Lost Mind. “Emotionally, I’m able to get deeper into what I want musically now,” he ruminates while discussing what these releases represent at this stage of his career as an artist. “Electronic music has helped me open more doors when it comes to expressing myself how I want to. Versatility is something I respect a lot in music because it means that you’re challenging yourself.”
John Hayes
Bloom
March 1, 2024
Nettwerk Music Group
Track List:
1. Palms
2. Changeless
3. Bloom
4. Winged
5. Dyad
