Bryce Conolly, better known as Mindchatter, is a new New York-based artist whose strong lyricism has put him at the forefront of contemporary EDM producers world-wide; so much so that he’s earned praise and airtime from the “Global Ambassador of Dance Music” himself, the legendary DJ and BBC Radio 1 host Pete Tong.
Bryce’s newest release is his sophomore alum “Dream Soup”. The album includes his single “Math. In this release, he takes things in a different direction by combining an undeniably groovy classic dance rhythm with a haunting- aura that flirts with vocal modulations and sparse synth melodies reminiscent of early goth or alternative rock. This hypnotic track is all about cold and analytical oppression of the ultra-rationalists and the systems they mantain, leading to a surprisingly explicit anti-authoritarian message that represents the substance which Mindchatter alway imbues his songs with.
Mindchatter’s introspective lyrics have earned him millions of streams across multiple platforms and has led him to the coveted support slot on Polo & Pan’s North American tour. More recently, he’s been headlining his very own “DREAM SOUP North American Tour” across the US. and Canada, and just this very Weekend, he set Coachella on fire in his Do Lab Stage debut.
What drove you to write “Math”? I don’t remember ever hearing a song so specifically about the cold and calculating sort of people you meet from time to time.
I wrote this at a weird time in the world, when society was shutdown from Covid, and everyone was at home trying to become a crypto millionaire. The world was falling apart as everyone (including me) was enthralled by made up money. All of that made its way into the lyrics I think.
I’m going to make a wild guess here. If I had to say, choosing the name “Mindchatter” and being such a strong lyricist are very much related. I think you have a very strong internal monologue going on and you get it out through the songs you write. Agree or Disagree?
Music is definitely a way for me to quiet the inner dialogue. Thoughts can compile over time if you don’t get them on paper or express them in some way. Lyric writing has become the most efficient way for me to communicate my ideas.
So more on that topic. How would you define yourself as a songwriter? What thoughts or ideas often inspire you to write? Do you feel like there’s a common set of ideas threading your songs together or do they just come and go as they please?
A lot of the lyrics are a reminder to myself to straighten up, get out of your head, be present… all that good stuff.
Looking in from the outside, at times it seems like electronic music can be a tangled mess of sub-genres within sub-genres, different trends borrowing from each other and transforming completely every 10 or so years. Where do you think your sound could or should be classified? Does that even matter anymore?
I don’t think it matters anymore. Genre is becoming more and more meaningless. I still find it hard to answer when people ask what type of music I make.
In my opinion, music either works for you or it doesn’t, it shouldn’t matter how it’s described or classified.
You debuted in 2019, which makes you a relative newcomer, and it also puts you in that generation of artists who had to deal with a pandemic and a lockdown in the first few years of their career (a critical time!). How did you cope with the challenges? Did you feel like it worked out in your favor somehow?
As horrible as it sounds, I was grateful when the lockdown first came because I wanted more time to write instead of play shows. The extra time allowed me to experiment with new instruments and equipment that I probably wouldn’t have picked up otherwise. I finally bought a guitar at the beginning of lockdown and restocked my computer with new software plugins. Most of DREAM SOUP was written during this period. Eventually I was begging for the world to return to normal like everybody else.
Again, as a relative newcomer, you’ve experienced quite a bit of success. Millions of streams, legendary radio DJ Pete Tong’s seal of approval, touring experience… How did you take it all in? I don’t think anyone can be really prepared to have such a strong start right?
There was definitely a bit of intruder syndrome in the beginning. My goal with music was always to be a producer, I sort of stumbled into being an artist by recording my own voice out of necessity. So once the music was out in the open, I started to rethink “is this even what I want?” A few years later I’ve grown into it more and I’m super grateful that I went for it myself.
I think electronic music in particular seems to be very influenced by the cities it’s produced in. In what ways do you feel like New York has shaped your music? Where can we hear it in your songs?
New York is a big mix of cultures, growing up here is definitely one of the reasons my music is all over the place genre-wise. As a teenager I was going to raves in Brooklyn while listening to Kid Cudi and loving indie bands like LCD Soundsystem. I also continue to get a lot of inspiration from walking the streets and seeing the different characters of NYC. The song “Starlight” off the new album is very much about New York and how it’s changed during Covid. “I scrape the beauty off the streets like scanning metals on the beach / I leave my windows open wide so I can hear the city scream.” That’s how it feels to soak in the city sometimes.
Tell us about DREAM SOUP, a curious name. What sort of song selection you have prepared for us in this sophomore album?
Dream soup comes from a quote from a Tom Robbins book. “At birth we emerge from Dream soup. At death we sink back into Dream soup. In between soups there is a crossing of dry land.” The Dream soup in this quote can mean different things to different people, so I think it’s best to not try and explain it.
The song selection covers a wide range of moods and tempos. The first half of the album is more electronic and builds in energy to a climax at “Hide Your Face.” The back half has a calmer more acoustic sound with more of a focus on lyrics.
Your first headlining tour is well under way right now. Congratulations! How are you feeling? What are your expectations?
Thank you I’m very excited, the shows so far have been great!
Story: Samuel Aponte Photos: Courtesy of the artist
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