If there is one producer out there who is keeping the music community alive and united in Taiwan, it is no other than RayRay. Connecting with her fans while simultaneously igniting mosh pits on the dancefloor throughout her consistent shows around the globe, her most recent set at MUSE Kaohsiung was definitely one for the books as she seamlessly infuses elements of hip hop, trap, deep house, dubstep, and even some festival-ready psytrance. Originally experimenting with beats at the young age of 17, RayRay’s uplifting energy both on and off the dancefloor is the reason why she is highly respected throughout the world. Being crowned the winner of the Red Bull Thre3style competition and also participating in the Red Bull Music Academy in Montreal, this genre-defying producer has been driven to experiment and always push her ever-evolving sound forward since day one.
It is safe to say you will be guaranteed to be dancing all night long when the name RayRay hits the deck’s as she blesses us both classics and hidden gems released on iconic labels such as Barong Family, Spinnin’ Records, Protocol Recordings, Musical Freedom, and many more internationally recognized imprints. Always genuine with those who have had the pleasure to meet her in person, being fully transparent with her fanbase is easy for RayRay as she is motivated to continue to carve out her own unique path in the music industry while transforming the music scene one eclectic beat at a time. Turning up the volume across the global electronic music map with her genre-transcendent style, RayRay is only getting warmed up in 2021 as she has been consistently dropping festival heater’s such as her furious collaboration with Yellow Claw on ‘Lasergun’ to even crafting a bouncy up-tempo collaboration with Curbi on ‘BB Got Me Like,’ RayRay really does it all.
Becoming even closer to her family of producers in no other than the Barong Family, RayRay recently joined forces with Skellism for ‘Emotional Violence,’ which includes ethereal vocals, followed by a discharge of bass and frequencies to destroy all evil thoughts insight. Following this killer release, we had the chance to chat with RayRay about life in Taiwan amidst the pandemic, experimenting with her very own vocals and her relationship with the Barong Family. Check out her most recent single and the full interview below.
To start off, you played an epic set at Ultra Taiwan 2020 amidst the global pandemic. How did it feel to get back on stage? Any highlights you would like to share with us?
It is always nice to play in Taiwan as my home. I can really feel the connection with the crowd more so than usual and that is definitely one of the best feelings. It makes me feel proud! I have been releasing a lot of music since last year, and I had the satisfying effect of being able to play the new stuff out… so that was for sure one of my highlights.
Taiwan has proven to have the COVID-19 crisis under control. How would you say the situation is there right now?
Everything is normal. Only then we all wear our masks and still try to prevent unhygienic activities. Feels really weird but also crazy!
Seeing people enjoy the music I make and being entertained by my live performances really gave me the career motivation to go full out and pursue this.
Being recognized as the only female to compete at the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals in 2013. How long have you been a producer/DJ? What inspired you to pursue your career?
I have been DJing for almost thirteen years now and producing for roughly five to six years. Seeing people enjoy the music I make and being entertained by my live performances really gave me the career motivation to go full out and pursue this. I am always being motivated by everything that happens in my career and so here we are!
Igniting the dance floor with your collaboration on ‘Bounce’ with DØBER. Can you share the story behind the track? What was the creation process like working with DØBER on this dance-floor ready single?
This is the second collaboration I have made with DØBER and it is always interesting to work with him as he respects my vocal ideas and works very well with the feedback on how to go further with vocals. I rarely work on 128 BPM tracks, but I have already worked on two tracks this year. It is super fun and nice to open up to a new direction and play around with this kind of stuff.
You have become well known for incorporating your vocals into your tracks, was this something you have always planned to do?
Yes and no! If you are a producer you know it is always a struggle to find the right vocal to fit your track and so I started messing around and using my vocals for my tracks. One day Yellow Claw listened to some of my new IDs and they suggested I should really focus on nailing my own vocals and of course, I agreed as I like to challenge myself to be outside of my comfort zone.
I am grateful to have a label like Barong Family that supports me all the time and helps me to grow along with them.
I have always been curious about how your relationship began with the Barong Family. From family trips to Bangkok and many more highlights, how would you describe being a part of this monumental label/family?
I am grateful to have a label like Barong Family that supports me all the time and helps me to grow along with them. Especially the fact that we always have writing camps that allows us to work with all of the other artists and so we can benefit creatively together.
For all those looking to visit Taiwan in the future, what are your top 3 go-to restaurants you would recommend checking out?
If you love snacking, you should go to the local night market to try out some weird and different things. If you love steak you should 100% go to RUTH CHRIS’s steakhouse and finally if you getting drunk and eating fried chicken, you should go to KOR Taipei.
Just be yourself, be real and show everyone that you genuinely have the passion and the love for what you are doing! Music is no gender, so you can really create something meaningful and inspiring. No matter if you are male or female.
Is there any advice you would like to share for female producers in the industry?
Just be yourself, be real and show everyone that you genuinely have the passion and the love for what you are doing! Music is no gender, so you can really create something meaningful and inspiring. No matter if you are male or female.
Lastly, what does 2021 hold in store? Any hints or clues that we could get about future productions and collaborations?
A BIG BRAND NEW EP ON THE WAY COMING IN SUMMER! A big collaboration with someone I cannot say much about yet. ANOTHER song with Curbi which is almost done but he takes forever (laughing) and a high production solo show in Taipei at the end of this year. READY!!
