"Life B4 Lockdown" Why Axis Bloodstain Music Video Out Now
Real groups of mates. Real nights out. JUST before lockdown.
Stiils from the Bloodstains Music Video: Directed by Tara O Callaghan
MORE INFO: Tara O’Callaghan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toctaz/
Website: https://www.taraocallaghan.com/
Issue 5's Sean Ryan, better known as Why Axis has cultivated his unique and adaptable sound by blending elements of hip-hop, pop and jazz - mixed with his own charm and personality lending a refreshing spin to the genre. The 22 year old Dublin Artist expertly carried this momentum into 2019, which proved to be a defining year for the young musician. He sold-out his headline show in The Grand Social in February, following a successful festival run earlier that summer. In which Why-Axis performed on the Main Stage at Longitude 2019 and curated his own stage at Flame Festival. Why-Axis has built a unique and uncompromising foundation by staying strong to his roots in experimental music from the beginning of his career. An authentic approach which has proven to be endorsed by PUMA, Life Style Sports and more.
Following our last feature with him on Issue 5 for his EP at the time, "Airplane Mode", we find ourselves with another experimental piece "Moody F*ck" with 6 tracks and 3 music videos for title track; Moody, Time I wasted and Bloodstain
Bloodstain explores Dublin nightlife youth and culture, coincidently shot just before lockdown, something that might never be the same again. Bizarrely the video was coming to completion just as lockdown begun
IN HIS OWN WORDS
The majority of ‘Moody Fuck’ was created from my bedroom studio - mainly the lyrics and chords, between October 2018 and January 2020. The sound design came together mainly during my overseas travel. During the production of the record, I found myself giving up on a lot of what I had believed in, up until that point, and had stopped anything creative for a while... Meanwhile, I was closing off a lot of my relationships with friends and isolating myself. Everything continued on around me but the consuming darkness remained. It’s only now that I realize how many issues I had to go through to make it all happen and how the work actually served as a form of therapy for me... A lot of the issues I had been going through had only found their way to the surface through the music...
“I started this project when I was 21, I’m 22 now… I scrapped about twenty different tracks, I grew as a person and I gave up everything I loved. This EP nearly ended my creative drive...”
Despite everything looking fine on the outside, nobody knew what had been going on ‘behind the scenes’ internally. When you first listen to ‘Moody Fuck’, you might be focused on the brightly decorated instrumentals, slick melodies and engaging visuals which accompany the singles however these sentiments are juxtaposed with introspective lyrics and reflections which document my experience with mental battles as openly and realistically as possible - as someone who had disguised my true feelings as to not attract pity from others.
“This was my first time working with someone else on the production side of things, so I felt funny about the tracks for a long time, but I feel that the words and melodies we’ve put together tell a story that a lot of people can relate to today…”
The tracks that had originally stemmed this EP at the beginning aren’t even on it anymore… They were much, much darker instrumentally - and much, more rap-orientated, but as work on the project went on, I realised I wanted to still get the same message across but with more consideration to the instrumentals and tone of the project. I think the final outcome is much more effective and true to the vision I had for the record initially. Much of the instrumentals were actually bossa nova and salsa inspired, with a touch of hip-hop flavour and even some slight house style drum beats… I’m a huge fan of jazz and the technicalities that go into it too, so I tried to fuse a variety of different genres and influences on the project.
More Stills From The Blood Stain Music Video; Directed By Tara O' Callaghan
“One of the most unique hip-hop sounds in the country, Why-Axis’ music blends urban sounds with bombastic funk and pop elements...”
- Nialler9, 19 Irish rappers & producers you should know in 2019
“Why-Axis is part of the new kings of hip hop in the country who are flexing and morphing the genre to their own will and needs with thrilling results...”
- Totally Dublin, Three rising stars of Irish hip-hop
“Why-Axis seems to be on a trajectory of astronomical proportions…”
- District Magazine, Feature interview
STREAM MOODY FUCK NOW
We caught up with Why Axis 2 years ago for a very promiscuous shoot in Issue 5, Have a read below;