Music Review for G Ruze – If You Could See My Heart
The way the music opens up for this track is immediately peaceful and captivating. It has that soothing ambiance to it that just draws you right in. The beat is simple, yet somewhat exotic sounding – a beautiful touch of trip-hop when fused with those dreamlike synths. The leading vocal that soon comes into the mix has a perfectly fitting sound and vibe to it, there’s a smoothness in the sound and the tone, it’s gentle, effortlessly performed, yet softly doused in real emotion. It really makes you listen.
The overall sound of this track is subtle, yet in essence, its a heavily electronic peace of the music – everything is soaked in effects, particularly the vocal, but fortunately it doesn’t take too much away from the feeling. The emotion is a huge part of what makes this song so appealing and compelling. It would likely be a pleasure to witness a stripped back acoustic performance of the same song, the artist has something very real and accessible, there really seems to be some genuine depth and soul in that vocal, and although it makes for a gorgeous track with everything else around it – it would definitely be something worth hearing in real time.
In terms of lyrics, the message here is massively honest and loving, another beautiful addition to the wave of positive music that has stepped forward into the world in recent months. It’s the kind of track you can completely chill out to, find yourself lost in those trance-like vibes, and at the same time really feeling the heart and soul that is embedded in every moment. It’s music to make you forget a hard day and just relax. The sound is easy to listen to, yet it also consistently shows the passionate nature of the artist – a really strong combination of elements.
By Rebecca Cullen
Exclusive Interview:
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
I was born and bred in Manchester in the U.k. It’s an amazing city and was voted this year’s best city for nightlife. There have been a large number of artists/bands to come out of Manchester such as – Oasis- the Bee Gees – The stone roses – The smiths- 808 state- Simply red- to name but a few. I don’t think that there was a concious decision to become G Ruze I was born with music in my soul. I just loved listening to my Ma & Pa’s vinyl and the first ever record I bought was The King of pop Michael Jacksons “Bad” Lp I had it on the replay for years. I starting singing around the house and on car journeys listening to the radio. Around that time I also started writing poetry and rhymes which developed into Raps and I was hooked, pieces of paper here books there and that developed into writing little hooks for my Raps so all I needed now was the beat but I had no equipment or contacts for studio time and wasn’t really sure about the process but I managed to find out about leasing beats and booked an hour in the studio and got a track called “Find me” finished, it was ok but I did’nt know anything about layering then so it wasn’t polished to professional standards but that didn’t stop me or hinder me, I learned from it and layered my next tracks up. So all in all I think becoming G Ruze was organic
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
The Name G Ruze was an adaption of Ruzey which was my original name. Ive changed my name a few times over the years to reinvent myself but on this occasion I was going to start up a group with my Very good friend Gavin Reeves and we came up with the name G Ruze but the idea for a group came to a head due to personal reasons but I asked him could I use the name and he kindly agreed so Big shouts to Gavin Reeves for that one.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
I think that online music sharing is a great way to get yourself out there whether signed or independent as it generates awareness around your name/brand and ultimately gets your music heard by the people who matter most, the fans, it’s not all about the money really, it would be nice to make a living of the back of your passion but what truly matters is that your creations are getting heard and that itself is fulfilling. Ive given cd’s away for free before but my new tracks are going to be available for free download.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Open mics are a great place to start as you don’t have to pay and they are happening in bars all across the globe and there is more than likely going to be a crowd at the venue. And as for radio I’ve not been on much myself if I’m honest, Ive had a few plays on local radio stations and they really do support up and coming local acts and then word of mouth may get your foot in the door at the larger stations. You gotta be in it to win it so persevere. There is also a great site over here in the uk called BBC introducing where you can upload your songs and they have a listen and see if they think it’s right for their station if it’s not though don’t be disheartened as you might be exactly what other station are looking for. NEVER GIVE UP!!!
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?I’m inspired by life experiences, I been in love fell out of love, had hardships (as we all have) been out getting messy in the clubs but most importantly I write about trying to make the world a more peaceful place and that’s a common theme in my hip hop tracks, usually my house music is about love make ups and break ups. The way I go about writing a song is to get a beat on and it automatically triggers an emotion in me and sets the tone of the track and the story line kind of writes itself. For instance if it has a deep dark sound to it I talk about my bad days but if it’s more of a happy sounding track that triggers a song about how good life can be.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
I’d get my Grandad central heating, my auntie needs some carpet and my dad needs time off work due to i ll health so I’d pay for his sick days and I’d take my Son on a shopping trip. I’d invest $1000 in studio time and give the rest away to people who need it most.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
I’ve had great results from facebook and twitter, Soundcloud and promo teams that you find on twitter. A word of advice though, make sure that you check the company out so you know your music is getting out there to real fans. Ask politely for your friends to share it on their facebook and twitter pages and they could take on a life of there own.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Next on the agenda is recording my E.p “Golden Warnings” and then setting up my own label and working hard to make it the next Roc Nation. Big dream Ey but I’m sure that Jay dreamed big and because he put in the hours it paid off so I’m going with that mentality.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
I’d be doing something in the creative field as I’m a creative soul and God made me that way so I’m not %100 sure, but I also have a passion for business and have many innovations so I could imagine it would be that. That’s on the back burner now though until I’ve gone as far as I can with my first passion.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
I tend to get a song written and recorded in 2-3 hours so it leaves plenty of time for my responsibilities. It does take up a lot more time with promotion but thanks to smart phones we can now work on the move.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
A new mature G Ruze with a more sharp and deep understanding of writing music so hopefully it shines through in my productions. And I hope that you all enjoy my E.P “Golden Warnings” due out NOVEMBER -DECEMBER 2016.
Thank you to all who read this and also Gavin Reeves and S.K of Hulmeloonze for their help on my musical journey.
