Ray Volpe is cooking again.
For months, bass music fans lined up around the block waiting to get a taste of his aptly titled track, “SONG REQUEST.” Well, opening day is here and Chef Volpe is ready to share his latest creation with the world.
“I think bass music is a genre that prioritizes sound design compared to others,” Volpe says. EDM.com. “There's a huge emphasis on sound design and creation, but not so much on songwriting. I try to emphasize that by making these cool, catchy ideas easier to remember. I think that's the recipe for me.”
Bass is Volpe's specialty, but he draws on influences from post-hardcore, metalcore, rock and pop-punk. He has an appetite for catchy hooks and choruses. It's something he leans into when he produces a genre of music that often has few good songs to sing.
“I just want to have the same feeling. I just want it to be catchy,” Volpe explains. “So I try to make things that are short, concise and direct. I think it's easy to get really complicated and overwhelmed with ideas and try to get really complex.”
A viral video and spins from world-famous DJs like Steve Aoki elevated “SONG REQUEST” to one of the most anticipated electronic music releases of 2024. Even Busta Rhymes made a dirty bass face upon hearing the song. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then his face on video is an invaluable co-sign.
The overwhelming hype for “SONG REQUEST” is drawing comparisons to Volpe's 2022 hit, “Laserbeam,” a song that went from an overnight trend to a pantry staple. But these days he's much more comfortable with suspense.
A calm confidence is replacing what nerves used to take the reins. Volpe welcomes the ambitious comparisons between her new song and her biggest hit as she works toward her second musical Michelin star.
“'SONG REQUEST' feels like the first real sequel,” says Volpe. “It seems like the first really important song. The main difference at the beginning, when I made 'Laserbeam,' is that I thought it was a really cool song. I didn't know it would work so well.”
“But when I thought of the idea and wrote it on a piece of paper for 'SONG REQUEST,' I think I knew. I don't want to say I was cocky, but I remember telling my team and those immediately around me that: 'This is it. '. . This is the song.' “I felt like something special was happening here.”
The inclination for a song to do well does not guarantee that it will resonate with the general public. The same goes for any creative endeavor or business opportunity.
Volpe debuted “SONG REQUEST” while ringing in the new year with Crankdat on Countdown NYE's “midnight moment” before sharing a clip on social media in February. The response, she said, was overwhelming.
“Social media changed my career. It certainly did,” Volpe said. “I started making music in 2010. I started getting on people's radar in 2016. That's when I started playing shows. I was fine. I had something cool going and then things stagnated very quickly. I had nothing on what really stands out.”
Volpe's knack for social media marketing and love of catchy tunes is a fluke. There is a misconception that producing viral moments requires insincerity. Sure, there are best practices and replicable formulas, but there is infinite room for creativity. It's more cooking than baking.
Take professional wrestling, for example, something Volpe is a big fan of. There's a common belief that the most successful personas are extensions of artists dialed to 11. Volpe encourages other musicians to accept that social media and music have become intertwined, shed their stubbornness, and figure out how to tone down their real personalities.
“I don't think I've ever been ashamed of my approach to social media,” Volpe said. “I think many people consider it embarrassing to use social networks with their musical career. The thing is, you don't have to jump around with a funny face in front of the camera to do it. I have never done that. I'm not criticizing people who have done that, it's an approach. But a lot of people hate that. I see a lot of my peers in EDM and specifically bass.”
“No need. Think of another idea. They just don't want to think of another idea. They just don't want to think of another idea because a lot of people (this is kind of a rant) want to do this with a hobby effort and get a professional result from full time is not going to work.
Watch the full interview below and find “SONG REQUEST” on streaming platforms here.
Follow Ray Volpe:
Facebook: facebook.com/rayvolpemusic
X: x.com/rayvolpe
Instagram: instagram.com/rayvolpe
Spotify: spoti.fi/3dqG1WH
thanks to our partners at edm.com
