Reverbnation Spotlight: Zayed Hassan

For our next Reverbnation Spotlight, we chat to Zayed Hassan!

S] What, or who are your great musical inspirations?

Z] “Actually, I am always inspired by good music. But I started with playing guitar and the inspiration to learning guitar came from the Irish band The Cranberries. So in a way they inspired me most! I was also inspired into experimental music by Deep Forest, Enigma and Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’. I started to learn piano being inspired by Yaani! Oh there is one more thing, though I have heart full of respect for all the musicians around the world- but I always try to avoid exposing the influence of any other artist in my composition.”

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S] What about personally, what kinds of themes and ideas can inspire your songs?

Z] “It’s actually an spontaneous process. Usually, when I’m emotionally intrigued by anything – like rain-sunset-sentiments for any individual, I start to write it. Again sometimes the urge also comes from inside. So you can say pretty much everything inspires my song. For the instance, I’m feeling like writing a guitar solo for the excitement that I’m being interviewed by Soundsphere magazine! Ha!”

S] What song that you are working on right now best defines your sound, and why?

Z] “Aaah! I think ‘Heaven In My Dreams’ and ‘Maysoon’ are the sounds those define my style. But since I’m not limited to any specific genre, ‘Beasted’ was my instrumental rock experiment. Let me tell you a secret! ‘Spirit’ as my first experimental album which was released in 2010. But there is a track I’m working on since 2006. It will be the title track for my next album, ‘Riddles In The Lights And Shadow’. I am working on this track for a long time (since 2006). And still I have not finished it. I just want to put my very best in it as it is quite a personal piece. I believe this piece will be something like, my signature! Let’s see how it builds up till the end; and fingers crossed!”

S] Do you have a message for any UK fans?

Z] “Oh yes! I do get some messages through my Twitter, Soundcloud, E-mail and Facebook page. Truly I love to go through all the sweet messages. I’m really glad that Soundsphere gave me a scope to convey this message- “Hello UK! YOU inspire me so much, all-the-time! Keep sending me your love, so I can give you even better songs! I also had an amazing experience in Greenwich, back in 2010 when I was visiting my friend in England. I was waiting for my friend at Metro there and then I heard somewhere they were playing a track of mine. It was the very first time I heard my own music, outside my own room! At first I thought maybe it was my phone. But later I remembered that I never keep my songs in my phone or music player, as I’m a bit ‘shy’ about it! Ha ha ha… I was so happy about it at that time, that I did not even try to find out the source! It was like sweeter version of a thousand-volts shock! I literally went numb, out of happiness! Ha!”

S] What can people expect from your live show?

Z] “I have agoraphobia. I came to know about it in 2005, when I was playing my first gig with my first band in front 5000 people. It was my first live show and I really loved the crowd feedback. I guess I am not lucky to live with it though. Ha!”

S] What are some of your biggest challenges right now?

Z] “Right now expanding my listener base and be more dynamic with my compositions are the bigger challenges to me, since I prefer connectivity to commercialization. You see the main reason I’m doing these experiments with sounds is not to create a ‘hit song’; Rather creating something like ‘we have never heard before’! Giving unique taste to our ears, is my ultimate purpose! I believe I will keep improving myself with these challenges! And a huge thanks to Soundsphere team for supporting me!”

S] What’re your plans as we move to the end of 2014?

Z] “Since last year I am quite active with Open Labs Artist community as they are very supportive to independent artists around the world! At this moment I am looking forward to collaborate with artists from the community and also around the world, for some upcoming projects. At the same time I would like to release my second album as soon as I finish the tracks. I am seeing this year as an year of advancement! And at the same time I’m really glad to meet the Soundsphere team!”

http://youtu.be/rZY8iqNb6qc