The track boasts flavours reminiscent of Blood Orange, Mac Ayres and Bryson Tiller.
Armed with a honeyed voice and a penchant for smooth electronic R&B, ‘Bésame’ is the newest track from Western Sydney-based artist VIIN, the moniker of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and session musician Vincent Pham.
The follow up to his debut single ‘Faded Love’ and the second single from his forthcoming EP, due for release in the summer, ‘Bésame’ is a soulful, well-produced slow jam, celebrating the effortless tango between R&B and electronic music.
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Fusing the two idiosyncratic-yet-complimentary genres with ease, VIIN’S sonic evolution and experimental flair is evident on ‘Bésame’. Body moving music for the heart and soul, the track boasts a bouncy R&B beat with buttery vocals, filtered guitars, jazzy bass line, 808 drums and a hypnotic hook. Dreamy yet instantly catchy with nods to the likes of D’Angelo and Andre 3000, the track is infectiously smooth with an all-encompassing moody soundscape and one impressive soaring falsetto.
Topped with fleeting summer vibes, lush mid-tempo production, wavy synths and soulful tones, the track, which means ‘kiss me’ in Spanish, is drenched in nostalgia and intimacy as VIIN explores the patterns and intimate moments of an unstable relationship.
“It’s the “morning after” song, once the thrill has gone. Throughout the song I am just reflecting on the nature of the relationship, the habits of my partner and me, making sure I am keeping both of us in check. Once I found that the foundation was not healthy or sustainable, with neither of us willing to change I came to the realisation that our fate was doomed.”
Boasting lashes of influences from the likes of Blood Orange, Frank Ocean, Mac Ayres and Bryson Tiller, ‘Bésame’ was written during last year’s lockdown, and sees VIIN enlist the help from a talented crew to deliver these dreamy RnB melodies inspired by his own past experiences.
“One night I was noodling around with my guitar and some keys around 2am and humming the melody,” he explains.
“Took it to my producer Yianni Adams (Kyoshi) and we reworked it into its final state. Had some help with a bass sensation from San Francisco Mr Clark Sims, Elsa Parker who laid some vocals, my friend Monica from the states who sent a cute voice message that I sampled and Hatch who mixed and mastered the song.”
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With nods to the likes of emotive R&B performers like D’Angelo, Andre 3000 and the aforementioned Frank Ocean, VIIN’s music is entirely his own, inspired by different regions of the world where some of his biggest influences created their masterpieces.
“Being the son of immigrants and growing up in the Western suburbs I was surrounded by many different cultures. That exposure was a melting pot for my influences and my intrigue in different music cultures,” he explains.
“I remember hearing classic Vietnamese songs on my dad’s favourite SBS segments, my friends bumping hip hop/R&B in the playgrounds, my friends from overseas playing in bands that play Brazilian funk, Israeli rock, French Caribbean Beats, Indie dream pop and also the various Subarus bumping Arabic music with crazy loud subwoofers in the streets of Auburn (Western Sydney).
“The exposure to all of this showed me the possibilities of sound and translating human emotion and energy. It was visceral, I wanted to share my story, my vision and energy.”
Having developed his melting pot of sounds even further as a session musician playing guitar and keys within the Sydney music scene, as well as sharing the stage with the iconic Paul Kelly and Aussie hip-hop artist Ziggy Ramo at the Sydney Opera House, ‘Bésame’ is a bright and stunning glimpse into VIIN’s electrifying new chapter as a solo artist, pooling his past experiences and influences into this unique, bouncy alternative R&B track.
“Playing with other musicians and artists is vital to my development and solo project. It works like a feedback loop, tools are sharpened and I exchange energy, stories and information with other incredible people,” he says.
“A strong support and knowledge network is built as well, so anytime I have any questions about creativity or the industry there are people I can turn to. It has taught me how to stay present, understand different hats and most importantly how to carve my own lane.”
Check out ‘Bésame’ below.
