(indie-electronic) De Rien and Houis get “Familiar” with OCD in new single
Houis and De Rien
get “Familiar” with OCD struggles
NYC’s Houis and German producer, singer/songwriter De Rien come together once again for new single “Familiar”. Following on from their 2020 collaboration, and a remix by De Rien earlier this year, the pair know when they have a good thing going. Starting off with wavey sound design and a guitar intro, “Familiar” could be mistaken for a love song at first listen.
Working on Familiar was also my first time making lyrical contributions, which ended up becoming quite personal. The alluded meaning behind the record for me focuses around my struggles dealing with OCD and how it affects my relationships with others.After releasing an EP last summer that had a more laid-back vibe, my goal for this song (as well as my first release with Lekker) was to create rhythms and hooks that were more up-beat and hopefully something that people could groove to – Houis
After listening to the “Familiar” demo, I immediately had in mind four different melodies for the chorus. As each contained one phrase that I really liked, I extracted those and created a new version with my favourites.While writing the lyrics, I noticed that they lacked a clear message and theme. So for the first time, I collaborated on lyrics with Gabriel, who had a strong, personal story to tell – De Rien
For fans of: SG Lewis, Joe Hertz, FKJ
Houis is a French-American producer currently living in NYC. Influenced by artists such as Joe Hertz, Cabu, and FKJ, Houis has a unique style of intimate RnB chillout that is stripped of all the clutter and big on emotion.
https://instagram.com/gabrielkinghouis
https://twitter.com/houis_king
After many years of experiencing the musical world from different angles, percussionist De Rien has turned his attention towards soulful electronica with his solo project. After performing with numerous classical orchestras, contemporary and jazz ensembles, he discovered the soul of Erykah Badu and Robert Glasper, before being fully absorbed by the groundbreaking sound of James Blake and SBTRKT, paving the way for his symbiotic blend of genres.
https://twitter.com/derienmusic
https://instagram.com/derien_music
