Beso Palma Ego Interview

Sydney based groove fuelled producer Beso Palma has released his latest single "Ego" featuring neo-soul/R&B artist Rissa. Fired up by electronic energy, "Ego" is a groove evoking track building anticipation to his upcoming EP which is to be expected in October of this year.

"Ego focuses on a relationship where one person isn't getting the attention they deserve," Beso explained. "The song speaks for itself with the energy and sass behind the production and with lyrics such as, 'So, what will it be? All that I ask for is that you focus on me.' Representing assertiveness, the point of view comes from knowing exactly what you want in a relationship and asking for it."

Accompanying the fresh gleaming soundscapes of Beso in "Ego" is the stunning soulful vocals of Australian/Polynesian artist Rissa. Well versed in taking real life experiences and translating them through luscious blends of soulful melodies and silky harmonies, Rissa is in a league of her own.

"It was a pleasure to meet Beso for the first time and create, drawing from some of our favourite mutual inspirations." told Rissa. "Mixing the sass and boss energy of the lyrics with the upbeat heavy hitting production gives 'Ego' that little extra playful element that people can relate and groove to."

"I knew I wanted a female vocalist on the beat and RISSA's name was popping up on my Instagram from mutual friends," said Beso. "I gave her tracks a listen and knew she would be the perfect fit for the song. I messaged her and she came past the studio. The chemistry was on from the get-go and we just clicked."

To accompany the fully charged track is the just as fresh music video, featuring Rissa and friends dancing through the streets of Sydney. Complete with vintage inspired outfits and hazy tint of the camera, the song's personality shines through to the screen.

"I knew the day after we wrote the track that I wanted to incorporate some sort of choreographed dance in the music video. After seeing a few videos of Rissa performing live, I proposed the idea and she was immediately onboard. Her effortlessness and attitude on camera surpassed all my expectations and was exactly how I envisioned the visuals for 'Ego': empowering, energetic and sass-fuelled.``

"Ego" is an upbeat tune that exudes confidence. With beats that stop and start, jolting throughout the song, Beso is providing this song with a pulse, with waves upon waves of energy.

"I had recently connected with Tom Huggett (Astral People) through the release of my beat tape and was asked to potentially make some dance / hip-hop style beats for his artists. I was on a serious 120 BPM, Kaytranada binge at the time (yet again...) and you can definitely hear that in 'Ego," notes Beso. "One of the main things we struggled with on the day was a hook for the chorus. As the bass was quite hectic and melodic already, I proposed we match the vocal melody to it on lines 'So, what will it be?', and the rest is history."

Pat Byrne, better known as Beso Palma is finessing his way to the top with his unique style and flow for rhythm. Beso combines an appreciation for all genres of music, touching on anything and everything from hip-hop and R&B to funk and neo-soul. Inspired by the likes of MXXWLL, Tom Misch, Kaytranada, Cosmo's Midnight and D'Angelo, Beso's sound is reminiscent of electronic champions Flume and Disclosure.

In 2020 Beso Palma made his official debut with his single "Better" which premiered on tastmaking site Life Without Andy, and crowned Beso as "a master in the art of auditory healing." Following the release of "Better" Palma has taken the time to hone in on his craft, having the luxury of time in lockdown.

Beso Palma will be headlining a secret location gig in Sydney in late April to support his new single "Ego." For more information keep an eye out on his socials for updates on the secret show. On the 22nd of May, Beso Palma will also be supporting Mel Blue at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory.

Interview with Beso Palma

Question: How would you describe your music?

Beso Palma: I never like to pigeon hole the genre of music I'm making but I think everything I do has an underlying influence of Alternative R&B. Finding my sound was a long process as I generally love a variety of genres. I think it took until hearing D'Angelo for the first time to realise that that's how I wanted my music to feel. I was later shown Kaytranada by a friend which is when the BPM of each song started to creep up.. I'm also heavily influenced by guys such as MXXWLL, Young Franco, Cosmo's Midnight & Disclosure.


Question: Can you tell us about Ego?

Beso Palma: "Ego" is a groove-fuelled, sass-filled tune that exudes confidence. It focuses on a relationship where one person isn't getting the attention they deserve. The song speaks for itself with the energy and sass behind the production and with lyrics such as: "So, what will it be? All that I ask for is that you focus on me." Representing assertiveness, the point of view comes from knowing exactly what you want in a relationship and asking for it.


Question: Is there a particular message you hope listeners take from your music?

Beso Palma: I honestly just hope to connect with as many people as possible, whether someone can relate to the lyrics or whether it's the instrumentation itself that they resonate with. My upcoming EP definitely touches on a mixture of emotions and I think there's a different message / mood in each of the tracks.


Question: Tell us about working with Rissa?

Beso Palma: I had recently connected with Tom Huggett (Astral People) through the release of my beat tape and was asked to potentially make some dance / hip-hop style beats for his artists. I was on a serious 120 BPM, kaytranada binge at the time (yet again …) and you can definitely hear that in 'Ego'. I knew I wanted a female vocalist on the beat and Rissa's name was popping up on my Instagram from mutual friends. I gave her tracks a listen and knew she would be the perfect fit for the song. She came past the studio and the chemistry was on from the get-go and we just clicked. With reference to the music video, her effortlessness and attitude on camera surpassed all my expectations and was exactly how I envisioned the visuals for 'Ego': empowering, energetic and sass-fuelled.

Question: What can you tell us about your "secret location" gig?

Beso Palma: All I can say is make sure you're following my Instagram @besopalma for updates.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Beso Palma: Funnily enough it'd have to be my adaptation of 'Pure Imagination' from 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory', featuring keys wizard Taylor Davis (Brekky Boy). If you remember the boat scene through the tunnel in the movie, initially it evokes curiosity and then ventures into a much more ominous and fairly disconcerting territory as the scene continues. I wanted to capture the kaleidoscope of emotions in the cover, specifically experimenting towards the end of the piece. This version will be on my debut EP 'Beso Bumps', scheduled for release in October.


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?

Beso Palma: John Mayer


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Beso Palma: I try not to reference other songs when writing my own stuff as I feel you're always borrowing things subconsciously from other artists/influences anyway. If I do end up referencing a song, I try to recreate the feeling it gives me, relative to what I'm writing about, without actually copying instrumentation elements from the song if that makes sense …


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?
Beso Palma: I've been diving back into Young Franco and Mac Miller lately but also been getting back into film composers, specifically Thomas Newman, which has a massive influence on my music. I've also been listening to a lot of ridiculously good Aussie artists such as Blush'ko, Mel Blue, Brekky Boy & Lola Scott.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Beso Palma: My brother actually started playing guitar first and then moved on to drums. A guitar was always left around the house and I started to pick it up more and more. I heard a tutorial from John Mayer on YouTube when I was about 13 and the rest is history.


Question: Did you have any pre-conceived ideas about the music industry?

Beso Palma: I thought that it wasn't an industry that you'd just rely on to make money. That's not to say that there isn't money to be made but it was pure passion and just general love of music that made me want to get amongst it.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Beso Palma: Creating songs that people can fully resonate with. It's honestly the most amazing hearing your lyrics sung back at you and it's something I'd never get sick of.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Beso Palma: Most days I'll get up around 8am to work on mixes / do admin. I'll head to the studio at around 10am, finish at 6pm and then head to either a rehearsal or gig in the night.


Question: What's next, for you?

Beso Palma: Some epic live shows (hopefully some festivals!), looking for new feature acts and discovering the next Beso Palma sound!


Question: Can you share your socials? (links please)

Beso Palma: Spotify 
Instagram 
Facebook 
YouTube 


Interview by Gwen van Montfort