Rich Fayden is one of those pioneers in the music industry. One could call him a musical hipster because he did many things well before they were cool. For his music on its own, his origins in NYC appear strongly throughout his discography as he makes that specific area’s sound with the utmost affection. All that grime and concrete jungle rising from Manhattan’s foundations can be heard within his output.
His latest drop, “Don’t Be Cruel,” shows his uncanny ability to take what he grew up with and recontextualize it into something new. Originally a new jack swing track, he reimagines it as a lumbering beast of a track. Chill yet with darker undertones, he crafts that classic into a thing that speaks very much toward the present. With a lot of the focus on dance and pop going more for muscle rather than speed, the song has this rumbling bass frequency that has a sheer cinematic quality to it.
With a keen eye for detail and passion in abundance, Fayden is no stranger to delivering high-level performances. The studio always presents an exciting prospect – this time being no different as the musician sought to perfectly capture that same energy within his cover of this one iconic song from years ago. A bass groove set things in motion, followed soon after with vivid synth melodies and creative vocal leads pitched down – culminating into a hit remake sure to stand out amongst its contemporaries!
Beyond his roots in music, he started in the music scene of NYC in person before quickly realizing some of the other elements that would become highly influential moving forward. His scouting of another talent, giving them a chance to be heard, began on Talent Match and the quintessential Myspace. He started doing that around 2003, well before anybody else even thought to do such a thing.
Thus, something is future-facing about Rich Fayden in his music and demeanor that has helped to increase his relevancy as the industry has followed his lead. As we welcome a new year, Rich Fayden is eager to keep producing memorable tracks. He keeps his production style simple and true to form by focusing on signature elements that make songs genuinely iconic.
This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: From the Dance Floor to the Studio: Rich Fayden’s Musical Evolution & Staying Iconic in 2023.