Take a journey through the “ROWAVERSE,” an interactive 3D realm conceptualized by ROWA herself and brought to life by talented 3D artist and musician Vinyl Williams. “Low Jewel” is a sonic masterpiece that embarks listeners on a modern interpretation of the mythical allure of “the siren.” ROWA’s distinctive production style mesmerizes and relaxes, crafting a listening experience that stands apart from the mainstream pop and indie music scene.
The music video for “Low Jewel” commences in a surreal jungle environment inspired by the surrealist castle built by Sir Edward James in the 20th century. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Gaudi and Salvador Dali, ROWA aimed to recreate a waking-life manifestation of “The Garden of Eden,” a space where limitless growth and artistic expression flourish. The castle structure, devoid of practical function, epitomizes the essence of art itself, serving as a feast for the eyes and a vessel for evoking emotional responses from the human experience. In her incantation, ROWA invites viewers to join her at the edge, pushing the boundaries of creative practice and reality through her interpretation of eternal bliss. As the journey unfolds through the enchanting “ROWAVERSE,” viewers are guided through a series of meticulously crafted environments, each originating from ROWA’s vivid imagination. These include a heavenly Greek-inspired temple adorned with glass pillars and a celestial cave suspended in a star-filled abyss.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with ROWA about the latest project, AI, choosing a favorite song of all time, and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
AI (aka Artificial Intelligence aka Chat GPT 4.0)… How is it changing the music world? What are your thoughts about this new trend?
AI can be an incredibly useful tool that truly has the potential to advance our society in a fascinating way. However, I think that it is already being used in a naive and ridiculous manner. AI shouldn’t be making music for us, where is the soul in that? I don’t think that AI should be used for making music, the idea that my sound and my voice is possibly being accessed by a huge data server that is in turn being funneled into an AI computer where someone can put in a prompt like “ethereal siren song” and could potentially get something out that sounds similar to me… is terrifying. I think the best thing we can do collectively is research and really further understand what is actually going on behind the scenes with AI. I will say, I love using chatGPT! Lol. I plan to continue utilizing AI in order to keep up with the modern world and its constant demands. But I plan to be a strong proponent towards celebrating technical (HUMAN) skill sets like song writing and instrument playing.
Can you choose a favorite song of all time? Or is this an impossible task? If yes, what’s the song? If not, what’s your current Top 3?
I definitely have never been a “favorites” type of person. For me it all depends on the moment and what type of experience I want to curate for myself, for me this constant eb and flow is what keeps the mundane eb and flow of my day more interesting. My three most listened to songs as of recently are “Taca a Xereca pra Mim” by MC Kaique da VP, “Red Clay” by Jack Wilkins and “Big Puss” by Cobra…. All very different!
What about releasing “Low Jewel” makes you so proud? Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?
I am really proud of this song because it is actually one of the first proper tracks I ever produced on Ableton. I produced Low Jewel with such a bare amount of tools and devices on a shitty old laptop and some headphones. There’s really a lot of magic in that raw nature especially because when I learned how to produce it felt like learning how to communicate with the world for the first time.
What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?
For me making music has always been a vehicle to transport myself out of the mundane realities of life. There’s one factor of using music as a way to convey our emotions as a sense of release but I think it’s also kind of fun to actually create stuff others genuinely want to listen to. It’s a fine line of making something truly authentic/unique but also palatable/desirable for who is listening. I no longer cringe at my earlier work instead I just have a giggle and rejoice in the fact that my tunes are only getting better and better.
If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.
I would love to collaborate with Sevdaliza. I simply can’t deny her delicious vocals, delicately deep productions and not to mention her visual work goes absolutely CRAZY!
What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?
I’m listening to Red Clay by Jack Wilkins on repeat at this very moment, just a classy vibey song haha. My favorite artists are M.I.A. and The Gorillaz. I feel like they were the most impactful for me during their early 2000’s hype era. I am obsessed with musical projects that have strong visual story lines and I felt like they truly took you to their alternate dimensions…especially the Gorillaz. Their album Plastic Beach was so influential to me and they were doing stuff no one else really was at the time. They had this whole immersive plastic beach world online you could visit…. Being able to explore their freaky online realm was really helpful to me as a forlorn pre teen.
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
You can listen to me on all streaming platforms under “rowa”. I am also on instagram and tiktok where I keep most updates. Have a couple really dope videos on youtube you can watch here
I appreciate Your time. Want to say or plug any other projects before we part ways? I just had an exciting pre release party for my 3D universe under my event series “NYMPHSTATE” and I wanted to share that in a time where technology an AI is taking over I hope people continue to uplift community events and spaces.
