We had a chat with multi-faceted EDM artist and producer Sporty-O about his enduringly positive and unifying new EP The P.L.U.R. Project
Championing the core values of Peace, Love, Unity and Respect and boasting a wildly colourful, multi-faceted, genre-fluid sound that spans across different worlds of dance and electronic music, Sporty-O‘s new EP The P.L.U.R. Project feels like a love-letter both to the ideals that the artist holds close to himself and the genre as a whole, making for a plethora of euphoric, celebratory moments that look to involve the listener every step of the way.
Across its seven tracks, the EP looks to capture a range of different emotional states, all coming together to create a listening experience that pulls together to create a message of clarity and betterment for listeners and the world around them. Dance music has often been wielded as a weapon against division and hardship, and this collection of tracks looks to reinforce this idea in a way that feels purposeful and dynamic throughout. We had a chat with Sporty-O to find out a bit more about these ideas and the craft and ambition that went into putting together such a whirlwind of a release that exudes such positive energy.
Hey! We’ve been really enjoying The P.L.U.R. Project. What inspired you to center this EP around the core values of peace, love, unity, and respect, and why does that message feel important to you right now?
I appreciate you guys taking the time to talk with me about the project! My inspiration for this EP was sparked by just taking notice of the lack of love and unity within our dance culture right now. Our core values of peace, love, unity and respect are the reasons I fell in love with EDM several years ago and it helped me evolve into a better person and musician. It seems things like the toxicity in social media and the lethal opioid epidemic has drained the fun from our dance culture with the fans and especially some of my fellow artists. I just wanted to make a powerful musical contribution to reinforce our core values and do my part without trying to sound too preachy or judgemental. Just let the music talk for me and to the people.
You’ve described this project as both a soundtrack and a form of emotional management. How did that idea shape the way you approached writing and producing these tracks?
Originally this EP was going to be just 4 songs. With each song focused on one of the four values of PLUR. I wanted each song to provide a mood to help listeners cope with the roller coaster of emotions we all are dealing with day to day. Friendships, love, difference in opinion on politics, and then just plan out enjoying life. I also wanted to give this project wings to be able to reach all listeners and not just focus on one genre of EDM so that the message would reach as many listeners as possible. So with that blueprint, I began to go to work and ended up with 7 songs that I thought were appropriate for this mission I laid out.
There’s a wide range of energy across the EP, from uplifting moments like “Spirit Higher” to more high impact cuts like “SOLD!” and “Revolution.” How intentional were you in balancing those different emotional and sonic spaces?
It absolutely was intentional. This project is a soundtrack for life. Life has highs and lows as we all know. Life moves fast and can slow down. The best part of life for me is when I hear the colors and smell the music. I wanted to capture that feeling with each song in every melody, cadence, kick, drum, snare and vocal.
You’ve always blended EDM and hip-hop in a unique way. How do you feel your sound has evolved on this project compared to your earlier releases?
I feel like early on, I was focused more on the vocal contributions I was making to dance music. I rarely produced up until 4 years ago. Now that I am producing and collaborating with other vocalists over the music I produce, my sound has evolved as well as my ear for the production I want to release. Collaborating with my close friends and learning from them has also allowed my sound to continue to evolve and develop. My guys Lorme, Pedrumz and Specimen A have really taught me so much from a production standpoint. I truly feel like it has helped me become more of a well rounded artist.
Is there a specific track on The P.L.U.R. Project that best represents where you are right now as an artist, and why?
There are two actually, “Spirit Higher” and “Cheveyo”. Reason being there are two is, with “Spirit Higher” I produced that by myself and was able to find a groove and create a tribal chant that fit perfectly together like a puzzle piece and create a song that is spot on for the dance floor, festivals, and flat out uplifting the spirit of an everyday music listener in their car, house or at the gym. On the other hand with “Cheveyo”, I was able to collaborate with several of my friends who play live instruments and sing. I had my guy Carey Durham play the violin and my buddy Gio Yaquinto play the electric guitar on that song. It just shows the maturation of my production and how I was able to bring multiple live instruments to a progressive house tune and it just flowed like a river on a sunny summer day. I love to collaborate with talented people almost like a band. It brings the best out of all those involved.
Now that the EP is out, how do you want fans to experience it? Is this something meant for the festival stage, personal listening, or both?
I’m glad you asked that. I created the project to be listened to like you would watch a movie. I envisioned the people listening to the songs in order when they first get their hands on it. It’s an experience. Then once the listener does that, then they can find the songs that define the moments in life they are going through day to day. I wanted each track to be something different so that there is at least one song every day of your life you’ll want to play to help get you through that day or just simply to rock out to.
Looking ahead, does The P.L.U.R. Project mark the start of a larger creative direction or era for you? What can fans expect next?
Absolutely. The P.L.U.R. Project is a defining moment for me in my career. The entire sound. Over the next several releases I have, I’ll continue to explore tribal vibes over different genres and while continuing to focus on adding a message with the music. Not just random samples during the drop and big bass. My next two releases will drop this summer. One is an official remix I produced for the jazz funk group “Lettuce”. I am really excited about that. The other is an EP I produced with the rock soul Edgewood Heavy. They are good friends of mine and we have collaborated several times over the past few years. So that EP will be really cool. Both are dropping this summer and I can’t wait for the world to experience the vibes.
