Ronald Gacayan Jr., the San Francisco producer, performing under the name—Racayan—has a thing for producing simmering vibes. There are hot electric energy and a psycho-sensual propensity in his music, which presents with a pristine character through its productions and fervent swells of R&B-Pop personality.
That is especially true of his smooth sailing ventures in singles like "Bad," "Day Dream," and now "Deep End." Whimsical and fleshy, but continually present by eruptions of authentic and passionate harmonies, they play out as a significant sensual doctrine concerning the powers of desire and love.
"Deep End," the leading solo-track from the Racayan this year, is particularly filled with the even-tempered flow. It begins sounding relatively reserved—just a swaying rhythm and Racayan's juicy register synergizing to the groove. But as we dive deeper amongst the electric guitar and crisp drums, some hooks and sparkles become more apparent as they develop.
There are dynamic flickerings in the mix's margins from atypical electronic percussion that add color to the mix, and that fade as swiftly as they arise. The mood is pliable and sexy, like dancing in the rain dressed to the T on a night out with your date embraced. The beat oozes and simmers before it drops into a more boundless domain: "I'm going off the deep end, cause you give me life when you're next to me," he sings, in a dreamy tenor and soprano that's pitched perfectly, "you got me going deep." Here the toplines adhere to our more profound sentiments, finding a comfy home in our hearts. What yields are a kind of short, hazy state of love-sickness that flourishes amongst a pristinely rendered spectacle of vulnerability while refined sets of harmonies disrupt our insides like a bath bomb. "I'm losing all my sense of time," he expresses before proceeding, " but I just wanna stay here in the moment."
"Deep End" continually evolves and develops on its tantalizing tone with smooth consistency. It's an unhinged and seductive gift from Racayan: a submission to our senses, all wrapped up in an R&B performance that proves as an outstanding example of talent and skill for all to witness.
Having experience working closely with significant groups like Blackalicious in the past, what was the experience like releasing your own single independently this year?
I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from some great mentors, which is important for anybody in any craft. Having been exposed to the whole process, releasing my own single felt a bit familiar, but at the same time, it is exciting because it’s my vision and artistry coming through.
Who do you try and channel most with relation to your top influences while also adhering to the themes, character, and textures you've worked hard to develop and incorporate?
A lot of times I channel more of a feeling I get when I hear a song that moves me, and that comes from all types of genres and artists. When I create, I try to recapture that moment I felt, so all themes, characters, and textures stem from that. As a music producer having a vision is key, and with this particular record “Deep End”, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with the talented singer/ songwriter Jimmy Burney. I wanted to capture a certain feeling stemming from an instrumental and a poem I wrote, and I sent those to Jimmy because I felt that he was the perfect artist to take the record to where it needed to go creatively.
What inspired you to become an artist?
Initially, it was seeing people like Jay-Z in the late 90s and early 2000s on TV doing fly things, thinking once I get older that’s how I want to live. So, I started writing & creating my own beats, and then I fell in love with that process. It was a feeling I became addicted to and it’s something that just came naturally to me.
What are you most excited about concerning your artistic career this year? Any milestone goals you care to share with us?
Just having the opportunity to have people feel something through my art. Every time somebody reaches out to me and expresses how my music resonates with them, that is a milestone all on its own. So, just continuing to push this energy out there is what I’m excited about.
What has been keeping you inspired throughout 2020?
My purpose has been keeping me inspired. I believe that music is my vehicle to help aid my purpose. Music and art is a healer, it has done so much for me and I just want to give that energy back as best as I can.