Visions of now:
Bearcubs
Visions of now:
Bearcubs
From natural sounds to digital beats.
Jack, aka. Bearcubs, just moved from London to Berlin. From one metropolis to the next. „I needed a change of scenery. New inspiration, new people, new experiences“, he says. The artist has been to Berlin before, blown away by the energy of the city time and again. Now, he is happy to call it a home base. After only two months in the capital, he is already playing in the hippest clubs.
Jack finds inspiration for his unique style in the atmosphere of good evenings, which he often captures in musical form after coming home the same night.
For his creative process, he absorbs everyday life. He captures impressions and new encounters on the go, typing them into his smartphone. Sometimes these are rough lyrics, sometimes the concept of a new song. "Once I have collected all these little ideas, go into the studio and make something out of them - bring them to life.“
Although he uses digital devices to create music, it is important to Jack that it sounds natural: "I sing on my tracks because I feel like that instantly brings the human element." He likes to process electronic sounds in a way which renders their sound organic. This also works vice versa: raindrops as a beat, for example. Inspired by the interface between analog and digital sounds, Jack began experimenting. "I made a laser harp which you can plug into the computer. And I kind of made a synth which was triggered by breaking beams of light“, he says. Jack showcases his equipment and raves about the sampler. "You can put any samples you want – whether you created it yourself, recorded it, or downloaded it somewhere," he says.
"It would be nice to plug in my head, like some kind of brain cap and then it takes your musical ideas and inputs them into the computer.“ – Bearcubs
"It would be nice to plug in my head, like some kind of brain cap and then it takes your musical ideas and inputs them into the computer.“ – Bearcubs
An orchestra at your fingertips.
"I, alone, with my digital equipment have almost the same possibilities as a whole orchestra!“ Therefore, he wouldn't have had to spend years learning how to play instruments like drums, piano, and guitar to be a successful musician. Beyond that, smart software makes it unnecessary to rent an expensive studio to professionally produce music - the creative process is democratized. The young artist is fascinated by the increasing ease and directness of going from idea to realization. Even so, Jack further would like to shorten the procedure of developing a song from the first thought to the finished track even more.
Experimenting with sound.
"It would be nice to plug in my head, like some kind of brain cap and then it takes your musical ideas and inputs them into the computer.“ His dreams f the future don’t end there. Through intelligent digitization, he hopes for new opportunities beyond the field of music creation. In Jack's vision, he moves quietly through his environment, which allows him to fully concentrate on converting the absorbed impressions and sounds directly into music, instead of devoting all his attention to driving.
I made a laser harp which you can plug into the computer. And I kind of made a synth which was triggered by breaking beams of light.Bearcubs
BEARCUBS
Jack Ritchie is a 26 year-old British singer/songwriter going by the name of Bearcubs. His 2017 single Underwaterfall enjoyed great popularity and gained international recognition. In 2018, Jack released his first album Ultraviolet, continuing to amaze with his unique sound of layered vocals and distinct synths.
