Daytona Starsky is bringing in some innovative heat this new year and we couldn’t be more hyped for his upcoming release, “Blame The System.” 

The forthcoming release, which is slated for January 13th, will be a part of his upcoming album “Mr. Action” due out in early 2022 on BK’s Super Fine Audio Label. 

The Dutch born, Brooklyn adopted artist, who’s making waves in his new city recently released another glimpse into his anticipated project with putting out the title track “Mr. Action” and his self produced/directed music video partnered with VEVO. 

Starsky gave us some insights into his visual’s by stating that, “The video, aptly described as an ‘involuntary acid trip,’ takes you through a voyage of continuously transforming visuals and sequences that keeps the viewers eyes locked and hypnotized. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t a single hard cut and have the video feel as fluid as possible.” 

Starsky also offered his inspiration behind the concept, “I grew up watching a lot of MTV in the 2000’s and I always loved the music videos that tried to create an imaginary world for the particular artist or song. Acts like the Gorillaz, Outkast and the White Stripes had very unique ways of visualizing their sound and creating fictional or cartoonish versions of themselves and society. 

I was going through a lot of those memory lane music videos one day and was inspired to take the approach of these bands and create a sort of fictional version of this reality where there is this ‘Mr. Action’ controlling everything from the big tech CEO’s to the medical industry. I recently read Orwell’s 1984 and I think I was influenced by the totalitarian dystopian future and that worked its way into my vision of this character. I think sonically the song is reminiscent of the 2000’s alternative pop-rock era as well.”

Daytona Starsky continues to ride his musical journey on high notes, as his DIY visual for “Mr. Action” placed on VEVO’s Incoming Indie Playlist! The Jimi Hendrix-esque track has exceeded over 53K plays on Spotify, which shows how far his music grows in such a short window of time from its release date in November. 

It’s a pleasure to soon reveal “Blame The System,” which is once again a guitar driven gem and hand made from Starsky’s genre fluid sensibilities and hip hop melodics, which bring together a Starsky production. 

The visionary artist explains that “Blame The System is hard to place in a single genre. It has clear elements of Rock and Pop but sticks them together using a funky bass line and Hip Hop production elements. It has many changes that make you want to listen to it again but never throws you off-guard. The high-pace hook and the catchy synths make it a sign-along track. The track is about feeling left behind, being alone, not feeling supported. The title explains it all, when there’s no one left to blame you blame the system and we all do in our own way.”

“It’s a super fun track that takes on multiple genres and styles and combines them in a unique way that really hits. I have several years of production and songwriting experience behind me now and feel like I’m starting to write the best and truest stuff of my career. It’s exciting because I can tell the songs are starting to really resonate with people and creating a buzz. I’m super excited to start releasing the rest of the projects I have in store for this year.”

What is art to you? 

I think each piece of art should have a different approach because each idea has a unique origin. On balance, I personally listen to: 50% music that makes you think and tries to answer interesting questions, 25% hype music of which the sole purpose is to pump you up, and 25% crazy out of the box experimental stuff. As long as the intention of the piece is true and unique, it will be respected and can be special to someone. 

Who were your top 3 artists last year?

Khruangbin definitely filled my apartment with the grooves last year and must have played their entire discography multiple times over. Secondly, Bruno Mars & Anderson Paak. The album Silk Sonic was super smooth. I know FKA Twigs didn’t come out with her album until this year, but I’m going to pick her as one of my three artists anyway because that album was so fire.

What do you do when you’re feeling uninspired?

Although it is really hard to turn away from a certain project for a while, most of the time it seems to be the smartest thing to do. Sometimes an hour of doing something completely different and applying your brainpower to a tangential task is rewarding to the original project. I take walks, bike rides, do puzzles, work on visual work, or something along those lines and usually come back with refreshed energy and ideas.

What are your 2022 projects and goals?

I managed to add a lot to my plate this year, but I’m hungry so it’s a good thing. Priority is the release of my debut album, more about that soon. There are a few video projects coming, both for Daytona Starsky as well as directing for other artists. I’ve been working on something in the sustainable fashion world and this year will make that more concrete, so stay tuned if you’re a fashion lover. Also I’ve been working on some really dope production for talented artists, can’t wait for those to drop.

Favorite movie or TV show?

2001: A Space Odyssey. Stanley Kubrick is a god. This movie was so mind-blowingly ahead of its time, it’s crazy. I can watch it over and over, the visuals are so full of detail and inspiration. 

What is something you would want to change in the music and entertainment industry?

There are many bad things about any industry, including the music industry, just as there are many great things about it. I think the industry has turned kind of upside down in the sense that there isn’t as much focus on finding musical talents as there is on finding popularity contestants. There are so many popular artists that are immensely talented, but there is a growing trend that seems to be about putting music on just because it went viral or something like that. It is understandable though, these companies have a bottom line to protect in a world where digital content is as good as free. So I always like it when I see new innovative ways people are coming up with ways to circumvent the industry in creative ways with the artist as the true beneficiary.

Can you outline your creative process?

Lately my creative process has been very stream-of-consciousness. I think this is due to the fact that I have become so comfortable with the programs that I’m using that I don’t have to think about mechanical stuff anymore and I can seamlessly let ideas flow. I’ve been trying to remove my inhibitions and ego as much as possible to allow for the purest product. This has helped in many ways in terms of production and songwriting. So I recommend getting familiar with the programs you’re using until you’re at the point where you don’t have to think about it anymore.

Who inspires your style and aesthetics?

I would describe my style as retro-futuristic. I like taking classic ideas and trying to conceptualize them in a sort of psychedelic futuristic way. I love science fiction so there is a lot of influence from that in my art and visuals. Lately I’ve been getting a lot into animation and would like to start doing more with moving images and trying to create dimension out of static images, especially now that we’re seeing a lot more movement happening on music streaming services with Spotify canvas and animated cover art.

What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?

A project that I’m proud of is my musical artificial intelligence that I programmed to remix one of my songs. I think this one means a lot to me because it’s kind of outside the scope of things I’ve worked on. It took me a long time and was a tough problem to solve, but I was determined and ready for the challenge and I think it came out super cool. The remix sounds horrible haha, but that was to be expected from the beginning. It’s a computer trying to make music after all.