Flaviyake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Flaviyake.

Flaviyake, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I am an artist, songwriter, producer, light programmer and a classically trained musician Flaviyake based in Los Angeles. I was born in Moldova, Eastern Europe, and also lived in Scotland, London and Moscow, but I never dreamed about coming to Hollywood. I came here by following signs from the universe. When I was writing songs for a Moscow record label, I felt like I needed to find a songwriting masterclass somewhere in the world. I went to a fashion store and found a dress with “LA” on it. I bought that dress, came back home and googled “songwriting masterclasses in Los Angeles”. This is how I came to LA.

A year ago I started building my electronic stage set up and got a unique custom-made controller for light programming and sound effects because I didn’t like anything on the market. As a songwriter, I collaborated with artists and producers in the USA, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Australia and Germany. My song “Because I’m a Doll” made it through a competition on BBC6 Music Radio in the UK and played on three shows in 2014. In 2018, the opening song from my album “Bad in Bed” – “So Hard to Say” – became number one on NewShine FM online radio.

I also published a book “From the G-spot to Enlightenment” and founded “Synchronicity” events in Los Angeles. And now about to start DJing.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I do music in all possible ways like playing flute and piano, singing, writing songs, producing songs, doing light programming for my live shows and other artists. Some people are concerned about doing different kind of activities, as they believe you can be great only at one thing, but I can tell you that I became a better singer through producing and a better producer through DJing.

I also have a fashion background. I used to be making and selling dresses at fashion showrooms in Moscow. And I have a Master of Science in Fashion and Textiles. This year I launched The First Collar Encyclopedia. It became an online project because the biggest book publisher in the world changed their mind on publishing this book after two years of negotiation, they said this would be a very expensive project. But this is one of my life missions, as nobody has ever published a book like that, but it is very important to have one.

My fashion knowledge helps me do styling in my music videos. I like to reinvent myself in music videos like Madonna did. Some people say an artist has to keep the same image through music videos, but Madonna would look different in every video within the same album.

My art is rather my self-expression, but my listeners always surprise me with their way of hearing the messages in my songs. Very often they hear something that I didn’t even think about. The same applies to my book.

How can artists connect with other artists?
I do not feel lonely, because I do different kind of activities, and people contact me to co-write a song or ask me to produce a song or to be a featured artist on their song. I also have amazing friends and other people, who joined us for a dinner, were very impressed. They say our friendship is like a true sequel. Through time you learn that it is very important to have a circle of people who are friends. We support each other, we can bring medications to each other if one of us gets sick, we share helpful links and opportunities with each other. Thanks to them I do not feel lonely, even when I want to.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can know me as an artist better through looking into my art book “From the G-spot to Enlightenment” that is available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/G-Spot-Enlightenment-Flaviyake/dp/0692931848.

They can find my music on all major music platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. Spotify link https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AjdpIxSeBtGhYI2f8clll?si=PCZ5-oWxSVSeKFbxoUsm5A.

They can follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/flaviyake/.

Contact Info:

Website: www.flaviyake.com
Email: flaviyake@me.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flaviyake/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flaviya
Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AjdpIxSeBtGhYI2f8clll?si=z6GEfAcPRCu1pzTOb7mY-g - Voyage LA Magazine

Being originally from Moldova, it stands to reason that Flaviyake, conceptual electropop artist would probably get a bit of a culture shock on arrival in the United States, especially if her first stop is Los Angeles. Especially if she’s in the music industry. Even though Flavyiake worked on her unique brand of art pop in Russia and London before coming to LA, she’s become quite fascinated with the unique culture and attitudes towards women in the United States so much so that her newest LP release, Bad in Bed is her third on the topic.



“After reading many articles saying what women should not be texting or saying to a man I decided to write and album about the freedom of the expression of women’s feelings,” the artist said about Bad in Bed, which released in June. As she’s a concept artist, Flaviyake has re-invented her look as sort of a Leeloo-from-The Fifth Element detached observer who is completely perplexed and saddened by the way love, sex and art operate in this strange planet of Los Angeles. This styling along with the poignant lyrics in the album and the space-inspired music create a whole indie pop package for the album which may remind audiences of Lady Gaga or MGMT.

Musically, Bad in Bed ranges in style from super-electro bubblegum pop like in the title track to the more pop end of dubstep and trap in “Alive” and “The World in Blur.” The structure of each song is definitely pop, and some tracks like “Love Is Blind” have 80s retro elements. It makes for an interesting musical journey for the uninitiated, and the album will likely attract a wide range of fans from indie pop fans who collect Hello Kitty partially out of irony to K-pop fans and EDM audiences.

Bad In Bed is out now and available on Flaviyake’s Bandcamp page or on itunes.

Written by Layla Marino

Blog: (Dropping) Weird Science

Twitter/IG: @dropweirdsci - Ellenwood

Flaviyake is a Pop artist, songwriter and producer known for reinventing herself in music videos. Her artist name is coming from her real name Flavia and part of a Japanese name “yake” (from Issey Miyake, her favourite fashion designer). Originally, she is from Moldova, has given a lot of live shows in London, where she also played on BBC6 Music Radio, writing songs for artists in Russia and is now based in Los Angeles.

After releasing over 10 singles and an acoustic EP, she put out her debut album ‘Bad in Bed’. The album concept is freedom of women’s feelings. After reading many articles on women’s websites stating what a woman should not text or say to a man about her feelings, Flaviyake decided to voice her woman feelings in the album.

The first three songs on the album ‘So Hard to Say’, ‘Numb in Love’, ‘Bad in Bed’ express those submissive women’s feelings and fantasies, the women’s natural desire to be taken with power, which not every woman is open to confess. ‘Bad in Bed’ is also her first release as a producer. Seven songs on the album were fully produced by Flaviyake.


There is a song on the album that is standing out from the main theme. It is ‘Alive’. The song sounds like a love story and broken relationship, but the real meaning was hidden on purpose. Flaviyake is telling what it feels like living next to someone who is suffering from depression, which is a serious disease and not just a bad mood. The song was written one week before her mother took her life and the bridge was written afterwards, which is hidden in the lines; ‘if you decide to fly, never fall on the ground’.

‘I’m Not Getting Older’ produced by DJ Fredy Muks is about the new generation of people who are constantly growing in their knowledge and life experience. Every birthday people are getting better, not older. The album artwork was designed by Los Angeles based designers Alex Knell and Carver Koella based the Flavia’s concept. She thought that using an erotic photo for this type of album would be too obvious and cheesy, and so she decided to make an artwork with the actual title and put BDSM devices over the letters. The song ‘Bad in Bed’ is talking about that beast in a man that makes a woman feel submissive. Although BDSM is widely used in the music industry (artist and dancers’ outfits, stage design, song lyrics, music videos), Flaviyake is really coming from that background and knows this topic not from reading. - TCM MAG

It’s time to catch up on our favorite musical Moldovian as FLAVIYAKE unveils her latest video ‘Because I’m A Doll’, whose cartoon world explores the ideas of the perception of women and sexual politics.

As Flaviyake herself explains: “‘Because I’m a Doll’ is written about human dolls – the cultural world trend when girls turn themselves into living dolls with make-up and women undergo plastic surgery to achieve perfect shapes”. Rather than opt for the obvious image of a Barbie doll, Flaviyake instead explored her own interpretations of 3 different dolls inspired by anime figures. Lending inspiration to the visuals, the Japanese dolls are by artist Sonia Berdullas González, the Russian doll by Agnieszka Murphy and the colourful cat by Tammy Tanuka and Binod Tamang. The lyrics of the song also utilise popular Instagram hashtags, such as #sweet, #yummy, #bunny and #lol.



flaviyake_doll_image

The cartoon visuals of the video provide the perfect contrast against the obvious critical content of the lyrics. Flaviyake shot the video while in Moscow, filming the footage across 3 different studios, although the final edit was only produced once she returned to the UK.

The video tells us a story about a doll falling asleep and dreaming about becoming alive. In the final scene, a guy turns up the doll’s dress and finds there a real plastic doll’s bottom. Flaviyake herself recalls getting new dolls in childhood and checking if they were shaped underneath the same as humans. She wanted to visualise this intimate thing done by many children as a reminder that the discovery of sex often comes to children with their first dolls.

With its drum & bass and electropop mashup approach, the song gives the track a frenetic edge which seems to be in-step with Flaviyake’s desire to mix and add different msuical ideas in pursuit of her own distinctive sound (see also the choral effects of ‘Celestial Beauty’ or the flute elements of ‘Electronic Boy’).

‘Because I’m A Doll’ has also attracted a broader interest from the media, including Tom Robinson featuring it on his BBC6 radio show. Feel free to pay a visit to Flaviyake’s world. You might be inspired to stay for a long holiday.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Flaviyake
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/flaviyake/sets/flaviyake
Instagram: http://instagram.com/flaviyake

Text by Paul Browne
5th April 2014 - Paul Browne, UK

London based electro pop singer/songwriter Flaviyake, has released visuals for her track “Because I’m a Doll”. The anthem of all human dolls living in a dream world was introduced on BBC6 Music in the UK earlier this year. TOAN got the opportunity to interview Flaviyake on shoes, her new video and J-pop culture.

What do you want your audience to get from “Because I’m a Doll”? What is it about and what message are you trying to send out to your listeners?

Flaviyake: “Because I’m a Doll” is a song about human dolls, the cultural world trend when girls turn themselves into dolls with make-up and women undergo plastic surgery to achieve perfect shapes. With this song, I am reminding guys that girls who pay too much attention to their look quite often love themselves so much that they have no space left in their heart for loving someone else. At the same time I am reminding girls that some guys take them as beautiful toys. In the video on this song, a model is turning up my dress and sees a plastic bottom of a real doll. I want to remind viewers that this is what children really do with dolls – first of all they undress them to check if they are shaped the same as humans.”

How would you describe your aesthetic?

Flaviyake: “My aesthetic is like a mirror that reflects the reality of our world and the universe by bringing an embellished picture of creature back to the viewer/listener. Some of my songs are written about human characters of the contemporary world and others about the universe and nature.”

How long have you been making music?

Flaviyake: “I spent 12 years of my life studying classical music and wrote my first song at the age of 10, but I was so tired of the strict system and boundaries I experienced in my education that had not been playing flute and piano for several years after finishing my music school. Hence my passion for electronic sound, though I am back to piano and recording an acoustic EP now – vocal plus piano versions of electronic pop songs.”

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Who is your favorite shoe designer?

Flaviyake: “I really like shoes by Jeffrey Campbell. When I was a teen, I used to say that if I had my own shoe label I would design only unusual shoes and would make them affordable. Now we have this kind of shoe label and I do not need my own label anymore. I worn them in “Because I’m a Doll” video and going to wear other shoes of this label in my next music videos as well. I also love the futuristic shoes worn by Lady Gaga in ‘Bad Romance’, designed by Alexander McQueen.”

How did you get into J-pop?

Flaviyake: “For some reason, whatever I create looks rather Japanese. Many people in London say my music would be loved in Japan, though I personally find my lyrics rather conceptual and deep in the Western style and music quite Asian because of its positivity, fun, cuteness and happiness. Also my artist image looks a bit Asian because of the amount of colors, but still a bit soft (or discreet) in the Western style. Being a mixture of Western and Asian is what the world is about today, so I am just a natural product of it. If I did not do music I would probably go to Japan to study innovative technologies.”

Influences both in music and fashion?

Flaviyake: “My music style was formed under the influence of Bjork, Madonna, Moby, Beastie Boys, Chemical Brothers, Missy Elliott, Savage Garden, Garbage, Robbie Williams, R.E.M. and Michael Jackson. My favorite fashion designers are Moschino, Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Holly Fulton and Issey Miyake, whose “yake” I added to my real name Flavia to create my artist name Flaviyake. Apparently this suits perfectly my Western-Asian music style mixture.”

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Are you on Instagram?

Flaviyake: “My Instagram is @flaviyake”

What are your opinions on Avril Lavigne’s new visuals for her track “Hello Kitty”? Do you believe it can come off as a sort of cultural appropriation?

Flaviyake: “I think this is a try for getting closer to the Japanese music market. I see the usage of the most obvious Japanese objects in this video, which looks rather like a superficial understanding of their culture and nothing innovative and super-creative that is inherent in the real Japanese approach. Though Avril Lavigne is the right singer for this trial, as she looks like a teenager and her voice sounds young. I think the cornucopia of the Japanese creativity is Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.”



iTunes http://smarturl.it/because-im-a-doll?…
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Flaviyake

-Rebecca Encina - Rebecca Encina, TOAN Magazine, US

Flaviyake is an eccentric London-based electro-pop artist. She has been compared to Bjork, Kate Bush, Madonna and Lady Gaga but I believe her to be in a league of her own! In a good, wonderfully kooky way.

The name Flaviyake is a combination of her Latin name Flavia and a Japanese ending. You can hear those Japanese influences in her music and see it in her style.

There’s no end to her talents. Flaviyake can play flute and piano, directs her own music videos and runs a fashion blog.

Instead of writing songs about love and relationships, Flaviyake writes about characters and cultural things. Her song ‘Electronic Boy’ is about guys who spend all their time on video games instead of relationships and the above song ‘Because I’m a Doll’ is about living dolls which was recently introduced on BBC6 Music.

I think she’s fantastic and I can’t wait to hear more! - She Makes Music blog

We appear to be going through a sustained Electropop renaissance period at the moment and outfits such as Flaviyake continue to keep it fresh and interesting.

As a child, the young Flaviya was convinced that she was an alien who had been sent to observe life on earth. There’s certainly an otherwordly quality in much of the music that she now creates under the moniker of Flaviyake, a collaboration with her brother and producer RK. There’s the deep dance club beats of tracks like ‘Musical Vibes’, the sequenced rhythms and catchy electropop melodies of ‘Electronic Boy’ (complete with an unexpected flute segment), the soaring vocals of ‘Angelic Song’ and the euphoric heights of ‘Celestial Cutie’.

If that’s not enough, there’s also a Russian-vocal cover of Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’. The Madonna connection is something rooted in Flaviyake’s past: “When I was a teenager I had some mysterious dreams about Madonna interpreted as signs of my destiny”. These dreams included Madonna guiding the young Flaviyake around the streets of London, a sure sign that the capital city was the best place to write and record her music.

Combining her name Flaviya with that of Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, the resulting Flaviyake describes herself as an electropop artist influenced by Japanese culture. Originally hailing from Moldova, Flaviyake’s talents also include blogging about fashion. This includes showing off her particularly impressive fringe which she’s essentially set up as a canvas for her art. “My cartoon style iconic fringe is a recognizable element of the Flaviyake style” comments Flaviya, “What makes my stage presence unique and different is that I introduce my songs on stage with my original aphorisms. I am planning to publish them as a book From the G-spot to Enlightenment”.
flaviyake2
Her initial exposure came courtesy of a vocal appearance on the languid and soulful ‘Hope Is a Blue Bird’ by Japanese composer Kocha Shoji which was released earlier in 2013 (and available via iTunes). But Flaviyake is keen to pave her own musical path and is currently filming a video for her song ‘The Magic Hit’ – a stripped-down number which relies on Flaviyake’s vocals to build the rhythm and melody to a minimalist percussive beat.

The music of Flaviyake covers a very broad base which at times calls to mind the work of artists such as Goldfrapp or Little Boots. There’s certainly a smooth transition between the various genres that Flaviyake hops between, demonstrating a confident vocal that can adapt from everything from dance pop to electronica.

Flaviyake will be performing at the London Anime Convention on Saturday 20th July at 7pm (followed by J-Pop Go’s guest DJ slot).

Now available on iTunes: Hope Is a Blue Bird (feat. Flaviyake) – Single – Kocha Shoji

http://flaviyake.wordpress.com/
https://soundcloud.com/flaviyake
http://www.londonanimecon.com - Paul Browne, UK