KALLITECHNIS

Rising Montreal native, KALLITECHNIS, is one of the newest artists that’s repping the city by breaking through with her unique and eclectic style of R&B. Her music goes through the cycle of being personal with deep translucent beats while managing to create some fresh upbeat bittersweet bangers. Growing up, she has always dabbled in all forms of art, dating back to ballet lessons at the age of four. Fast-forward to today, where the KALLITECHNIS oversees every aspect in her creative process both digitally and visually.

Her Chromatic EP takes on influences from Sade and Anderson Paak, creating a hybrid of deep-funk R&B. During the creative process of her EP, the singer participated in a writing camp in L.A that was run by R&B legend Kenneth Edmond, mostly known as Babyface; and it shows on Chromatic, as you can feel that passionate late 90s/early 2000s influence flowing through each track. “PINK + YELLOW” showcases a nostalgic R&B feel reminiscent to a deep cut Aaliyah track. Prior to jumping into music, the singer-songwriter was pursuing a degree in psychology— elements of which are displayed within her lyrics that delve deeper into the human subconscious, leaving people with a sense of true connection to her.

We had the opportunity to speak with the climbing R&B songstress about her connection to colors throughout her work and her personal mantra of SOUL/EGO.

Hey! Would you mind introducing yourself? Hi I’m KALLITECHNIS, and I’m a singer, songwriter, and dancer from Montreal.

Where did the artist name KALLITECHNIS originate from? KALLITECHNIS is Greek for “master of a craft”. I took it on as an artist name as it alludes to my ethnicity, and because I liked the idea of living up to such a high standard in fully earning the title of ‘master’. I think names carry destiny, history and a way to be. And so I chose KALLITECHNIS knowing the imposition it would make on my goal setting and lifestyle. And so, I carry the name like it’s my literal mood board, and it’s up to me to manifest what the name represents, or what I want it to mean to my(self) and to my listeners.

When it comes to your personal mantra of SOUL/EGO, what does that encompass? SOUL OVER EGO is just a tool I use to re-align with my focus. It’s a phrase I use to snap out of undesired bouts of feelings like anger, self-pity, envy, insecurity, and doubt. I categorize a lot of sentiments, actions, thoughts and motives as either being soul-based or ego-based. To me, something that is based in one’s soul is founded in love, gratitude, and honesty. It has a purpose; it’s proactive. Something that stems from the ego is derived from entities like pride and comparison, which promote a world in which our lives are dictated by a very selfish version of our(selves), one that is prone to be distracted by all that’s superficial. SOUL OVER EGO is me actively choosing to prioritize the soul’s needs over the ego’s wants. At the end of the day, it’s a much-needed REALITY CHECK!

I love how you integrate colors with your sound. All of your track cover art is stunning and the Chromatic EP is a beautiful concept. What drew you to this concept?

I’ve always been fascinated by the place colours occupy in our lives, by the impact they can have on us subconsciously, and by the way, companies use them to influence our consumption. By acknowledging the ways in which colours could be used to manipulate us, I came to grasp just how significant they are to all types of behaviours, and more specifically, to our senses. Music and colour seem to always be intertwined. Whether you’re a synaesthete or not, the phenomenon of perceiving colours as sounds or vice versa is not foreign to anybody listening to music in 2019. Visuals are so closely attached to the landscapes we create sonically as artists. Incorporating visuals into the scheme of your music and how it’s perceived only enhances the experience of the world you’re trying to create for the listener. I carried all of this with me as I worked on CHROMATIC.

I thought of what it would sound like to feel the warmth of an orange sunset on your skin. I thought about the cool sensuality of a song like Diamond Baby and what the cover art of something like that would look like. What does colour represent in your world? What does each colour make you feel like? Above all, colours act as letters do: they’re symbols. Knowing what the symbols of your world mean to you, and translating that into music, is just as powerful as communicating any written language. CHROMATIC was a way to inspire people through sound and its association to colour. I intended for the project to open up the portal of imagination. After all, what does pink+yellow even mean? What significance do those colours have to one another? Well, that’s up to the listener to decide. I can’t impose that on anyone. After all, no two people perceive colour in the exact same way! Who am I to decide what the world of my pinks or yellows mean in the world of yours?

Have you always been doing music full-time?

Not always. It’s only been about a year!

Who are you listening to right now?

Sade, Drake, Anderson .Paak, Lucky Daye, Etta Bond, Raveena, Snoh Aalegra, Koffee, BenjiFlow, Solange…the list is endless!