*Post originally published on RockDaFuqOut blog
Last month, Billboard Magazine and W Hotels brought their Next Up series to Washington, DC to feature another rising artist who is beginning to make their mark in the music industry.
Set against the most picturesque views of Washington’s monuments, LA-based producer and musician Gryffin played a blend of original songs and remixes to an intimate yet packed room of enthusiastic fans. It was a night of vibrant music set to a stunning, glittering background of cityscape in DC’s swankiest hotel. Not too shabby.
Gryffin is not an artist to be boxed into one genre. He describes his style as “melody-rich style of house music that fuses indie with dance in tasteful fashion.” Gryffin shatters the notion that electronic artists aren’t “real” musicians. His Next Up set was a fusion of computerized beats and riffs over which he layered live keyboard, drum and electric guitar to compliment the synths. When the sound is a blend of house with a side of acoustic, it’s something that can be appreciated by both EDM enthusiasts and pop aficionados.
Fans were treated to Gryffin’s most known tracks which included “Whole Heart” and “Heading Home” (check out Le Youth’s remix of this song) as well as his signature remixes of “King” by Years & Years, “Beggin for Thread” by BANKS and Maroon 5’s “Animals”. What sticks out about Gryffin’s remixes is that he molds the songs to become these upbeat, infectious tunes that remind you of summer and get a crowd dancing. Which is exactly what he did at the W Hotel venue.
Gryffin is definitely one to watch – check out his SoundCloud here: https://soundcloud.com/gryffinofficial