Words by Olivia Judd (@oliviacjudd / @iamlunarjune)
I’ve always been fascinated by what makes two creatives work well together, and the enigmatic genius that ensues when two worlds collide; think Lennon and McCartney, Billie and Finneas. What is it that makes two people click not only on a personal level, but on an artistic one?
Close friends Chikaya and Pete are musicians in their own right, but stumbled across something special when they started working together earlier this year. Pete is a producer under the alias SKN DEEP, and initially started making beats for Chikaya to topline for her solo project. Through their sessions and sending ideas back and forth, they started to realise that they were perhaps onto something bigger than a simple exchange of audio files. Chikaya proposed the idea of starting a duo, and the rest is history.
Chy Deep – an amalgamation of both artists’ names – released their first single, ‘flashlight‘, on 24th October. It’s an effortlessly cool track filled to the brim with hooks, all surrounding the sentiment of “you’re my flashlight in the dark.” With its warm, rolling synths and liquid drum and bass, it’s hard not to be transported to the passenger seat of a car, driving under the cover of darkness, the orange hue of the overhead lights flooding the road before you, the blur of headlights streaming past. If you’re a fan of Kenya Grace, I think you’ll love Chy Deep.
I got the chance to sit down with Chikaya and chat about their latest release and upcoming plans.
Olivia: A very obvious question, but I’d love to know how you guys first met and ended up working together. What was the conversation that took your collaboration from a one-off to a fully-fledged duo?
Chikaya: After DMing on Instagram for a while, researching our roots and activity within dance music, we discovered that we were on the same path towards a formula change, a sonic revamp of sorts that needed to resonate more with the both of us. After having many successful studio sessions, the penny-drop moment for us was 30 minutes before the end of our session; a quick yet strong idea was formed and something clicked. There was a positive energy in the room all round and we knew for a fact that this was going to be our sound and we will make this work.
O: There’s a special bond that comes with making music with somebody else. Were you both accustomed to collaborating before you started working with each other? How do you navigate any creative differences that may arise?
C: We were always collaborating before we formed and shared experiences working within other genres – Garage, House R&B, Drill and so on. Although we’re based on opposite sides of the river, that never stopped us with exchanging any ideas as its a back-and-forth situation. Anything I’m not feeling, SKN DEEP comes back with something new and we tweak from there.
O: Is there an artist or another art form entirely that’s influenced the work you’ve been creating together?
There’s definitely a few. Production-wise, it’s got to be The xx, BICEP, Fred Again.., anything where those synthy, moody vibes draw you in.
C: Who would be your dream tour support, and are you planning any live shows in the near future?
Fred Again.., Disclosure, the list goes on. The energy they bring is unmatched. And 100%! We’re really excited to see the dance community engaging with our music in the future!
O: Congratulations on the release of Flashlight. You described it as a song of appreciation for the friendships in your life – did a specific event happen that inspired you to write this track?
Thank you! There wasn’t a single event that sparked it, but more of an overall feeling. I wanted to take a moment to appreciate the people who are always holding it down, the ones who consistently have our backs. It felt important to acknowledge those solid friendships that stand the test of time.
C: What can we expect to see over the next year from Chy Deep?
Heaps of new releases and maybe an EP thrown into the mix as well.
Chy Deep’s debut single, ‘flashlight’, is now available on all streaming platforms.
Leave a Reply