About
Keyrei [kee-ray]: beautiful music; having the qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; music that delights the senses or mind.
Born in Los Angeles, Keyrei’s earliest exhibitions as a performer began on stage at the startling age of 2, astonishing her family and audiences alike. Although she displayed a promising presence and love of music early on, it took years of soul searching, unfulfilling pursuits of a law degree to acting before the innately talented songstress to took a leap of faith and plunged into the business full-time as a singer, song-writer, and recording artist.
Once Keyrei stepped into the studio, her creativity and gift for melodic arrangements could not be denied. She quickly began work on her debut album, coined “Therapy” with producer and long-time friend, TechBeatz of Artisans Music, who has produced multi-platinum hits for K-Pop act Drunken Tiger, as well as Talib Kweli, E-40, Colby O’Donis, and Roscoe Umali to name a few. “Hooking up with Tech was the best decision I had ever made. I knew he was producing a lot of Hip-Hop, but I also knew he was the go-to guy for the particular fusion of Electronica that I wanted to bring into the mix. We come from the same generation of Electro lovers and I trusted his taste completely.”
The feelings were mutual and Keyrei and Techbeatz created the 2 indie radio chart-topping hits “Therapy” and “Mon Amie”, as well as the innovative Drum N’ Bass banger “If You Go” featuring Artisan Music’s own Roscoe Umali. “I never knew that I could write songs until I got into the booth for the first time. I was totally put on the spot to come up with my own vocal arrangements, parts and lyrics, and it really just came naturally.” Keyrei’s debut album “Therapy” is a testament to that with 13 out of 15 songs being penned both musically and lyrically by the artist herself.
Keyrei’s musical influences are evident from her love of Jazz and Pop, but her undeniable attraction to the hard-hitting Electro beats of House and DnB, stemming from her younger years as a resident So-Cal raver, bring an interesting new marriage of sounds to the table.
One of her favorite bands, Jamiroquai, played a pivotal role in inspiring many of Keyrei’s songs from “Therapy”, and the artist enthusiastically covered their “Corner of the Earth” on her debut album.
Even more surprising is her uplifting lyrical poetry of faith, hope and love throughout her album, conveying a message of spirituality to listeners of the dance music genre. “So much has happened during the production of this album, but God stood by me and I want my music to demonstrate that.”
Since the independent release of “Therapy” by Keyrei’s own Voa Music Group, the artist has been working the local Los Angeles club circuit non-stop, as well as diversifying her Electro-Pop act by stripping it down acoustically even with her favorite ukulele. Her versatility as a performer really sets her a part from most dance music artists of today. “It’s amazing how much my fans appreciate and love the acoustic shows just as much as my highly energized plugged stage acts. I wanted audiences to see that my music can work in any medium, and it’s so exhilarating to watch people jam to the ukulele renditions of my dance tunes!”
Keyrei is currently at work on a sophomore album she plans to release in 2011. The Electro artist is aiming to bring back her favorite influences in an even more eclectic way fusing Pop, Big Band and Drum n Bass, all the while revealing her soul to the world one pulsating beat at time.
"As an artist, I was looking for a very particular sound. I wanted my music to be upbeat and energetic, but I really was aiming to target audiences who don’t appreciate Electronica to like my style! An impossible feat, perhaps, but I really believe I achieved just that with the help and creative genius of my producer and friend, TechBeatz (Artisans Music). Once we got together, the magic began. I am truly grateful that we got to collaborate on my first album, and thanks to him, I even cut the fabulous rendition of ‘What’s Up?’ with his fellow colleague Amil Gibbs. Artisans, you rock!" -Keyrei
Take Me Away
This song is about the honeymoon period in a relationship filled with excitement, carefree partying and youthful freedom. It holds a dear place in my heart, since it’s the very first song I ever wrote. I recorded two different versions of it, until I met with Tech and begged him to find a track that would match the song. I really wanted it to make it on the album, and funnily enough, he sent me something from his archive that he made years ago, and it fit perfectly! After some extra production with live guitar by my very own teacher, Hide Ikumo, the track was a go. It’s definitely a more Pop-sounding song, compared to the others, but still undoubtedly a banger!
1000 Nights
I wrote this song reminiscing of days when love was possibly lost or taken for granted. It has a jazzier feel to it and my vocals are a bit stylized. This was yet another song that I had previously recorded with another producer, but reinvented by Tech with his funky, Spanish-feeling house beat.
Therapy
Tech and I started to work together right after I found out my dad had cancer, and I had been spending a lot of time at hospitals before our first collaboration. He sent me this track and I happened to already have the lyrics written while I was with my dad during his hospitalization period. I decided to try and match the two together, and amazingly enough, it was another perfect fit! The song is about God’s love and how it got me through that period in my life.
Waterfalls
Wow…the very first time I heard the beat for Waterfalls, all I could picture was just that! A dreamy, picturesque getaway, where two lovers can just relax and re-energize their spiritual connection. The beat is sick and Tech’s friend, Don, just kills on the guitar solos. It’s a feel good, easy to listen to track. I absolutely love this song!
Mon Amie
Yes, Mon Amie, not Mon Ami…for those of you who speak French, that means "girlfriend", not "boyfriend"! This song was written for and about my very best childhood friend, who happened to specifically request it. I remember her words exactly, "Can’t you write about anything else besides love? I know, how about a song about friendship?!" I took it to heart, and after a few mix-tape listening sessions later, Tech and I came up the instant hit. Vocally, it’s definitely softer than what I am used to, but people just go crazy for this song. My friend, of course, was brought to tears!
Listen
This was another song dug up from the good ol’TechBeatz archive, and I just fell in love with it. It reminded me of something Madonna did back in her "Ray of Light" album. I had the song written previously for another beat, but we decided to just go ahead and record it late one Sunday night. Again, a softer song, centered on a woman’s worth, but with an edgy loop.
Twisted
Once I suggested to try a Drum & Bass track, Tech and I were both super psyched. He said he had dreams about it and sent it to me in like a day. I had a little trouble writing to it at first, because my lyrics are usually really happy and the track was a little dark. After scribbling away for hours on end, I channeled by past demons and came up with the catchy, yet simple hook. It’s not as fitting with some of my other more uplifting songs, but hey, it is about warfare and my spiritual struggles.
If You Go
We had so much fun recording the first D&B track, we decided to do another one! This time a smoother, more soft-core one with stylized vocals and a feature by Artisan’s own, Roscoe Umali. I laid down my vocals first, and then what seemed like eons later, Roscoe presented his memorable intro. Believe it or not, it’s a break-up song with no regrets. An innovative piece that takes a lot of risks, but epitomizes what I intended to do in experimenting with fusion in my album. Most people don’t even know what D&B sounds like, but they seem to like our take on it!
Love Sensation
Along with "Therapy", I wrote this song while I was with my dad during his darkest hours. I was definitely going through a major transition in my own life, and all I could count on was the happiness that God had blessed me with even with my dad being ill. We really connected during that time and my dad asked me to perform it at church, so I did it acappella. Once Tech and I were in the studio, I asked him to compose to it, and we came up the song that night. However, recording the track was a whole different story. I probably sang 50 layers and the whole thing took forever! Once it was mixed, I fell in love with it all over again, with the recording nightmare blocked out of my memory.
Free
When I first heard the beat for "Free", I instantly claimed it as my own! Previously, I didn’t have a lot of trouble writing to a track, but for some reason, this one took months and countless drafts for me to get it right. I prayed about it one day, and literally after attending a revival rally with my best friend, the lyrics to the song came to me instantaneously.
Captivated
The title speaks for itself, but I really took this one to the next level. Never before, had I actually prayed aloud in my one of my songs, especially to such a hard-core beat, but that’s what I felt I had to do. It doesn’t follow a formula of any sorts, either. It’s just an expressive, honest song about God’s amazing grip on my life.
Breakthrough
This was one of the last tracks to make it on the album, and definitely has more of a pop-rock feel compared to the others. I didn’t care that it didn’t fit the mold of my other songs. I wrote to it, stating that there is hope for all relationships to end up in the same place. The evident differences in beliefs at one time do not determine how things will end up when two people are together. Only faith determines that.
Lost and Found
I can honestly say that from the moment I heard this track I was hooked. Tech really outdid himself on this one. My album was pretty much finished when he sent it to me over the holidays. It was a last minute addition to "Therapy", and writing it was breeze. I probably finished my part in less than 30 minutes, and recorded it the next evening! The song is an examination of my current spiritual state and how I relate it to the world around me.
Corner of the Earth
I absolutely love, love, love Jamiroquai and this song is one of my ultimate favorites. Don Kamei and TechBeatz both worked on the final reproduction of it and I am honored and ecstatic to have it my first record. Surprisingly, the song was super hard to sing, with the funkiest melodic pattern ever! Not to mention the fact that I had to change the key of the song after recording it 2 times. They say third time’s the charm…I surely hope so!
What’s Up?
I had the pleasure of working with Amil Gibbs on this cover and it turned out to be amazing! The song went through a couple of different flips to make it more "Keyrei", and it was refreshing to just belt out throughout the whole song. This one really takes me back to when I was growing up overseas. They literally played it everywhere!! I think it really fit the world’s chaotic state back then, but fits even more in its state today. It was a huge global hit, and I’m just hoping that my rendition will make an impact with listeners, too!