In depth: Ayokay's "In the Shape of a Dream"

I’ve been on this pop-infused, chilled out, electronic music bender for the last year. Genres in my playlists include the chill electronica of Petit Biscuit, the poignant yet catchy hooks by Chelsea Cutler, and the quirky voice of Quinn XCII. Lately, my music taste has revolved around independent artists who encompass the trifecta of writing, playing, and producing. One of those artists is up-and-coming DJ ayokay, also known as Alex O’Neill (who played with Gryffin at The Jefferson last year), and his beautifully crafted electronic songs. His tracks carry the perfect amount of aesthetic, pop influence, and quirkiness. They’re extremely catchy, but they also represent the side of independent DJs that revolves around experimentation and thinking outside of the box. In his new record, “In the Shape of a Dream,” O’Neill takes listeners out of his normal DJ element. I’ve been listening to the album on repeat, still unsure about its quirkiness, but completely in love.

By far, my favorite track on the album is “Sleepless Nights” with another upcoming pop-electronic artist Nightly. The hooks on this song are hard to beat, and the lyrics are some of the most poignant and relevant on the record. Covering small but meaningful moments like liquor on someone’s mouth, “sunset eyes through messy hair,” and other beautifully crafted lines, ayokay mixes those emotions with a bigger electronic sound, complimenting them perfectly. Being a DJ, ayokay’s songs mostly include features from rising pop artists, including Quinn XCII and Jeremy Zucker, two male artists who reside on the same record label. In fact, ayokay’s record label and management group Visionary Music Group represents all of the artists I’ve been pining after lately: Jeremy Zucker, Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler, Jon Bellion, and Logic, to name a few. These artists all tend to feature each other in their works, and this album is no exception. Songs like “Stay With Me” with Jeremy Zucker include interesting conceptual choruses and melodic ideas, with Zucker’s signature voice at the forefront, clear and focused. Conversely, ayokay uses lots of vocal effects in songs like “Half Past You” with electronic artist Future Jr., and “Don’t You Worry” with Jenny Mayhem. Ayokay’s use of vocal effects is a common theme throughout the record; he even uses them on himself in his solo tracks “Swing Swing” and “You’re Not Here.”

“Swing Swing” is ayokay’s only full-length solo song, and it’s easily one of the best on the album as well. It showcases his own singer-songwriting skills, and the lyrics represent a more personal side, as he sings “Oh how fast they leave when you mention your disease / I can’t stand how they look at you / Oh when all them go, I won’t you leave you here alone / Maybe that’s when you start seeing me.” The song centers around O’Neill’s narrative of being there for someone who’s hurting and throwing punches at their loved ones when they’re struggling. While some of the other songs might revolve around romance and relationships, this song opens up O’Neill’s personal side.

The instrumentals on the record are also beautifully constructed, and they exemplify O’Neill’s production ability as a DJ. “Ocean Front Apt” is a cosmic, melodically pleasing opener to the record, while the closing track “Something Familiar” leaves listeners feeling breathless and full of hope and adrenaline. He uses the songs as bookends, with a 1-minute filler song called “You’re Not Here” in the middle, as a means of splitting up the record and providing interest.

Overall, the record is an amazing debut for the DJ as he continues to find his sound and production style. His music has always stuck with me and made me feel something, and this group of songs is no exception. However, the strongest songs, in my opinion, are the ones that he created all on his own: the instrumentals, the personal songs reminiscent of diary entries, the tracks with relatable and poignant lyrics. While everyone likes a good electro-pop track with a catchy hook, ayokay takes it to the next level on his debut, showing listeners that he is capable of so much more.