Music

Harrison feels happy on the sadder side

by Josiah Hughes

Last week, Toronto producer Harrison released Colors, his highly anticipated first EP for Last Gang. Like it’s title (which disrespects that Queen’s spelling of “colours,” but I digress…) the release is a hyperactive, technicolour collection of melodic, modern electronic music. Simply put, it’s irresistibly happy.

Speaking on the phone with the 19-year-old producer (born Harrison Robinson), he explains that it’s weird timing to drop such a positive release. “This is a shitty week, dude,” he says. “My girlfriend and I had a very bad break up. Just awful things happened…. If you’ve seen my tweets, you’ll see I’m in hell right now. It’s been awful dude.”

In other words, while we’re just hearing the Colors EP for the first time now, it represents Harrison at a very different place in his life. “I have been very happy for the last year straight — I’ve just been positive,” he says. “You can hear it on the EP. The EP is glittery and bright, you know. It’s a happy EP because that’s the mood I was in.”

On the day we talk, Harrison is already hard at work on the second iteration of his forthcoming debut album. As he explains, he scrapped the initial version of the album because it didn’t represent where his mindset was at. “It’s transitioned from being pretty happy to still happy but on the sadder side,” he explains. “I’m liking the way it sounds, I’m actually stoked on it.”

Though still technically a teen, Harrison is already a few years into his career. And while he’s best known for his sugary sweet, hyperactive posi-pop productions, his early work also came from a dark place. “When I first started writing music, it was, again, because of a breakup,” he says. “When I very first started, all of the songs were darker, a little more sad.”

As he expanded his repertoire, Harrison started to draw more influence from the videogame soundtracks of his youth, at which point his tracks were imbued with a giddy, hypnotic cheerfulness.

“Videogame soundtracks are the most immediate nostalgia,” he says. “Especially Nintendo. I know people just think it’s some sort of niche. But it really isn’t. You’re in this place of such euphoria, and nothing else matters when you’re sitting around with your friends playing videogames.”

“Maybe after this album, I’m going to try and work on as many videogames as I can,” he continues. “I want to be a part of some kid sitting in their room playing a game and not even thinking about the music, but the music’s in some part of their head subconsciously.”

Harrison’s early productions eventually amassed a huge following on Soundcloud, and last year we listed him as one of the top unsigned artists in Canada. While Colors marks his first major release, however, the performer says he treated it like any other release. “The only pressure I felt were some deadlines,” he admits. “The thing about music is it happens when it happens…. When you’re in an inspirational place, don’t go and drink. Stay in the inspirational place, because it’ll probably leave. Just try to get shit done.”

Getting shit done is more or less Harrison’s mantra. Whether happy, sad or happy on the sadder side, he’ll always find a way to channel his thoughts and feelings into fascinating productions. “I have a job, it’s to make music — and it’s my fucking dream job,” he says. “I’m 19 and I’m enjoying every single second of it.”