vhvl – The Ups and Downs

Via Veronica Lauren.

Veronica Lauren is an electronic music producer from Harlem who records under the alias of vhvl. vhvl’s music has been noted for the way in which her instrumentals blend hip hop beats with futuristic and unique melodies resulting in a unique and inspiring sound. Her first release was a nine track digital album Myrrh which came out in 2013 and was subsequently followed by the release of a split cassette collaboration with Ras G in 2014.

Via EVN EP album cover.

Following her 2014 release and while working on new music vhvl was forced to put music production on the back burner. After suffering from a spinal injury correction that went awry, vhvl was confined to bedrest and lost her ability to walk, having to use a wheelchair. Due to the longevity of her bedrest vhvl suffered from adverse consequences forcing her focus further and further away from music production. Despite wanting to continue her music career by releasing music and performing, vhvl’s injury and the following complications made it difficult. In August of 2016, just two months after regaining her ability to walk, vhvl released EVN, a 6 track EP, for which she intends to release a second half titled ODD. She describes the release of EVN in her 2016 interview with Leah Mandel for FADER, “I wasn’t sure what was gonna happen. When I made EVN, I was still really sick, and in order for me to continue working I said, alright, for me to do this and have it really motivate me, it needs to be broken up in two. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have sounded right to me… [ODD], the second half, gave me another part to work on, which promised me some sort of continuation — like, hey, if you get through this project, then you can do the other part of it.”

Via @stanleyomar on Instagram.

Since recovering from her injury vhvl has shifted focus from releasing music to performing saying, “I feel like [there is] so mu ch music in the world that I don’t want to put out a lot of music. For the next year or so, there might be more activity, but I like to space out anything that I do.” She continues on to describe why she enjoys performing: “There’s a lot more freedom in it. I don’t feel so constricted. Before I got sick I was playing so much, it was kind of crazy, and it is very liberating. Especially because, as a female producer in the world of electronic music, the odds are you’re probably gonna be the only female on a bill of just men… So it is very liberating to carve out a little spot and perform some of this material live, as opposed to just pulling a whole bunch of it together and having to essentially market that, instead of being with it in a moment where you can literally see people react to it. It’s a different sort of connection that I generally prefer. You can see people moving, see how people feel. They tell you how it made them feel in that moment. It’s so important to share those moments with others.”