Feature Friday - Swiim
Name
Swiim
Pronouns
He/Him
Bio
Born in the '90s in Barcelona, Spain, and with Montreal deep in his soul, Swiim is a multidisciplinary artist who blends music and visual art to create immersive experiences. Known for his ambient beats, downtempo electronic tracks, and boom-bap hip-hop, he’s also a rapper and film composer. His recent work includes a remix of Sobering Up for Camille à l’Orée, a collaboration with Bijou Violet on Pretend Paradise, and composing the soundtrack for Le Pitch, an indie film by Sacha Andres-Oliveira.
Formerly known as Torn Petals, Jusst Swiim has made a name for himself in the music scene through his collaborations and solo projects. His first release, the hip hop mixtape Oxyflorae, was followed by the ambient album Nature Divine, which featured a visual album concept. With a background in videography and graphic design, he directs all of his music videos and related artwork, creating a complete artistic package that sets him apart.
Website
jusstswiim.com
Where in Montreal are you located?
I'm not, lol. I live in a small town called Lantier, about an hour and a half north of Montreal. I moved here four years ago. I come to Montreal every week for various reasons: I study psychology at UQAM, I host a radio show on CHOQ.ca called État de Flow, and I often have gigs around the city. I also visit family and friends while I'm there.
What do you love about your neighborhood?
When I come to Montreal, I stay at my mother’s place in the Plateau. I love the vibe, the stores, and the parks. There’s always something to do and people to watch.
What’s your favourite art space in Montreal and why?
It used to be the MAC, but it's currently under construction or relocation. I'm not sure. I had a four-year season pass, and I really enjoyed revisiting the art exhibitions. Each time, I’d see things from a new perspective.
Learning to appreciate art also means taking the time to come back to it, to notice new details we might have missed the first time. It's about researching the artist between visits and deepening our understanding of what the piece is really about.
Describe your art in your own words.
I make music as my main focus, but I also create the entire visual world around it. In that sense, I am a visual artist as well.
I start by producing music and singing over it, mostly boom bap hip hop, though I also create instrumental, downtempo vibes. From there, I design the album artwork and covers, and I handle the music videos from start to finish, directing, producing, and editing the entire process myself.
My approach to filming is very hands on. I like to keep things raw and real, capturing an authentic feel in everything I create.
What have you been working on recently?
Lately, I've been collaborating with artists such as Oscar Biggs and Uncle Focus on some boom bap tracks. I've also been working on purely ambient music that I plan to pair with poetry.
The idea is to create a book that comes with its own soundtrack. It will be called The Evolution of a Cloud.
What sparked your passion for music?
Seeing other artists make music and vibe really inspires me. I love watching old footage of beatmakers creating tracks on MPCs and SP-1200s. It always seemed like magic.
Also, boredom played a big role. I was a very bored teenager, and music became a source of discovery and adventure. Whenever I had nothing to do, I’d open my laptop and start noodling around with sounds. It made my days feel more complete.
Describe your sound.
I use old vintage records and cassette tapes as samples, so you hear a lot of the artifacts from those formats, the crackles and the hiss. I embrace it. It’s old school, it’s boom bap, it’s trip hop, it’s abstract. It’s everything but polished.
Even when I make techno, it ends up sounding pretty run down. I like the imperfection.
What does your creative process look like?
For real, it’s mostly about having fun with gear. I try to stay away from my laptop nowadays and focus more on pushing buttons and tweaking knobs. I have a few machines, like an old Tascam Portastudio 4-track tape deck and a vinyl player. I bounce sounds from one to another until I get something that sounds new, far from the original source. Then I add drums and other layers.
For visuals, I use whatever I have: an old television, my phone camera, old point-and-shoot cameras, VHS cameras, and so on.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
At the moment, I listen to a lot of Reptile Rampant, an amazing Montreal artist. I love his production. But I’ve always been into warm trip hop like Massive Attack, Portishead, 9 Lazy 9, St Germain, and all that good stuff. The Herbalist too. Oh, and DJ Qbert. The list goes on.
What do you love about playing live?
I love connecting with the crowd and seeing them dance or vibe to the music. I enjoy meeting other artists who play at the same event. It’s important to stay united and connected.
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