“CHOSEN ANGELS” BRAND NEW EP FROM BOBBY CHANIEL
Illustration by Kezia Hatch
Queens, NY, native Bennett Lin, aka Bobby Chaniel, is back with a brand-new EP, “Chosen Angels.” This marks his first major release since his 2020 EP, “Credences,” and marks a new direction in the artist's sound. Keep reading for our review of this EP and an interview with Bobby Chaniel.
The opening track of this EP, “Destiny,” opens as an incredibly bright piano ballad on which Bobby reveals his feelings of alienation, both in his music and his personal life. As it goes on, he moves to a more hopeful attitude towards the end, which sets the tone for the rest of the EP.
That optimistic sentiment continues with the next track, “Wasting Time.” We see Bobby alternating between beating himself up over his perceived shortcomings and reassuring himself that things will be alright and it’s not too late for improvement. The back and forth here is a relatable feeling for anyone who’s struggled with being too hard on themselves. This track flows really well, with the vocals and glitchy beat complementing each other perfectly.
The production on this album, handled by producer ANGELILUVYOU, is a well-balanced EDM blend with trap and hyperpop influences. There are also a few prominent piano samples across the EP that adds some extra sweetness to the sound.
By far the most upbeat of the songs here is “My Melody.” This is the closest “Chosen Angels” gets to a hip-hop track, but it still fits seamlessly with the rest of the EP. Bobby throws out some fun lines and allusions here, like “Honey Bumblebee / done earned my stripes / I feel like Optimus / In my Prime.” Both this track and the following, “Snow Bunny,” get sensual, with Bobby throwing out verses about his relationship.
The closer, “Ivory & Ebony,” begins with the same piano chords as “Destiny,” but then grows into a hard-hitting EDM anthem that closes the EP out on a powerful note. Bobby stays on the romantic wave started by the last few tracks while also bringing back the vibe of the first few tracks. With his new optimistic mindset, he questions where life will take him from here. The EP closes on an undeniably bright note, both lyrically and production-wise.
Overall, this project was an exciting advancement for Chaniel. I’m interested to see where he goes from here as he continues to develop his skills as a musician.
Favorite track: “Wasting Time.”
Listen to “Chosen Angels” here:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2AmhUPlpYdahUXBdT0tVqD
Who do you cite as your influences as an artist?
“I would like to just quote 2010s pop as my influences. You know, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber. The top-charting pop artists at the time. I was also influenced by Eminem and Lil Wayne back in my middle school years, my early adolescence, and that’s like my gateway into hip-hop.”
“Recently, I guess I’ll name xxxTentacion and Juice World as an influence. I feel like they’re a lot of people's influences for the modern sound. But nowadays I like to listen to kinda underground music, I don't like listening to mainstream music too much because it gets too formulaic for me to enjoy.”
“I like when people have a DIY intention and make their music themselves in their bedrooms or like they have their own home studios. You can find a lot on SoundCloud, there are just a lot of obscure, not-so-popular artists who are very talented when it comes to their production. You can also find some very talented singers as well and just people who are more willing to experiment. I like to look around, you know this underground DIY environment and take it all in. That definitely influences my sound as well.”
Not only are you a vocalist under the name Bobby Chaniel, but you’re also a producer under the name 808Chan. How does your approach with these two projects differ?
“I created 808chan as kind of like a producer alias because at the beginning of 2022 I started getting serious when it came to making beats.”
“I wanted to have that separation, so that sometimes when I introduce myself and network with other artists sometimes I’ll be like ‘hey I’m an audio engineer, I can provide this service for you.’”
How do you feel about the release of “Chosen Angels?” How do you think it compares with your previous releases?
“I think ‘Chosen Angels’ is a much-needed sound update.”
“I think those singles [“Venasawr” and “Out of Pocket”] were kind of necessary as a prelude to ‘Angels’ to signify me approaching towards a more electronic sound.”
“When I began my career, my image was very hip-hop focused. And I wanted to steer away from that because I feel like that’s not what I want to portray anymore.”
“I’ve realized a lot of people like when I sing, and I also like when I sing. I also like to rap, but it’s more like a fun thing, cuz I take singing more seriously.
“I think it’s well-received. I’ve had people hit me up and be like ‘you surprised me with this.’”
“‘Chosen Angels’ is a collaborative project between me and a Russian producer that goes by ANGELILUVYOU.”
“The aesthetic of ANGEL’s beats differs between modern electronic genres. For example, breakcore, glitchcore, hyperpop.”
“Me and ANGEL, we spent about a year developing my sound. And I think ‘Chosen Angels’ is the product of that.”
Your style has evolved a lot since the release of your first full-length project, “The Birth of Bobby Chaniel,” in 2019. Not only that, but your tone has changed a lot. Are you in a different place personally than you were back then?
“Back then I was making music as a form of therapy. I was going through a lot of mental battles. You know, depression anxiety, panic attacks, a lot of unpackaged trauma, a lot of family trauma, a lot of self-hate, a lot of internalized racism, feelings of inadequacy, feelings of being unwanted”
“Me making music was a way of expressing those emotions in a presentable form so I can share them, so when I made them in like 2018, 2019, people would know like ‘oh he's going through some shit,’ and maybe they could relate to that. So that's why I started making music in the first place.”
“Back in 2018, my senior year in high school, I got arrested and was in a very dark place. So I started making music to cope.”
“I felt like I have healed and learned from making music. Sometimes I would listen back and be like, wow. And me listening back is just remembering where I was in my life and reliving those moments. But yeah, I'm definitely in a better place now.”
“Compared to nowadays, the whole attitude towards ‘Chosen Angels’ is to express my feelings of desire to succeed in life, whatever that may mean. A desire to share love. I know that sounds corny, but now music is kind of a ritual for me to express having fun. Now I take it more seriously because I want to develop as a musician and connect with people. It's kind of like a drug. It's addicting and I think it's a good drug. I like to form connections with strangers, it's beautiful when people you don’t even know listen to your music and they hit you up and are like ‘wow, this really did something for me’ that’s what I live for. To make people feel those emotions that I feel. I think that’s a very beautiful thing.”
What’s the next step for Bobby Chaniel and 808Chan, respectively?
“I am dedicated to making music my career and my lifestyle. And I’m also finding out I don’t know everything yet, but I have an idea of what I want to do in the next six months. One of those things is to continue hosting events for music. I had a lot of fun during my birthday bash. Learned a lot of things, it was stressful, but I had a lot of fun. And I think being able to create a vibe and invite for people to feel like they’re a part of something is another component to making music.”
“For 808chan, I’m working on a couple projects where I’m not the vocalist. A lot of it is just mixing tracks for other people, producing, ghostwriting, engineering vocals. So eventually, as I build my portfolio, I would like to use 808chan as another source of inspiration and another source of income. Because making music is an expensive hobby until it's a career.”
“Being able to provide a service as a producer, as an audio engineer, definitely makes me a more well-rounded, multi-faceted artist.
“As for Bobby Chaniel, I’d like to keep exploring my new sound. That’s where I'm at right now, experimenting with the hyperpop sound I’ve created in collaboration with ANGEL and just run with it honestly. “
“Nowadays my attitude towards creating music for Bobby Chaniel is I'm embracing the changes in my life. My music symbolizes the changes that go through my life and I feel like people can really resonate with that.