Music Spot: Cyrano – White Wine

From time to time, we shine the spotlight on a SoundGym member by reviewing one of their releases for our Music Spot feature. In celebration of the fact that we are adding his music to our SoundCoins Store, we are going to take an in-depth look at Cyrano’s recent single, ‘White Wine’. 

Cyrano is Edinburgh based producer and multi-instrumentalist James Vettese, who on this track teams up with saxophonist Jazzi Bobbi (known for working with Nilüfer Yanya) and co-producer Oli Barton-Wood, whose credits include James Blake, Nilüfer Yanya and Blaenavon. 

Vettese sings, plays Rhodes, and programs the MPC beats as well as taking on co-production duties here. ‘White Wine’ is a beautifully written and performed song that seems tailor-made to catapult Vettese to a much bigger audience. Vettese explains that the song is written about those “fleeting moments with consequential strangers who shift your worldview in one late-night conversation. The track celebrates those spontaneous hours of connection with people who enter your life, at just the right moment.”

Cyrano demonstrates here that he is extremely adept at crafting memorable melodies. Even the verses are laden with hooks, while the chorus wouldn’t be out of place on mainstream pop radio. Jazzi Bobbi’s sax complements the generally smooth sound of the production extremely well. The production of the drums is particularly interesting here – without them, the track could be in danger of drifting into ‘wine bar’ territory, but they are bold, dynamic and propulsive. The rhythm section adds character and urgency to the track, elevating it into something that refuses to drift into the background. 

Cyrano’s star is rising fast; in 2021 he topped the Hype Machine charts on three occasions and received airplay on BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio. He also received national press in The Scotland on Sunday newspaper, who made him their artist of the week. 

You can find out more about Cyrano on his website. You can check out his music on Spotify, SoundCloud and YouTube, and you can follow him on Instagram. His music is available in the Soundcoins Store now, meaning you can use it in our games.