Tāmaki Makaurau based rapper and musician Tîmmy The First returns with an introspective and philosophical new track, ‘Robot Heart Chakra.’
Born in Zimbabwe, and growing up in different cities around Aotearoa and Canada, there’s no one place that fully feels like home for Tîmmy, an experience he also finds reflected in his approach to music. “Core parts of life have been experienced in different places,” he says. “I feel like traveling and seeing different ways of life allows you to open your mind to alternate ways of living. There’s no one place that fully feels like home and it’s the same with my music. That’s why I explore different genres, because there’s no one genre that I feel like ‘this is Tîmmy.’ But the consistency is me, and my life, and my view of the world. Home is where the heart is and that’s the same with me as an artist.” Robot Heart Chakra was made with producer Abrahaim Kunin.
On the creation process Tîmmy muses on how he wanted to make something that hadn’t been done before. “It’s one of the reasons I call myself Tîmmy the First,” he says. “It’s a reminder to do my thing and pave my own way. With Robot Heart Chakra, we were trying to do something that we haven’t seen anywhere and just feel and express ourselves with the music. The song is a journey of emotions that just lets you listen and feel. While I was writing this, I was learning a lot of new things and understanding a lot more about myself as a person. I was facing my past, who I was and who I am now, and where I want to be. I wouldn’t say I’m there yet, but I’ve accepted that the journey is one of continual growth and change. One of my fears as an artist is time moving forward but my music and creativity sounding the same. I fear not growing over the years, not feeling like you have to try anymore. I don’t want my music or my life to be like that.” When asked about the meaning behind the title, Tîmmy says it basically does what it says on the tin! “It’s how the song felt to me and how the production of it felt. The song starts as a mumble and a vibe. It feels almost robotic but in a way that opens your heart and unlocks how you feel in your chest – your heart chakra. The song then pushes further and encourages you to jump out of that auto-pilot, robotic space and to feel something at a higher level.”
‘Robot Heart Chakra’ is the first track off an upcoming EP which Tîmmy describes as his life put on display. It’s a way to connect with other people. He describes the EP as a series of conversations between different sides of himself in conflict. The body of work is a peep behind the veil into the inner workings of the artist’s mind. “In my music, I like to express myself and say things that people normally wouldn’t say or talk about,” says Tîmmy. “I have conversations with myself on a track which others can relate to. Despite the dark themes of some of my songs, I like to have some sort of positive in the music. Some light at the end of the tunnel. After all’s been said and done, I like to leave people with a sense of, ‘it’s all good.’”
The ‘Robot Heart Chakra’ music video is directed by Conor Slattery. “It’s a very abstract video,” says Tîmmy. “It explores a lot of symbolism, foreshadowing of events and the lyrics of the song. We tried to tell a story with the video that was also open to personal interpretation. We touch on heartbreak, doubt, sense of no belonging, acceptance, change and growth all in just a few minutes.”
‘Robot Heart Chakra’ releases Thursday the 19th of October via Aotearoa New Zealand indie label Bigpop Records
