German duo FLOYA offer up music’s version of cheese and chocolate in a gorgeous fusion of rock and EDM that oozes positivity and they describe as “ecstatic, celebratory and conscious.”
The duo of Marv Wilder and Phil Bayer hail from western Germany and formed when Marv’s former band ALAZKA was looking for a fill-in singer for a tour in 2020. They’d both worked with producer Chris Kempe of Embark Audio for years without knowing each other but, despite some reservations about getting back into music following the split of his previous band Time, The Valuator, Phil decided to give it a go. A friend made the introduction, Phil auditioned and got the role, but then Covid hit and the planned tour was cancelled.
But the duo didn’t let that put them off, as Phil tells us: “ALAZKA eventually dissolved, but Marv and I kept jamming and hanging out until we decided to go on a trip to Norway with Chris joining, to jam and figure things out. Little did we know that we would write Lights Out, Wonders and Epiphany in those three weeks and bring home the foundation of what was to become FLOYA.”
And on the sound the duo have crafted since, Phil explains: “Think about food and what happens if you throw two ingredients together that shouldn’t taste good from a rational standpoint, like, I don’t know, cheese and chocolate. It shouldn’t work, but oh it does.”
We were first introduced to FLOYA shortly ahead of their fantastic debut album Yume, which was released earlier this month. The album opens up with the deliciously laid-back intro to Stay, which flows into pulsing synths supporting mellow vocals. The pace picks up in a big catchy chorus, which returns later and gives way to a delicious guitar solo that sets up a big atmospheric outro.
That’s followed by Willows and Wonders, their debut single which opens up with a funky synthy intro before Phil’s engaging vocals take over and flow into a catchy chorus. And the album is packed with delightful rock tracks like The Hymn, which you can check out in the video below, Epiphany, Lights Out and final track Yume, as well as the more electronic-influenced Florescent.
But a personal favourite is Weaver, which opens up with light atmospheric instrumentals that feed into a laid-back opening verse. Delicious high-pitched vocals come in and drop into a powerful chorus “Why won’t you leave me, Dear shadow I’m done, I see right through you, Why would you leave me, You’re all that I’ve got I draw my light from you.” A cool wah-infused guitar solo takes over and drops back into a dreamy verse, which builds up to another big chorus. Check it out in the video here:
On the album, Phil told us: “We’re very excited for obvious reasons! (It’s the) first time we’re out here with a full body of work. The people who have been supporting us since we started will know most of the album as we released it in a slow-burn fashion, but still Yume will be a very different sensation if consumed in its entirety. And for the people who don’t know us yet, I think Yume is a perfect introduction to who we are and the moods we are about.”
The FLOYA sound has been largely influenced by Phil’s love for Peter Gabriel and Marv’s for U2. We bet you weren’t expecting those picks!
And on what inspires them to write music, Phil says: “One of the most inspiring things for us to write about is conscious living, so being aware of our time on earth and celebrating the fact that we’re even alive and what an important role love plays in this.”
FLOYA are currently planning a German headline tour, so keep your eyes peeled for more news on that. And Phil adds: “We have lots of new things in the works already, this is just the beginning. Thank you so much to everyone who has been with us since the start, it means the world to us!”
You can follow FLOYA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify and Apple Music. And check out more up-and-coming German bands through their label Arising Empire.
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