99 Problems With Soul-Pop Artist SHAKO and Music Isn't One

With various talent to choose from in the city that never sleeps, artists such as SHAKO and his soulful musical abundance doesn't disappoint. The timbre of his tone can be compared to the greats such as Jason Mraz and Musiq Soulchild with airy but sultry tones reminiscent of good times and feel good music. Originally from Moscow and currently living in New York City, traveling the world has influenced SHAKO's experiences not only on life, but his music. "It’s given me multiple world perspective and it has definitely influenced my way of thinking and obviously writing. Being apart of another country’s culture shapes you in certain ways. Listening to different music and hearing different languages really shapes you as an artist." A: Did your move to New York later have an influence on the kind of music that you make? "Yes it has! I got opened up to more than just top 40 that I heard overseas at the time. Being in New York is like that x1000".

In May of 2018, SHAKO debuted himself as a solo artist by releasing his first single "99 Problems" landing press across the US, UK, and Japan on blogs such as Vents Magazine, Celeb Mix, and Ear Jelly. A track that was inspired in a usual fashion to us unusual New Yorkers. "I wrote the song on the E train in NYC. It was inspired by a couple who I observed while on the subway and I started letting my imagination run wild, letting the song kind of write itself." Produced by both himself and Malcolm Fong, the song embeds itself in organic Sententious melodies and vibrant warm-noted tunes. "The recording process was amazing once I got in the studio with Malcolm Fong. He is incredibly musically inclined and just a pleasure to work with!"

Heavily influenced by his father's music career, a saxophone musician, SHAKO honed and developed his skills not only through song-writing but by learning instruments such as guitar. "[Growing Up] He was an amazing musical role model in my life and just an overall amazing father. He opened me up to Jazz, RnB, and so much amazing music which has molded me into the artist I am today." With recently playing at a large festivals such as SXSW, in the short span of his career, SHAKO has already made major plays and is already imprinting his footprints into the depths of music. "It was truly exciting. I have never been down there and didn’t know what to expect. It was by far one of the craziest music festivals I have ever seen. I heard so many great upcoming artist and was honored to be apart of the lineup." With an E.P. cooking in the works, SHAKO has yet to show this one of a kind talent we have glimpsed.

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