Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with xerai

This is going to be long, because I talk a lot hehe.

The project is called xerai (previously rizzzk), but I don’t see it as my personal solo music project. The name is just there to give it a name, but really it’s a union of musicians and artists who love to create and add their creative value in any way. Any artist is welcome if they fit the philosophy.

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

I have short memories, like buying CDs from a mail-order catalog, or recording my first demos on cassette using the typical white 90s computer microphone inside a closet. I also remember the first time I touched guitar strings…I remember it very clearly. I think that was the very first things that connected me to music. Random Stuff.

My family aren’t musicians or artists. My mother is a teacher and a seamstress, and my father worked his whole life in a car workshop. It’s true that my dad has ADHD, and all that potential ADHD can bring… I kind of redirect that in my own way into creativity, but you have to know how to control it.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

I think it was a mix of “ADHD led me to…” (back then without me realizing it), and the ease I have to create beautiful and catchy melodies.

I remember that little by little I became more and more obsessed with making music. When I was 14, I remember I was making breakbeat and 2-step demos. I remember things like one summer we went on vacation with the family to another island in the Canary Islands and I took my computer with me to make music… and it wasn’t even a laptop back then haha.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

The story is really long.

Professionally, I started working in 2011 as a ghost producer through a label in Los Angeles. I was there for 8 years every day, and I was very very lucky to experiment with many music styles and work with such a great artists, and the most important…to have an amazing mentor who is now my best friend, Chris.

That job is where I really discovered that I loved electronic music, and since then I’ve done work here and there, but I never really consolidated my ideas into one project.

In 2018 I moved to London, and electronic music there is incredible. That’s when I truly realized I loved the sound and the whole culture of electronic music, especially the UK sound.

In 2024 I decided to start making music under a project called rizzzk. Some really great songs came out, but I didn’t like the feeling of having to make music for other people to approve it (It happens a lot to many musicians), so around mid-2025 I took a break and thought about how I could evolve it.

I came to the conclusion (after trying and trying other things…) that I had to split my work into two: production for my personal project and mixing & mastering as a regular job, because I wasn’t enjoying making music anymore.

At the end of 2025 I started working purely as a mixing and mastering engineer saying no to any production job, and I left music creation to enjoy it purely for pleasure with other musicians.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

Very catchy melodies, a very fresh sound, and very musical.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

Learning how to use synthesizers, and always wanting to create new sounds with a purpose, not just because.

Let me explain: every song has its own needs.

When I listen to a song, I start analyzing it and I think, “this part is missing this, this part needs that…” and then I sit down and create whatever is missing. That way I can focus purely on making the best possible thing for that part of the song.

That discipline and structure changed the way I make music, because I can split the process into two parts: purely creative or technical. So when you’re in creative mode, you can experiment and express yourself with whatever you have at hand. It’s incredible.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

My synths, my drum machine, and a sampler as hardware for the music creation side: the creative part.

And then for the “technical” mixing part, I use a lot of mixing and mastering hardware that gives me that organic, fresh, real sound that I personally love, and it really boosts what I did with the synths in the “creative” part.

Even so, if someone reads this, I’d say you only need a computer to make a good song and express what you think, and I am not talking about suno., (had to day this.)

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

A lot, but to not name anyone (because the list would be huge…) I’d say that basically the people I follow all have their own art—whether it’s music, design, or visuals.

I’m really interested in art and creation. Music is the part I bring, but my IG or TikTok feed is full of artists whose work I personally love.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

A lot, because in my life I’ve had several turning points, and that affects how I feel and see the life, and therefore how I express myself and put my thoughts into each song, and you can hear it.

For example, when I started working with Chris in 2012, my sound changed in a radical way. When I moved to London… the sound of my music changed a lot too, adapting part of the real UK sound.

When you’re in a place, you absorb all of that, and if you’re someone who’s especially sensitive and you dedicate yourself to creating, all of that ends up showing in your work.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

That’s very hard to answer. Everyone is different, and what feels aggressive to one person can feel calm to someone else.

Personally, what I try to capture in each song is how I feel in each moment, and usually each song has its own vibe. But in general, my songs are always connected to an human emotion, always.

 What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

Knowing how to put it aside when you have to put it aside, because you know it’s going to be good for you, whether it’s because of a change you’re going to make or an adjustment in your life.

Quitting music is impossible If you love it. I don’t know anyone who truly loves making music and has actually left it. That’s why it’s very, very important to know when to stop… analyze…and adjust, so you can keep moving forward and keep motivated.

Also…! Keeping things simple and easy for others. People like simple things with no complications. I like being the one who makes everything easier and makes it work. Music also taught me that.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

I’m not someone who thinks about the future much in that way, and I’m not someone who asks for a lot. I just let life give you whatever it has to give you. Literally.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

I won’t give names, but you’ll understand me.

I’d make music with people like me, people who focus a lot on expression and on creating music based on their emotions and how they feel in the moment (whether in the studio or in a jam session).

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)

Technical side: https://yeraiibarria.my.canva.site/audio

Artistic / music side: https://www.tiktok.com/@xeraimusic?_r=1&_t=ZN-92x8DnWF85O

And if you want to talk with me or collaborate: https://www.instagram.com/yerai.ibarria/

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

For 2026, I want to make a lot of music and art with a lot of people. That’s the big goal for 2026 for this seed project.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

Music and visual content created by many independent artists like me.

If you want here you can add a representative Youtube video to insert below the interview 🙂

I’ve thought about how I’m going to do many parts of this project, but I still haven’t decided anything about YouTube 🙂

Thanks a lot.