First video: FLOC on rap music, synths and Be_Hear / Now

By Benjamin Lamb

Continuing our journey Be_Hear / Now takes us to the music of Sarah Barclay, more commonly known as FLOC.

FLOC’s incredible genre-bending music culminated in a number of different inspirations, years of involvement in the scene, and her involvement in workshops and networking events throughout the State.

Finding a love for music in school, Sarah began her journey into the world of music creation by learning a range of instruments.

But as time went on and Sarah began to create her own tracks and produce original content, she found that programming instrument sounds into a synth was much easier than lugging around instruments from the show. at recording studios.

“I kept learning all these weird instruments like the flute, the trombone, the guitar, all that random stuff. I’m always looking for sound, weird sounds that I couldn’t create, ”she says.

“Years later I started making electronic music and discovered that there is a whole new world of sound with synthesizers and sampling, you can do whatever you want.

“I’m not trying to record instruments or anything. I’m just programming, love it, it’s awesome.

Sarah’s music has strong electronic elements, but also has hints of soul, folk and indie genres, it is clear that this is the sound of an artist with a deep taste for music. Sarah notes that her greatest love is hip-hop and that rap was her first foray into musical creation.

She adds that the studio has helped many parts of her career, but the main inspiration was found in a connection through the artists’ dedication to the lyrical content of their original works.

“I met this artist, who told me about Dig Deep, a hip-hop collective that takes place in Melbourne, and I would travel from Ballarat to go there,” she says.

“Everyone there was writing their own music, and that’s probably what prompted me to write lyrics a certain way, to learn to tell your own story, to listen to others and use it. rhythmically.

Hip-hop is deeply embedded in some of the most in-depth production processes and techniques, some of which are still relevant today and still apply to Sarah’s musical creation today.

“I think the poetry element is definitely still strong today,” she continues. “But I don’t really rap as much as I did when I started. I’m more of a singer, and I guess the way I sing it is sometimes somewhere between rap and vocals.

As seems to be the case with many talented musicians in Ballarat, they praise their city’s music scene and the incredible way they train musicians.

“I started in Freeza when I was 14 and had my first gig in Karova, which was just unreal at the time,” she says.

“Going to all the underage concerts around town, you meet a lot of different bands, and most people are still playing music, years later.

“The local venues were also a big help, The Eastern, they let me do a residency, and after that they let me book a few shows, which was really cool. Mostly just meeting different bookers and different artists. A lot of it is about talking to everyone, ”she adds.

FLOC’s Be_Hear / Now performance below features a new track, “Scared Me,” which you can hear soon; “I will release it next year someday.”

As has been the case with the Be_Hear / Now videos, FLOC’s performance displays an incredible array of visual mastery, shaping performance and drawing people in.

While there hasn’t been a direct correlation between the setting and the song, Sarah notes that the space helps the song stay raw and really reach out to those listening and watching it.

“It was on a rooftop, which is so cool, it was at a place called the MLC building. When we were at the top of this building it was great to just look around the place, ”she says.

“Looking at Black Hill and seeing where I live, then behind me you could see the popular buildings in Ballarat, that was really awesome.

“It’s just a cool place that adds to the atmosphere of the song. I feel like the song kind of fits the mood. They have nothing to do with each other, but it was really cool.

As you will see below, the performance is full of emotion, FLOC performing the song alone with his guitar: I’m right here playing the guitar.

After broadcasting this Be_Hear / Now performance to the world, Sarah hopes that she can inspire people to start their musical careers, especially in Ballarat;

“I hope young people will see it and take an interest in it, because even when I book shows I have a hard time finding other women and gender non-conforming people who are creating electronic music,” says- she.

“I would really like to work with more people like this. Hopefully there are more women or gender non-conforming people who want to reach out and be like, Hey, how can I do that? “

Sarah notes that this is an area that often does not have a lot of accessibility, and it is an area that needs more light; “I would like to see more in small areas. This is an important area for Sarah, some of those artists who have led the way in this space are sure Sarah admires in many ways, and states that there is a gap for Ballarat;

“There is a big lack in Ballarat. There are artists that I watch and I think it’s great. I think Ninajirachi is really cool, and Alice Ivy is awesome. I would like to see more people in rural and regional areas do that sort of thing.

Follow Floc on Instagram here or visit the Be_Hear / Now website to find out more.