JEDDAH — Ayham Homsi didn't choose music, but it chose him. The creative visionary is a multi talented music producer, singer and prolific songwriter, living between Dubai and Jeddah. In music, articulation refers to the musical arrangement technique that affects the continuity on notes and s ounds, but Ayham's songs often articulate indulgent and unconventional stories. Not of entitlement or altruism, but from his personal experiences. His refusal to call himself an artist comes from his profound power of knowledge and love for art in its richest form. The etymology of Ayham's beats and sounds may remain unknown, as the artist chooses to slip behind the scenes and prefers to run the show, dissuading the spotlight. He said: “I think it's quite arrogant for someone to refer to themselves as an artist. I make art and if people choose to call me an artist then it would be an honor.” And guaranteed deciphering the code of success maybe subjective, but Ayham shares the pensive views of Horace. “You traverse the world in search of happiness, which is within the reach of every man. A contented mind confers it on all.” Music is not just a part of his culture, daily routine or studio-based curiosity but an everlasting need. He leads his life in a conscious world far from pervasive immorality but installs belief in retrograde immortality. Born in Damascus, Ayham was raised in Saudi Arabia where he developed his passion for music. “I was raised with an unconditional love for music. As a kid my family moved around a lot and since I couldn't have a “childhood” best friend I found my interest in music. It became a constant companion. As a child I took piano lessons but wasn't interested in the science of it all. I quit pretty early on but I found myself messing with music software when I was around 14 years old. Fast forward three years I'm back in Jeddah and that's where it all started. One thing worth mentioning is that if it wasn't for Samer Kredieh I wouldn't have progressed further. He opened his studio and gave me the tools that allowed me to evolve into the musician I am today.” He explained how working a full time job as a corporate employee and producer has its restraints. “In a way we are like superheroes. We work all day and come home to do music. As an artist my dream is to be able to practice what I love without any restrictions. My ultimate goal is to be able to score a film someday. That's a big dream but that's what dreams are meant to be, bigger than any reality.” The music producer has worked alongside popular Saudi musicians like Ayzee, Moh Flow, Omar Basaad, Run Junction and Qusai, but is soon launching his solo album for the first time. His interest in hip-hop opened him up to other genres, but mainly urban sounds. “One thing that people don't understand about what I do is that I don't only compose the music. I actually overlook the entire work until it's a finished record. I also write or co-write a lot of the songs that I produce.” Talking about his love for hip hop, Ayham admits: “At one point I listened to pop.” Years later he got a hold of an old Tupac tape. “The sounds were really interesting to me. I was inspired by the passion of the genre. No boundaries holding back the artists. They weren't trying to sell records. They were making records. Today my love for hip hop has transformed to love for music with all its genres. Although I can't deny that I still love everything that's urban.” Ayham spoke about his peers who started their careers at the same time and are now part of the Saudi artist community. “For almost thirteen years I was part of a group that had Joe (Blak Royalty) and Benjamin (Run Junction) and worked with Anas Arabi (engineer and rapper from Run Junction). “We threw what I would call the first decent sized hiphop show in the history of Jeddah. We then got into the studio with Samer Kredieh, who helped us work on a never released studio album. This was way before anyone could ever dream of being an artist of that sort in KSA. Couple of years later, I got into the studio to attempt to work on an artist/producer album. The idea was to collaborate with some of the undiscovered talent in KSA.” While scouting for talent to put on the project, Anas Arabi introduced Ayham to Saudi RnB singer Ayzee. “At that moment I realized that I am much better as a producer than an artist. I also realized that if I put in the right amount of effort and guided the right artists we would be able to put our music on the global map. I continued working with Ayzee and we were able to put out several projects in the last year that allowed him to really prove himself as an artist.” Simultaneously, Ayham noticed and started working alongside his younger brother, Molham aka Moh Flow. “Moh Flow was picking up some of the music and working on his own projects. I then realized that Moh is another artist that has some great talent. And with the right attention and hard work we were able to put out some great projects in the last 3-4 years.” Ayham said he plans to take the sounds of the Middle East to the world. “With a great team of artists such as Ayzee and Moh flow and my producer partner Mindcircus we have the right tools to do so. Motivation comes from within; external factors will only discourage you. I strive to make better music because it makes me happy.” When asked about what change he would like to see in the future for musicians in the Middle East, he said he plans to work with as many independent artists as he can. “I want to put out the best quality of music projects to motivate artists everywhere and let them know that they can do it too.” He has worked on tracks for Run Junction, Dubai's DJ Bliss, Hisham and “some more in the works.” He wrote “Everything About You” by DJ Bliss featuring Ayzee. Ayham said the underground music scene in the Middle East is on an all time high. “Everyday I hear about a new act and listen to the music and I am absolutely astonished by the quality of their work.” He said mainstream media poses challenges. “They want us to conform to their standards for them to help us. Like ‘sing in Arabic' or ‘change the topic' or ‘can we make the song less about this and more about that.' Artists used to listen, but recently the answer has become ‘NO!' “We are starting to realize that we don't need sponsors, mainstream media, or publishing labels. Today you can grow your own fan base, release and sell your music all on your own.” He said Moh Flow is working on two big projects. “Ayzee is set to release two new EP's. Last but not the least I am working on some personal musical projects that I would like to release within the next year.”
