Meet Danny Aranson | Artist & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danny Aranson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danny, how do you think about risk?
Over time, I’ve found that taking major risks has only strengthened by belief in myself and my decisions. For example, sacrificing my scholarship I had worked my entire student life for (against my parents’ wishes) by dropping out of college to fully devote myself to my career in music production, was probably the biggest risk I have taken so far. It took courage to go against the path that had been set for me for my entire life to go to college, and I knew I would have to make sacrifices such as a social life and relationships to focus on my career and make it work, but I was confident that my passion for music would take me there, which it did.

My hard work eventually got me signed to Internet Money Records, a popular upcoming label known for its strong producer development and their impressive rap catalog. They were my idols when I had started producing, and I eventually got to join them. I produced for popular upcoming artists such as Destroy Lonely, Skaiwater, and even made it on a Skrillex album. I learned so much from the other producers at the label and I’m so glad I got to be a part of that group I always looked up to as a young producer.

My next huge risk was deciding not to extend my contract with them after my 2 years was up, to follow what I realized was my true calling: being an artist. I was turning down a more solid source of income and connections but it felt like the right decision.

In May 2023, I started my artist journey as Nocturne’s Kiss.
A year and a half later, and I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made as an artist. I was able to use my production knowledge to create all my music on my own, truly DIY making rock songs from my bedroom but with a huge sound. I grew my fanbase on social media, currently at 63k followers on TikTok, and 20k monthly listeners on Spotify. Now the next main goal is translating the online fanbase into fans in-person, really ramping up the live shows now. I’m still on the journey, but the pride I’ve felt and the impact I’ve made on my fans so far has told me that I made the right decisions to make it here where I am today.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My music has the true passion and raw emotion that made so much music of the past stand out and what arguably has been lost with the new age of music. I love to be very descriptive and poetic with my songwriting, and creating a world the listener can immerse themselves in that spreads across multiple songs. The most important thing I had to learn was to stop following the trends and make what I loved. Especially as a modern hip-hop producer, it was very common to be asked for instrumentals similar to whatever was popular at the time, and that was something that made me resent the industry I had decided to be part of. I didn’t want to make music for money or to guarantee virality, I wanted to make music that spoke to me. With my knowledge as a producer, I was able to blend elements of genres I loved like alternative rock, shoegaze, hip-hop, grunge, ambient, electronic, and classic rock songs. I study the greats like David Bowie, Queen, Nirvana, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, The Cure, Misfits, and other iconic acts to understand what makes them great and how to get the most out of my art learning from the past. We have so much information at our fingertips with the internet, so it’s so important to use it to study. However, many people nowadays feel like they don’t know where to go next or how to innovate, so they just fully rely on nostalgia to appeal to a crowd who likes older artists. I want to be able to tap into the magic that these classic acts had, but still innovate and create a sound that is unique to me without simply copying the bands from the past.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well the first thing I would take them to do is check out the local music scene! I’d go to shows at the Masquerade, Smith’s Olde Bar, or The Earl. I’d also love to go biking on the Beltline or check out Ponce City Market. I also love some Benihana.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Jon Hicks – my manager for my production, a&r for Internet Money Records, helped me navigate the music industry when I was first signed (he was the one who signed me) and was a voice of reason I could always turn to when I needed advice

Taz Taylor – CEO of Internet Money, great role model; seeing how he worked and ran his business was inspiring, I got to see how he tackled day-to-day challenges in the music industry and got to learn from him.

John Michael Young, Mason Embers, Jack Ortiz – my live band for Nocturne’s Kiss – I just recently got to know these guys over the past few months, but they have truly helped me bring my vision to life for this project. Being able to perform the songs I had produced and recorded in my bedroom to a live audience has just been so rewarding and it wouldn’t be possible without them.

Website: https://linktr.ee/nocturnes_kiss

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nocturnes_kiss

Twitter: https://x.com/nocturneskiss

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NocturnesKiss

Image Credits
Sandy Ha
Thrashbear