Over the years, Rolbac has solidified his status as a prominent figure in the Middle Eastern and global music scene through relentless effort and accumulated expertise.
Photo credit: Rolbac – Official
By blending his musical roots with a distinctive style, Rolbac’s sound is marked by powerful rhythms, captivating vocals, and intense buildups that resonate with his audience.
Rolbac recently unveiled his new single, ‘A Good Lie,’ which takes inspiration from Billie Eilish’s ‘I Love You.’ Despite encountering initial rights issues, Rolbac chose to release the track as a free download, showcasing his dedication to his fans and his willingness to overcome obstacles.
The upcoming months hold significant promise, with multiple new releases and live performances planned across various international locations. In this exclusive interview, Rolbac provided insights into his latest release and his future projects, offering fans a glimpse of what’s to come.
EG: Hi, Rolbac! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Rolbac: Honestly, I’ve never been better. 2024 has been amazing so far, with lots of traveling, touring, and releasing new music. I’m based in Beirut, but I’ve been back and forth a lot.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the recent release of your new single, ‘A Good Lie’! You must be excited to have this one out. What has the initial reception been like so far?
Rolbac: Thank you! It feels incredible to finally release it after almost four years of playing it around the world. The reception has been fantastic in just a few weeks.
EG: So, what can your fans expect to find on ‘A Good Lie’? What’s the emotional trigger here?
Rolbac: So actually, I’m a big fan of Billie Eilish, and after my friend Marwan Bou Cham suggested the idea, I wanted to try to incorporate the track ‘I Love You.’ I aimed to translate the emotions of the original lyrics into a new form. The original track is very slow, and I wanted to give it a new take, one that would work in a club setting.
EG: What was the creative process for this one like? Do you have a “formula” or “blueprint” that you usually use to get things going?
Rolbac: Every track has been a different process. For this one, it was more like “Let’s try it out and see if it works.” It took almost a year to get it right. I wouldn’t say there’s always a blueprint for the creative process; you have to keep experimenting. When something clicks, you’ll know it.
“I wouldn’t say there’s always a blueprint for the creative process; you have to keep experimenting. When something clicks, you’ll know it”
EG: And ‘A Good Lie’ is out now as a free download. Why did you decide to give this one away for free?
Rolbac: Originally, we wanted to release officially, but we faced difficulties getting the rights. So, we decided to give it away for free, especially since we received so many requests for it.
EG: Are you making the music today that you thought you’d be making when you first connected with electronic music and began producing it? How has your sound evolved, and why do you think it evolved in such a way?
Rolbac: Definitely not what I expected. Believe it or not, when I first started producing, I was making Arabic music, and the first electronic music I produced was trance. Over the years, as I grew up, my musical tastes evolved. I’ve been through house, electronica, techno, and I’m sure it will continue to change as I evolve and as music trends change.
EG: On another subject, you’ve just had your debut at HIVE DXB, right? What was that experience like? How does the local scene compare to the European or American ones in your opinion?
Rolbac: It’s always a unique experience to play in a big room, and HIVE DXB was no exception. The electronic scene in the Middle East and North Africa has been growing massively, and it’s an honor to be part of it. In the European and American scenes, you’re more likely to be part of a festival or a small room club, whereas in Dubai or Lebanon, clubs attract massive crowds weekly.
EG: Regarding AI, which seems to be such a hot topic these days… What’s your stance on this? Do you see it driving the scene forward? Has any form of AI been used in ‘A Good Lie’?
Rolbac: While AI has become important in our world, I think it will always lack the human touch. However, there are small tools that can be useful to help the creative process. For ‘A Good Lie,’ no AI was used. The vocals were recorded by my former manager Lara Kays, who has actually done the vocals for several of my tracks. I love having direct control over the outcome, and I think AI still limits the creative process in some ways.
“I love having direct control over the outcome, and I think AI still limits the creative process in some ways”
EG: Finally, what can we expect from Rolbac in the next few months? Where can your fans catch you playing live?
Rolbac: We have a packed release schedule from now until the end of the year, for several new tracks that I’m super excited to publish. You can catch me playing in Beirut, Berlin, Egypt, Spain, Bodrum, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and many other locations to be announced.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Rolbac! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!
Rolbac: Thank you! It was a pleasure. I hope to do this again soon!
Rolbac’s ‘A Good Lie,’ is now available. Download for free here.
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