Banx & Ranx On Their New Single “Balenciaga,” Writing For Sean Paul & Other Greats, Future Career Goals, Touring & More

Channeling the strength of their creative union, Banx & Ranx have surged to the forefront of popular music both behind-the-scenes as producers and in the spotlight as artists. Tallying over 2 billion streams worldwide and over 1 billion YouTube views, the Latin GRAMMY Award-nominated Montréal duo — comprised of Zacharie “Soké” Raymond and Yannick “KNY Factory” Rastogi — attribute their success to their collaborative style in the studio and their talent for infusing their signature ECM (Electronic Caribbean Music) sound. Since becoming an artistic duo in 2014, their chemistry ignited the career-changing experiences of producing, co-writing and collaborating with numerous international megastars, including Dua Lipa, BLACKPINK, J Balvin, Ty Dolla $ign, Sia, David Guetta, Shenseea, Ellie Goulding, Sean Paul, Diplo, Major Lazer and Gorillaz. Songwriting and producing accolades aside, Banx & Ranx recently announced that they have partnered with Universal Music Canada for the next chapter of their careers with the joint focus of signing and elevating the next generation of Canadian artists bound for international acclaim; their Montréal-based label under UMG Canada is 31 East.

Today, Banx & Ranx released a brand-new single “Balenciaga” via Universal Music Canada and Polydor France. Co-produced by Banx & Ranx and Canadian-Dominican producer Real Mind, the dancehall and reggaeton track notes a return to what Banx & Ranx’s signature ECM sound is rooted in. Featuring vocals from Jamaican artists and dancehall luminaries Konshens and Demarco, “Balenciaga” is slated to be the next “bashment anthem.” To name a few key recent accomplishments otherwise, 2022 has also seen Banx & Ranx score 3 consecutive Top 10 hit singles (“CTRL + ALT + DEL” and “Headphones” with Rêve and “Flowers Need Rain” with Preston Pablo), collaborate with Cirque de Soleil as Musical Directors on MŪV and run dozens of songwriting camps with artists from all over.

On October 19, 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with Banx & Ranx via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond “Balenciaga,” we talked about career goals, musical influences, touring plans and life outside of music. More on Banx & Ranx can be found online by clicking here, here, here and here.

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Tags: Banx & Ranx, Cirque du Soleil, Dua Lipa, Gorillaz, Montreal, Sean Paul, Ty Dolla $ign, Universal Music Canada

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."