Artemas came out of nowhere in 2024 with "i like the way you kiss me" and a vocal sound that was genuinely new. It wasn't quite pop, wasn't quite hyperpop, wasn't quite indie — it was this bright, slightly distorted, hyper-processed thing that felt like it belonged in a video game soundtrack.
What made it work was the contrast: an incredibly catchy, simple melody delivered through a vocal chain that was anything but simple. The processing made the voice feel larger than life while the melody kept it accessible.
The Artemas Sound
Pitch processing is aggressive but musical. Auto-Tune around 5-10ms — fast enough to hear it working, especially on sustained notes. But there's also a pitch-shifting element: the vocal sometimes sounds slightly pitched up (maybe +1-2 semitones), giving it that bright, youthful, almost anime-character quality.
Distortion/saturation is part of the sound. There's a deliberate edge to Artemas' vocals — a crunch that sits between "warm saturation" and "actually clipping." It's not as extreme as Yeat's distortion but it's there, adding grit and making the vocal feel more intense than the delivery alone would suggest.
The vocal is LOUD in the mix. Like, louder than most pop songs. The vocal dominates the mix in a way that's unusual for pop but common in TikTok-era music where the voice has to grab attention in the first second.
The Chain
- Auto-Tune: 5-10ms
- Pitch shift: Subtle +1-2 semitones (or formant shift up)
- Saturation: Medium drive, adding edge
- Compression: Heavy, 5:1. The vocal needs to be loud and consistent.
- EQ: Aggressive presence boost at 3-5kHz, air at 10kHz+. Bright and cutting.
- Reverb: Short, bright plate. 0.6-0.8s. Mixed at 15%.
Presets
- i like the way Viral — The hit sound
- Bright Pop Edge — Slightly less distortion, more accessible
- Game Mode — Full processing, maximum energy
- Plus 7 variations
Download the Artemas Vocal Preset Essentials
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