The Unlikely Collaboration: Dubai + Cincinnati Natives Connect for International Hits
A collaboration that took a pandemic to forge: Adam Paddock and Moses Kazanjian (MOSES. of ‘BOUT SEVEN’) boast nearly 2 million total streams, across all platforms, praise from Zane Lowe, international acclaim from Art Not Algorithms (Live2), sync licensing deals, and honorable mentions in notable music networks such as Earmilk and Quadio. Adam Paddock is a 21 year-old singer-songwriter/producer/artist from Cincinnati, Ohio that studies strategic communication, music, and Spanish at The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH). MOSES. is a 20 year-old producer/instrumentalist/artist from Dubai, United Arab Emirates studying business at The King’s College (NYC, NY). The pair operates as separate artists curating new and unique soundscapes. In their two released collaborations titled ‘Milky Way’ and ‘AUTHENTIC,’ MOSES. produced the records as Adam sung and wrote. The two’s paths should never have crossed, though the unlikely meeting sparked inspiration and success for both.
The duo first connected in March of 2020. Adam was visiting home for spring break and was ignorant of the impending quarantine order. MOSES. happened to connect and befriend one of Adam’s close family friends who also goes to King’s College and was in Cincinnati visiting. The mutual friend of the two had Adam over for a euchre night and an immediate connection was made. This was the first time that the Dubai native met the Cincinnati native – two paths that seldom cross. From the start, the two shared music and played unreleased content for eachother. That night, the backbone of ‘Milky Way’ was born in Hubers Records Studio. The collaborative process took off on its own and the potential for greatness was immediately recognized. Later that year, ‘Milky Way’ was released as Paddock’s debut single and MOSES.’s sixth. The single has been described as epic, moving, and reflective.
The continued success of this release pushed the dynamic duo to produce a second collaborative track, ‘AUTHENTIC.’ This track was started in August and completed in January between academic breaks. Despite attending schools that are 500 miles apart, the alternative pop anthem came together swimmingly. The jazz-infused pop record received much praise due to its unique sound, progression, and energy.
The unlikely duo have sparked conversation around proceeding projects and the artists ensure that there is more music on the way. One euchre night turned into hundreds of hours in the studio which turned into noteworthy work. Adam Paddock and MOSES are a duo to keep an eye on – at this rate, we will be seeing much more of both artists, together and separately.
J.B. Smith is a freelance journalist and content creator. From a journalism background, J.B. is passionate about helping entrepreneurs & creators grow. With an interest in social media marketing, J.B. writes about creative influencers with motivating stories.
