Part 2
Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.
Currently I am planning my move to the United Kingdom, and everything is haphazard. But let’s check-in again with that question in a couple of months! Haha.
Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance, or album that’s particularly dear to you, please?
"Silhouette" is a track that's particularly dear to me. It actually started as a solo piano piece that I had written a few years prior.
One day, I was in the studio, and worked out a dance version quite different to the released version. I shared the piece with Cornelius SA and we started playing around with it and before we knew it, we had turned it into something really special.
The creative process for "Silhouette" was very collaborative. Cornelius and I bounced ideas off of each other and experimented with different sounds until we found the right balance. We both contributed to different aspects of the track, from the rhythm to the melody to the arrangement.
One of the things I love about "Silhouette" is how it evolved from a simple piano piece into something completely different. It's a testament to how collaboration and experimentation can lead to unexpected and exciting results in music.
Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?
When it comes to creating music, I find that working on my own allows me to really dive deep into my own creative process and explore new ideas without any distractions. I enjoy experimenting with different sounds and techniques, and I find that working on my own gives me the freedom to take risks and try new things without worrying about how they might be received by others.
However, I also value the input and collaboration of other musicians and producers. Working with other people allows me to gain new perspectives and learn new techniques that I might not have thought of on my own. Collaborating with other artists can also be a lot of fun, and I find that the creative energy that comes from working with others can be really inspiring.
When it comes to listening to music, I find that it can be both a solitary and communal activity. There are times when I really enjoy listening to music on my own, when I can really focus on the music and appreciate it. However, I also enjoy listening to music with other people, whether it's at a concert, a party, or just hanging out with friends.
Listening to music with others can be a really communal and uplifting experience, and I think it's important to share music with others and experience it together.
How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?
For me, music is a way to connect with the world and express myself creatively. It's a medium through which I can explore my own emotions and ideas, as well as connect with others who share similar interests and experiences.
I believe that music has an important role to play in society as a whole. It can serve as a form of entertainment, yes, but it can also be a tool for social commentary, political expression, and cultural exchange. Music can bring people together, break down barriers, and inspire positive change in the world (and within oneself). Music has an element of divinity to it – prayer, worship, meditation, focus … it is powerful.
Music can be a powerful force for good in the world, and I'm committed to using my creativity to make a positive impact however I can.
Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?
I'm interested in exploring themes of life, loss, love, pain, and more through my music. I want to create work that speaks to these universal experiences and helps listeners connect with their own emotions and experiences in a deeper way. I’d say that at every opportunity I supplement my life with music. To deal with joy, sadness, love, grief, etc.
I remain inspired by the music of others who have tackled these themes in their own work. From the raw emotional power of voice to the complex and abstract musings of an experimental composer (shoutout Nils), there are countless examples of music that have contributed to my own understanding of these questions and inspired me to explore them in my own work.
How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?
On a technical level, music is very much related to mathematics and physics. The structure of scales, chords and rhythms can be broken down into mathematical patterns and ratios. The behaviours of sound waves can be analysed using basic physics.
Music can reveal a lot about the human brain and emotions … the way that music can elicit strong emotional responses and even have physical effects on the body is amazing.
Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn’t or wouldn’t in more “mundane” tasks?
This answer sways both directions – yes, I believe that writing or performing music holds more creative significance and allows me to express myself in moving ways, but that is just me.
For somebody who is passionate about coffee, I am sure that creating the “perfect” cup of coffee is an entire symphony of its own!
Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?
From a philosophical perspective, music has the ability to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages because it taps into fundamental human experiences and emotions.
Jordan B. Peterson has talked about how music is an expression of the order and harmony that govern the universe. Music reflects the fundamental patterns and archetypes that are part of our shared human experience, and that it is able to convey deep truths about the nature of existence. Music has been shown to affect our brain waves, heart rate, and other physiological processes, which can in turn influence our emotional and mental states. This is why certain types of music can make us feel energized, calm, or even bring us to tears.
Music is able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages because it has the power to connect with us on a fundamental level, beyond language and cultural differences. It taps into something universal within us and has the ability to evoke emotions and experiences that are often difficult to put into words.
