Melodic Alchemist: Nils Frahm
An extraordinary harmony of sounds and a boundary-pushing mind. We’re counting down to Nils Frahm’s concert at Zorlu PSM, where he’s known for his unique sound and captivating stage performances. Join us as we step into Nils Frahm’s enchanting world.
How would you describe your unique musical style in just a few words?
Nils Frahm: It is music without singing. Without words. Music is based around the idea that there’s a language in it where we all understand. I’m interested in exploring this universal language, which is music.
What inspired you to explore unconventional techniques and interactions with instruments during your performances?
Nils Frahm: It is an evolution of ideas and it was not like one plan to do what I’m doing now. It was just like a series of smaller ideas and what I experience now in the concert or what the audience experiencing is like an accumulation of all these ideas. I’m trying not to burn the bridges behind me in a musical way but add onto what was there. Also, I’m always intrigued to break the borders or the rules. So, my live performance is going toward the extreme.
Art can be wild or can be civilized. Art can remind you of a city or the cosmos, the stars or the jungle in Brazil. For me, nations are an illusion. Art is a wonderful way of overcoming all these idiotic borders and boundaries.
-Nils Frahm
Is there any art piece that you relate in a way with İstanbul or Turkey?
Nils Frahm: I don’t really feel like the art is a matter of a city or it’s a matter of a notion. Art is universal. Art can be wild or can be civilized. Art can remind you of a city or the cosmos, the stars or the jungle in Brazil. For me, nations are an illusion. Art is a wonderful way of overcoming all these idiotic borders and boundaries.
The piano plays a central role in many of your compositions. What draws you to this instrument, and how do you continue to find inspiration in exploring its possibilities?
Nils Frahm: I sometimes don’t really find the patience to explore more possibilities in the piano. Then, I just don’t bother myself and play other instruments. I get tired of playing piano every day, all the time. It’s a very interesting instrument. It’s a wonderful instrument. But, also not the only love in my life. It is one obsession that I’m having. Whenever I feel like I’m not really feeling a progress or don’t feel the joy to play the piano, I don’t punish myself too much with the idea that I don’t wanna play. I have to play even more. I just leave it aside for a while and do other things I want to do. I think making music or making art or making any job is wonderful yet hard. So, I don’t wanna make things harder than they need to be because it is not helping me in the creative process. Therefore, I try to stay in a mood where I feel like I want to play the piano. To be honest, I don’t always spend time with it. Like in every friendship, if you live together all the time, it might not be good for the friendship.
Alive or dead-Is there any artist or musician you admire and would love to collaborate with someday?
Nils Frahm: I love many artist. The more I love the work, the less I want to interfere. For example, if I love Radiohead or the song they make that makes me want to collaborate, I’m clearly loving it because I’m not in it. I love it because I didn’t join it. The more I respect somebody’s art or work, the less I want to interfere or collaborate with them because I would be afraid of destroying the idea of them in my head. So, collaboration is really closely related for me with friendship and growing. If there is a mutual interest and possibility grow together, then I’m really interested in. For example, I collaborated with my wife on the last record and she’s not a trained musician. But, in that way, playing music together is something you cannot describe or imagine. If you play with your favorite musician in the studio, it could be very disappointing because you have such an expectation of what is there to come. However, if you play with somebody that you have no expectation, you get easily surprised in a positive way, and this is the energy is really helping you to create.
How do you decide your song’s title?
Nils Frahm: Every time it’s a little different. Sometimes they have names until the very end; then sometimes they don’t. Sometimes label writes me “We don’t have song titles or what are the song titles?” Then, I have to come up with with 10 or 11 song titles. So, I sit down and listen to the record maybe once more and try to think of random things. I think in colors, or shapes or temperatures but I don’t think in words when it comes to music as my songs don’t have words in it. “Toilet Brushes” is a pretty nice title, I think. When people see that, they wonder it.
What’s the last song that you’ve discovered?
Nils Frahm: I don’t really discover the songs. I’m so old school I don’t liste to single songs because one song usually is way too short for me. If somebody writes a good song, that’s good, but maybe writing a whole good record then, I’m really amazed. The last record that I really dig was an African musician living in America. He plays a flute and percussion and it is so interesting.
Music is based around the idea that there’s a language in it where we all understand. I’m interested in exploring this universal language, which is music.
-Nils Frahm
Is there a specific piece of gear or instrument that you consider essential to your creative process – other than the piano?
Nils Frahm: My mixing desk. The way I mix the sounds together is very important so I consider the studio and my effect boxes, the reworking and the delay box. All these little friends, I considered them as an instrument as well. So, I think like the possibility to shape the sound in that way is really important.
Your music has been described as both soothing and thought-provoking, offering a contemplative space for listeners. How do you approach the balance between creating a tranquil atmosphere and engaging the audience on an intellectual level?
Nils Frahm: I really don’t want to have people only have one emotion in my concerts. If every piece is really sweet, contemplative and mediative, there is a chance that I get bored. I would like to explore and experience the ups and downs, the extremes, and the different facets of all emotions. As we humans are able to experience such a variety of different feelings. If the music only shows one side, I feel like it’s almost cheating. My concerts are inspired by your life. Everybody’s life is extreme. It has the most beautiful moments in it and the most horrible moments. Everything is in between, actually. The more I grasp that potential in my music, the more I’m interested in the music. So, what I’m trying to do is like going with extreme of what we are able to feel, getting inspired by the universe of our emotions and maybe even try to expand that because musically we can reach emotional points that are extreme and at the same time safe.
Are there any particular directions or collaborations you are excited about for your upcoming projects?
Nils Frahm: Every concert is a big challenge. I’m collaborating with not musician but with partners in the music industry. So, we are working on new speaker designs for a better sound. So, this year we will change a little bit of our set up. We are constantly evolving as a team. The result of the concert is always the common effort of everybody coming together and giving their best. The light, the sound and all of that is a collaboration for me. I feel like we are at this point where we all are really happy. The upcoming shows will be more special as we found a few new things to do, which worked really well and I hope people will come to experience that.