Beautiful, powerful and weirdly emotional. Swedish producer Patrik Berger has delivered a re-recording of Andreas Hourdakis ”Aiwass”.
Read our interview with Andreas Hourdakis below.
Describe your sound in three words please!
-Mountains, Space, Slash
Aiwass, melodic wise, is very unconventional. Should music as a form of art always challenge the listener?
No, what might be challenging to one listener might not be challenging to the other. What is important to me is that I challenge myself, when I write or perform my music, into uncharted territory. I hope that it brings an edge to my music that the listener finds intriguing or exciting. With that said, music is really about keeping an open mind.. as a listener, as a writer.
You were very satisfied with the result of Aiwass’s re-recording. If you were to do a re-recording yourself, which song would you choose (and why?)
On my previous record, Señor, I reworked/arranged Bob Dylan’s music to fit our jazz approach with my trio. It was fun but gruelling at times to make it work! Since then I’ve been focusing on writing my own music.. But if I were to choose and rework a song at this point with my band it would probably be A Forest by The Cure. It’s such a great song, gloomy and dark. I don’t think that tune has ever been played by a jazz band. The Cure are the best.
You speak highly of Patrik Berger and you seem to have a nice collaboration going on. Is there someone else you’d like to work with in the near future? And what do you think is the main ingredient of a fruitful and enjoyable collaboration?
The main ingredient of a good collaboration is trust. Trust that the person you are collaborating with will do something amazing if you just let them do their own thing. I think everyone benefits and will have a good time working together if you have this approach and most definitely the music will be better too! Patrik is one of the most musically gifted persons I’ve ever met. When I asked him to do a version of Aiwass I told him he could do whatever he wanted with the song. It turned out cooler than I ever could’ve imagined!
There are so many musicians/artists I hope to play or work with in the future.. Kit Downes, Tigran Hamasayan, Cretan lute player George Xylouris and the list goes on. And to keep on playing with Martin Höper and Ola Winkler in my band of course.
You have released numerous singles and albums over the years. Which one of your own songs would you say that characterises you the most?
There is a tune of my first album called Lake. I tend to write music that is quite atmospheric, dark and in the key of Ab minor. Lake has all of those qualities. If I don’t challenge myself from time to time when I write music all of my songs would probably sound like Lake.
Favourite album of the previous year?
Y-OTIS 2 by Otis Sandsjö
What do you like to do when you are not making music?
I’m quite boring, whenever I have free time I play guitar or listen to music. But I would really like to get better at windsurfing. I’m going to take lessons this summer.
If you could wake up and have a new skill, what would that be?
Be a better windsurfer
Thanks Andreas!
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