In his debut release titled “01 Ramen (Single Version),” Nadav Lavie manages to achieve the ideal balance between simplicity and complexity. The track is a prime example of abstraction, with a touch of jazz that sets the bar high for his future releases. Check out our interview with the artist to learn more!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Cloudy, Repetitive, Grainy
01 Ramen is beautifully simple and nicely complicated at the same time. How did you manage this perfect balance? Tell us a few things about it.
As a young musician I leaned into jazz music for studying purposes and my favorite musicians were instrumentalists like Coleman Hawkins who had the ability to play a sophisticated solo – one that uses complicated tools and ideas and still present them in a way that feels natural and easy. Whether I’m producing or playing a live show, my main goal and challenge is to create music that feels free of effort and can speak to any audience regardless off how complex it actually is. I wouldn’t say that I achieved that state completely with 01 Ramen but I’m glad it’s coming across.
The track is characterized in our opinion by a minimalist approach. Do you feel that music is a form of art in which you can achieve better results through simplification?
To me it’s more about abstraction than simplification. it’s comparable to a scientific experiment. every science uses abstractions to deal with concepts and theories in the field. it’s kind of the same thing with music; you have an idea, you decompose it to it’s smallest particles, you try it in different keys, tempos, ranges and timbres, you figure out what it is, what you like about it and what parts of it are gonna be left behind. What you’re left with is a specific case of the abstract idea that you had in the beginning of the process after you spent the time imagining and creating the different possibilities. As I said before, the process is complex but the outcome can sometime seem simple.
Artists and people that have influenced you?
Some of my greatest influences are bass players such as Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Oscar Pettiford, Christian McBride and some of the groups they played in.
Israeli artists that made me weep as a child like Arik Einstein, Shalom Hanoch, Yoni Rechter and many more.
And I was always into the classics like the Beatles, Queen, Beach Boys, Prince, Micheal Jackson etc.
In terms of music that’s closer in my opinion to the track we’re talking about, Q-Tip was an artist that I’ve been listening to none stop along with D’Angelo, works by Rodney Jerkins (Darkchild) and Kendrick Lamar.
Favorite loop-based album?
The Renaissance by Q-Tip.
What was your favorite part of producing your upcoming EP, “Creative Chaos”?
The process was pretty smooth, I was doing a lot of different projects as a sideman so whenever I had the time to make something of my own I was able to tap into a creative zone pretty quickly. I was creating without filters and listening back to some things just a month or so after creating them. To me, it’s great to be able to step away from something and then listen to it with a fresh set of ears. I listen and I know right away, either I like it or I don’t. I find that it makes my decision making a lot easier.
If the music of Nadav Lavie was a film, which film would that be?
Joker.
What isn’t a crime but should be?
Shutting down an idea without presenting an alternative.
Thank you!
Follow our Spotify Playlist Sonnets for the Big Screen feat. Nadav Lavie
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