Interview with Parov Stelar

Foto: Parov Stelar - Copyright: Etage Noir Recordings
Parov Stelar
© Etage Noir Recordings

March 9, 2012 | Parov Stelar just started his European tour to promote his new album The Princess EP which will be out in stores on April 20. He will tour Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland and of course, his native Austria. In our exclusive interview Parov talks about his upcoming album, his life as a successful musician and what's really important in life. Also: How does he create his complex and diverse sounds? Which TV show is his favorite? And what is he listening to at the moment? Read more...

Note: © myFanbase 2012 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first 2 questions or up to 160 characters if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted with full credit including the writer's name and link to this site.

1. How would you describe your music in one sentence?

The powerful combination of swing & electro music... which means the electronic world meets the organic and forgotten world of jazz & soul.

2. Was there something like a light bulb moment when you were young, maybe a concert, a certain song or a record that made you dream about a career as a musician?

Originally I dreamed of having a career as a Tennis Pro :)
But let me think, yes I can remember being impressed by the Video "Take on me" by AHA... so first of all I got excited about the video and then the song!

3. Are there any artists that might have influenced you or inspired you some time?

I am very open to different music in general... I also listen to pop and rock, it depends on the situation and my mood... but to be honest, I am not really a big fan of heavy metal or Mozart. Maybe if I accompanied his songs with some electro beats made by Parov Stelar :)

4. How do you develop your songs? What part comes first, music or lyrics?

The truth is, there is absolutely no strict rule or a specified plan behind "how to develop a song". Sometimes it starts with a special moment, where some lyrics come to my head and I feel the need to go to the studio and try to combine it with the compatible sound... and sometimes it is the other way around, it starts by becoming addicted to a new beat or style, by just experimenting around... and then I go in search of the lyrics for it.

Finally what type of song it is, whether it will be a dance tune or a more relaxed and quiet onek, all depends on my mood.

Everybody knows that sometimes you just don't feel in harmony with the rest of the world :), like when it is a rainy day and you have other problems on top of that as well. In this mood you are more likely to make a kind of deep, thoughtful and slow song... and another day, when the sun is shining and you feel like everything is pretty good... you get inspired for a kind of happy, funky and positive song...

5. What song is most important to you? Why and how did it develop?

I am not able to answer this question, because it's the same issue with friends, it is not clever to make a ranking... because in the end some of them would be jealous!

6. In what aspects did your music change compared to when you started to make music?

I think every song or album is a kind of development, depending on different facts like outer factors, moods etc. ... which are changing constantly from day to day. Of course also technique and the growing experience of being a part of the music business for a while are facts which influence the changes from album to album.

So as a result, every album is made in a different way... I think it is important to always be in a process of developing... it's more than necessary to be different.
Because stagnation kills you! One important thing for me is also that my own handwriting is always in evidence.

7. What has been the best experience so far as a musician?

Foto: Parov Stelar - Copyright: Etage Noir Recordings
Parov Stelar
© Etage Noir Recordings

That's a difficult question because to be honest, I think I can describe myself as a "lucky man", able to say that I had and still have and will probably go on having a lot of awesome moments & experiences...

Of course, this business is not always easy, glamorous and bright :) ... it is also a lot of hard work and there is a lot of pressure. It is a very competitive and envious environment and you are confronted by these things every day. But you know, every live concert for example gives me and my band such an enormous positive feeling and so we get back the energy we need to continue... and I love to see the crowd enjoying themselves. Those moments are definitively the gratification for all the hard work, and the busy time table with travelling around... even if I am not that big a fan of flying... getting in touch with so many different cultures, seeing so many parts of the world are just incredible experiences... I do not want to miss.

8. What can you tell us about your current projects?

Right now we are working on our new album "The Princess EP" which we will be released very soon... so it's the final phase :)

So of course we are going to do a lot of shows around the globe to spread our sound to everybody who is ready for it.

At the moment, there is a big demand for shows in America, that's overwhelming. Our planned tour starts in March, so for everybody who wants to join us... all the schedule details and tour dates can be found on our homepage: parovstelar.com.

9. And what are you aspiring to in the future, what do you want to achieve?

Of course I want to go on making my own music, making a lot of great albums, live shows, working with interesting artists... and being successful with Parov Stelar & Band and my own label. But to be honest, also incredibly important for me are my wife Lilia Bloom, my friends and home, which I need to have enough time for, to get inspired and to regain the energy to make music and be a creative musician.

I would define "success" as having the view and appreciation for the smaller things in life... but also being able to see the bigger picture :) Finally being satisfied with the things you have reached in your life.

10. With whom would you like to go on tour?

I am more than happy having my great band by my side on tour... we are like a big family.

11. What record would we find in your CD-player right now?

Kitsuné Maison Compilation 12

12. What do you think, as artists, about platforms like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace?

For me, as an artist, these platforms are really great options to get in touch with our fans... to keep them up to date, to inform them about releases, concerts, put some pictures into the web - and of course, to get some feedback.

13. myFanbase is a website that is devoted to American television shows. Do you have a favorite show?

The Muppet Show

Maria Gruber - myFanbase

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