Swedish multi-talent Felix Sandman has already left a long-lasting mark on each the music and movie industries. From his early days as a member of the internationally profitable boy band FO&O to his evolution as a solo artist and actor, Felix has frequently pushed inventive boundaries. Now, after a four-year break from music, he has returned with a contemporary sound and a deeply private inventive imaginative and prescient. His newest venture, titled “Yue,” is an introspective journey by way of themes of id, goal, and self-discovery.
The album’s title, “Yue,” holds deep symbolism, drawing inspiration from each the Chinese language phrase for “moon” and a pivotal character in Avatar: The Final Airbender, who sacrifices herself to deliver gentle within the darkness. This theme of trying to find steerage and which means resonates all through the album, as Felix opens up about his struggles with nervousness and the load of expectations. Via progressive vocal experimentation and uncooked storytelling, he invitations listeners into his journey of transformation.
On this interview, we’ll dive into Felix’s inventive course of, the inspiration behind “Yue,” and the way he has developed as an artist since his days in FO&O. We’ll additionally discover his experiences balancing music and appearing, in addition to his ideas on what the longer term holds. With a brand new sound and a renewed sense of goal, Felix Sandman is getting into the subsequent chapter of his profession—one that’s as sincere as it’s groundbreaking.
Felix, how do you steadiness appearing and music? Do these disciplines affect one another, and which do you at present prioritize?
I work with good people who find themselves nice at organising my schedule. Each issues go effectively with one another. In music, I play the totally different characters of myself. Proper now I’m Sandy Karlo in every part I create, from the lyrics to the music manufacturing, from the visible expression to the general public output. In movies, I play the characters of others. It really works the identical approach and has the identical depth; the one distinction is that I don’t need to be concerned or liable for each division’s contribution to the ultimate product. After I’m concerned solely as an actor, that’s a pleasant break for me. Precedence shifts backwards and forwards. Currently, I’ve been extra targeted on the music due to the album.
What impressed your return to music after a four-year hiatus, and the way did that result in the creation of your EP, Sandy Karlo, final spring?
After being compelled to steer clear of music due to my psychological state and the truth that I didn’t need to do it anymore, I may solely concentrate on restoration (and a few appearing). After nearly 2 years, I slowly began to really feel that the day without work was life-saving and completely essential. It made me see issues in another way and made me notice the adjustments I needed to make in my life. It additionally gave a spark to the thought of creating music once more, however in a very new approach. With out compromise, with respect to the inventive course of, with full concentrate on exploring my potential throughout the genres I’ve at all times recognized with and the eagerness for making a full physique of labor. Principally doing stuff that I truly like, that may get me someplace, quite than the soul-draining-fake “good publicity” bullshit. That was the one approach I may do it once more. So I known as my pal and producer David Husberg and requested him if he needed to take time and discover with me within the studio. That led to the creation of Sandy Karlo.
As you put together to launch your sophomore album, Yue, on January thirty first, are you able to share an summary of the venture? What can listeners anticipate from this launch?
Listeners can anticipate to not hear what they anticipate. Yue is my profession’s first masterpiece. It’s a ardour venture that I’ve poured my coronary heart and soul into, and I really feel like there’s a track for each particular person and each emotion or temper. In the event you’re an informal listener, you’ll simply take pleasure in some new, good fucking music. If you wish to dig deeper, you’ll be able to dive right into a world that tells tales each sonically and lyrically. There are extra issues to find beneath the floor and extra connections to make.
What themes does Yue discover, and what was the inventive course of behind it?
All through the album, the moon stays a continuing reference, symbolizing the seek for a guiding gentle in occasions of darkness. Yue chronicles my nervousness and displays on the expectations each I and different individuals have of me. I write about how I ponder what an individual is with out a goal whereas looking for myself within the noise of the encircling world. The introspective essence of the ”Sandy Karlo” a part of the album places forth a extra subdued facet of me. The opposite half picks up the tempo a little bit bit. The isolating nervousness transforms right into a extra reactive quest for my new self, for love, and eventually touchdown on self-acceptance. Even when the melancholy continues to be current, the aura will get a bit extra playful, and the sound relies on dwell recorded devices. Particularly on the main focus observe, Nylon.
Why did you select the identify of a personality from Avatar: The Final Airbender because the title in your album?
I didn’t, or I imply, type of. Yue, the character from Avatar who provides up her soul to gentle up the moon, is one type of inspiration that I had for the album and the title. I really like her. However Yue truly interprets to ‘moon’ in Chinese language, and that’s the primary motive why it’s the title. The moon, in all its totally different shapes and kinds, is the main image of the album. In order that, and my love for Chinese language and Japanese tradition, is the rationale behind the identify.
Apart from Avatar, are you interested by different animation, anime, manga, or manhwa? In that case, what are a few of your present favorites?
I’m nonetheless a rookie relating to anime in case you examine me with anime followers. I used to attract a number of manga once I was youthful and liked to play video games and watch reveals like Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Naruto. Additionally, films like My Neighbor Totoro. Proper now, I’m watching Arata Kangatari.
How was your expertise working with producer David Husberg on Yue?
David was probably the most instrumental particular person I collaborated with to create Yue. He has produced, labored, recorded, or performed on each track on the album. It’s simply as a lot his album as it’s mine. We’ve spent years within the studio collectively, going by way of all of it. Highs and lows. Exploring our potential and evolving. It made us turn out to be greatest mates. If we weren’t within the studio, we have been out {golfing} or going to the cinema. David is a genius.
What’s the story behind your focus observe, Nylon?
On Nylon, I’ve made it midway by way of the album journey and replicate on who I’ve turn out to be and if that’s somebody that I even like. I additionally mess around with totally different voices and vocal pitches. It appears like a special character to me. That was enjoyable to experiment with. Once we first made the demo two years in the past, it was actually fucking dangerous, however we had a sense that there was a number of potential there nonetheless. We put it apart for some time, however then we finally returned to it, and hastily it felt clear what we needed to do with it. David began producing in a short time, and I began writing the lyrics instantly. The entire track felt like a freestyle.
After the discharge of Yue, what’s subsequent in your agenda? Can followers stay up for a music video, a tour, or different thrilling initiatives within the works?
Yue is simply the beginning. Yue is my confidence. Yue is my gateway to countless potentialities. There shall be movies, there shall be inventive occasions, and there shall be dwell reveals. The primary present is in Stockholm on March 14th. There shall be extra music, and despite the fact that I really feel like Yue is without doubt one of the greatest albums to return out of Sweden in a very long time, there shall be even higher music to return. I’m engaged on new collection and films as effectively. I’m optimistic concerning the future.
photographs/ Tove Wall Dyrting
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