Boris Brejcha is on the move, and all roads lead to Level One. Check out our chat about his incoming album and return to the US!
High-tech minimal artist and Fckng Serious boss Boris Brejcha, has been the talk of the town these days. Not only is his record label celebrating eight years in existence, but after taking the brand on a North American excursion and documenting every awe-inspiring moment, he’s primed and ready to make his illustrious return. This Labor Day weekend, Boris will touch down at ARC Music Festival in Chicago, where he’ll switch on the memories from last year’s sensory-stimulating performance while leveling up with a bundle of fresh beats!
One of the tunes you may be lucky enough to experience on the big speakers is his latest release, “Vienna,” featuring Malena Narvay. This track is the very first to materialize off of Level One, his brand-new long-player set to arrive in 2024. The preceding tune is full of the Boris Brejcha flair that the planet has come to adore, featuring eloquent melodics, quirky accordion expressions, a spicy rhythm to keep the feet gliding, and feel-good vocals to tie it all together. The German producer was so thrilled about “Vienna”‘s reception that he decided to give the red Joker mask that Malena wears in the music video to one lucky winner via a contest on Instagram.
It’s always great to see an artist making it a priority to enhance the fan experience, all the more reason to do whatever you have to do to catch him in action this year. Beyond ARC, you’ll have the opportunity to see the enigma in action, first on September 2 at Mana Wynwood Convention Center in Miami, FL, before he hops across the continent to party at SUN Grand Park in Los Angeles, CA, on September 3. With his imminent arrival, we caught up with Boris to chat about the album and pick his brain about touring in The States. Continue for the chat and grab your tickets to the show!
Boris Brejcha, hello, and thank you so much for taking time out to chat. I’d like to congratulate you on your forthcoming album, Level One. Can you open up about how long this particular album has been in the works and how the process has been going?
Working on an album always takes quite a while. Whereby I don’t work classically, only on this one album. It’s more like I just produced songs over the years, and we end up picking songs for the album. Since I always produce a lot of songs, that’s the best way for me.
“Vienna” features the incredible Malena Narvay. What was it like working with her on the track? If you had to describe your favorite thing about her voice, what would you say?
It was very nice to work with her. She’s so easy and very relaxed. That’s the kind of thing you want in a collaboration. Her voice is just outstanding. I can’t explain exactly what it is, but her voice color sounds perfect to my ears.
The track is paired with a delightfully creative music video, which you and Malena starred in. Can you give us a behind-the-scenes dive into the video-making process?
The idea and implementation came from our video team. Since I used an accordion, it was obvious to shoot the video in Vienna. The instrument originally came from Vienna. We had a lot of fun shooting this video. Everyone showed a lot of ambition, and even my sister participated.
Other than “Vienna,” can you give us any sneak peek details of what’s to come on the album?
It’ll be a very nice album. I’m really looking forward to it. The song “Vienna” is more of an outlier. You can be very curious. I love it already. I can tell you that it will be a mix of new and old Boris sounds, and there are 17 songs.
Let’s switch gears and talk about your impending return to the US. You’ll be dropping by ARC Music Fest in Chicago before heading to Miami and LA. These are three cities that you are no stranger to. Can you tell us your favorite thing about each of these cities individually, both music and non-music-related?
Oh yeah. I’m really looking forward to these three performances. Miami has always been one of my favorite cities. This compact downtown, with its tall skyscrapers but not far from the beach, is super nice. Chicago is a classic. Rough and old school. This city has a very individual flair. Very good for taking pictures, with lots of cool spots. And Los Angeles is just Los Angeles. You know it from so many movies. The city is legendary. You simply have to be there. I’m looking forward to playing in all three cities.
Since we’re on the topic of touring in the US, back in spring, you went on an expansive Fckng Serious Bus Tour, and the documentary of your excursion has just been gifted to the world. With a camera following you almost constantly, can you open up about the challenges that come with exposing yourself to the world in this way?
In the past, we’ve already made two bus tours. One in Germany and one in Europe. Such a bus tour is always a great challenge. It starts with the planning. The route, how the bus is pasted, cost management, and more. It’s unbelievable to see what’s involved and how many people are working on it so that everything runs smoothly. For us, as artists, it was relatively relaxed. Even the long trips from city to city, sometimes over 23 hours, went by very quickly. So we had a lot of fun and are already looking forward to the next bus tour in the future.
With that being said, how do you keep your mental health in check while on the road? What are some of your tips and tricks?
It’s very simple. At least for me. I’ve found my own way over the years. The routes must be very well planned on the weekends, relax at every opportunity, or sleep and eat extensively. Then, even a stressful weekend can be very well survived.
What is something that stood out or surprised you the most on your drive up the west coast of the country?
Because we were traveling by bus, where we usually fly, it was very exciting to see how nature changes within a journey of 23 hours. Once we went from warm weather to cool weather. That was very impressive.
Last but definitely not least, the bus tour and documentary could not have been a success without the entire team backing you. But, was there anyone in particular that went above and beyond their duties? If so, we’d love to hear about them and how they impacted the tour.
I think that every single one gave everything. But of course, our team, which had planned the entire tour, showed full commitment. I have full respect for that. Marina was our head. She took care of everything in consultation with Carlijn, Steffi, and Alex.
Carlijn is responsible for our booking agency. Steffi takes care of all travel bookings, and Alex is our manager.
Boris Brejcha, it’s been a pleasure. Have a great time in Chicago, and we’ll catch up again soon!
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