Exploring ‘A Radiant Sign’ and More with Nils Hoffmann

Captivating fans with a mix of deep, melodic, and progressive, Nils Hoffmann shares his world with us after the release of A Radiant Sign.

If it seems Anjunabeats is challenging the industry lately as a collective, you would not be wrong. The plethora of varied sounds from artists that grace Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep, and Reflections are impressive and only further showcase their global reach. Enter one of those talents in Nils Hoffmann. Catering to a blend of progressive house melodies blended into deeper melodic grooves, the young German based in Berlin quickly established his talents as a member of the Anjunafamily.

Now, as Nils Hoffmann releases his second artist album, A Radiant Sign, to the world, he graciously explores his imaginative sounds, musical knowledge, and how his influences spur him to weave new moods in his productions. This album profoundly exclaims that his creativity is just beginning and that this 13-track escapade is the tip of an iceberg of hopefulness in his new home of Anjunadeep.

Looking to gain more insight into A Radiant Sign and pick at his creative mind, we caught up with Nils Hoffmann to chat about the release and more. Listen to his album on Spotify or your preferred platform, and read on for the conversation!

Stream Nils Hoffmann – A Radiant Sign on Spotify:

Thanks for sitting down with us Nils. Congratulations on the release of your album, A Radiant Sign. Artistically what was your goal on the album, and what aspect are you most proud of at this point?

I wanted to develop my sound further from the first album, especially a tasteful combination of neo-classic and progressive house was a goal for me. I’m proud of the productions, I think it’s my best work to date yet, and also that I was very involved in the songwriting of the vocals.

Channeling that creative energy, one of the standout tracks was your single “Afterglow.” Can you share what the production process was like for this tune? How did you achieve its dreamy atmosphere?

Great to talk to you guys! I re-wrote Afterglow in a session with Griff Clawson, and for me, it was in the production about the combination of the fragile sounds in the verses and the more progressive energy in the drop. To achieve the dreamy atmosphere, I used a couple of Sample Libraries from Spitfire Audio, which I really love.

Your track “9 Days” dropped into a feature slot on Anjunadeep 13. We spoke of how stunning the vocal performance is wrapped in the silky atmosphere. Looking back at the track today, what impresses you most about the positive response, and what does it make you hopeful of going forward?

“9 Days” is a special song to me as it is my first solo appearance on Anjunadeep. I was very glad about the positive response from their fanbase, and I think a huge part of it was also the live video from James Grant & Jody Wisternoff. I’m very happy to be a part of the Anjunadeep 13 mix, and it gave me a good feeling about the album release.

You recently hosted a production walk-through livestream on the Anjunadeep channel on YouTube. What was the experience like, and what was the goal to explore in the walk-through with fans?

I did this for the first time and I was very excited about all the good questions that came in. I think the nicest part was to communicate with my fans directly in the stream and I wanted to give an interesting insight into my production method, including the plugins I use, the arrangement, the mixing and so on…

Earlier this year, you touched on a remake of a dance-music classic remixing Sander van Doorn & LVNDSCAPE’s version of “Need to Feel Loved.” How does it feel to have touched the classic tune, leaving your own imprint on it? Were there any creative challenges? Do you have any advice you can share for new talents as they embark on remixing for the first time?

It was amazing! I love the original, and I was very excited to work on such a classic. I wanted to bring this into my sound without losing the charm of the original. There wasn’t really a big challenge in the production which is always a good sign for me. Things that come easily to me usually work the best in the end. My tip for new talents would be not to stay too close to the original and make your own mark on the song. The original is already there.

Photo Credit: Eric Aydin-Barberini

As a Berlin resident, how do you filter the musical heritage and influence on the electronic industry? What strikes you most beautifully about the city’s atmosphere and energy?

To me, Berlin is my hometown first, as I was born and grew up here. It’s definitely inspiring to be in a city with a lot of venues and clubs. Furthermore, there are many artists and creatives around, which is helpful when you want to collaborate with somebody. I enjoy the most that there are plenty of cool things to do and it’s fun to explore the city, but at the same time, I always feel very at home here once I’m back from tour.

Back in March, you celebrated one year since the release of your exclusive set in the Carpathian Mountains over on Time:Code Music. Aside from the stunning locale and the challenge of playing on mountaintops, what memories does the experience hold for you?

It was my first set and travel after the lockdown, so that made it also special to me. I really enjoyed filming with the Time:Code crew as well. Apart from the filming, it felt like a fun road trip.

Finally, many fans may not realize how willing you are to share tips and tricks about music production. As a growing talent, why do you see sharing this knowledge as important? What’s the greatest reward for sharing your knowledge with the greater world?

When I started producing, I was always very happy when I found a video with good tips or could ask a more experienced producer my questions. Now there’s already way more good content online than when I began. The most rewarding thing is basically to get asked how I do certain things in my productions; that alone makes me happy.

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