Interview with Alkis Niilend: TELEVISED DREAM Preview
- Petros Klampanis
- Oct 3, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 4, 2024
Leading a brilliant group on his debut album Televised Dream, Athens, Greece–based guitarist and composer Alkis Niilend strives to offer an organic listening experience, with seamless transitions making each of these inspired original compositions naturally “resolve” into the next.
“Half of the pieces are songs with lyrics” Niilend explains, “and half are instrumental pieces adorned with [wordless] vocal melodies. “For the past few years, I’ve had an equal love for jazz, electronic music, classical/post-Romantic music, singer-songwriters and ambient music, among other things, and on this project, I think it shows.” He names artists such as Adrianne Lenker, Blake Mills, Brian Blade and Lili Boulanger as significant influences.
1. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your upcoming release? How did the
concept for this project come to life?
Alkis Niielnd: Back in 2022 I had many songs/tunes in the works, including these ones. When it came time to start putting together my final recital for university, I chose these 6 songs out of the bunch, because I noticed a common thread between them. After some experimentation, I found that they somehow told a story when I put them together, especially in the order in which they appear on the album. So basically, both the inspiration and the concept for this project are direct results of my desire to graduate.
2. What was the most challenging or rewarding part of the recording process for this
album/single?
A. N.: The most challenging part, was that we only had one studio day booked, and every minute counted. Fortunately, everything turned out as planned. The most rewarding part of that whole process in my experience, is always the moment when one finally gets to hear the masters of their songs for the first time. Truly exciting, especially if the listening environment is ideal.
3. How does this release reflect your evolution as an artist? Are there any themes or messages you’re particularly excited to share?
A. N.: I believe that the fact that I’m honestly proud of it, is proof that I’ve “evolved” as a person to the point where I can get out of my own way and really trust my intuition. Now, regarding the album’s themes and messages, I am much more interested in hearing what the listener gets out of it, than I am in my own “definition” of what the underlying intent of the music is. That’s for every person to find out on their own, given that they listen to it carefully. The only thing I can say with certainty is that it was made with lots of love and care.
4. What’s one thing you hope listeners take away from this project?
A. N.: It really cannot be distilled down to one specific thing, primarily because the listening experience is such a personal “ritual” to each listener, that I wouldn’t want to ruin the product of the audience’s imagination by imposing a specific premise on them and labeling it as «The thing to be taken away».
5. What can we expect from your live performances tied to this release, and how do you plan to bring the album’s sound to the stage?
A. N.: I think that by design this music is supposed to be played and heard live, where the sound becomes palpable. The live instrumentation is almost identical to the album, but all the exciting stuff, you have to catch us live to find out what they are.
6. How does the creative environment at PKmusik influence your music?
A. N.: PKmusik is consistently putting out great albums by outstanding artists and I’m super glad that Televised Dream found a home there. Petros provides a super familial environment, promoting originality and creativity across all fields of music-making.
7. What role do collaboration and your bandmates play in shaping the sound of this project?
The songs were fully formed both in my head and on paper before I showed them to the band. That being said, they are such great musicians, that if I’d told them anything other than “play what you hear”, I wouldn’t have done the project justice. Their spontaneity and individuality are what makes it special to me. This level of trust is what defines true collaboration for me and it’s also the reason why the music took on a life of its own.
8. Were there any specific musical or non-musical influences that inspired this release?
A. N.: I’m sure I could name a thousand artists whose influence on me has found its way in there in a myriad of ways. But my primary influence will always be the people I love, since they’re the what I care about the most in the world.
9. If you had to describe your upcoming release in three words, what would they be?
A. N.: Intense, vespertine and open.
10. How do you approach balancing personal expression with broader themes in your
music?
A. N.: By writing something that, despite it stemming from deeply personal thought processes, isn’t devoid of the space it needs to be able to be interpreted in countless ways. I’ve always respected artists who do this, not only for their audience, but for themselves too. This way they have a reason to be excited about revisiting and breathing fresh air into their early works in the future.
11. What was the most surprising moment during the creation of this album/single?
A. N.: I vividly remember the moment when we recorded the song “Sorry to Bother, But I’m Better Now”. It really felt like time stopped for 6 and a half minutes.
12. How has your sound or creative process evolved since your last release?
A. N.: In every conceivable way. It’s evolved from how I record, to how I think about the structural aspect of music, to how I play, to how I arrange, to how I write, to my relationship with composure, to what grabs my imagination, I could go on and on. I am always keeping an open mind and this is why exploring new musical territory excites me to the degree that it does.
13. Is there a specific track from this release that you feel particularly connected to? Why?
A. N.: I think that “Overhearing a Fight” fell out of the sky and I’m happy it did. It felt like it wrote itself, almost as if I discovered it one night. I also really love everything about “A Bedtime Story”.
14. Can you share any behind-the-scenes stories from the recording or writing process that
stand out?
A. N.: Well, everything apart from “Goodbye Cinema” was recorded with the band. “Goodbye Cinema” was recorded entirely in my bedroom. I played the instruments and fashioned a rudimentary booth-like space for Anastasia and myself to record the vocals in. I stacked every pillow I could find on my bed, up against where the two walls meet in the corner of the room (as you do when you’re recording at home), put a mic in front of them and it worked perfectly, despite looking like a complete mess. I also recorded the guitars that way. I am really happy that the song ended up sounding great, even though it was recorded it in totally untreated room.
15. What does this release mean to you personally, and how does it reflect your journey as
an artist?
A. N.: Other than the fact that I am very fond of the music itself, it means a lot to me that the songs got to be played by phenomenal musicians whom I’ve been admiring for many years and with whom I’ve wanted to collaborate since the first time I heard them play. The part of the journey that was captured on this album is one that I’ll hold dear to my heart and will carry with me forever. I can’t wait for the next one.
TELEVISED DREAM is available to purchase on CD and DL formats via our website. Purchase here.
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