{"id":188926,"date":"2018-10-15T13:16:29","date_gmt":"2018-10-15T11:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/?p=188926"},"modified":"2018-10-15T13:16:29","modified_gmt":"2018-10-15T11:16:29","slug":"alpen-rapper-melancholie-und-maske-arkan45-im-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/2018\/10\/15\/alpen-rapper-melancholie-und-maske-arkan45-im-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Alpine Rapper: Melancholy with a Mask | Arkan45 Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Away from the Alpine country and into the urban jungle \u2013 that was Arkan45\u2019s idea. The Austrian rapper lives on Leopoldplatz in the edgy district of Wedding. The real big career bash lies ahead of him. On 7th October, he released his single ‘F\u00fchlst du mich?’ (‘Can You Feel Me?’). It\u2019s set to be one of his first steps in the right direction. We met Arkan45 in his neighbourhood and spoke to him about his writing flow, negative emotions, and the current state of his artistic work.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi. I\u2019ll go straight in with a question that\u2019s important to me. What does the perfect environment for writing lyrics look like to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like to write lyrics when I\u2019m moderately out and about during the day, meaning, not fully in a rush or completely chilled, but in a good balance. For example, outside, at an inspiring spot for a painting session or just soaking up emotions and vibes. Then I go home in the evening, open my wine, roll a herbal cigarette, and turn the speakers on. I also can\u2019t write with headphones\u2014that\u2019s probably just a matter of habit. Best of all is when something\u2019s weighing on my mind or when I feel restless.<\/p>\n

Does it calm you down in the process or does it not always work?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t always work, sometimes I struggle to find the right channels to actually use music as a release.<\/p>\n

First a glass of wine, then the rhyme<\/h3>\n

Do you always write with the beat in your ears?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I always write directly to the beat. But for me, that\u2019s usually a problem, because I just don\u2019t really connect with the right beat producers. Not exactly the ones who have the same spirit as me and want to create their own sound.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Arkan45,
Always remember to breathe through the mask. \u00a9: Noah Insam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do you only know a few or have you not found anyone at all yet?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So the whole process works like this: I pick the beats from Paris, from a producer called \u2018Itam\u2019. My producer, or really my mate, Bernhard Fetz, does the final polish and adds various elements, brings a bit of freshness, and makes it crisp and lively. On the one hand, it\u2019s obviously not ideal if I can only write to beats that already exist because I\u2019m lacking them, but on the other hand, it\u2019s positive in that it lets me better adapt my vocal tone and flow to the beat elements, to focus on the details in the beat. That just makes it all sound so much more rounded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even artists stumble sometimes<\/h3>\n

Have you ever been in a place where your head was full and you wanted to write something, but didn\u2019t have any beats?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, often. That\u2019s always a struggle. I usually resort to YouTube beats, but then I can\u2019t release those\u2014because of the rights, you know. *laughs* I\u2019ve got quite a few notes on my phone that are still unreleased. They\u2019re just waiting to come out. So those are raw snippets or even full but unreleased lyrics, simply because I\u2019m missing the foundation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How many are there?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So before my last phone packed it in, I\u2019d stored 200\u2013300 on there. I tried switching to paper for a while, but I quickly realised I\u2019m not much of a hand-writer, as I think faster than I can write. So it\u2019s usually just random scribbles on the page, where the next day, sober, I can only make out incomprehensible marks. So all a bit counterproductive. That\u2019s why I rely on being able to save my words digitally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Come with me to adventure land<\/h3>\n

Is there a place you call home?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Personally, I\u2019d actually class myself as a drifter, still searching for the right path. For where I\u2019m meant to go and where I want to go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So you don\u2019t call anywhere home at the moment?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I know where my house is. But not where my home is.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I certainly wouldn\u2019t say so. I know where my house is: in Austria. But not where my home is. To know my home, I first have to find myself.<\/p>\n

You live in Berlin and you\u2019re active here\u2014so you don\u2019t see this place as home either?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I see it all as a kind of jungle, a jungle of inspiration and diversity. Like an adventure land for creative kids. But not really my home. I do feel pretty comfortable here, though.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome to the urban jungle<\/h3>\n

In what way do you feel at home in this big city?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As a small-town kid, it\u2019s definitely strange to experience and live at this pace day-to-day. Everything moves so fast and goes by so quickly. Sometimes it definitely gets a bit much for me. But of course, no one\u2019s forcing me to go out. *laughs* On days like that, I just stay at home, if that\u2019s what I fancy. I paint with acrylics, write songs or create other things in my little world on Leopoldplatz.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So can you escape the city a bit that way?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exactly, in my little area, I can retreat when I\u2019m not in the mood for this rush\u2014or for people in general.<\/p>\n

How do you define the word \u201ctragedy\u201d for yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I talk about that in my track called \u20182015\u2019. The whole thing is based on a phase of my life when I went through a lot of negative events.\u00a0<\/span>There came a point when I said to myself, \u2018Okay. That\u2019s enough. I want to draw a line under all this.\u2019 I\u2019d simply had enough. I marked and ended that phase by getting the word \u2018tragedy\u2019 tattooed on me, and I also named my last EP after it. I think it\u2019s good that, on the bright days, it helps to remember the bad ones. That way you\u2019re much more grateful and appreciate the good times all the more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

War of the worlds<\/h3>\n

Which worlds do you mean in the line \u2018There are worlds between us two\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, the other person I\u2019m addressing lives by routine. With them, even tomorrow is already planned. And with me, it\u2019s just that I do what I do and see where it takes me. No fear, you know. And so long as I\u2019m keeping my head above water, I\u2019m not afraid to keep going one step further. Into the unknown. What I mean is, my world is rare, as long as it\u2019s always changing. And it keeps changing as long as I have no commitments. So, let\u2019s see what happens. How my world will look in a few years. I just don\u2019t know where I\u2019m headed yet. So there\u2019s really a lot of room for new things.<\/p>\n

Your art gives off quite a bleak and introverted impression. Do you fancy making more cheerful music at some point?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The thing is, I started making music as a way of using it as an outlet. I started as a teenager, though of course it wasn\u2019t particularly sophisticated music back then, but that\u2019s always how I used it\u2014to package up emotions, especially the negative ones. I do, for example, paint genuine happy pictures. But when it comes to music, it\u2019s definitely the sadder and more burdensome content. And it\u2019s just much easier for me to process my issues like that instead of simply talking about how awesome I am. *laughs and lights a cigarette*<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dark vibes, dark space. \u00a9: Noah Insam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Oh, do stop moaning then<\/h3>\n

Solitude, searching for yourself\u2014you can see that in your very few features, or does it just come across like that? What\u2019s the reason?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Phew, I just really can\u2019t be bothered at the moment to share my beats with anyone else.<\/p>\n

What does \u201crealness\u201d mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When someone simply tells me how it is. Realness for me means brutal honesty. Completely unfiltered. Depends what it\u2019s about, but when I think of people, all I want is to talk to the person, not their fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n

\u2018I want to feel the green in the Garden of Eden.\u2019 What do you mean by the green?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s less about the colour for me, and more about the metaphor. The search for home. The place where I want to end up, ultimately.<\/p>\n

East of Eden<\/h3>\n

Where do your videos come together, then?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Partly in Berlin, partly in Austria. There was the first video at Hoo \u2013 shot with my best mate now, Noah (shoutout!). Ever since then we\u2019ve done everything together, trying to push ourselves every time. He\u2019s definitely a pillar of the whole project. Same goes for Bernhard Fetz, who then applies the finishing touches. I also record everything with him. He\u2019s basically the second pillar.<\/p>\n

And your label?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have one. So, I try to run the whole thing myself. Even though it does take its toll, of course. But in the long run, it\u2019s so much more profitable. And I don\u2019t really want anyone getting too close either. Since I have these few cornerstones, I don\u2019t really need anyone else involved. Except, still, a producer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first coins are rolling in<\/h3>\n

A bit of a blunt question: Are you making any money with your music yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I make a little bit from it. The music distribution platform Spinnup is actually pretty kind to new artists. I\u2019m hoping a bit more will start coming in soon, of course.<\/p>\n

Do you want to make good money from it one day?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, definitely. Because if I don\u2019t make money from it, then of course I have to figure out how to earn money some other way, and that then takes up the energy I actually want to use for writing lyrics. Of course it would be great to be able to just make music. But right now, a lot of time and energy goes into keeping my head above water. That\u2019s exactly what my single released yesterday is about; that\u2019s basically its main theme. In it I say, \u2018Early twenties and I can\u2019t hope anymore without seeing in black, I\u2019m a product of the state, I can\u2019t count sheep at night.\u2019<\/p>\n

So do you only want to rap?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I mean, this rap thing actually opens a lot of doors, meaning I can develop further. Wherever this path leads, it\u2019s leading me somewhere.<\/p>\n

So the side gigs you do now, you wouldn\u2019t actually do if you didn\u2019t have to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exactly. But that won\u2019t be for much longer.<\/p>\n

Are you happy during the writing process?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, when I actually have enough time for it. I want to fill my soul with good things, but I can\u2019t do everything at once. There\u2019s not five of me. But I guess it\u2019s the same for all young artists without anyone backing them up.<\/p>\n

Fast food for the soul<\/h3>\n

Yeah, otherwise it\u2019d be boring, wouldn\u2019t it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Definitely (laughs). But still, the struggle is real.<\/p>\n

How did the video for the new EP come about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My video producer and I thought the night before about what we could do, but in the end, we just went out the next day with no plan at all. That\u2019s always how it goes for us. Spontaneous. We never have a plan. He always flies over from Austria, too. That gives it even more meaning for me. It definitely adds to why things are the way they are, and to the quality as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Where does the quality of your new single lie?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve put a stage of life into it. Like with almost every song. It always depends how big and intense a phase of life is. I really felt this last one. The song and the video are already over a year old. It was meant to be an EP with a few songs, and I\u2019ve still got the others lying around, but in the end I just told myself, this really needed to come out at last. I didn\u2019t want to drag it out any more. There\u2019ll be more from this project soon as well.<\/p>\n

Thank you very much, and best of luck on your journey ahead.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Away from the Alpine country and into the urban jungle \u2013 that was Arkan45\u2019s idea. The Austrian rapper lives on Leopoldplatz in the edgy \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":188979,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[965,5],"tags":[151,1100,178,1101,702,142,521,832,522],"class_list":["post-188926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview-musik","category-musik","tag-151","tag-arkan45","tag-interview","tag-leopoldplatz","tag-magazin","tag-musik","tag-rap","tag-rapper","tag-wedding","post_format-post-format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188926\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}