Nicolas and Marcel also provided some great imagery to set the scene. 

Kateryna Topol: Hello Nicolas, where are you now and how is it going?

Parra for Cuva: Hey everyone. I am sitting in Saarbrücken, Germany on our way home from the South of France where I worked on my live set. 

KT: Let’s talk about Pinie and your latest collaboration with orbit, how did that come about?

PFC: I was introduced to orbit’s music by my girlfriend. She randomly showed me a Reel that a friend had made, the song that I fell in love with was “Perspective“. I wrote to orbit just a few hours after that and it turned out that he knew me already. We met a day later in my Berlin studio where we started to make music instantly. After that, I invited him to join my trip to Liguria, Italy where I wanted to write my new record. In the end, we wrote four songs together which are all on my upcoming album.  

KT: Wow, instant connection, amazing. How did the production of this song look behind the scenes? 

PFC: We produced “Pinie” in a small garden hut with not much equipment. We basically had a computer, a keyboard, a cheap microphone, and a guitar. Marcel started with the guitar part and I was there for the drum programming and a lot of the arrangement. Marcel, on the other hand, came up with that catchy synth line that you hear in the middle. All in all, it was a very relaxed collaboration. 

Sometimes I worked on the songs for an hour on my own and when I felt uninspired, orbit took over. I always slept later in the morning and that’s where he did a lot of work too. We had a lot of fun nights bouncing our heads to the music. 

KT: Looking at the quotes from orbit, it seems like you became quite good friends?

PFC: Yes, it became a real friendship during our time in Liguria. Afterward, he joined me on tour and we have been seeing each other quite regularly at his place close to Bremen or around Berlin. Also, he is such a talented musician that I can always ask for advice. When I am stuck in a song or need an opinion on a production, I can always check with him and get honest feedback, which is amazing and hard to find. 

KT: As you mentioned, the song was inspired by an immersive retreat in Liguria, Italy. Can you please tell us about this experience, set the scene for your fans, and share how inspiration came to flourish? 

PFC: Liguria is a very hilly coastline located in the North of Italy. The place we stayed at was located in a small village up the mountain with a stunning sea view called Grimaldi. On the terrace, you could watch the sun set into France (the border was very close) and a great sunrise in the morning. As it was February, we thought it might get really rainy but instead, it was very sunny which helped a lot in terms of our moods after the long, gray winter months in Berlin. We also always had great food and good drinks.

KT: And you produced a few songs there?

PFC: We started writing music straight away. All in all, I made 30 to 40 sketches during two trips to Liguria. The best ended up on the album. 

KT: What was the vision behind the new release, was the idea to take the listener there, to Liguria?

PFC: Honestly, when we first went to Liguria it was still COVID-time. I needed to be somewhere nice with more light and nature. We came up with Liguria and I, myself, haven’t spent much time there but it immediately felt right for me.  We did not go out much as there was nothing around but in general, I loved the Italian way of life. That old village in all its beauty. Life was suddenly much better and I hope I can bring everybody who listens to my album, Mimose, a bit of that vibe. 

KT: Is travel a common source of inspiration for you?

PFC: For me, it was always the most enjoyable being at home in my cozy studio as this gave me a lot of protection. Now that I have been touring for ten years and as I have become more and more busy, I’ve had to get used to writing music outside of home. Nowadays I like to get a rental place to myself by just taking the essentials and writing for one month. When I do so, I feel forced to work and in turn, become more productive. As there is so much time in the winter to do that, it’s great going somewhere more beautiful than Berlin.

That being said, traveling is also a big source of inspiration as I often have more time to explore and experience new things. When we have holidays, we are always getting in our van and driving around Europe. When we do so I listen to much more music than usual, I am more relaxed, and my head is more open to becoming inspired. I can easily take my laptop and start working everywhere.

KT: Nice. Any personal trips coming up for you in 2024, aside from the tour that is?

PFC: As the year looks very busy with 60+ tour stops, I am excited to camp for three weeks in Bretagne this summer (close to Brest).

KT: That sounds like it will be pretty relaxing and isolated. What else do you have planned for this year?

PFC: I am always working on new music and I will be finished with my next EP in another few months. We will, of course, be touring the US again in October, which is very exciting as orbit will be coming along to play support!

KT: Amazing, looking forward to seeing the live show, thank you for your time!

PFC: Thank you  

All images courtesy of the artist

The post Parra for Cuva reflecting on inspiration behind “Mimose” and his work with orbit appeared first on Quip Magazine.

The new EP is an exploration of Parra For Cuva’s “relentless fascination for sound and harmony”. The entirety of these songs was recorded on a piano, which Janco has been playing since the age of twelve. The passion for electronic music, however, came a bit later. Nicolas’ first record was Bloodhound Gang’s single “The Bad Touch” which you might recall for the music video. A group of guys dressed in monkey suits encouraging you to get in touch with your inner animal, it was a special treat. But I digress.

Minimalist house (Kollektiv Turmstrasse, Minilogue) felt closer to home for Janco so naturally, Bonobo’s record Days to Come was a major inspiration. “It was so interesting in its arrangement and out-of-the-box ideas. Most importantly, you can hear multiple instruments/ sounds if you listen closely” he told Electronic Groove, “I wanted to copy that immediately and it took me over 10 years to make it work in my own music.”

But that all was a long time ago. In light of this upcoming EP, we wanted to catch up with Parra For Cuva to chat about his new work, process, and experiences.

Kateryna Topol: Hello Nicolas, where are you right now, how’s the weather? 

Parra For Cuva: Hey, I am very good, thank you. The weather here in Liguria (Italia) is sunny, but still a bit cold

KT: Sunny is good, I’ll take sunny. Ok, let’s dive in! “Belle de Nuit” has been recorded in your home studio on an old Seiler piano, which seems to be very representative of the upcoming EP – was this song the one that started it all? 

PFC: “Belle de Nuit” was written in the winter of 2021. My girlfriend Paula and me had a super nice evening in our apartment in Schöneberg (Berlin). While we were cooking and had some wine I started to jam on the piano, as my studio is almost connected to the kitchen. Somehow Paula hit the recording button on her phone while I was improvising in my tipsy mood. The song was written in only one jam and because of the audio recording, I could reconstruct it the next morning. In the end, it was not the main reason why I recorded this Piano EP but this piece seemed very fresh and made the EP more alive.

KT: Love that! Keys have always played a large role in your production but the new EP takes their importance to a whole new level, nearly dipping into classical — is this, let’s call it a concept EP? or a new direction? 

PFC: Yes, you can definitely say it’s a concept EP. I always wanted to write a full Piano project instead of always releasing electronic music. In general, this will be probably the only Piano work I will put out as my heart is beating more for electronic music production, but you never know…

KT: I’ve read you are also working on a new album, how is that coming along?

PFC: I am sitting in a nice Airbnb right now looking at the sea. We packed up my studio and drove the last few days down to Liguria in Italy to finish the next Album. I already did this last year and I had some friends and musicians over to write with me. So the album will have a lot of feature artists and will definitely sound different from the rest of my work so far.

KT: That sounds like a really cool way to write music. Will you please tell us about your home studio setup, what’s it like?  

PFC: My home studio is based in Berlin Schöneberg. It’s a smaller room in my apartment. When you come in you see that the studio is all about feeling at home. It’s a place I spend most of my day in so it was very important to me to have it cozy. I collect a lot of instruments and especially keys  (pianos / Synthesizers and E Pianos). In general, you can find everything there for being creative. I have a collection of weirder instruments that I bought randomly like unusual guitars or percussions.

KT. What a collection! And when you are not at home…

PFC: I just got a new laptop and it’s a lot of joy to work while on vacation. We often take the camper van for holiday and I love to write on the road on campgrounds and in nature. Inspiration on the other hand never strikes me while on a plane or airport.

KT: Let’s briefly talk about your Circle set in Mexico, what was it like to play with no audience (or I  suppose very minimal audience)?  

PFC: There was almost nobody while playing the set. It felt very strange, to be honest, to play in such a  beautiful spot in the middle of nowhere somewhere in Mexico. I was very nervous that something would go wrong while playing so I was mainly super focused on my equipment and playing rather than the fact of the lack of audience. After I finished I had time to realize how beautiful nature was.

KT: Understandable for sure. What was that trip to Mexico like for you, did you get to spend time and explore? 

PFC: Not really. It was more like in and out. As it often is the DJ business. You fly to so many amazing spots but have hardly the time to discover much, unfortunately…

KT: As work trips go I suppose. You’ve talked in the past about the challenges the electronic music industry presents and how there should be more opportunities for new artists to “get a foot in the door” — are there any new artists you think our readers should pay attention to? 

PFC: Yes, Benjamin Amaru, Zimmer 90, Orbit, il:lo, and Henry Green.

KT: Nice. Any other big plans or hopes for 2023? 

PFC: I hope I can finish my Album and release it this year

KT: Can’t wait to hear it! Thank you for your time

PFC: Thank you!

* * *

Belle de Nuit EP will be out on March 17th, 2023.

The post Parra For Cuva shares insight on the upcoming EP “Belle de Nuit” and beyond appeared first on Quip Magazine.