Alex Nauva “Fever Part I”
Alex Nauva brings an ensemble of sonics in “Fever Part I.” Like an exuberant little train being assembled right in front of your eyes, he brings you the experience and the magic of the inside of a groove, seeing every part, every layer being puzzled together, forming a fantastically evocative soundscape, while his angsty and honest voice in the backdrop, painting a distant, impressionistic mood with sung words and emotive storytelling.
His vocal has an edge. It contradicts with the tender, intricate side of the sonics with its forefront confrontational expression. It’s like the feelings are in the voice, but the storytelling is in the sonics. It’s essentially two different world being smashed up together, like rock n roll and electronic pop, but at the same time, the two aesthetics are being preserved perfectly in the same song—that’s the vibe of Nauva.
“Fever Part I” really shines on its inventive and evocative groove and the way loops are used. From syncopated bounce pop to immersive waves of soft, silky pads that gently paint the mood, Nauva seems to awake the part of your body that has been soundly asleep—it’s a brand new experience you’ve never experienced.
The soundscapes take you to somewhere tropical and fantastic. Nourishing, vivid and imaginative. It’s bright and hopeful in a way, but more like the sonics have a heartbeat, and you’re listening against its chest—the pulsing of life and the sound of soul is what’s going on here. There’s the spirit of burning it all down and starting anew. It’s liberating. “Fever Part I” features a diverse range of moods, complex emotions and intricate stories, carried by each layer of sonics—they are in the foreground, while the vocals are in the back. That’s an arrangement that’s not very often to hear, but predominant in Nauva’s brand of music.
It’s different, and you know you won’t get this anywhere else.
Punk Head: I love the vivid, vibrant sonic palette in "Fever Part I" and how it captures the very feeling of breaking free. What was the creative process like?
Alex Nauva: The creative process was different than usual. Normally I write the songs I release by myself. But "Fever Part I" was in collaboration with my close friend Ruben Gasser, who provided the initial greater framework for Fever Pt. I, I arranged it then into this cute little chillwave number. The guitars playing in the song are demo takes Ruben tracked in our studio, when we initially started working on the song. I really liked them, so I decided to keep them in.
PH: What has been one of your most favorite memories along the path to making the track?
Nauva: I was living in Hamburg at that time. The city was and still is kind of foreign to me, even though I lived there for some time. Because all I did was work and couldn't get around meeting many new people, except my coworkers. But my favorite memories were the visits I got from my friends back home. It's simple but it makes a huge difference, when you're somewhere where you don't really know anybody.
PH: What motivates you as an artist?
Nauva: For me music is cathartic. It gives me the possibility to process the things I experience in life. The bad but also the good things. And if someone else listens to my songs and can relate to them, it makes me happy.
PH: Who are your biggest influences?
Nauva: That's really hard to say. But at the moment I'm stuck in some weird hyperpop and chillwave rabbit hole and I love it. Projects and Artists like Magdalena Bay, George Clanton and Small Black are a huge inspiration for me right now.
PH: What would you like to tell your supporters out there?
Nauva: First of all, thank you so much for your support! I truly appreciate it. And if you are in some dark place right now like I was not that long ago, don't worry, this too shall pass.
