Filip Dahl On the Making Of “I Still See You”
What was the creative process like for this particular "I Still See You?"
The thoughts that sparked this song were that I felt that years seem to be passing by at an increasingly rapid pace as we are growing older and that we cannot stop time and draw a final line just to prevent this from happening. I was, due to this, suddenly feeling that my happy childhood and all the precious memories of stunning moments with my dear ancestors started to feel as being so long ago, and this became a clear motivation and inspiration for me to write and record "I Still See You". “I Still See You” is hence dedicated to these unforgettable moments in my life and to all those who have left us behind with such dear and precious memories.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for "I Still See You?"
I am currently a one-man band project, so the recording process requires that I have to record all guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocal parts one at a time subsequent to that the programming and recording of the drums track has been completed. I am fortunate to have my own fully equipped basement studio, which means that I can spend time trying out ideas for various instruments and vocal parts, and thereby build up the song layer by layer until it feels complete. I am also performing the final mixing and mastering of a song when I am happy with all the recorded parts. This means that I am in full control of the total recording and production process from start to finish.
What did you enjoy most about making "I Still See You?"
“I Still See You” turned out to become a very personal journey in space and time for me, as it brought back so many, almost forgotten, happy feelings and dear memories to my mind. Music can really be a great tool for us to express and share emotions with others. I believe and hope that “I Still See You” will be able to touch the hearts of those who listen to it, and thereby enable them to take part in my emotional journey back in space and time.
What has been the most memorable experience or achievement in your music career so far?
I have been involved in music for so many years now, as I initially started my music career as lead guitarist in various Norwegian rock bands back in the 70s. I have always had a great interest in recording music, and this made me move on to become an engineer, record producer, and finally one of the owners of the highly acclaimed Brygga Studio in Trondheim during the 80's and 90's. The combination of family life and working late nights was not a good combination and I took a self-imposed break from the music scene during the beginning of the new century. Life is constantly changing and the urge to make music did never vanish and I did therefore choose to return as a solo artist in 2016. My comeback to the music scene has so far resulted in four solo albums and ten single releases. The feeling of being able to reach out to a constantly growing audience really makes me want to continue my musical journey in the coming years.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a musician, and how did you overcome them?
Being a one-man band can certainly provide some challenges, even if you don’t have to argue and discuss with anyone else than yourself. I am most of all a guitarist, so I had to pick up bass and keyboard playing and try to develop my skills on those instruments to a level where I was satisfied and confident enough to play them on songs that I would later release public. I also had to act as both lead and backing vocalists on my songs, which certainly can be very challenging as it often is what carries a whole song and the message that you are trying to convey to the listener.