Nównøis On the Making Of “Floating”
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in "Floating"?
The instruments you can hear in "Floating" are mainly my own sampled sounds. Some sound similar to the original – so-called – noises I recorded, while others are completely different. To the extent that I even needed to search for the source file and locate the part I used in the sampler. I have a short reel series about these strange samples on my Instagram account. Anything can work for me as an instrument, from a kids' music book to a ukulele to carpentry tools.
What did you enjoy most about making "Floating"?
Apart from selecting the right samples and working on the sound design, I really enjoyed arranging the track. I had written the vocals a few years ago and was stuck with the track, as I had no idea how to turn it into a full song. At that time, I was still into more classical structures, including verses and a lot of singing. When I started experimenting with sound design, I realized how much I enjoy expressing myself without words. "Floating" is the first track of mine that has more instrumental parts than vocals. Creating the visuals was another exciting experimental journey: the song cover art was one of the first AI-generated versions of me after training Stable Diffusion. That photo perfectly complemented and described the track later on and defined the direction of further visuals, such as the music video.
What has been the most memorable experience or achievement in your music career so far?
As Nównøis, winning first prize in an international songwriting contest and receiving feedback I never believed I would deserve have been the most powerful moments so far. I could mention a few significant milestones from the 20 years prior, but I want to believe that starting all over again under a new name, with a new project, will be the most memorable part of my career.
What draws you to experimental music/art?
I've been inspired by a couple of artists, mainly from my teenage years; however, I never wanted to create something like them. When I started producing my music on my own, I felt like whatever sound I used, whatever sample I downloaded was something I had heard before, and this fact has always been a degrading characteristic to me, regardless of the object. I'm just into strange and unfamiliar things. A wonderful artist, Kelly Ann Buckley, introduced a mobile app that I could use for sampling on the go, and I got addicted to it. It opened a whole new world. From kitchen noises to my kid's voice, raindrops or leaves, a squeaky door,... this way I'm able to create something unique.
Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you're particularly excited about?
There are plenty of projects I'm excited about, although they are slightly different from what I had planned for this season a year ago. I'm taking it a bit slower now and, while expecting my second child, I pushed my upcoming EP release to next spring. In the meantime, I'm finishing up a couple of collaborations with producers from different parts of the world. I'm also focused on the live set and planning to perform from next year. So, yeah, exciting times ahead.
