Mavi Phoenix: the freedom of being pop
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Mavi Phoenix, 22 years old from Linz, Austria, starts writing and producing songs in his bedroom since he was 11. At the moment, he is one of the most promising pop artists in Europe.
His debut album Boys Toys came out on April 3rd on LTT Records and it is a concept album that takes in and twists his inspirations in order to give back an original picture of himself through each song.
We interviewed Mavi to talk about the album and to learn more about the research his artistic course is based on.
Hi Mavi! Your new single 12 Inches has recently come out and it anticipates the release of your debut album Boys Toys: how does it feel to be an artist with his first full length album done? Are you excited about the release?
“It took me very long to release an album, so yeah I’m super excited for it. Also because it’s so personal, I mean you just mentioned 12 Inches which is the most personal track I’ve ever written, I feel like this is a very special record that will touch a lot of people’s lives.”
How would you describe the sound of your album? What are you aiming for, musically speaking? Are you satisfied with the final result?
“I’m never 100% satisfied with anything I do and I think that’s important for growth. But of course I love the album and I think it really fits my current situation. Also sound wise, there is a punk attitude on this record but it’s also very soft and emotional, then again it’s big and it’s pop. I think it’s a good mixture of everything I like.”
When did you start playing music and which channels did you prefer to share it with the world?
“I started writing songs when I was around 11 and also produced at that time, I actually started out as a producer. When I was 13 I uploaded a bunch of songs to MySpace. Then Soundcloud, Youtube…”
Your music mixes rap with pop and electronic music: is there any artist in particular that influenced you? If so, who specifically and how?
“I’ve mentioned him 100 times now and I’ll do it again: Tyler The Creator was a very big influence for years now for me, and also for my album Boys Toys. But I like so many artists and am influenced by so many. I’d say in particular for this record: Rage Against The Machine, N*E*R*D, The Black Eyed Peas… All bands that I’ve listened to since I’m very young.”
Now a more personal question, if you don’t mind, in regards to your coming out last Autumn: how do you feel this event changed your relationship with yourself and the perception of the world that surrounds you? Has it affected the relationship with your fans and the crowd at your concerts? How?
“Yes I think everything changed with this outing. Not for me personally, because I believe I’ve always been the same. But just to release this tension that’s been building up since years really affected my music and then again the relationship with my fans. They are incredibly supportive and like when I get personal and talk about real stuff. After my first concert after coming out people came up to me and told me how free and released I seem.”
Lastly, which are your plans for the future? Shall we expect your music to be influenced by these strange days of social distancing if not proper quarantine we are living?
“I’m taking this time off now to really concentrate on my transition but also on how I wanna continue musically in the next years. I’m producing more on my own since I can’t go to the studios with producers. Trying to make something good out of this really bad situation.”
Thank you for your time, we hope to see you live again soon!
Margherita Lambertini
Cover photo: Nils Müller
Thanks to Astarte
