INTERVIEW: Feiertag

Roots is their third album on the venerated German label Sonar Kollektiv. Having focused his attention on catchy hooks and a series of guest vocals on the former, and deeper break-beat exercises on the latter, Joris felt it was time to offer something that sits comfortably in a space between the two. . The LP features not only a host of vocalists from around the world, but also sees the producer playing with samples and dark sounds, as he tries to discover a new direction and find that sweet spot between dark and light; major and minor; new and old; Uplifting electronics and soul.

We have had the pleasure of interviewing him and this has been the result.

Where are you from and how did you get into music?

I’m Joris Feiertag (35) and I’m living in Utrecht, The Netherlands. I’ve started my musical career as a drummer, went to the Amsterdam conservatory to study and discovered my passion for producing and creating.  Operating as ‘Feiertag’ since 2015. Yes, it took me 5 full years to find my sound, to release my debut album ‘Time to Recover’ on Jazzanova imprint ‘Sonar Kollektiv’. Previously releases were on labels such as Majestic Casual Records, Sasha’s Last Night On Earth and Chillhop.

In 2021 I released my 2nd full length album ‘Dive’ on SK, developing my sound more in the breakbeat / electronica direction, mostly to focus on live.
Now, my 3rd album ‘Roots’ came out on October 20th on SK and I’m really excited.

 How is your sound evolving? 

My sound is constantly evolving and is definitely becoming more electronic and uptempo in the future. My sound has always been eclectic, since I have a wide taste in music. I think my way of making beats is making my music as bit different than others. It’s like a mix of real drums and electronica.

What artists and genres do you enjoy mixing/producing at the moment? 

Since 2022, I’ve got an chill alter ego, called Alexander IV, focusing more on downtempo chill out hip hop beats. This alter ego gives me a lot of space to have a an output for everything and make Feiertag more electronic / upbeat.
I also have a third alias, called Bunraku for more ambient sounds. I do have a wide taste in music and like this, I’m able to make whenever I want and live of making my own music.

For Alexander IV, the legends Kruder & Dorfmeister are a great inspiration to me.  But there are some young fresh talented acts that inspire me as well for this project, such as Moods, Brijean, Session Victim, to name a few.

Sonar Kollektiv · Feiertag – Roots (album out 20.10.2023)

 

 How do you feel your music influences or impacts its listeners? 

I hope that my listeners will experience a mixture of an energetic upbeat vibe, combined with a very emotional and human feel. I try to make my music very organic, with for instance my live drums combined with old drum computers such as Roland 909. Also try to sample odd instruments such as the Japanese Koto Harp. Chop them up in a repetitive way and have a vocalist on top. As long as it feels human.

 What projects are you working on right now?

I’m working on my live set right now. Making the album more energetic for live. Chill to listen to at home; energetic and uptempo for live. So I’m making edits per track. This goes hand in hand with producing new tracks along the way. I’ve set a goal for myself, every live gig, I want try out at least one new song.

 What can you tell us about your latest work? 

On my third album ‘Roots’ I tried to combine my first and second album basically. I wanted it to be energetic/ danceable and yet chill perfect for on a Sunday afternoon on the couch. There’re like a lot of interesting collaborations on this album from all over the world. I think the overall element throughout the album is how everyone sings with soul. We have featurings with Falle Nioke, Noah Slee, Nego True, Rhi, OSHUN, Robin Kester, Pete Josef, Oli Hannaford , WAAN and Leonard Luka on ‘Roots’.

What is your musical criterion in your latest work? 

Less is more. I wanted 19 tracks on the album at first. But kill your darlings. I didn’t want any fillers. I hope the album is timeless in a way, so therefore I’m happy that there’s only these 14 tracks on it. We all know that the digital revolution has affected sales, but do you think it has affected creativity?  

Yes, in some ways. It’s no secret that most Spotify playlists want to have the chorus coming in around 00:30 seconds or something. So long for the long intros you’d say. I try to make the song just a good as it possibly can. If a song resonants to me and sticks with me, it’s a good sign and we want to release it. Can you tell us what your current and future projects are? 

 

Yes, I’m focusing a lot on my liveset. That means, the music I’m creating atm, is a bit more energetic and uptempo. And I’m working a lot on new material. So stay tuned!

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