Multidisciplinary artist, singer, and composer Nicolas Fehr releases his next chapter of a body of work, a grand vision he calls his own artistic solar system, each planet therein home to different metanarratives and alter-egos that manifest themselves through music, video, and performance.

The album which he likens to a “planet”, is called Violet, and was unveiled on November 11th in the form of an album and a short film. As we enter Violet, meditative Eastern devotional music and analog synthesizers stimulate our dream sensors, until shortly thereafter we find ourselves in an unidentified room where Nicolas Fehr awaits us. What occurs next is generated to take place in the listeners subconscious.  “I associate Violet with dreams, mysticism, with the irrational. In the making of the albums and film, I had to let my subconscious take over. The lyrics are little riddles that I’m still trying to decode. The melodies were often recorded in semi-conscious states, more asleep than awake.” With his second album Violet XLVIII following just six weeks later, the prolific artist shows that he is eager to continue this exploration: “I imagine Violet XLVIII as the slightly bigger, rougher, and more glitchy twin planet of Violet.”

The lead single “Somehow Still Sail On” pairs a catchy beat with spacey, twinkling synths, lo-fi guitars and Fehr’s sensual and melancholy vocals. The video was shot on mini dv tape in the Austrian alps while the artist was on a retreat in the cabin of his godfather with his partner/lover/creative collaborator Amaranta Rá. “We made the video together – almost got attacked by a pack of horses that we thought were injured while we were enjoying mushrooms and observing snails.” Fehr goes on to explain,”The first version of the song I composed in 2016 the day before a breakup, already feeling the heaviness that would ensue. The song went through many different stages and none of the original vocals or lyrics remained. The new lyrics are coming from a subconscious place, I wanted them to be more like a riddle even to myself, dream logic if you will.”

Nicolas Fehr’s multidimensional artistry shines brightly through making him one of our favorite new artist discoveries of 2020.

Somehow Still Sail On is out December 12th. The album Violet XLVIII will be released December 31st on Martin Hossbach.

 Watch and listen to Violet here