Jazz and electronica artist NIN3S has just released his debut single "So Far So Close," taken from his debut album "Hopeyard."
Here he chats to us about the meaning of his name and what he'd like to collaborate with Massive Attack.
NIN3S talks about his plans
Leah Marriott: What is the meaning of NIN3S?
NIN3S: NIN3S is the end and the beginning. Everything at the same time. It is the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one, but getting back to my roots. So it is the end and the beginning again. This name reflects that everything is cyclical. NIN3S signifies the end and the beginning, the last number before returning to zero, an auspicious, conceptual, and soulful sound that contrasts nature & technology.
As above, so below. There is always a correspondence between our past decisions, and the first ones, and Music is this for me, decisions and feelings.
What can we expect from your music and the new single?
A very deep approach to music, looking back to my roots with the piano as the main instrument but with the same value as any other sound in terms of composition. The new and first single of the album, like NIN3S's meaning, is "So Far So Close," everything is about perspectives. "So Far So Close" takes its meaning from ancient South American folklore, the dark tale of a man that whistles, yet when he sounds far away, he appears right behind you. The song is a mixture of jazz and electronic music, with the piano as the main conductor having deep conversations with other instruments —just a little "appetizer" for the forthcoming album.
NIN3S started with a piano
As a classically trained pianist, describe your creative writing process?
I always start with the piano. I usually record myself playing without an objective but just a feeling at the moment. I put my feelings over the keys, and I love to play around for a long time. After that, I listen to the recording, look for the most deep and intense parts of that improvisation, and then start to build the song from these ideas.
It doesn't matter if it is a melody or just some chords, but it is always something with a special meaning for me.
You use ideas of folklore and numerology in your music. Where does that come from?
I have always been fascinated by folklore, ancient civilisations, and religion. The connections between our world and something over us and the idea that everything is connected with numbers and the meaning of them all.
Numbers have powerful energy, and there is always something special and magical behind their combinations (pi, phi or the golden ratio, Kaprekar's constant, the power of sound frequencies, etc.). So, I like to relate the music and the composition with different connections with those magic numbers.
Who would you like to collaborate with?
Wow… that is a big question! One of the first names I have in mind is Olafur Arnalds, but if I can dream, I would love to collaborate with names like Massive Attack, Radiohead, James Holden, Ry X, or Floating Points.
