Friday Artist Feature 02 (FAF002) + Interview: ᄿAllay (Koen Faber, Silk Music)

Koen Faber, better known as Allay, has just released his debut artist album over on the Silk Music Imprint. Known for signing high quality progressive house and chillout music, my personal music roots delve very deeply into this heavenly music label.

“Journey Of The Velvet Adorned Nomad” contains 14 tracks, all consisting of their own unique vibrant and heartwarming stories. Before we get into background information surrounding Allay‘s recent artist album, have a look at some of Allay’s beautiful past work.

The first ever teaser to Allay‘s heavenly album project occurred with the single “Journey’s End”. This serene chillout track features crisp vocals and downtempo melodies. The YouTube video provides blissful sights of the sun reflecting over a lake in this truly fitting production. Narrow Skies and Skyline Drive are also featured in this track.

When we delve just a bit further into Allay’s catalogue, we see the same three amazing contributors on their previous EP (Silk Music), entitled “Eos”. It’s no wonder “Journey’s End” was a perfect production… Narrow Skies‘ serene vocals are the immediate attention grabber in this three track EP.

Beautiful album art for this trio collaboration…

Before that, Allay graced us with a three track EP, “Rekindle The Inner Light” on May 18, 2017. Featuring Hugo Allen, this three track EP provides soulful melodies for a true chillout experience.

Most recently, Allay released his debut artist album on Silk Music. It is truly a treat to chillout and progressive house fans alike. Label residents Narrow Skies, Delectatio, Jani R, Skyknock, The Cynic Project, Skyline Drive, Rod V, ElDera, Andevour, Inuuro, and SineRider all appear as collaborators on this project. The power of artist collaboration is immense, and Allay certainly relays that point in this album…

Title: Allay – Journey Of The Velvet Adorned Nomad

Label/Cat#: Silk Music – SILKA029
Year: 07 Sep 2018
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo, Progressive House
Format: Digital

Tracklist:
1. Allay & Skyline Drive feat. Jan Martin – A Spiritual Calling (05:22)
2. Allay & Delectatio – Crossing The Vermillion Dunes (04:41)
3. Allay & Jani R – Soaring Through The Eternal Blue Skies (05:17)
4. Allay & Skyknock – Wandering The Golden Mountains (04:34)
5. Allay – Embarking On The Celestial Pilgrimage (04:33)
6. Allay & The Cynic Project – Astral Premonition (04:44)
7. Allay – Reveries In Disarray (04:34)
8. Allay, Narrow Skies & Skyline Drive – Last Speck Of Light (05:45)
9. Allay & Rod V – Adrift In The Borderless Sea (06:08)
10. Allay & ElDera – Down Into The Cimmerian Depths (07:45)
11. Allay & Andevour – Lucent Thoughts (04:54)
12. Allay & Inuuro – Voyage To The Inner Mind (04:29)
13. Allay & SineRider – Opening The Last Chakra (03:33)
14. Allay, Narrow Skies & Skyline Drive – Journey’s End (03:17)

Total length: 01:09:36

More information (kind words from Silk Music):

The word “allay” connotes the act of putting one’s fears and worries at rest. Allay, the beloved Dutch chillout & downtempo composer, delivers on the promise of his name, as he offers us both a soothing and spiritually uplifting aural pilgrimage, courtesy of “Journey Of The Velvet Adorned Nomad,” his debut album on our imprint. An ambitious undertaking, guided by a quest to seek beyond the mundane world and explore the unknown, the album showcases a dozen new collaborative works with a variety of fellow Silk Music label veterans, as well as a pair of equally captivating solo works.

The journey of the titular ‘nomad’ is illustrated through 14 distinct compositions, each one helping to guide the narrative. While most of the tracks are instrumental, the album opener, “A Spiritual Calling,” features the wistful vocals of Jan Martin; later on, we are graced with two vocal contributions from Narrow Skies, Allay‘s frequent muse. Much anticipated collaborations with Delectatio, Jani R, Skyknock, The Cynic Project, Skyline Drive, Rod V, ElDera, Andevour, Inuuro, and SineRider are simply breathtaking and offer veteran downtempo fans the rare opportunity to hear these extraordinary veterans lending their compositional gifts to the same conceptual release. By the time the album closes with the achingly beautiful “Journey’s End,” the listener has experienced myriad introspective moments, each offering the promise of both tranquility and transcendence.

AG Interviews: Allay (Koen Faber)

AG: Ambiance Glitters

Allay: Koen Faber

AG: Releasing your debut artist album on the Silk Music Imprint is an impressive achievement, Allay! Congratulations and thank you for all the time and effort you have spent to create inspiring aural bliss.

ᄿAllay: Thank you for the warm welcome and your kind words about my album! It is always inspirational to hear that my music is inspiring others in some way.

AG: Can you talk about the first time you discovered Silk Music?

ᄿAllay: I got familiar with Silk Music around three years ago when I stumbled upon a track from Eastbound called ‘Lust‘. I was always heavily invested into Trance Music by that time, but Melodic Progressive Music was triggering me to discover more inspiring and creative music. Later on, I found my inspiration with Silk Sofa Music’s chillout music catalog.

AG: Can you provide a brief insight as to how “Journey Of The Velvet Adorned Nomad” came together with so many like-minded collaborators?

ᄿAllay: When I joined Silk Music for the first time with several ambient releases on Gorm Sørensen‘s Chillout Sessions 02 [AG: tracks “A Distant Memory” & “Lucid Dream” with Skyknock], I also owned a record company together with partners across the world, called Nama Recordings. During my time there as Label Director, Curator, and Radio Host, I got in contact with a lot of talented artists. When I finished a couple of EPs for Silk Music, I wanted to start a new project which would challenge me in a creative way. I also wanted to make an album that showcases the broadness of “chillout music,” as I have experienced the past few years. To establish a creative and diverse album, I worked together with a lot of the talented artists I met during my time over at Nama Recordings.

AG: Do you have any tips for aspiring progressive house and chillout artists who are looking to sign with a high quality label like Silk Music?

ᄿAllay: I think the best way to develop yourself as an artist is to try to invest a lot of time in trying different genres in music, developing new sounds and go outside your comfort zone. This is the only way to develop a unique signature sound, which is something Silk Music holds very high in their selection process of new talents.

AG: Do you have a first vivid memory of electronic music?

ᄿAllay: My first truly vivid memory was that of Era which was always played during road-trips with my parents during holiday. I still listen to Era regularly to relax myself.

AG: If any, what Podcast should more people be following?

ᄿAllay: If you asked me this question a year ago I would have said ”The Alleys Show” by Mango and We Are All Astronauts. Today I would say that one of the most interesting podcast out there is Otographic Arts, a Japanese podcast focused on a wide array of Electronic Music. I think especially this podcast should be followed more because Japanese Electronic Music is in my opinion way more intricate when it comes to structure, sound design and chords.

AG: What underground music label should more people know besides Silk Music?

ᄿAllay: Archives. For me this label is the best in showcasing modular ambient music in combination with unique Arctic Photography by the famous Alexander Kopatz.

AG: What is the most unheard and underrated artist/album?

ᄿAllay: Definitely “Orbit” by Snorri Hallgrímsson released by Moderna Records. Snorri is an Icelandic composer, instrumentalist and producer who worked together before with the renowned Ólafur Arnalds. This debut album by Snorri is a cinematic wonder on its own.

AG: What originally inspired your deep, intense interest for music production?

ᄿAllay: Mainly the intricate design of sounds which challenges the listener to delve deeper into the music and understand what kind of sounds are actually created.

AG: What is your favorite method for music discovery?

ᄿAllay: I find Soundcloud to be the best platform for finding new music as it is very accessible for new aspiring artists to showcase their music, what allows me to discover new type of styles, and sounds and techniques which I can use in any new works.

AG: Besides music production, what else do you find relaxing in your free time?

ᄿAllay: I do play sports a lot to blow of some steam and to try stay fit. Lately, I am very into crossfit to increase my fitness level. I also go numerous local festivities, here in Amersfoort, to socialize and enjoy time with my friends.

Thanks for joining me, Allay! Always looking forward to your music.

Special thanks to Jacob Henry for making this Interview happen over at Silk Music; a gentleman of true class.

Check out and support Allay’s “Journey Of The Velvet Adorned Nomad” over on Bandcamp!

-AG

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Friday Artist Feature 02 (FAF002) + Interview: ᄿAllay (Koen Faber, Silk Music)

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