Levi Patel: Interview + Playlist
KATIE BROWN - 10 DEC 2020
PHOTO SUPPLIED
Composer and producer Levi Patel has had a busy year. Back in March, the 29 year old released his fourth solo album, ‘A Shifting Lightness’. Around the same time he’d just returned from a trip to New York to premiere a prototype version of an exciting project he’s been working on with two friends: based on sliding pitch-shifting mechanisms combined with electromagnetic string vibration, they have built a robotic stringed musical instrument that has the capacity to create its own music or to be controlled manually. Back in New Zealand, after the comparative lull caused by Covid-19 restrictions Levi then released the short film soundtrack for It’s Snowing Outside (directed by Lucasfilm producer Rayne Roberts) in October. Currently Levi is working on various collaborations, and his reworking of “Sunrise”, a track by English artist Tom Adams, is out this Friday. This follows on from Tom’s reworking of Levi’s track “With Wings Falling” released in November.
Levi’s music is largely instrumental, combining acoustic recordings with electronic manipulation. I stumbled across his work recently for the first time via the reworked version of “With Wings Falling”, and delving deeper into his music, what struck me was the gentle, emotive pull his compositions have: to listen is to bathe in a restorative aural experience. He is equally adept at crafting a beautiful, atmospheric charm whether working with just a solo piano or layering up strings and voices for vast and sweeping cinematic soundscapes.
Intrigued by his sound, I interviewed Levi to discover more about his world, and you can read all about it below. He has also kindly curated a gentle-listening playlist for us too, and you can find this beneath the interview.
Be sure to listen to Levi’s reworked version of Tom Adam’s “Sunrise”, out tomorrow.
KATIE: HOW DID YOU GET INTO MUSIC – DID YOU LEARN TO PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER, AND DID YOU STUDY MUSIC DURING YOUR SCHOOLING?
Levi: What has always drawn me into music is the opportunity to create, and I was hooked on that from the first time I picked up a guitar as a kid. I never stuck to lessons for long, but I did spend every spare moment during my school years playing around and writing bad songs that eventually turned into less bad songs. My music obsession was cemented for life when I went through the rite of passage for many musicians my age that was starting an emo band. I did have a couple of years of piano lessons, and studied a little at high school, but nothing drove me like the creation of something new.
WHAT’S YOUR BEST MUSICAL MEMORY?
I can think of countless events that could qualify, but the main theme that sticks out is experiencing other artists’ contributions to something I’m working on. One example in particular stands out.
Rhian Sheehan has been a huge influence on me since I discovered his music in 2009, and a couple of years ago we finally got to work together in a dream collaboration for me. We traded the spark of an idea back and forth until eventually it grew into “Toward the Sun”, released on Rhian’s album A Quiet Divide. Every time I received a new version from him it was filled with beautifully subtle tweaks along with wonderfully surprising changes, and the music moved me more and more as the piece evolved. It was incredible.
YOU’RE CURRENTLY BUILDING A ROBOTIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS!
This is definitely the strangest project I’ve ever done, dreamed up late at night with my old friend and fellow engineer Chris Pratt. We then quickly brought on Matt Weir from Algonaut, an expert in music software and AI, to complete the team. Together we’re building a robotic stringed instrument based on sliding pitch shifting mechanisms combined with electromagnetic string vibration. The instrument can either be controlled manually or generate its own music, and rather than being designed to replace any human-played instruments, it is designed to produce its own unique acoustic sound.
At the start of this year we built two simplified prototypes that we premiered in an unbelievable trip to New York City, narrowly escaping the pandemic on our way back. Currently we’re exploring the creative potential of the prototypes, designing an AI-driven installation experience, and dreaming up future versions of the instrument.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU WHEN YOU’RE WRITING?
I always feel deeply inspired when I write music but it can be difficult to pinpoint where that inspiration comes from, although I know that many things feed into it – music, books, art, and of course my own life. When I write I typically explore until I hear something that connects with whatever emotions I’m feeling at the time. It might be a chord progression, a short melodic phrase, the texture of a sound. This small idea becomes the catalyst, and my goal is to explore those feelings to their depths as I develop the music. Sometimes I can look back and identify which event or life experience must have inspired a piece of music, but other times all I know is that it’s an expression of me. Perhaps if I was any good at describing my inspiration then I could finally write more lyrics!
The video for ‘Through Winter Eyes’ from Levi’s album ‘A Shifting Lightness’, released in March 2020.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SETTING TO WRITE AND COMPOSE IN?
My ideal setting is quiet, free from interruptions/wifi, and bathed in natural light, and luckily the first thing in the morning at my studio usually ticks all of those. In saying that, the only real essential is trust in myself. If I start doubting myself or worrying about the outcome then the writing goes nowhere, otherwise it tends to flow.
YOU RECENTLY COLLABORATED WITH ENGLISH ARTIST TOM ADAMS: HE REWORKED A COMPOSITION OF YOURS FROM YOUR LATEST ALBUM, AND YOU’VE JUST REWORKED ONE OF HIS. HOW DID THIS CONNECTION COME ABOUT, AND HOW HAS IT BEEN COLLABORATING IN THIS WAY?
Tom and I actually became friends many years ago through Soundcloud. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time, and I was pleased to discover that he followed my music as well. He has a unique ability to combine songwriting, instrumental composition, and electronic sound design as if they are one in the same – simply music.
We both respect each other as artists, so we took the simplest possible approach to our collaborations. We sent each other the material from our original tracks and trusted the other to do whatever they decided, and in the end we took almost opposite approaches. Tom pulled apart my original track and rebuilt the entire piece using his own modular synthesis, with glimpses of my original melodies woven through. I fell in love with the main synth part in Tom’s track, so rather than pulling it apart I thought about how I would develop the music if I had come up with that part myself. There’s something special about letting things go and embracing whatever returns, especially when it’s coming from one of your favourite musicians.
SPEAKING OF COLLABORATIONS, YOU’RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON SOME NON-INSTRUMENTAL ONES WITH A FEW LOCAL ARTISTS: WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
After releasing my album A Shifting Lightness earlier in the year I felt the usual post-album urge to do something entirely different. Although most of my own music is instrumental, I love songs as well, and three separate opportunities came up with local songwriters. They’re in the early stages so I can’t announce them yet, other than to say that they are three of my favourite artists.
YOU’VE ALSO COMPOSED MUSIC TO BACK SEVERAL SHORT FILMS. HOW DO YOU FIND THE PROCESS OF WRITING FOR FILM?
Writing my own music is mostly about exploring to find my voice and what I want to express, which can be a long process, but with film the direction is already set. My job feels more like solving the puzzle of how best to achieve the director’s vision, and having that specific goal makes any progress immediately rewarding. I also love the immense potential of music when it comes to influencing the story. There are endless ways to approach a film score, and often the early attempts don’t work out, but the way the right music can heighten a film is deeply satisfying.
WHAT’S NEXT ON THE AGENDA FOR YOU AND YOUR WORK?
The collaborations I mentioned will keep me busy for a while, and I have big plans for the robotic instrument. But aside from those projects, I might just try to recover from the tough year we’ve all had and perhaps tentatively start thinking about another album of my own.
WHO ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
I’m glad you asked! I tend to listen to albums more than anything so I’ll share a few current favourites.
Caroline Polachek – Pang
An incredible pop record that grows and grows on me.
Tom Verberne – I’ll Watch You Do Anything
Strong songwriting delivered through his unique blend of electronic beats, pop elements, sporadic post-rock guitars, and subtle emo sensibilities. Truly creative.
Jeremy Redmore – The Brightest Flame
These songs are just so moving, you can really feel that Jeremy put the stories at the heart of every musical decision.
Sibelius – 5th Symphony
I already loved this symphony but I’ve been listening non-stop ever since hearing the NZSO perform it so beautifully last month in the Auckland Town Hall. The final movement gives me chills every time.
Levi’s Playlist for the May Magazine
A peaceful playlist curated by Levi for gentle listening.