Savant Talks Gothic Stages, Gift/Curse Of Non-Stop Inspiration and More [WRR Exclusive Interview]

Aleksander Vinter, known as Savant, has just finished up an amazing year of touring the world, releasing four full length albums, (Orakel – December, Cult – July, Heart – March, Overkill – March), and releasing countless other tracks.  Nobody can stop this Norwegian storm.

One of the most respectable things about Savant is that he’s a man of all things music.  Take Orakel for example, his most recent album release.  The genres it includes are breaks, deep house, drum & bass, dubstep, electronic, electro house, house, progressive house, rock, and trance.  Seriously?  Seriously!

And this wasn’t enough to impress you, Savant has a badass video game called Savant: Ascent that he created and keeps updating. SERIOUSLY!!!

WhiteRaverRafting had the privilege of getting some of our burning questions answered by Savant himself.  Check out the interview below.

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1.  Your recent tour has taken you all over the world including Canada, Finland, Austria, etc.  Any place particular that sticks out in your mind as somewhere where the place/fans were so different than the rest?

The first time I played in Seattle we had to have the cops escort me into the venue. That was crazy. And my first show in Milan the fans sang the tunes, not lyrics, but the melodies in chorus as loud as the music was playing. That show was absolutely insane. Think boiler room with sweat dripping from the ceiling. My fans are amazing, some drive hundreds of miles to come see me play, I really appreciate that.

2.  If you could design any stage you wanted to go on tour with, no holds bar, what would it look like?  

I want my stage to have a massive pipe organ that visually is a mashup of something out of a gothic church meets Tron feel. I like this question because this is where I want it to go. Playing on a PC is fine but I want things to be much bigger with choreographed dances, acts and everything I can do to make sure that someone who comes to this show will never forget it.

3.  Over 10,000 songs and counting.  That’s beyond amazing at being 26 years old and still going strong.  What is your biggest inspiration for this huge accomplishment?

Although I have many musical inspirations and things that have influenced my creativity over the years the only reason I have done that much is because I simply have no choice. I have to make music which makes everything else that is not about making music pretty difficult to endure. It’s as much blessing as it is a curse because before I can stop to enjoy anything I already have to work on the next thing. I spent an entire 5 weeks in Thailand to rest at the end of 2012 and ended up creating Overkill if that helps put things into perspective.

4.  Any story behind your new album Orakel?

To me it is a collection of all of the experiences that have led up to that moment. My musical origins and legacies left for me to explore and how they have been effected or influenced by my new experiences with dance floor culture. Keep in mind, until I started touring, I had never really ever been to shows. I also wanted to see if I could accomplish a pop sound and still keep the core of what Savant is very much intact. I really wanted to see if I could do better than Alchemist, that was a personal goal.

5.  Do you play any instruments?  If so, do they help influence your producing?  

I play keys, guitar and sing. They all play a large role in the music I make. When I lay out a track I already have a solid idea of what that is in my head, the instruments are just a way to get it out.

6.  What artist in the EDM world are you the most excited for right now?

I look up to guys like Skrillex, like many of us do for being so influential but I have been so busy lately that it is hard to keep up. Right now I am working on a project with BT, Xilent, Opiuo, Infected Mushroom, Kaster and Ultra Sheriff. The last two guys being on my label, SectionZ.

7.  You always have some really creative graphics for your albums.  Do you help contribute with the ideas? 

The art is done by my good friend Simon Stafsnes Andersen from D-Pad Studios, the guys who made my video game. I usually approach him with a concept that I am seeing in my head and Simon just takes that to a completely different level. He can do with art what I can do with music. Super fast but truly amazing. You can see his stuff here.

8.  Other than music, what other passions do you have in your life?

I know this will sound cliche but I really don’t care about anything else. I watch movies and play games like most other folks. I have strong opinions like other folks but when it comes to passion, music is it. I would trade in EVERYTHING ELSE to just sit in the studio all day, everyday.

9.  You make enough music to always keep us on our headphones, but have you also ever considered doing a podcast or a weekly mixtape?

Haven’t given it thought because it means just rehashing stuff that’s already been done. I can do that at a live show. I do put up mix tapes from time to time though, mostly stuff that hit the cutting room floor.

A huge thanks to Savant for chatting with us. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud.

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