Alexander John - Intuitive piano playing with an experimental touch

The musician and pianist Alexander John has already been on stage with Milky Chance, Megaloh, OK Kid, and Drangsal. He has been writing and composing his own pieces for many years and has been playing the piano for over twelve years. He has taken an unusual path, though—he plays intuitively, by ear and feeling rather than notes. Alexander John is also not averse to synthesizers. Why he prefers to do things his own way, what motivates and inspires him, and what advice he would give to young musicians is all part of this interview by our author Magdalena.

Hi Alexander! How would you sum up your music in three words and why?

Thought cinema, Intuitive, Melancholic.

You have learned to play the piano without wanting to work with sheet music. In the process, you developed your very own style of acquiring the instrument and experimenting with it. Why?

I think many people who want to play an instrument learn it systematically with sheet music right from the start. I myself started playing the piano quite late (at the age of eleven) and didn't have the idea that I would learn this instrument from scratch. Rather, I only wanted to play pieces from films or series that I usually had in my head anyway, or directly make my own music. This last aspect was rather less deliberate and professional.

Sometimes I couldn't play pieces because they were too complex for a beginner, and then I started to just tinker with these works to the point where I could play them. Sometimes I used the original sound material and built something else out of it or tried to "improvise" over it. Very early on, it was also just single notes, chords or sounds that initiated me to sit down at the instrument. So from an early age I began to build or reshape music for myself in a way that I enjoyed. Of course, in the meantime I have had a variety of teachers and instructors at my side, each of whom has given me something new and broadened my musical horizons.

What has helped you stay on this path and not let other voices get you down?

The moments when I realized that writing my own pieces gives me so much more. I think a lot of people are of the opinion, especially with the piano, that you have to be a super-well-positioned Beethoven ruminant technically and music-theoretically. But it's not like that. Creating sounds or just playing something for two hours in the middle of the night and having such an intense relationship with your instrument is a completely different sphere. It's more like a conversation between two people.

That's why I sometimes never took the standard remarks to heart - for example, why I can't read music and didn't start playing when I was two years old. In my world, I don't need these aspects to be at peace with myself and my idea of music.

On 11.11.2022 your new song "Transcendental" was released. Would you like to tell me a little bit about the genesis and inspirational moments of the track? And what meaning the track has for you?

"Transcendental" represents a small new beginning for me. A start in a new sonic and personal direction. I have often written piano pieces that have a lot of movement and melody. I had now—more than ever before—the ambition to focus on the purely tonal level. That is, not to demonstrate the technical craft in the foreground, but to create a space that tells a story that is coherent in itself. The simplicity of the tonal structure was very refreshing for me.

I absolutely adore the song and hope that the coming months and the music associated with it will allow a new facet of me and my musical expression to become audible.

By loading the video, you accept YouTube's privacy policy.

Unblock Youtube

How would you describe your artistic career so far?

Phew, that's not so easy to summarize. In short: I took everything with me, which sounded cool at first and I fortunately met people who believed in me or my music. My career has grown a lot by happy coincidences and the trust of others in me, for which I am indescribably grateful. The development from a self-taught "youth pianist" to a solo artist playing at techno festivals and concert halls is as undefined as my whole career.

If you could talk to a younger version of yourself at the beginning of your music career, what would you want to share?

Don't let yourself be influenced too much by the ideals of others and come out of your shell. Oh, and don't be a pop singer just because you get more streams.

What advice would you give to other solo artists who are just starting out on their musical journey?

More or less what I would have advised myself. Finding your own path and following it is a continuous part of being a musician. I think the most important thing is staying power. It doesn't matter if you're totally successful or just starting out. You have to stay on the ball, and you can only do that if the thing you have in mind every day also fulfills you. And you have to do it to a sufficient degree so that you don't let the "shark tank" of the music industry get you down.

There's always someone who's supposedly more successful and to whom everything seems to fall into place, but that's also someone else. I wouldn't want to change places with anyone. The loss of one's own identity as a musician (and also as a person) is something you should really avoid. Just don't let yourself be controlled by your Instagram feed, but stand behind your thing and see it through.

You've just mentioned a few things that you would advise against. Anything else to avoid?

Giving up too soon and jumping on every trend. You should always keep the constant comparison to other bands, artists and so on also rather flat and reflected.

Where do you find inspiration and how do you implement your ideas?

I find inspiration in everyday life. I hear a new song and constantly memorize components that sound cool. Feelings or impressions are also very good prerequisites for painting a finished scene in your head, which you then transfer to the piano.

The other day I was sitting in the car, it was raining hard and since I didn't want to get wet first, I waited five minutes. In the process, I watched the many different people on their way, just for a brief moment. While in the background the classic "rain pattering on the car" sound was almost like a white noise on me. Such moments animate me to build a soundtrack to this moment directly in my mind. It might sound crazy, but sometimes these impressions are so strong that they later make it into a song.

For songwriting in general, it's often just the sounds of the instruments themselves, whether analog or digital doesn't matter. Sometimes I spend whole evenings clicking through sound libraries to discover what's out there. That sometimes helps me decide which facets could still be incorporated and I often think, "Yeah, something like that would be cool." It's also a curse and a blessing at the same time when I sit at a piano or grand piano for the first time. Then I often just play along for the first five minutes. In the process, melodies and accompaniment tracks often emerge immediately that I would otherwise not be able to play intuitively just like that. I then usually make a quick draft with my cell phone and try to pick up these "magic moments" again later.

How did you get your first gigs and what were the defining moments for bigger gigs and success?

The very first gigs where I played my own songs were rather spontaneous. I'm not someone who would have started a Germany-wide booking phase on my own at the age of 17 or 18. With time, other people also took a liking to my music and that's how the first gigs came about. Due to the long Corona break, it was only really possible for me to play concerts from June to September in 2022. But all this was only made possible by people who like my music and think it should be played live. The combination of piano and electronic music makes it even more interesting for a wider audience and is more danceable than a pure piano concert.

What is the most beautiful thing about being a musician for you?

To do what is so rewarding and fulfills me more than anything else. The resulting connections to musicians and people are also a very significant component, which usually last longer than a single concert. Especially playing live pleases me every time anew—I communicate only through my music. That is simply something extraordinarily beautiful.

What projects do you have planned for the future?

I've been sitting on the idea of realizing an album for a long time. But it should meet at least 101 percent of my expectations, so it's a process that's still going on quietly. Nevertheless, there will be some new music released in the next few months and maybe even a tour in the summer of 2023. Yes, that actually sounds pretty good!

If you want to know more about Alexander John's tour plans or concert dates, you can check out his homepage, Instagram and Facebook. Also on YouTube you can watch numerous videos and duos with other artists and listen to his music. We wish Alexander all the best for his future!

• Teresa Bergman - off to new shores with a great voice
• The evolution of Christmas songs - a slightly different Christmas story
• Music Producers with Alexander Lübbe & Max Ivory - Podcast #1

Start your own band project now

Are you interested in developing yourself musically and starting a new band project? Then take a look at mukken. Here you can easily connect with musicians from your area for free. In our blog you'll also find lots of other exciting articles on various music topics.