Yulia Niko's debut album is a profound reminder that even in the darkest times, the soul can find its twin flame within.
The Berlin DJ and producer presented his new album today, Soulmate, on Armin van Buuren's revered Armada imprint. Dealing with the loss of his late father, each of his painful songs represents a glimpse of Niko's soul, he says, and eventually weaves together to form a web of aural stories in his memory.
Imagine a kaleidoscope shattered by loss, its pieces refracting fragmented memories of lost love. Soulmate It's the process of meticulously reassembling them with the glue of vulnerable compositions and visceral house music, inviting listeners to evolve at the same time, like members of a family.
c/o Armada Música
Niko's roots in electronic music run deep. After a car accident hospitalized her for two months in critical condition at the age of 15, she discovered a love of digging through boxes and found solace in old Ibiza records, Ministry of Sound CDs and classic house records. Surprisingly, just a year later, she gave her first concert.
But it was the tragic death of his father that lit the fuse of true self-discovery. Tying himself to his experiences at his pace, Soulmate it is a vessel for Niko to chart a course toward emotional closure. With airy synths echoing unspoken conversations and bass that throbs as a constant reminder of a now-absent presence, the album is a dancefloor therapy session.
We sat down with Niko to talk about the captivating emotional arc of Soulmate and the moving stories woven into their music. Listen to the new album below and read on to discover more about its origins.
EDM.com: Can you explain your interpretation of the concept of the soul?
Julia Niko: Soul? It's a difficult question, but perhaps I would describe it as an inner identity. Something that is spiritual and special is what makes us extraordinary, and probably travels from body to body. This is what I prefer to believe in and gives me hope that I can enjoy my artistic life.
Of course when talking about the name of my album Soulmate and I mention the fact that I'm so similar to my father, we're talking about genes, but I wouldn't name the album twin genes, good? So yeah, I think it's a nice, unique name with a friendly vibe that captures my inspiration for the album.
EDM.com: Creating art from a period of grief can be overwhelming. What measures did you take to stay strong considering the emotional dizziness of the circumstances?
I must admit that I have a good psychologist and I have been in therapy for many years, as well as meditating and developing my mental health by reading books or articles and trying different practices. Music is always my escape from reality. Whenever I feel depressed, in a bad mood, tired or whatever, I am always making music, listening or searching… life without music would not be possible.
Losing my father was a very hard experience and people who have lost one of their own understand that it really changes something within you. In some ways, everything I said above worked very well, but it was extremely difficult to heal. Now I have achieved it, and better yet, I have allowed myself to enjoy making real music, in addition to “crazy techno”. I made an emotional album with ten songs and something my dad would really love to hear.
c/o Armada Música
EDM.com: made produce Soulmate Does it help you connect with your father's precious memories? Or gain closure and comfort?
Overall, the fact that we're talking about him so much because of the album already makes me very happy. He deserves it so much and I hope his soul can see it somehow. If we share a soul, part of it is inside me, so maybe that's why it makes me feel so good.
Making the album wasn't something I used to achieve closure or comfort; It is something that my heart asked for and I learned to listen to it. Producing the album, knowing that I dedicate this work of art to it, makes me feel very proud and excited, and that's probably why I'm so pleased with the final result.
EDM.com: Each track on the album is described as having a distinct narrative. Can you share the story behind a specific song that resonates most with you?
Julia Niko: “Success is a path, not a destination, the ego is afraid. It wants to control because it is afraid.” These are lyrics from “Éxito” with Sil Romero. It is an absolutely original song written with Sil, who is one of my closest friends. She is from Chile, but resides in Berlin.
Throughout my life, success has been important, but it's not like I have high expectations about anything in particular. I just try to enjoy my trip, as long as it's comfortable and not stressful. Wherever I am in the end, I'm just grateful. Life is too short to get angry.
The cover image on my phone screen says “I am enough.” This is a very important message today, when people have unlimited access to social media and many people get stressed about not being somewhere or not having something.
Sil and I come from countries where it is not so easy to succeed as an artist, that is why this song is the best representation of both, actually. Also, it is a great message for my father, who was always so insistent, in a good way but sometimes too much. But he did it and now I feel balanced and know how to do it well.
c/o Armada Música
EDM.com: As an artist, how do you find the balance between expressing personal vulnerability through your music and maintaining a sense of personal privacy?
Julia Niko: There are always things in life that influence your art. People always like to have a story and I don't want to create false stories; I have enough of my real ones. I have some lines I would never cross when sharing about my life; I mainly try to only share things that are related to the music I'm making.
In fact, I would really like to write a book, because I think I have quite an interesting experience traveling the world and meeting so many people, analyzing many things and finding many similarities between them.
As far as my father's death goes, I agree that maybe it's too much to share, or so I thought, but it had a huge impact on my life. I didn't post on Instagram for people who never met him, I just did something better by creating this album so that people really have the opportunity to get to know him, who he was and why he deserves this tribute.
EDM.com: Deep house music is known for its soulful and evocative nature. Why do you think that is?
Julia Niko: Deep house, the name already describes it. Deep, mind-blowing and hypnotic rhythm with beautiful sounds and voices that take you on a journey and bring you comfort at an exact moment in your life, and make you feel like you are at “home or the inner house”. That occurred to me! I swear I didn't Google it.
This is exactly the feeling I felt when I heard deep house when I was 15, and it has guided me through so many difficult situations since then, bringing me to the here and now. When I make music, I always have the keywords “uplifting, happy, cool.” I think that's why people are intrigued by deep house or any type of music made with this intention. It sounds very good and pleasant.
EDM.com: From euphoric highs to melancholic lows, there is a captivating emotional arc throughout the album. What do you hope listeners feel as they join you on this journey?
Julia Niko: I hope listeners find their own home and escape – listen to a song that makes them feel really good and really special. Let them wake up and start the day with this very particular melody, because as soon as they hear the first four bars they start to smile.
This album is the first, maybe the last. Maybe not, but it's real: a true work of art that means everything to me! And it is an honor for me to share my life with you. Enjoy listening to it. Thanks for listening.
Follow Yulia Niko:
Instagram: instagram.com/yulianiko
Facebook: facebook.com/yulianikomusic
Spotify: tinyurl.com/ptbz7tte
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