Eleftherios has taken Runaway, one in every of Kanye West’s most emotionally unfiltered tracks, and reshaped it into one thing weightless and introspective. On this interview, he breaks down the artistic selections behind his atmospheric rework, explaining how he preserved the uncooked underpinnings of the music whereas steering it right into a extra meditative area. He additionally displays on the sudden viral success of Cover CS01, the advantageous line between creative intuition and strategic pondering in right this moment’s music panorama, and his ambitions past streaming success—together with a transfer to Greece and aspirations to compose for movie and video games. Whether or not you’re fascinated by the small print of ambient manufacturing or the evolving position of TikTok in fashionable music, Eleftherios presents a lot to unpack.
Eleftherios, welcome to A&R Manufacturing facility! You’ve carved out an area in ambient music that’s clearly connecting with individuals in an enormous means, and your upcoming tackle Runaway appears set to do the identical. Runaway is already a fairly haunting monitor. What made you wish to break it down even additional and reimagine it as an ambient piece?
It’s a pleasure to be right here at A&R Manufacturing facility, thanks for having me on this unbelievable platform for artists! I actually recognize the type phrases. I’m actually not too positive about fashionable Kanye, however you possibly can’t deny that, prior to now, he created some actually culture-shifting information. Runaway is one in every of my favourites. The minimalism of the piano, so easy but extremely iconic—paired with the uncooked emotion of the music makes it deeply transferring. I felt it might translate fantastically into the ambient area, permitting the melody and emotion to breathe in a brand new means.
Kanye West’s Runaway is such an unfiltered music, basically Kanye being brutally sincere about his personal flaws, toxicity, and lack of ability to navigate relationships. At its core, it’s uncooked and susceptible. I wished to take that very same rawness and discover it by way of a extra hopeful, ethereal lens.
While you take a music like Runaway and strip it again, how do you resolve what stays and what goes? Have been there any components of the unique that shocked you when you remoted them?
That’s an excellent query. The largest change was within the construction. The unique is nearly 9 minutes lengthy, whereas my model is simply over two minutes. It’s like adapting a novel into a movie, you possibly can’t embody all the pieces, so you must select probably the most important moments.
I knew I needed to preserve probably the most iconic melodic strains, particularly the vocal melody, and discovering a approach to make that work naturally in an ambient setting was a problem. Reverb grew to become my greatest pal (as all the time) in shaping the ambiance and mixing all the pieces seamlessly.
What shocked me most was simply how highly effective the melody is by itself. Even with out vocals, with out drums, with out all of the manufacturing, it might simply be the soundtrack to an emotional indie movie the place somebody stares out of a rain-soaked window, considering life…
Cover CS01 blew up on TikTok in an enormous means. Did that change the best way you concentrate on making music, or do you simply concentrate on what feels proper within the second?
Oh, 100%, it modified how I take into consideration music. Earlier than Cover, I used to be making songs purely based mostly on feeling. Now, I nonetheless concentrate on emotion, however I additionally assume, “May this match right into a second individuals would possibly wish to soundtrack!?” With Cover, all of it felt very pure. I noticed the darkish fantasy pattern taking off on TikTok and thought, this monitor would sound unbelievable in an ethereal ambient fashion! I made it in a day, acquired my girlfriend GLO so as to add these stunning, ethereal vocals, and we had it able to go inside a few days. It was a case of seeing a second, appearing quick, and trusting that it will resonate.
The largest lesson? Typically, being intentional with advertising and marketing isn’t a nasty factor. It doesn’t imply making ‘soulless’ music, it means discovering the appropriate residence for the music you’re keen on making. It additionally confirmed me simply how highly effective TikTok is, how shortly a music can unfold when it connects with the appropriate viewers. That mentioned, I
nonetheless consider in steadiness. You don’t wish to overthink traits to the purpose the place you lose the magic.
Ambient music could be so private for listeners, like a soundtrack to their ideas. What sort of headspace would you like individuals to be in once they hear your model of Runaway?
That’s what I really like about ambient music, it’s so private. Each style is private in its personal means, however ambient music feels extra solitary. You’re not precisely going to a membership to listen to this sort of music (although, if there’s a membership for ambient music, somebody please signal me up).
Some individuals would possibly discover this model of Runaway melancholic, others would possibly really feel a way of peace or nostalgia. Music is subjective, and that’s what makes it stunning. But when I needed to paint a scene, image your self mendacity below the night time sky, feeling like the entire world is open to you. The unique Runaway is uncooked and unfiltered, like Kanye is emotionally unravelling in actual time. My model takes that very same emotion however filters it by way of a dreamier, weightless perspective, nearly as if Runaway existed in an alternate, extra ethereal actuality.
You’ve acquired 275K month-to-month listeners on Spotify—fairly huge for a style that’s nonetheless fairly area of interest. What do you assume it’s about your sound that retains individuals coming again?
Actually, I’m nonetheless wrapping my head round it. A yr in the past, I had fewer than 1,000 listeners, now I’ve extra month-to-month listeners than some small cities have residents. It’s surreal.
Although ambient music is area of interest, it lives within the wellness area, which is definitely huge. Folks use this sort of music to assist with anxiousness, sleep, focus, or to simply to really feel one thing deeper. That’s what retains it rising.
As for why individuals come again to my music? I’d prefer to assume it’s due to the additional element I put into the sound design. I’ve been making music for over a decade, and I really like creating immersive sonic worlds. So, hopefully, that focus to element makes my music one thing individuals wish to return to.
Ambient music is all about subtlety, however it’s simple to get misplaced within the particulars. How are you aware when a monitor is completed and never simply caught in a loop of limitless tweaking?
Oh, I don’t all the time know. Typically, I tweak a monitor endlessly till I begin to surprise if I’m really enhancing it or simply making it barely worse in numerous methods. However over time, I’ve discovered to belief my instincts. Some tracks come collectively quick, like ‘echoes of the unsaid’, others take ages, particularly the final 10% of sprucing. If I discover myself endlessly tweaking, I attempt to step away, reset my ears, and are available again later. If I’m nonetheless not glad, then perhaps the monitor isn’t meant to be completed but.
Lots of people don’t realise how a lot really goes into making ambient music. Are you able to break down a particular second in Runaway the place one thing small makes an enormous distinction?
That’s so true, ambient music can really feel minimalistic, however the magnificence is within the particulars. This was a kind of tracks the place all the pieces flowed naturally, although I initially thought structuring it will be the toughest half.
One particular second that made an enormous distinction was deciding the place to put the important thing melodic moments and determining what to maintain and what to trim. My eureka second got here at 1:36, when all the pieces comes again in. It simply felt so satisfying, like fixing a puzzle. The second I locked that in, I knew the toughest a part of the monitor
was over. I might lastly breathe once more
Ambient music has exploded on streaming platforms and TikTok—why do you assume persons are gravitating in direction of these sorts of sounds greater than ever?
You’re completely proper, it’s thrilling to see. Who would have thought minimal ambient music could be recognised by tons of of hundreds of thousands? It’s each peculiar and extremely motivating.
I feel now greater than ever, individuals really feel disconnected. With social media and fixed ‘doomscrolling,’ all the pieces strikes so quick. The youthful technology is rising up in a world the place they virtually reside on-line, and whereas that has its advantages, it additionally comes with lots of negatives.
Ambient music seems like an antidote to all of that. It’s music that offers you area, allows you to decelerate, and helps you reconnect, not simply with the world, however with your self. That’s why I feel it’s surging in recognition. It’s nearly like a reset button in your mind. And platforms like TikTok have made it simpler than ever for these tracks to seek out the individuals who want them most!!
Do you ever take into consideration engaged on a soundtrack, or do you already write with visuals in thoughts?
Scoring a movie or recreation is my final objective!! (Hook me up if you realize anybody) After I was a child, whereas everybody else on the bus was blasting pop or hip-hop, I used to be sitting there listening to movie scores, imagining scenes that didn’t exist… So, yeah, I’ve been enthusiastic about this for some time.
I haven’t had the possibility to do official soundtrack work but, however I’m hoping that as I develop within the ambient world, I can transition into it. Scoring a recreation is one in every of my prime objectives for the subsequent couple of years.
After Runaway drops, what’s subsequent? Are you already engaged on one thing new, or are you taking a second to soak all of it in?
I’ve acquired a weekly launch schedule lined up till Might, however my focus now’s on larger tasks. I’ve been releasing lots of singles, which has been nice, however I wish to create one thing extra immersive, like a full album.
I’ve been working with Dreamscape, the largest ambient label and the house of most of the ambient traits you see on TikTok. They’re the very best within the recreation and true visionaries on this artistic area. I’m actually excited to place out an album with them sooner or later.
Past that, I’m transferring to Greece, again to my ancestral roots, with my girlfriend, GLO, in April, simply a few weeks after Runaway drops. I really feel like this transformation in setting goes to encourage my greatest work but. It seems like a brand new chapter within the Eleftherios story.
Stream Eleftherios on Spotify and uncover extra in regards to the artist by way of their official web site.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
