Click Interview with Rina Pavar: ‘I Want To Create Songs That Come Alive Through Contrasts’
Rina Pavar is a German, female, solo-project I got the opportunity to discover by the last year released album “Vivid Night – Special Edition”. This album released by Cold Transmission Music features the self-released debut-album “Vivid Night” (2021) and the self-released EP “Things We Hide” (2022) as a little bonus. Sound-wise RINA PAVAR stands for Minimal-Electro which has something 80s like. I talked with the artist who preferred to stay hidden behind her artist name.
(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: I never heard of Rina Pavar before the album “Vivid Night / Things We Hide” released last year by Cold Transmission Music. Can you give us a bit more background information about your project and the way you got contaminated by Electronic music? And what does Rina Pavar stand for?
RP: Rina Pavar is a solo project that I started in 2019. Before that I worked as a lyricist for other musicians, occasionally worked in live sound engineering and most recently wrote and produced the songs for the Synth-Pop project Butcher Lane. Until 2019, it was more of a hobby and I didn’t pursue it stringently because studies and later job took priority. But as time went by, I felt that I’d rather get something of my own going, where I can express myself clearly and uncompromisingly -with my own voice. Until then, I lacked the confidence to put myself on the microphone. But one day I just did it … well, and now I’m here.
The way I got contaminated by Electronic music, as for most of my genre I guess, is the music of the late 70s and especially the 80s. Post-Punk, all kinds of Wave music, the cold and minimal music that conveys so much power and emotion in a subtle and unobtrusive way that is also danceable. You can reach me with that, and it has always touched and fascinated me. Even though I find myself in other subgenres as well, to express myself, Electronic music has always been the genre of choice. And if I am to describe what Rina Pavar is about, it is actually just that. It’s important to me to convey a good energy, despite all the love for melancholy. I want to create songs that come alive through contrasts, whose sound and meaning is timeless, and which you therefore like to listen to again and again (… at least I hope that I succeed in doing so ;).
Q: You got rapidly signed to Cold Transmission Music but how important is it these days to work with a label? What’s the true impact and importance of a label deal versus D.I.Y. artists?
RP: Whether a label is advantageous, I can’t and would not say universally. Everyone has his own way and that you can go this nowadays freely and successfully without a label, is for me one of the achievements of mankind! The musical diversity that is accessible through this is simply great. In the beginning, I did this on my own and rejected requests from labels at first, explaining that I would like to do everything myself for the first album. However, I had to realize for myself (and this is really very subjective) that I was completely overwhelmed at the point where it was not only about digital releases, but also about the physical ones. Somehow I reached my limits here and realized that I was starting to put of important things and also withdraw musically.
At that time, I had already talked with Cold Transmission about a collaboration, and we got to know each other bit by bit. With Andreas and Suzy I felt in good hands from the beginning and arrived in a wonderful community. It’s a respectful collaboration at eye level and I feel understood and supported as a person and artist in my creative freedom, rather than directed. That was important to me! Because I want to make my music and of course present it to the world -but not if I have to bend for it.
Q: Tell us a bit more about your sound approach and creation? Do you handle specific influences and/or references when it comes to writing- and production process and what are the main equipment you’re using?
RP: Basically, I can say that my focus is on strong bass and beats. When composing, I always start from these elements. For example, I am inspired by the Trip-Hop and Rap songs of the 90s, which I still like to listen to today. The inspiration for my synths and pads comes more from the Electronic music of the late 70s and 80s. I don’t consciously listen to songs for that, but I notice that I always automatically tend in that direction when choosing sounds.
My equipment so far includes Reason and a number of good software instruments like the Arturia Collection for example. Plus a few percussion instruments and keyboards and of course everything else you need (microphone, studio boxes etc.). At the moment, I’m still a bit limited in terms of space, but the equipment will certainly increase over time and be supplemented in the area of hardware instruments.
Q: I noticed you’re actually working on your new album entitled “Six” which has been introduced by the single “Light Haze”. Can you already give us more details about the new work and how do you perceive the evolution from “Vivid Night” towards “Six”?
RP: Since “Six” is still in the making, I can’t give so much detail yet. But there is indeed one point that I already notice in the creative process: It sounds more self-confident and stronger or better more courageous than “Vivid Night”. This is not to be judged as better or worse, but simply reflects my development over the last two years. I have learned a lot and found my workflow. It is also slowly becoming easier for me to come out of my shell.
Q: Can you give us more insight about your lyrical themes which seem to me as being introspective reflections and personal experiences? And what does it reveal about the human being hiding behind the artist?
RP: My lyrics have always been more focused on the quiet movements and feelings inside than on the hard facts outside. Everything invisible, everything that happens on the emotional level and is difficult to describe, I find inspiring and really important. After all, with our inside, we shape our outside. I like to choose words for these things and feelings, to create images and give them a form in the lyrics. This is my world, and here I feel competent enough to write about it. If my lyrics then touch one or the other person who feels or experiences something similar, I am overjoyed. I think that says a lot about the author.
Q: What are the further plans next to release a new album? What about new clips, remixes, live performances..?
RP: At the moment, I’m working very intensively on a live performance. A very big challenge for me, because I still have no idea how I feel as a live act. So far I only know my safe space in the studio. Even though it challenges me a lot from time to time, I’m happy to go this way and to have this experience. In fact, I’ve been trying to shoot a new video for quite some time. Unfortunately, this has taken a back seat due to the work on the live set. But postponed is not canceled -great ideas are there, and the implementation will follow. But I can’t give an exact date yet
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