Eight questions with Hilang Child

(c) Carys Lavin

1. Who is Hilang Child and where did the name come from? (a short introduction)

Hilang Child is Ed Riman, a half-Welsh, half-Indonesian Londoner. There's no real deep meaning behind the name, other than a pseudonym to hide behind... 'Hilang' means 'lost' or 'missing' in Indonesian.

2. How long have you been making music as Hilang Child? What have the highlights been so far?

The first thing I did as Hilang Child was a free EP called First Writings in 2012, which got re-released on Third Rock a year later. Those were the first songs I ever wrote. I'd been doing music a little bit longer than that though, mainly as a drummer for various projects. There's been a few highlights, it's hard to whittle down but I'd say the launch show for my self-titled EP last year was a proud moment. I hadn't done many headline shows and it felt pretty special packing out my own show and seeing so many familiar faces in the audience. I also remember finding it pretty exciting the first time I heard my stuff on the radio and saw people blogging about me, it seemed crazy.

3. How is work on the debut album going? If there is an interesting story behind how you and any producers & session plays met and started playing together, please do share!

Album's nearly done, touch wood! It's currently being mixed by Kwes, really exciting to have him involved as he has such an interesting way of working and I'm a big fan of his stuff, both as a producer and artist. The album is a mix of some home recordings, studio recordings and bits & pieces recorded elsewhere too. It's a bit of a change in direction from past EPs, it's a lot more self-produced than previous stuff. I enjoy working with others but I just felt like nothing I've previously released really ended up sounding how I had first envisioned and I feel quite disconnected from it because of that. So it was just so refreshing to have full control and the freedom to do things my way; doing it in your own space in your own time really fuels creativity, I got a lot more experimental with production and composition elements. I had fun recording stuff like kalimbas & harmoniums, beer bottles, stretching, reversing and manipulating my voice - even managed to slip in some Balinese kecak chanting. I'm really glad I went back to basics and did it my way.

4. We loved having you play on our stage at The Alternative Escape back in May, what have you been up to since then? We saw that you played at Leefest recently - how was that?!

Thanks for having me on your stage, I enjoyed it! Since then I've pretty much just been finishing the album whilst doing occasional little bits of session stuff. Leefest was a bit tough, I was playing on a tiny little stage in the woods with a small sound system and as the main stage was so loud I got drowned out a bit. It was a nice little festival though with an amazing story behind it, really good to see how it's grown to what it is today.

5. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

I guess for the modern artist it's quite nice to be able to connect with fans so easily. Still blows my mind when I get messages from people on the other side of the world who have felt something listening to my music.

6. We can’t wait for your show supporting JYLDA in September. It’s her debut London show - any sightseeing tips?

South London is better than North London. Stay away from Oxford Street, the most polluted hellhole on earth.

7. What does your dream gig look like? Any bands that you’d love to play alongside?

Go on youtube and search Sigur Ros Olsen Olsen Heima. That'd be my dream gig. Not sure about specific other bands, but I've always had this weird dream of at some point collaborating with some other artist to cover the whole of the Smile album by The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson. Hehe.

8. What does the rest of the year (and even looking towards 2017) hold for you?

To be honest, I have no idea! All I've been thinking about is getting this album finished and ready to release, so hopefully soon it'll be ready and I'll have a plan. Fingers crossed the wait won't be too long.

Hilang Child supports JYLDA on her debut London show at Servant Jazz Quarters on 6th September alongside Sera Eke and Brudini, tickets here.

Eight questions with JYLDA

1. Who is JYLDA, and where does the name come from? (a short introduction)

JYLDA is my musical alias and the name reflects my connection to classical music – I've studied opera singing. It derives from Gilda, the main character from "Rigoletto“.

2. First up, what’s the music scene like in Berlin, and which niche do you fit into there?

Berlin is great for experimenting, everyone will find a place where they feel welcome here – but I wouldn’t assign myself to a particular scene. I love collaborating with lots of different people and that’s what the city is perfect for. At the moment I am working with a fashion designer on a very special / interactive stage outfit, for instance. And I just started writing a duet with another female songwriter and producer. (All very secret, so I can’t go into detail about it yet.)

3. We love the new track ‘Unchange Your Mind’ as well as the previously released singles ‘Superficial’ and ‘Cruel Machine’. Can you tell us about the songwriting process?

It's good not to establish too many firm patterns. I find it interesting to discover new ways for the birth of a song as often as possible. Sometimes I would start with a beat or classically, with some piano harmonies. And a lot of times I would use a vocal line I recorded with my phone when half awake, half dreaming. Writing superficial, I had another approach: I made field recordings on and around the former Tempelhof airport here in Berlin, layered them and built the structure for a song before it was written, really. I stuck to my rough and sweeping first recordings because I love the weird atmosphere they are creating: they sound dirty, broken but also alive, like something that creeps... All in all, it’s best to keep a bit of naivety when writing songs in general, I think.

4. Your music is described as “drifting between extremes, strong and sensitive, powerful and sensual, mature and naïve, cold and warm, dreaming and brisk, retrospective and futuristic at the same time” - where does the inspiration and influence come from? Also, does releasing the tracks through your own label give you more freedom musically, and are you looking to continue releasing the music yourself?

Some authors have inspired me lately, especially Sylvia Plath and Franz Werfel. The latter wrote a very good novel about the competition between and the cult of Wagner and Verdi and the way music is labeled. It's also interesting from the point of view of musicology which I am studying at university. I think a lot of inspiration has to come from the inside, though, or it just has to happen along the way when something catches your attention or fascinates you. I find it strange when people do something in order to get inspired. You don't become an artist by experiencing something interesting. The point is to be able to make something amazing out of things others would consider boring at first, too – changing perspectives. Then again, I can’t keep from using as many impressions as possible for songs!

Having my own label gives me absolute freedom – I can release stuff whenever I like. I'm a big fan of being my own boss and I like having full control over every detail of my project. Still, if one of my few favourite labels would approach me about a collaboration I have to admit that I might consider it...

5. What does the rest of the year (and 2017) hold for you: are you working towards an EP/album?

New tracks are waiting to be released in the next months and the goal is to start working on a new record in autumn.

6. The show at Servant Jazz Quarters in September will be your first London show (congrats!) - have you visited the city before or will you be sneaking in some sightseeing on the trip? Need any recommendations?!

Thank you! I've been to London twice this year already and I’m in love with the city. I’m sure you can give me some good tips about concerts during my stay, though? Hehe!

7. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

Once I had a girl come up to me after a gig and tell me that she wanted to marry me – sadly, I was too stirred to accept the proposal...

8. What does your dream gig look like?

An accurate and calm soundcheck and good sound conditions in the venue are crucial, of course. But the crowd and the atmosphere are even more important. When people get what you want to convey during a concert it’s the most beautiful thing. My dream is also to perform on the moon!

JYLDA plays her debut London show at Servant Jazz Quarters on 6th September, tickets are available here (and an absolute bargain!) Check out her tracks on Soundcloud here.