With Elena Colominas: an interview with the artist of "Los Noctámbulos"

19.06.2021

Elena Colominas was born in Barcelona in 1980. After completing a classical piano degree, she was part of different indie pop bands as a pianist and arranger. Later, her interests drifted towards modern classical music, which indeed inspired her first studio album as a composer and performer in 2019. Elena's music takes inspiration from pop, modal and classical music.

Hi Elena, you are an emerging artist but with different results already achieved, can you tell us briefly what artist you are?

I've always loved playing the piano, and for me, composing is a way of exploring and releasing my emotions almost as a therapeutic treatment. I think my music is unpretentious and romantic with some melodies inspired in pop music.


What are your influences and your musical references?

I have lots of influences, as I have listened and played different styles of music along all my life. My influences are, of course, classical composers as Debussy, Satie and Rachmaninov. By the other side, I've always been very fan of indie pop and rock music and I've played and singed in some bands too! As an actual references I would cite maybe Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm. I also like film music composers as Dario Marianelli. I also like emerging artists from my country making very interesting music as Nil Ciuró and Marta Cascales-Alimbau.

How do you compose? Do you feel a musical theme in your mind or is it more based on creating from sensations?

I think that is a mixture of both. My mood influences very much the music I imagine and sometimes, creating is a way of channeling my emotions and feelings.


How was your latest album "Los Noctámbulos" born?

Los Noctámbulos was born as a serie of four pieces inspired in the painting of Edwatd Hopper, The Nighthawks. Is a painter I love and I wanted to explain the solitude that often comes with life in big cities. I took that source of inspiration to created four short piano pieces with a touch of nostalgia.

I compose when I find the time. Most of the times I sit in the piano and nearly always I imagine or improvise little melodies or pieces.

At what time of the day do you like to compose? Is it an expressive urgency due to an inspiration or do you meditate and plan everything with scrupulous criteria?

I compose when I find the time. Most of the times I sit in the piano and nearly always I imagine or improvise little melodies or pieces. I use to record them and later I work on those I like most. I think I'm more productive when I work more often and for shorter periods of time that when I try to work for a very long time. It depends on my mood also. However, there are emotions that urge me to play on the piano that frequently result in my best pieces.


What would you answer to those who ask you why you should listen to your music?

I would answer that they should try and then decide if they like it or not. But by the way they would have listened a part of me! I hope my music could help them chill out and enjoy.


What is the meaning of music for you?

For me, music is a part of life. I cannot conceive life without music. For me it's the best way of expressing my feelings. In fact, If you ask me to explain my feelings with words it'd be much more harder than with music! As a listener, music is one of life's greatest pleasures!!

Could you kindly anticipate us something about your upcoming projects?

First of all, I'm preparing the recording of a piece I wrote a few months ago for my daughter, and I would like to release it very soon. By the other side, I'm working in new music for violoncello and piano. One of my longer-term desires would be to explore the world of electronic music.