Ys Atlov
With a touch of 80’s nostalgia and a dash of disco-wave, Ys Atlov creates songs that dance between light and dark. She is a solo female singer-songwriter who mixes different facets of herself in her music. She expresses her feelings about love, regrets, and time in poetic and emotive lyrics that are full of references to memories, 80’s music, and her beloved Paris.
She is influenced by 80’s legends like Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, and Alphaville, as well as pop and rock icons like Lady Gaga, Queen, and dark music. She takes the listener on a journey through a contrasted universe, where upbeat rhythms and melancholy melodies coexist.
How did you discover your passion for music and what is the story of Ys Atlov?
I’ve always loved listening to music and had a quite classical music education, started playing the violin at 4 and singing in choirs. But I really chose to do more music at the age of 13, by learning opera singing and attending music studies.
Then I played in some rock and pop bands, and my synthpop solo project Ys Atlov was born in 2012. At that time, I was hanging out very often and attended a lot of concerts, so I felt I had to use this flow to create my own music. I had the privilege to play live in Paris several times, including as the opening act of Clan of Xymox, but also in Lyon and London, and released two EP’s and two singles. The latest one, “The first days of spring”, is available since May, 18th.
What are some of the main influences or inspirations for your music style and sound?
The more obvious influence may be 80’s pop, rock and new-wave music. There was something very strong and unique about sounds and feels in that period. I like artists such as Depeche Mode, Kim Wilde or Eurythmics, and especially bands of the Neue Deutsche Welle such as Hubert Kah, DAF, and Alphaville. “Dark” electropop music is also a great source of inspiration, as I listen a lot to bands such as And One, Covenant, or VNV Nation, who do a wonderful work on electronic sounds, with pop influences and singable songs. In a different field, some video games and movies with a strong atmosphere inspired me a lot too, regarding their universe and feels.
Your latest release, “The first days of spring”, is amazing. What was the inspiration behind it?
Thank you very much. I wanted to write about a feeling that comes back every year in the beginning of spring, maybe because it’s a particular moment of renewal, with strong markers: the sun gets warmer, nature turns green and lush again, people seem to look happier... It’s very exciting, but like at other “anniversary” times of the year (Christmas, New Year’s eve), it’s hard not to think about time passing by, and memories that are associated with those moments.
Just like smelling a perfume you haven’t smelled for a long time, and that brings you back in time with the person who wore it, the songs you listened to, and many other details that were forgotten until then. I wanted to write a song about this paradoxical feeling of nostalgia in a happy and sunny context, but it’s also a song about hope and gratitude for past good moments.
This is the first single of your upcoming EP. What can we look forward to in the rest of the songs?
The whole EP is a bit different from the previous releases; it’s more intimate and less dancy. “The first days of spring” is a ballad, which is however not the case of the other songs. Musically, the leitmotiv of the EP remains the 80’s pop influence, and lyrics dealing with human general topics and emotions: love, memories, relationships, hopes and fears.
Being an Indie artist can be stressful and demanding. How do you cope with the pressure of time and stress?
That’s true, we often hear that being an Indie artist is handling many jobs in one. In any aspects of life, I think the point is to define your current priorities to be efficient, and to be well organized. Being independent offers liberty, but it’s essential to plan your tasks.
Broadly speaking, it’s important to try your best, but you have to accept not being perfect, because the main risk is being too perfectionist, and not doing anything in the end. And accepting it may be one of the hardest things to deal with!
How do you decide when a song is ready for release? What are some of the criteria you use?
It’s rarely ready, but you have to find the right moment to let go, otherwise you add or modify things endlessly, and can lose spontaneity. It’s very personal, but for me the right moment to release a song is when I feel it’s coherent and crafted enough: the structure, the arrangements and vocals sound good, with additional details, musical patterns and effects to break the monotony.
I think drawing and painting are very close to music composing: the point is not exhaustivity, it’s the framing and representation you choose that matter. Emotion doesn’t mean technical perfection, as long as the execution is good enough to be enjoyable and to convey your message.
And finally, what are your future plans and goals as an artist?
First of all, keep on making, sharing and enjoying music of course :) Specifically, I work on the upcoming EP, but also on another EP which is written in French, and plan to collaborate with artists I like, especially on the visual aspects. And generally, see what life brings up!
