Head Of Clouds is a Spanish artist who has released a string of incredibly moving releases that transcend beyond the dance floor. He is a secretive artist who also scores films and has released music under other aliases, but he wants this project to remain secretive and the music to talk for itself, rather than link to his other projects. The press release for his latest release describes his style as “Hans Zimmer meets Bicep” and there is definitely some truth to that complimentary description.

He recently put out two new solo track releases called ‘Don’t Embrace Me Yet’ and ‘Imaginary’ that are both stunning bits of uplifting electronica. So, we decided to invite Head Of Clouds for an interview, as we wanted to learn more about this extremely talented and elusive artist…

Thanks for talking with us today, I wanted to start by asking what part of the world you are currently based in, and if the local nightclubs are open yet?

Hi there! Thanks to you for inviting me 🙂
I am based in Barcelona, Spain. And yes, clubs are open, and I hope they remain open forever…

What inspired your Head Of Clouds alias, and have you releases music under any other names?
When I began to articulate the project, I had in mind that the artistic name would try to reflect the essence of what I want to convey with the music. I was constantly looking for inspiration in different artistic fields, and on a visit to the Dalí museum in Figueres, the inspiration I needed came from a painting. When I saw the piece by Salvador Dalí called “Man With His Head Full Of Clouds” I instantly identified, and felt that the project should mention this beautiful piece of art. Regarding the other names: Yes, but I prefer that no one knows that Spiderman is Peter Parker haha. The objective of this project is to bring all the focus on the music and not the artist identity. I do not want there to be any kind of prejudice or preconceptions from whoever is willing to listen.

How would you describe your music style, and who are some of the artists that influence you?
I would not define my music with any specific style, as I focus on creating moods and atmosphere. I want the listener to share in my emotions and enjoy the experience. Music is a language, and a different way to express perceptions. I have several influences, and to name a few: Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, Nicolas Jaar, Ludovico Einaudi and Bonobo.

Your tracks are very rich in melody so I wanted to ask if you have any classical training, and which instruments do you know how to play?
I don’t have any classical training, and I’m still fighting with the piano haha. I understand the basics of harmony, and love to explore the ideas in my head.

I’d love to learn more about your production process, what’s in your studio setup, and how do you usually start a new track… does the melody or percussion come first?
To compose each track, I base myself on a perception of reality, and think how can I capture it through music or how can I transfer this feeling to the listener. It might sound odd, but I’m never thinking if the listener will like my music. Instead, I’m focused on if the listener will understand what I want to express, and hopefully they will enjoy that feeling. Once I have the track in my head, I sit at the piano to find the chords that make me feel what I want to express. The rest is simply transferring the instruments in my head to the DAW music software I use to record, mix and sequence the tracks. There are no elements in any of my songs that are randomly placed, as everything has its own meaning and a reason. My current studio setup is very simple, and consists of a Casio privia PX-S1000 Piano, Apollo Firewire Audio Interface, Adam Audio SP-5 Headphones, and a computer with some bits of software.

In the last couple of months, you have put out two new releases called ‘Don’t Embrace Me Yet’ and ‘Imaginary’… could you tell us about those tracks and their concept?
Yes of course! I love this kind of questions… ‘Don’t Embrace Me Yet’ reflects my perception of a love story that for external reasons can’t move forward. The bass is very powerful, but it matches perfectly with the aired pianos around it. This combination reflects the strong internal love this relationship has, but at the same time, you can hear two
melody lines that represent a conversation, which is discussing the situation these lovers have found themselves in.
‘Imaginary’ reflects my perception of a make-believe world, and how we can generate a totally remote scenario that doesn’t exist in reality. It has a very beautiful atmosphere of pianos and chords that together with the drums makes an uplifting track that is always going up.

I really like the hand-painted look to the sleeve art on your releases, and I wanted to ask if those are actual paintings or a clever piece of digital design?
Yes, they are actual paintings… they come from the abstract expressionist artist Steve Johnson who is incredibly talented. Apart from music, what are some of your other passions in life? I’m very interested in spirituality, and I love to spend some time doing reiki, which is a healing massage that helps induce a meditative state of relaxation and moves energy around the body. I also love travelling and doing motorcycle routes.

What’s coming up next in your schedule?
Now, I am doing the film scoring for a Spanish short film, and I’m also working on new collaborations for
the Head Of Clouds project that will be out early 2022.

Thanks for talking with me today, is there anything else you would like to add before we finish?
Music and love, always!