Oh no, oh no no, oh no no, oh no no
His hit single “All Night” has been streamed over 112 million times on Spotify alone. Have you heard this song? If not, click here and TURN. IT. UP!!! It doesn’t matter what single you’re listening to, you’ll be hooked. I can’t listen to this man and not just smile… His sound is toxic. See what I did there?! His new single “Toxic Lover” is out now via Etage Noir Recordings.
Stream/Download: Parov Stelar – “Toxic Lover” [Etage Noise Recordings]
Marcus Füreder, know professionally as Parov Stelar, is an Austrian musician who has pioneered the “electro swing” genre since his debut EP KissKiss was released in 2004. To help promote this infectious lead single released ahead of his highly-anticipated forthcoming album Moonlight Love Affair, I reached out for an interview. This has been a long time coming, friends. It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Parov Stelar.
Your new hit single “Toxic Lover” is out now. Tell me more about that song. That beat is insane!!!
Thank you. I have loved the original song by the Shangri La’s since I was sixteen. Started with a fun version for a DJ set. Was very difficult at first because it’s in 3/4 time. At the same time, I didn’t think clearing the sample would be easy either. Contrary to expectations the people in charge were very positive, as far as I know there has never been an official permission to use the song. All the more we were happy that we were the first to be allowed to edit it officially.
I’m having a hard time placing the genre. What do you call it? Jazz? Swing? I love it, just not sure what to call it!
I usually leave this question to the journalists. I once called the style Electro Swing during an interview many years ago and suddenly this term was coined. For me personally, however, it describes only one style that I do, namely exactly when I sample swing, but there are very many from Electro Blues, Electro Jazz to Electro Swing.
You founded Etage Noir Recordings in 2003. Can you tell me more about that label and what sort of music you are releasing there.
This story is quite simple. I started to produce techno beats and mix them with e.g. swing, but nobody wanted to listen to it. So I had to create my own label and at some point Etage Noir was born.
What is Moonlight Love Affair and when will that be released?
It’s the new album and it’s positive. There is a mood of departure, it goes uphill. Melancholy that promises a positive outcome though and that’s exactly what I feel. It was released on April 29th and I hope it will be the soundtrack of the summer.
Speaking of Moonlight Love Affair, who is that on the cover? I must say, all your artwork is amazing! Who is designing all of this for you?
Thanks for the credit. The one on the cover is a fictional character that was created in my studio. It is a picture that I painted myself, because the connection between music and visual art is very important to me, because Parov Stelar has always been for me more than just listening, but it should be a holistic experience.
I am obsessed with Spotify. Your single ”All Night” has over 112 million streams. What are your thoughts on Spotify and what do you attribute your success to on this streaming service?
I have no idea. Spotify has its own rules that I don’t always understand myself. I stopped thinking about the business aspect of music and just try to do my job as an artist as best as possible and not think too much. You often hear that you should not make intros and come quickly to the hook, the song should only last 2:30 min and so on. I can not make friends with that and I will continue to just make the music that I like and hope that others like it too.
I bet your concerts are fun! What can fans expect from a live performance?
Yes, our concerts are fun. People walk out of our concerts pretty sweaty. Parov Stelar is simply movement. Movement, joy and switching off for 2 hours and just dancing. Leaving all the everyday stuff outside, because it’s its own cosmos that is built here for 2 hours, where people are not only just part of it, but also get something out of it. It is very special at our shows and hard to describe.
You have won ten Amadeus Austrian Music Awards. Tell me more about those awards and what they mean to you as an artist.
The AAMAs mean a lot to me because it is an audience award and is voted for directly by the fans. I’m often asked, after I’ve already won a few, if the last one is still important to me, or if it’s already getting boring. The answer is: on the contrary, because that is a sign that my music is still there. Everyone who works in the music industry knows how hard it is to stay hot and this is a nice proof of that. Thanks a lot to the fans.
You look a lot like my good friend Dave Yaden. If you aren’t familiar with his work, look him up. You might be twins!
OK, will do. I hope he has the same six pack that I have. (Laughs.)
You have a lot of band members behind you. Tell me more about your support.
I would never see my band as support and it was also important to me that the live realization sounds different from the realization that happens in the studio. I would find it boring to just reproduce studio sound on stage. I looked for the best musicians I could find and I think I found them. I gave so much freedom to the live musicians, so that they can bring their part with which they feel comfortable on stage. An artist or musician on stage is only good when he feels free and is not held in any boundaries.
Of all the singles and albums you’ve released over the years, what are you most proud of?
All the songs are like children of mine and no parents would somehow name which children are their favorite. It may be that sometimes you like one a little better and sometimes the other, but I’m definitely proud of all my songs.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
You mean our own concerts or as a guest? With our own concerts, it’s the same as with the children. Every concert has its own vibration and flair. Of course, every now and then there are special shows like at Coachella when Lenny Kravitz sat in the photo pit and watched us. Or the Fête de l’Humanité in Paris for over 100,000 people, which can give you goosebumps.
You have a lot of tour dates in Europe right now. Any plans to come visit us here in the United States anytime soon? Would love to see you perform!
The next US Tour is in the planning phase right now. I cannot say any details just yet, but what I can say is that we will be coming to the US (east and west coast) in 2023.
What is your creative process like? Do you just hear a new song in your head or do you sit down to produce a new single?
I usually start with either a beat or a sample and then it’s like building LEGO or going fishing. I’m building around or I’m fishing and I don’t know what I’m going home with or where the muse is taking me and that’s actually always very exciting. I’m not a producer for hire who can say today I’m writing a ballad in C major or C minor. That simply doesn’t work.
Your music videos are fun. Where do you find all of this old footage? It fits your sound perfectly!
Thank you. It’s not always just old footage. Lately, there are always videos, where individual images were painted, then scanned again and put together on the computer. I try to keep it exciting and must also say that many fans have contributed to the community and have also made videos available.
What’s next for Parov Stelar?
Album release on April 29th, then live touring, which is a big part of Parov Stelar and then also hopefully in fall the release of a STELARTRONIC album which is my alter ego and which is a bit more on the electronic side of things.
Thank you for doing this. In all of the interview I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
I just wanna say that we are all happy that COVID seems behind us. We are fresh and hungry to get out there and to show off what we love to do.
Follow Parov Stelar:
Website: http://parovstelar.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parovstelarofficial/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/etagenoirrec/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/parov_stelar/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parovstelar/
