LISTEN: Ilja Alexander – Butterfly
“Alexander’s latest single, “Butterfly”, is a testament to resilience and to the strength of untarnished hopefulness.”
Beats Per Minute
“I’ll Wait” certainly has that accessible, earworm peppiness to it, making it a must-hear for fans of bands like Beach House.”
Rolling Stone India“Ilja’s lush vocals sound almost dreamlike in the single, allowing his listeners to feel his vulnerability, hope and new beginnings”.
EARMILK“Ilja Alexander crafts dreamy pop music with an underground streak, something marked by real originality.”
CLASH Magazine“Wonderfully wrought, “Someday” serves up cashmere washes of stylish alt-pop, glossed with silky savors, and the deliciously evocative tones of Ilja Alexander.”
Medium.com
London-based dream-pop artist Ilja Alexander has announced the release of ‘Butterfly’ on the 19th of June via Green Monk Records. The single was premiered via Beats Per Minute. The track was produced by Curtis Richardson (Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Joss Stone), Adien Lewis (Taemin, SHINee, NCT Dream and BTS’ single, ‘Inner Child’ on their latest album) as well as Alexander, mixed by Matt Wiggins (U2, Adele, Lorde) and mastered by Randy Merrill (Taylor Swift, Liam Gallagher, Lady Gaga). ‘Butterfly’ was entirely composed and largely arranged by Ilja Alexander himself. The official music video for his previous single, ‘Someday’ has been featured by the renowned CLASH Magazine and EARMILK, while the remix was premiered via Pop Dust and his latest single ‘I’ll Wait’ premiered via Rolling Stone India. Alexander has garnered substantial support in Indonesia including Cosmopolitan Magazine, CLEO Magazine, and Medium with his previous single shooting to #1 on the Ardan radio chart in Indonesia. He has also toured extensively in both Japan and Indonesia.
Originally from Amsterdam, Alexander has recently formed a band in London. Although his parents were not musical, his grandfather was a gifted piano player. One day his father was playing Beethoven’s Für Elise when Alexander took a seat at the piano and began to play it himself. During high school, Alexander and his siblings were involved in music. He went on an exchange program to Osaka where he discovered that people were interested in his music. It was there that he decided to become a professional singer-songwriter.
Inspired by a wide array of artists and eras, Alexander cites influences from acts such as Electric Light Orchestra, The Libertines, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Beach Boys and Burt Bacharach. However, his own tapestry of love, life, heartache and hope contains elements of Beach House, Porcelain Raft and The Lightning Seeds.
Opening with a delicate, organic soundscape, Ilja Alexander displays his strengths as a musician in his latest single. ‘Butterfly’ appears like a much-needed ray of sunshine, acting as a beacon of hope to all in the music industry. Using classic elements such a solo electric guitar and layered vocals, the single lends itself to memories of simpler days. A leisurely tone is struck throughout the single, as Ilja Alexander plays with the use of negative sound spaces and uncomplicated production styles. The end result leaves the listener refreshed and unburdened, ready to embrace the day.
Ilja Alexander takes a moment to reflect on the sequence of events that lead to the creation of the single, “People have always called me ‘zen’, but I recently discovered I was just emotionally disconnected. No one knew what was going on in my mind, neither did I. One day, while sitting in the park, a little butterfly flew towards me and landed in the grass next to me. I asked the butterfly if it knew what was going on in my mind, giving birth to this song. The butterfly guided me with my own metamorphosis to a new beginning.”
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