Y.V.E 48 are ‘two brothers making music' from Berlin. Known also by their first names, leo and Rafael, the German duo has been sending shockwaves around the world with their musical combo of knowledge and passion. Some have called their sound ‘coffeehouse pop', as it would be perfect to listen to at your favorite java shop. Not too pop, not too mellow, but yet addictive.
The talented duo have a solid musical background with Rafael experimenting with electronic sounds since his early age and Leo being a classical pianist and graduating from the Juilliard School in New York City. Nowadays, their tracks have been released on various dance labels and received over 20 million hits on Spotify alone.
Hot on the heels of summerish ‘Overnight' in tandem with Johnny Manuel for Armada Music, Viralbpm sat down with the cruising and sensational brothers Leo and Rafael for an exclusive Y.V.E 48 interview to talk about their latest releases, German clubbing scene and -of course- new music.
V1.You released a pretty refreshing track called “Overnight” in collaboration with johnny manuel. What were your initial artistic intentions for this single? Are you happy with the final output?
Y.V.E 48: Thank you! When I first heard the song I instantly fell in love with the lyrics and Johnny's voice. My goal was to enhance that soulful feeling of the vocals by adding energy with the production. The final result is an emotional house track – which I am very happy with btw :).
V2. How did this collaboration between you and Johnny Manuel happen?
Y.V.E 48: Usually I like to be in the studio with the singer to write new music. One day though I received an email from my management with some songs and Overnight was among these. I instantly fell in love with Johnny's voice – who I hadn't met at that point – and thought the song was really strong. When I started working on the song the ideas just came very quickly and naturally and I am really happy how the final version turned out. When I was in LA this fall I finally got to meet Johnny and showed him the final version – he's an incredibly nice guy and an amazing singer and I hope to work with him again in the future!
This new collaboration between @Yve48Music and @JohnnyManuel is just stunning ✨ https://t.co/jMVsvBbFtg #WeArmada #ArmadaMusic #Overnight pic.twitter.com/hiMrUxhkNM
— Armada Music (@Armada) November 16, 2018
V3. Any future plans regarding releases, records or collaborations you can already talk about with us?
Y.V.E 48: Lots of new music is on the way! I am excited to show the world all the songs that I have been working on. I recently collaborated with some amazing singer-songwriters and think that the songs we wrote are amazing! I hope that people will like them as much as I do. I am also excited about the release of Overnight ft. Johnny Manuel, which is out via Armada Music.
V4. Any live events or special live sessions you're eagerly anticipating?
Y.V.E 48: Right now I am working a lot on new music in the studio and collaborate with many talented songwriters. I will keep you posted on my socials about all upcoming events 🙂
V5. What tools and programs are you using to create your own music?
Y.V.E 48: I use Logic Pro X as my main daw. Sylenth1, Serum, Nexus, and a few Native Instrument libraries are some of my favorite and most used plugins – but I also use some analogue synths such as the Yamaha DX7, Moog Little Phatty, and a Dave Smith Prophet. Last but not least I like to record real guitars and sometimes also the piano.
V6. If we remember right, you have been releasing tunes through Armada since 2014. What makes Armada Music and the whole environment of the label so special?
Y.V.E 48: That's right! Armada Music releases a very broad spectrum of dance/electronic music and has been doing that very successfully for quite a time, so it feels good to release your music with such a well-known and experienced label. They definitely helped me to make my first releases get heard by a broad audience all around the world. I am excited for my new song to be released on Armada Music as well!
V7. How did you decide to start with recording your own songs?
Y.V.E 48: I grew up in a very musical family so I have always been surrounded by all kinds of music. I grew up playing piano and got into producing in my early teens. I especially enjoyed the freedom that music production gives you – you are able to bring any musical idea to life.
V8. What's your opinion about the German clubbing and music scene in general?
Y.V.E 48: I am Berlin-based so I am very used to hearing techno if I go out. This music had a great impact on my sound when I started out producing electronic music – even though I went into a very different direction with Y.V.E. 48.
V9. Thank you for your time and we hope you will keep doing your thing in the future. Any final words you want to share with the Viralbpm readership? Viele Grüße aus Griechenland!
Y.V.E 48: Thank you so much! I hope that you all enjoy my new song with Johnny Manuel and I would like to hear from everyone what you think about it – on Facebook or instagram 🙂 stay tuned for lots of new music in 2019!
