Originally from Trenčín, Erik Žigmund alias Erø released his debut album this week, on which he offers twelve personal testimonies.
Erø drew attention to himself in 2019 with the song “Naspäť tam”. In it he showed a sense of melody and deeper lyrics.
He studied guitar at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.
In addition to his studies, Erø devoted himself to his own work. You can hear inspiration from the music of Amy Winehouse, on which he grew up, from his intimate songs with a touch of chanson and nostalgia. His work has also been influenced by Zaz, Stevie Wonder, Kimbra and Jorja Smith.
In the past, it was possible to see him perform in Bratislava clubs and at the Puppet Theater in Žilina.
Erø collaborated with dancer Dominika Malenovská, the founder of NØIR Dance Company and her dance group. His work was also performed in Juraj Korec’s project “Solo”. He also collaborated with Juliána Hamranová, Borek Suchánek, Nora Ibsenová and Oliver Kucharovič.
There are twelve personal statements on the album “Utopia”.
In each song, the author points out relationship issues, hope or unfulfilled love. Through music, he expresses his attitude to partnerships. The texts are in English and Slovak, but as he himself says, they are personal statements. The lyrics to “Human” are about prejudices and underestimating oneself.
Erø recorded the song “Vôňa” with singer Nora Ibsenová from the band Fallgrapp.
The performance of bassist Oliver Kucharovič can be enjoyed in the song “Chocolate”. Erø composed the song “Light” for his girlfriend Juliána Hamranová, who has been supporting him since the beginning. The title track “Utopia” expresses a long-term love affair from the old times, which, according to the author, can be seen only rarely today. “Outro” is a musical metaphor for a persons ascend to heaven.
Erik Žigmund’s music is a mixture of jazz, folk, chanson, R&B and acoustic pop.
He recorded the singing, guitar and piano on the album by himself, Miroslava Čonková helped him with a violin and cajon. Erik Horák from the Lososound studio is responsible for recording the album “Utópia”. The final sound of the recording was taken care of by the well-known Czech producer Escon Waldes.
Erik Žigmund answered several questions during the release of his album.
How long did it take to prepare the album and with whom did you collaborate on the recording?
“I can’t say how long the preparations took exactly, as some songs were created in my creative beginnings. Rehearsals, recording, editing, mixing, mastering and further preparation for release took approximately 3 months. Nora Ibsenová accepted the invitation to feature on the album and we recorded the song Vôňa. In the song Chocolate, the great bass player Oliver Kucharovič played the bass guitar. “
Will your fans get to see a new music video?
“A music video for the song Chocolate is being prepared, on which I am collaborating with girls from Burlesque Bratislava. It will be a quarantine music video, but it will definitely be worth it. This song is very exciting and intimate, so I chose dancers from Burlesque to express what I expressed through music. The video should be released in the coming days. “
How do you want to get your songs closer to your listeners and what are your next plans?
“Utopia is currently available on all streaming platforms, so almost anyone can access it. But I’m also planning on releasing the album in the form of a physical CD. As soon as possible, there will be a baptism of the album and maybe even a Slovakia tour.
NMR (photo: press Erø, translation: Zoe Prívozníková)
