Erwin Bauwens

Erwin Bauwens

Bauwen's new seasonal single 'Merry Christmas' shows where originality and skill can take a seemingly tradition-bound genre, and audiences around the world are loving the gift.

It takes a certain fearlessness to electrify Christmas music. We aren't dealing with something that hails from the dance, trance or techno continua here; this is an original electro composition, replete with all the geometric waveforms and clockwork instrumentation you could ask for. It is experimental, minimal, and groovy, and you can hear the technical skill of the pianist - and the education that got him there - at work in its construction. To us it evokes the twinkling transplendence of a Christmas tree with startling clarity, ornament for ornament so to speak. Work like this shows a whole new path for Christmas music, updating the genre for an audience that is increasingly comfortable with the potent consumer electronic connotations of the holiday. It's easy to imagine a superb instrumental like this being used in a hip seasonal advertising campaign by a tech giant like Apple or Samsung. Independent reporter Lily Clark recently caught up with Bauwens to talk about his exciting new work and the future that might arise from it.

LILY: When did you first discover your love of music?
ERWIN: When I went to high school I elected to play the block flute. That was the first time I was connected with music and I decided that I wanted to play the piano based on that. Many years later I attended a music academy where I got my pianist degree.

LILY: Your song ‘Merry Christmas’ is receiving a positive listener response on radio. What was your initial reaction when you first heard your song playing on radio?
ERWIN: Very cool!
LILY: What was the inspiration behind your debut radio single?
ERWIN: It was in fact a school project that grew into what it is today.

LILY: Would you say that the mood of your other songs is in the same vein as ‘Merry Christmas’?
ERWIN: Some are in that same genre, 'the spirit Christmas', and some are totally something else.

LILY: How would you characterize yourself as an artist/musician? (Ex. Down-to-earth, serious, fun-loving...)
ERWIN: Down-to-earth.

LILY: Did you come from a musical background? Are there other musicians in your family?
ERWIN No. In fact I was the first the go to a music school, the Schilde/Zoersel Belguim academy for word and music.

LILY: What do you find most rewarding about being an artist? What do you find most challenging?  
ERWIN: Hard to say. I'll tell you more when I'm farther down the road!

LILY: Who are your role models in music?
ERWIN: I have no favorite artist, if that's what you mean. In the academy we were required to play music that didn't necessarily sound that good the first time around. I came to appreciate it over time though, and those artists were more influential in my thinking.

LILY: Describe your best or most memorable performance.
ERWIN: I did a concert where I needed to play this wing piano. The sound was really dark and I was worried about how it was coming off, but afterward the reviews were great, so it kind of made the whole thing more special to me.

LILY: Do you have a music video for your hit single? If so, what can you tell us about it?
ERWIN: Not at this time.

LILY: What advice would you give to young, aspiring artists out there who are unsure and need guidance?
ERWIN: Work very hard and the odds are you'll write something great!

LILY: What's next for you as an artist? Is there a new single in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it?
ERWIN: I'm pretty busy with work at the music academy, but you'll hear from me again soon!

LILY: Thank you so much for your time, Erwin. It was a pleasure to learn more about your history and ambitions!

http://www.reverbnation.com/christmas3