Von Konow's 'Lieder' - Identity Through Travelling & Learning

Have you ever wanted to piece together flashbulb moments of your life? Explore uncharted terrority with your favourite genres of music?

von Konow, a solo project by Finnish art rocker and singer Marko von Konow, traveled the largest cities across five continents to create his visual memoir.

'Lieder' (German for "songs"), his newest album, offers a distinctive gaze into Marko's life experiences. He depicts himself as the main character in a series of anecdotes, using various media to convey his imagination. He practices the classical orchestral creations of Mozart and Beethoven, while combining technologically-advanced synth-pop and electronica.

"Cosmic," 'Lieder's' first single, is the first step onto a path of conflicting identities. Scribbled postcards, ripped pages of a personal dairy kept during youth, and deteriorating childhood pictures carpet the ground as a violin supports von Konow's technically superior vocal range.

His operatic tone intensifies the tempo and demystifies his confusion of associating himself with a lifestyle. He is frustrated with society's "labeling" of individual personalities, but, at the same time, wishes to choose more than one.

"Heartbeat" incorporates an electric guitar to lighten up the album's mood, even though its lyrics are gloomier.

Marko's life is divided into chapters, measured by rhythmic sounds of his heart. Describing these events as "hollow nightmares," this single takes an otherworldly turn halfway through, with a xylophone following a mirage of Alice's collapse into the rabbit hole.

This leads into mental "Illusions," the ironically-titled 10th single of 'Lieder'.

Hallucinations are written off as fake, but they are von Konow's sources of truth. As a pop melodic guitar drowns the background, he "starts to wander, these lights can be brightened."

He pledges to achieve self-actualization by living with abandon, travelling, and learning from people he meets.

COMMENTS