“I always had a problem with mindlessly accepting authority” A talk with Filous

Austrian music producer Filous made a name for himself by learning how to play instruments via YouTube tutorials and uploading remixes to SoundCloud. Now at just eighteen years old, he has nearly 100,000 SoundCloud followers, his debut EP Dawn on the market, and a tour with notable artists RAC and Big Data in the bag. Despite his young age and all the time in the world, Filous is focusing on the present and it’s clear that it’s a remarkable time.

Photography by Lauren Engel
Interview by Sadie Bell

When did you start remixing and how did this translate from being a creative medium to a career?

Remixing as a creative outlet is something I discovered relatively recently. It’s only about two years ago when I first started to experiment with remixing the music of others and finding this new way to express myself creatively not only had a huge impact on the way I make my own music, but also pretty much created the basis for this whole project.

Your new EP “Dawn” and a lot of your remixes have a very dreamy sound. What does your sound means to you? Where do you find inspiration for the music you create?

I think inspiration can be found pretty much everywhere as long as you look for it. For me it’s not about waiting for ideas to come to me, it’s about looking at things from a different perspective, listening to your surroundings carefully, examining the countless different sounds you encounter throughout the day, exposing yourself to all sorts of creative mediums, watching a movie, reading a book or going to the theater. However above all, my main source of inspiration is the music I listen to. When listening to music I try to suck in as much information in my head as I possibly can, analyzing what I like and I don’t like about a song, concentrating on it’s structure and arrangement. This helps me crystallize how I want my music to sound like and ultimately make it a reflection of my own taste.

Filous translates to rascal in French. What does your name signify about your identity?

I always had a problem with mindlessly accepting authority, so especially while I was still in school I often got into trouble for questioning my teachers or the rules of my school. Although it would make my life sometimes a lot easier I just can’t help myself to as soon as someone commands me to do something in a condescending nature not do the exact opposite of what they want me to do.

“I always had a problem with mindlessly accepting authority. Although it would sometimes make my life easier I just can’t help myself.  As soon as someone commands me to do something, in a condescending nature, I’ll do the exact opposite”

How has growing up in Vienna shaped the person you’ve become?

Now that I am traveling much more than I ever did in my life before and am away from home much more often, I am just starting to realize how important Vienna really is for me and how rooted I am in this city. Especially in the last two years Vienna has had a growing impact on me. The best and worst part about living in a city that is as small as Vienna is that you feel like you’re connected with everybody, which at least for me creates a very strong sense of community. Since I started to make music on a bigger and more international level, trying to help to generate more attention on the mind-blowingly talented viennese music community overall has become one of my highest aspirations. I truly think that we have one of the most talented musicians, singers and producers and I just want to try to share all the amazing music that they are creating with as many people I can!

How has your youth fed your experience producing music and traveling to play shows at such a young age? In what ways is your youth an advantage for you in the industry?

I feel like so many young people see their age as an excuse for inaction, although it should be much more motivating them to do something while they still have all this time left. I think trying to ignore my age and rather focus on where I am and where I want to be, has been very helpful for me to start doing what I want to do right now and not getting in my own way with coming up with any kind of excuses.

What, if anything, have you learned about yourself while traveling and playing music?

That I can eat far more burgers than any human being should be able to consume!