“I see music as pleasure, motivation, and a basic need.” – In Conversation with AVAION

Love appears everywhere if we let it. And I don’t only mean romantic love, but the love we find in everything: in the small things, the big things, in the sound of the sea, in a good friend who shows up at the right moment, in a song that suddenly feels like it was written for you. “Music is love to me,” says AVAION – and I’ve completely fallen for his music, maybe a little more than planned.

The German artist manages to stand out from the crowd of electronic producers and DJs. His tracks are soulful yet danceable, unexpected and catchy. They connect people, emotions, moments – blending everything together and making you feel. Christopher Stein, the person behind AVAION, began developing his sound as a bedroom producer, writing, producing and singing his own tracks long before the world started listening. What started in an intimate space has grown into a project that now fills clubs, festivals and headphones all over the world. “The whole room vibrates. The whole room becomes one.”

I discovered him through WACUKA, and it is still one of my absolute all-time favourite tracks – one that brings together everything a great track should have. And somehow, so many of his releases carry that same magic. His newest album has become a small masterpiece with the mission TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY – and it definitely does.

And that feeling made me even more curious to hear his story behind it all. We spoke about the intimacy of the studio, the magic of live moments when a whole room becomes one, and the search for something “real” in an increasingly digital world.

photography by Thilo Lehnert

Hey Christopher! Let’s start with a beautiful quote from you: “Music is love to me. In times like these, we can all use that.” You couldn’t say it any better. Was there a time in your life when music felt like something you truly needed?

I don’t think there was a time when it wasn’t like that. I see music as pleasure, motivation, and a basic need. I always chase this special feeling while making music, and I hope I can make people feel the same.

In an interview, you mentioned that you’re more of a studio person than a stage person, simply because you love making music. How can we imagine a typical studio day with you? And what part of the process do you enjoy the most when you’re alone in the studio?

I think if you ask me straight after a show, I will always say shows are my favourite part, but of course actually making the songs and processing emotions in it is something you can’t explain. This feeling of trying out soundscapes mixed with emotions and just being proud of yourself when finishing a song is such a special feeling. I think it’s kinda meditative sitting in a studio by yourself and making your head and body vibrant with frequencies.

Yes, you’ve also described how special it feels when people sing your tracks along with you. What has been one of the most touching moments you’ve experienced during a live show? Or are there simply too many to choose from?

I enjoy my own shows the most, where you know you have people coming because they like your songs. I can’t even describe the feeling of having people sing along to my songs, and you can see in their faces that they have made their own story with the song, and that’s what I really, really love. Making music that you can write your own story with.

I saw a clip on your Instagram where you played WACUKA, and the crowd completely lost it – so insane. Can you really take it in when something you created suddenly belongs to so many people?

Absolute best feeling. Especially with this song, the energy in the room is unmatched. I have so many people come to me after the show that tell me they never experienced something like that.

WACUKA was actually the track that personally introduced me to your music – and after that, I really fell in love with all your work. I spoke with Sofiya Nzau, and she said: “When I worked on it with AVAION, I thought ‘this feels special,’ but I didn’t imagine just how deeply people would connect with it.” Was that a surprise for you as well? (smiles)

At first I was also curious about how people would react to this kind of sound design combination, but let me tell you: the first time I played this song live was in Cologne at my tour show, and I told the people that this is a new song and I wanted to see how they react. The reaction was insane! The whole room was jumping, smiling, and enjoying the moment. That’s when I knew we got a really special track here.

“The energy in the room is unmatched. The whole room vibrates. The whole room becomes one.”

Your new album TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY has such a beautiful title. You once mentioned that you overheard this sentence by chance from people talking on the street in Berlin. How did you find the right visual language for the album cover? It feels like a perfect match.

I recorded this conversation between two strangers in Berlin where they were talking about happiness, and one of them said, “it’s all about love, to make people happy.” I connected with this so much and used this line in songs kind of like a producer tag. When I did my own tours and saw how much impact these shows have on the people and on myself, I connected with this sentence even more, so it was easy for me to choose the album name and the meaning of the whole album.

Hold Me Again gives me real goosebumps – especially the moment when the synth slides down in that slightly crooked way. It’s such a wow moment. Did you write that track for someone? (smiles)

I actually made this song over one and a half years ago while I was not trying to overthink how to start the song. I was just enjoying the moment there and vibing to chords while trying to catch those feelings in the lyrics. I always try to leave space for the listener’s own interpretation with the song so everybody can write their own story with it.

How long did you work on finding the right order for the album?

That was surprisingly not too hard. I chose BEGINNINGS as the outro of the album, which I thought was pretty cool—choosing that name for the last song of the album. I want to show that this is just the beginning, even though it’s the last song of the album. WAY YOU SMILE is the intro of the album and this is a perfect showcase of what’s coming when you listen through the whole album.

This is your second album. Did that automatically come with more expectations for you?

Yes, of course. Mostly pressure that I put on myself. I wanted to lift my sound design and the feeling that I transmit to a new level, and I think that worked out pretty well.

Usually, when I listen to an album, I always end up having one clear favourite track. With your album, that feels almost impossible. How is that for you? Do you have a favourite, or does it keep changing?

Hmm, I think WACUKA is one of my favourites on there because I connect so many amazing memories playing it live. You NEED to experience this! The whole room vibrates! The whole room becomes one. You can feel the love and energy in the room.

“You can see in their faces that they have made their own story with the song – that’s what I really, really love.”

On the album, you also work a lot with analogue hardware. The longing for something “real,” away from the digital, seems to be growing – not only in Gen Z, but really across all generations. At the same time, reality is becoming more and more digital: systems, institutions, and even things like state IDs or banking pull us deeper and deeper into the digital world. How do you personally see this push and pull?

I think it’s good to use and get the best out of modern technology because it can help you a lot in the workflow, but it’s even more important to keep it real, and by that I mean real recognise real. Every detail and special technique with real instruments or analog gear will be appreciated, and the enjoyment while doing it will be heard in the production.

So true! When we look at social media, sometimes it helps us so much – and on the other hand, it takes a lot away from us. It’s a real paradox. As an artist, how do you try to keep that balance? And how much do you use social media as a private person?

I use social media a lot. I think it’s the best tool to get your music in the world and reach as many people as possible. Of course, you should always keep the balance for your mental health and not drain all your energy from it. I think it’s important to get your song ideas and tracks in there and show people what you can do. It will work.

Is it correct that you use specific chords throughout the album that are proven to stimulate feelings of happiness or relaxation in the human brain? How did you come across that idea, and how did you integrate it into your music? For someone without a musical background – how can we understand that?

It was kinda an easy win-win because the chord progressions and frequencies I normally use are really focused on this frequency spectrum that makes you happy and connected. This kind of bass sound that vibrates through your whole body is something unmatched.

Your TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY tour is about to start. Exciting! How do you prepare for it – both physically and mentally?

I try to do a lot of cardio now and get my body and mind ready for this tour. I’ve prepared a lot of exciting versions of songs to make them even more special and try to plan my set in a way I would enjoy it if I would go to a show like this.

As a final question: You’ve already said that love and music are essential to you. Beyond that, what do you feel is most important in life?

Family, friends, having something you really love doing.