Premiere: Beyond the Dancefloor – Silver Omen on Life, Freedom and Letting Go

“Just as you can’t always party, you can’t always be pondering the deeper things in life.”

And somewhere between those two worlds is where Berlin-based artist Silver Omen finds his inspiration. Originally from Argentina, he now calls Berlin home, a city where he has found new inspiration, freedom, and a sense of belonging. And to give a little something away right from the start, this conversation is really an ode to finding balance in life. And perhaps also a reminder of what truly matters. Because even if we can’t control everything in life, we can still choose how we live, make the most of what we have, learn to love and accept ourselves, be kind to ourselves, while also being there for one another.

And this balance between letting go and looking inward is also at the heart of his music. His new single MESH celebrates the freedom of the dancefloor, those nights when you just want to dance, feel alive and forget about everything else for a while. But there is also another side to the story. With two upcoming EPs, a night at the party and a day at the afterparty, Silver explores both the excitement of the night and the thoughts and emotions that stay with us when the music stops.

We caught up with him to talk about Berlin nightlife, finding a sense of belonging, the freedom to be yourself, and why happiness sometimes means simply following your own path.

photography by Elvira Nisman

Let’s start with your new single MESH, which we’re premiering today. For me, it’s such a feel-good track that instantly makes you want to dance and puts you in a good mood. How are you celebrating the release today? (smiles)

With a party! Not as crazy as the one I describe in the song, though. That’s not for a few more weeks until my EP is out.

You describe MESH as unapologetically sexual, cheeky, and full of energy. Was it liberating to create something without overthinking its deeper meaning or emotional consequences?

Definitely. I had been spending some time writing more introspective songs before MESH. In fact, we had just written a very deep song with the same producer, and writing MESH felt like such a release. I enjoyed the writing as much as I enjoy singing it and talking about it. In my head, it always brings me to a good party, and a good party always makes me feel free.

MESH also captures the physical and emotional freedom of Berlin’s nightlife. What do you imagine the next chapter of your life will look like?

I love this city. It shaped me in every way, both personally and artistically, so I really want to stay and continue making music here. And the nightlife and the people here continue to inspire me to write new and better things. I don’t think I’m the type of artist who would limit himself to one genre, so most likely the future will take me in new directions musically.

Freedom is such a beautiful idea, but it can also come with uncertainty. Has your understanding of what it means to be free changed over the years?

It has. I think before I had a purely hedonistic idea of freedom, just being able to do whatever I want whenever I want. But at the same time I cared a lot about what others thought about me, and wanted to be liked and always chased “perfection” (as if it even existed). Now I have evolved to see myself as truly free only when I’m able to be myself and be vulnerable, without caring what anyone else thinks. Freedom means living and sharing authentically.

There’s something fascinating about the contrast between the person we are during a night out and the person we wake up the next morning. Do you feel like you become a different version of yourself when you go out?

I believe people should be allowed some release from their lives that are so full of duties and responsibilities, however they see fit. For me and many others in Berlin, especially in the queer scene, parties are sometimes the main place where we can truly express our individuality. That’s what I love so much about Berlin parties. Everyone is different and unique, they come to express themselves freely, and somehow it all fits. In my case, I love to dance a lot and feel like I’m putting on a show in the club. It’s what I would do all the time if I could.

Your upcoming projects, a night at the party and a day at the afterparty, explore two sides of the same experience. Where do you personally find more inspiration: in the excitement of the night or in the quieter moments that follow?

I think both bring their unique inspiration, but I probably spend more time thinking about my experiences, good and bad, during the day. The nights help me live experiences that I will spend the daytime overthinking long enough to turn into a song!

“Silver Omen is this exaggerated version of myself through which I escape reality and romanticize situations of my life, but he also helps me understand myself more.”

There’s often an unspoken pressure to always have a good time, especially in a city like Berlin. Have you ever felt that the search for unforgettable nights can sometimes make us forget what we’re actually looking for?

Totally. It’s so important to bring that up. A city like Berlin offers you extreme freedom, but often not the tools to manage that. A lot of queer people arrive and the nightlife is the only place where they can make new connections, and sometimes they can get stuck in this cycle where going out and partying becomes your main and only thing, or somehow end up convinced that partying is the only way to celebrate or to cope. I’m lucky to have a beautiful group of friends that supports me in every way.

In a recent interview, you mentioned that you no longer feel the need to be accepted by others and that you simply want to do what makes you happy. I really love that perspective. But do you think there’s still a part of us that naturally wants to belong, to feel accepted and be part of something bigger?

100%, I still deal with that a lot and I think we all do in one way or another. I don’t feel that so much in my day-to-day life anymore because I have found a safe space in the queer community in Berlin where I don’t have to worry about feeling accepted or doing things to please others. So I guess I found where I belong, which proves your point. But as an artist, I still deal with this desire to be accepted and validated a lot, wondering whether I will transcend and achieve something bigger, and striving for that. At times it’s hard not to let it influence my decisions. But when I deal with that, I let the intuition that I have gained in my personal life guide me.

You grew up in Argentina and have since made Berlin your home. Is there anything about Argentina that you still miss? (smiles)

So many things. People are very warm there, the weather is better, I have my family and childhood friends there. Many people would miss the food, but I’m vegan so Berlin is much better in that sense. I miss Buenos Aires so much at times that I even released a song called My City in July about this feeling of missing home when you migrate in search of better opportunities.

Music can be a way of escaping reality, but it can also bring us closer to ourselves. Which of those two things do you personally need more from music these days?

Silver Omen is this exaggerated version of myself through which I escape reality and romanticize situations of my life, but he also helps me understand myself more. When I write something, and it really strikes a chord with me, then I can understand that this is important to me. Even when I feel reticence towards writing about a certain topic, I realize that there is something I need to work on. These last EPs that I wrote (especially a day at the afterparty) deal a lot with these harder topics, and I processed so much through the songs. So I think I definitely want music that brings me closer to myself. But both need to exist. Just as you can’t always party, you can’t always be pondering the deeper things in life.

Away from music, nightlife, and everything that comes with being an artist, what are the little things in everyday life that make you genuinely happy?

I love sweating, staying active with sports, running and dancing. I like trying recipes with my partner, and playing video games with my friends. I prefer to be around people over being alone.

And finally, what is the most important thing in your life?

Living authentically and making myself happy. I want to live a life where I can look back and beyond any success or metrics, feel like I did what I truly wanted and acted true to myself. This north star led me to finally start making music a few years ago, it took me out of the closet, it has led to me trusting my intuition and freed up so much mental space that I spent trying to chase a version of myself that everyone would be happy with.