As the internet and technology in general have developed, so too have the ways in which the way the music industry operates been changed irrevocably. With the open source nature of the web being both a blessing and a curse for both young and established musicians, no one quite knows how best to use technology to best reap the benefits. One musician who has taken a decidedly different approach to releasing her work is Jonna Lee, the Swedish artist behind iamamiwhoami. She works alongside music producer Claes Björklund and collaborates with new directors collective WAVE.
In 2009, having previously released two solo albums under her real name, Lee started releasing short music films through her YouTube account under the moniker iamamiwhoami and slowly but surely began building a worldwide following. She remained anonymous until 2012 when she released her first album. She has won the “Innovator of the Year” at Grammy Awards 2011 and MTV O Music Awards ‘ Digital Genius ‘.
She released BLUE or the blue island at the beginning of this week in digital and physical editions on To whom it may concern. the blue island is a site where digital tools are provided for the user to choose to stream, download and/or share the album’s content with other users. The aim is to use the digital format’s strengths in a way that supports iamamiwhoami’s audiovisual releases and present a new way to consume an album.
In the wake of the release we spoke to Jonna Lee about her unique approach.
Many artists have tried to fuse the worlds of art and music. Where do those worlds meet for you? Are there boundaries between what is art and what is music and what is both?
Art is a general expression. I think that the view of music being separate from art stems from music not always being made for creative purposes, but for consumption, funds, fame. It’s not as easy to tell what’s honest intention and what is not. In my world music and art have no separation when it is made for a creative purpose of expression. The fusion is the message and emotion expressed with the possibility of challenging the listener and viewer.
You raised the money for your album BLUE, through a donation page. Was that to escape the rules and regulations imposed by record labels?
We created our own way for our followers to generate a new episode of BLUE through my label To whom it may concern. Upon the release of “fountain” which is the first part of BLUE I was at a crossroads with how to fund the series without compromising our artistic beliefs. The album was being recorded, and the visual side of our work was about to be created. I’m just finishing up the final episode now. It takes a lot of time to create and it also demands funds, even though we work with almost none since the beginning. A choice we’ve made to stay independent. And this is why the “GENERATE” page was opened. To give our followers a chance to support our independence which allows me to be creatively free. This is the core of iamamiwhoami and I would not be able to continue with what I do if I did not protect that.
What are the key ideas you hoped to express through BLUE. It’s perhaps more accessible that your previous albums, was that intentional?
We wanted to create an emotional and timeless album that holds timeless songs and visuals close to nature. It’s a more direct album in terms of format, length of songs and clarity in sound and aesthetics as well as storytelling. We’ve always created strong pop songs, although the format of our releases often are perceived as very experimental.
Your emergence as an artist was shrouded in mystery about your identity. What drove the decision to keep your identity hidden initially?
I had a career as a solo artist before I started this project and did not want the focus to be on me individually but rather on the work we released as it was two very separate things. as iamamiwhoami started growing bigger I decided to leave my previous life behind. Eventually the search for our identity settled.
Guesses about your identity included Goldfrapp, The Knife and Bjork. Do you identify with those artists at all?
Yes I can identify with all great artists who make beautiful things.
You were born in Sweden and spent a brief time in London before returning to live in Stockholm. How have those places impacted your music?
The norm mentality of the Swedish countryside has definitely fascinated me. To keep to oneself and to not think too highly of oneself. It has always provoked me and pushed me to do opposites. But I have also learned to love the humbleness of it. To put the group before the individual but still aim to rule. I feel connected to the nature of both places.
Your videos are also huge parts of iamamiwhoami. How do the videos contribute to what you are trying to express in your songs?
They are the songs visualised. They communicate the message in story/lyrics and performance to engage as well as enhancing the emotion for those who like to experience sound with visuals. For me it’s a beautiful marriage. For some the visuals are secondary or not important.
For BLUE you have made your directorial debut. How did that come about?
As we were writing for BLUE during 2013 the story of the album and the visual series started to take shape as it does. the story was at that point already so crystallised that the next natural step was that WAVE should direct it as we had already started doing still image series for iamamiwhoami in 2012. Definitely a big step to take, and a big work load to take on as we also do our own edit and post production.
Your image also plays an important role. You collaborated with Comme Des Garcons for the photographs for BLUE. What does having such a strong image bring to your art?
Stepping out into the light has played a big part for iamamiwhoami’s continuation as the project has taken on a solid form from being fluid. What started as a Youtube account grew into a collaborative project and has bit by bit become my whole life and an artist, band, collective or whatever you want to call it. embracing it is making both life and this project possible. Through the music, films and images we’re able to convey the messages of this album to the audience.
Is BLUE a departure from your previous work? Are you planning to take a different direction for your next project? Do you know what direction that project will take?
BLUE is a departure from kin. kin was a departure from bounty. If there is a continuation, which is up to our followers to decide, then our next step would be a departure from BLUE.
Find out more about iamamiwhoami and watch the audio visual series to date here: www.towhomitmayconcern.cc
The post Get To Know: iamamiwhoami appeared first on HUNGER TV.