Artist Profile: Fyoum

Fyoum, the hyper-pop and indietronica artist from Sweden, has found a musical home in the Internet-driven, synthesizer-compiled scene of electronic and video game music and, in doing so, has found a way to interweave the jazz and hip-hop influences that comprise his artistic foundations, crafting unique tracks with intentional and intimate sound design.

As a child, Fyoum was surrounded by musical family members. His father played guitar and had a deep interest in analog gear, while his sister played both violin and piano. However, his scattered attention span prevented him, for a long time, from taking the time to sit down and learn an instrument, and he developed a stubborn abrasiveness to music theory throughout his childhood.

As he grew, however, his love for music developed as well, and, upon his discovery of groups like The Gorillaz and artists like 50 Cent and Akon, he developed a passion for hip-hop and, more particularly, the dances that the genre’s culture carried with it. He began dancing competitively across Europe, finding success in his first medium of artistic expression.

Yet, the desire to make his own music still remained, and, when he was given the opportunity to make the soundtrack to a video game for an expansive group project in high school, he leapt at the chance. However, there was one major problem; he had never tried to make his own music before, let alone a cohesive soundtrack.

He saved up and bought a synthesizer like one he had seen American hip-hop producer Monte Booker using and set to work familiarizing himself with it. As he worked, and gained more confidence in executing his tentative musical visions, he found his prior influences coming back inadvertently.

“As a kid, I could hear [my father] all the time playing in his music room, some really nice jazz chords and stuff, but I didn't really think about it. But then, once I started making music, I noticed how I unintentionally was drawing inspiration from all of those old chords that he was playing on his guitar. [We had] a mutual interest in the music-making process as a whole, and I think that's where we sort of clicked.”

As he began making his own music following the conclusion of the group project, he found a community on Soundcloud that, when coupled with his rising interest in artists like Machine Girl and Sam Gellaitry, helped to formulate his taste as it stands today. From these experiences emerged his first full project, astralplein, a deeply hip-hop and hyper-pop inspired album that represented his emerging talent as a producer and vocalist. 

As he graduated high school, Fyoum went on to study video game development at university: an occupation that became an amalgamation of all of his passions, simultaneously fueling his inspiration and creative potency in his music.

“It's thanks to me making music on the side that I ended up working with video games, and [it’s because] of making music as a hobby that I do sound design and music for video games. So I've carried everything that I've learned from making music first for that game that I did in high school and then making music on my own as Fyoum; it's an amalgamation of video games and these hip hop influences. And it's just carried over into my work life… I love it because I get to do the music that I already love doing with the work I'm doing.”

Equipped with a deep comfort creating soundscapes both with synthesizers and his laptop, Fyoum charged into his next projects, including SUPER FYOUM GALAXY and WORLD ENDS WITH YOU. 

However, his most recent project, Midair, represents a leaning toward the indietronica, singer-songwriter elements that have always underlined his sound. With softer vocals and more relaxed production, Fyoum experiments with a more transcendent soundscape, and songs like “Deus Ex” encapsulate his transition and exploratory capabilities perfectly.

Now, as he works toward a three-song EP that he hopes to release later this year, he also has continued his work on video game sound design and development, including a soundtrack for Project Amica, which has recently had a demo released on Steam, and, as the two interests coalesce, it is certain that his musical prowess will continue to grow.