Getting in Tune with Estiva’s Newest Album ‘Metamorphoses’ [Interview]

Dutch maestro Estiva remains a magnetic force of all talents from musician, to record producer, to DJ, and to overall earth-shattering artist. His presence throughout the scene remains one of inspirational lengths for his expansive global fanbase as well as for fellow industry members.

Since emerging into the scene of electronic dance music in 2006, he has recieved heavy support on his work from world-class artists such as Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, and Above & Beyond just to name a few. Currently releasing music on the esteemed Armada Music, his creative studio outings result in a unique and modern blend of groove-orientated beats, emotional and progressive melodies, and ever-gripping transcendence.

With an extensive discography and passion for performing, Estiva is able to bring the energy to clubs and festivals worldwide. In 2016 he was announced as a resident DJ at Marquee Dayclub & Nightclub in Las Vegas. Whether he is playing in an environment with massive pyrotechnics of festivals such as Ultra or deep and dark underground clubs, Estiva’s essence will be telling musical tales to last the ages.

Drawing inspiration from the beauty and dualities of the natural world and connecting the seemingly unconnected, his music strikes a chord through the hearts and souls of listeners. Estiva recently released his latest album Metamorphoses via Armada Music and we had a chance to talk about his inspiration behind the album, his creative process, life, and so much more.

Read on for our full interview with Estiva:

The Nocturnal Times: Let’s begin by talking a bit about your background. Your biography mentions you were a student at Rotterdam University. Do you have any tips to balance a music career for students who are also trying to find time for school and their passion?

Estiva: When I started at Rotterdam University my musical career was already lifting off. I wrote great amounts of music and did gigs around the world regularly. School was never for me, I found it boring and it was deadly for my creativity. I definitely wasn’t the best student and lived by the motto ‘minimal effort, maximum results’. I wanted to have as much time as possible to put in music and I naturally found the right balance. For me there was only one rule at the time that turned out to be a great motivation: if I graduated I would allow myself to dive into music 24/7.

The Nocturnal Times: What were a few key moments that inspired you to continue to persevere through the saturation of music to get you to where you are today?

Estiva: The absolute toughest time was about four years ago. My passion for writing music slipped through my fingers as writing became more and more a chore for me. I wrote music because I loved it, it was my hobby. But that changed over the years. I found myself writing for the listeners and I slowly lost interest because I wasn’t pleasing myself anymore. I was ready to leave it all behind when I came to the realization that I just needed to get back into the studio to have fun without thinking about what the world would think of my music. It was a rough period with a few tough lessons that in retrospect are dear to me.

The Nocturnal Times: Congratulations on your new album Metamorphoses. Are there any artists in particular at the time of writing Metamorphoses that inspired you? If so, how did they shape your process?

Estiva: Metamorphoses is so much about the continuous reshaping of ourselves and the world around us. Over the years I’ve come to realize that change is often good. In creative processes like writing music, it’s essential to keep moving and to let go. You can’t force things, you need to follow your instincts and accept the rivers the way they flow and the flowers the way they grow. Metamorphoses is heavily inspired by the eponymous book of Ovid.

The Nocturnal Times: You mentioned to us that this album is about the process of maturing. How would you say your career and the direction of the scene in 2019 has shaped the direction of your production style?

Estiva: I’ve thought long and hard about answering this question but the answer is effectively quite simple. When you just start out writing music you have this world of new sounds to choose from and to build. Almost everything sounds amazing. When time passes by you’ve endlessly combined sounds and you’ve basically defined what you love a lot more.

The Nocturnal Times: Metamorphoses is intricately produced with tight and cohesive techniques. Do you have any tips for aspiring producers who are trying to create a cohesive sound in terms of an EP, album, or consistency across their singles?

Estiva: The latter question is so much of the answer to this question. As you grow as an artist your art will become more consistent over time. Patience and passion are keywords here.

The Nocturnal Times: Do you have a favorite synth you used for the sound design of Metamorphoses?

Estiva: The album is massively infused by products from U-he. I’ve been using the Diva and the Repro 1 and 5 vst’s a lot together with Valhalla’s effect vst’s.

The Nocturnal Times: Talk to us about your upcoming shows or announcements your fans should know about?

Estvia: The Metamorphoses tour will see a bunch of big shows before the year’s end including Aragon Ballroom (Chicago), Rebel (Toronto), EDC China (Guangdong) and Ministry Of Sound (London). And of course, I will also be playing some shows during Amsterdam Dance Event mid-October, in my hometown!

The Nocturnal Times: Now that 2019 is coming to a close, what have a few of your favorite highlights been this year?

Estiva: Coming home back in the studio after extensive amounts of touring is always a huge highlight for me. The Ibiza season has definitely inspired me for the coming winter months.