This time, we interview Alan Walker, acclaimed Norwegian DJ and record producer born in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his 2015 single ‘Faded’. The song received diamond certification in Germany and multi-platinum certifications in over 10 countries including the US and the UK. He released his debut studio album ‘Different World’ in 2018. Alan ranked 36th on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list of 2018.
How do you feel about the nomination of your video?
I am very proud of the music videos we produce. This is why I got super excited when I heard that ‘Diamond Heart’ received a nomination for this year’s BMVA. There is an extreme amount of work behind the music videos and I know that this nomination was a clear goal for the film crew. It is very motivating to get the recognition of a nomination. The fact that ‘Diamond Heart’ might reach out to even more people after this is a great bonus!
What’s the significance of Berlin in the music world?
Berlin is perhaps best known for its large underground music scene and progressive DJ scene. The city constantly inspires DJs and music producers around the world with its new and bold sounds. I’ve been there many times and recently performed at the renowned Columbiahalle venue. I’ll be back later this year again for Lollapalooza.
There are some very beautiful locations in your video. Can you tell us more about the shooting whereabouts?
‘Diamond Heart’ displays the gathering of future Walkers from different locations of the world. Director Kristian Berg wanted to visually play with the contrast between the cold north and the burning desert to show a large geographical span. So it became clear, very early on, that this shoot was going to happen on completely different sides of the globe.
DOP Jakob Ingimundarson is an experienced film photographer from Iceland. We wanted to use his in-depth knowledge of the country’s film industry, lighting conditions and locations. Large parts of the video are filmed on the black beaches (Black Sand Beach) under the mountain Hjörleifshöfði, outside Vik. The waterfall is a well-kept secret that few tourists know about. The scenes in the desert are filmed outside Dubai and in the abandoned ghost town of Jazirat Al Hamra. It was a great experience to see all the raw material that the film crew came back with from their 3-week journey.
Do you have any new projects you would like to talk about?
We are currently working on the recording of a new music video, perhaps even another Trilogy. This follows the story from ‘Diamond Heart’ onwards. This is by far my biggest music video project to date. This video will also display some of the most beautiful recording locations on the planet. The team has traveled even further and deeper than ever before…. We are now in the middle of a demanding production schedule and the team has been traveling for weeks. Hopefully, they will come home just in time for the BMVAs. The goal is to watch these new videos in next year’s Berlin Music Video Awards!
How involved were you in the film production team and curating the ‘Diamond Heart’ music video?
I need to have full trust in the film crew that is creating the music videos while I am on tour and performing across the world. It is the same film crew that has created the previous music videos, so I know they will deliver. I have become more visible in the storyline myself, which makes me more involved on set. I enjoy this a lot and hope to do more of this in the future. Love the vibe on the movie set though, there is something magical when so much is at stake. Everything has to be done right in a very limited amount of time. This is something I can relate to when I hold concerts as well, which is what makes it all so exciting.
