Neolektra indie artist

“There’s a fine line between achievement and success. I prefer achievement because it’s less final and celebratory and allows you to continue achieving without the feeling of “that’s it, I’ve done it!” – @neolektra


Listen to the interview:
 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2015/06/11/episode-239-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax

Jacqueline Jax logo photoGETTING TO KNOW NEOLEKTRA
by Jacqueline Jax

Goals…
To get my music heard by millions across the world. We have become passive consumers: we watch movies, TV, online videos and are not stimulated as much as we used to be to create our own fantasies. I remember as a kid listening to all these great Romantic period composers – Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov – and being transported into other worlds. I hope to give that back to people – for them to paint their own pictures and tell their own stories with my music. I’d love for this genre to become really big on its own – without needing the movies or trailers to propel it.

Success…
There’s a fine line between achievement and success. I prefer achievement because it’s less final and celebratory and allows you to continue achieving without the feeling of “that’s it, I’ve done it!”

A look ahead…
My journey as NEOLEKTRA is really just beginning. I have lots more music to write and pictures to paint – and hopefully I get to perform it live with an orchestra behind me. Now that would be epic!

I started…
learning music at a young age – my older brothers and sisters were all learning musical instruments so there was always music in our house. I started with piano when I was 5yrs old and when I was six I asked my parents if I could also learn the violin. My mom told me I was an over-committed six year old and I needed to make the choice between ballet and violin. So I thought it over and figured that I’d be too tall for ballet anyway so violin it was. I discovered quite early on that if I practiced my violin enough I could join the orchestra and get to perform big orchestral works that were powerful and moving and that was what hooked me. I loved being surrounded by this big noise – epic music being made that I was a part of. It transported me in time and place and I felt like I was an important part of something much bigger than I was. This was always the highlight of my week growing up.

Birth of a Heroine…
My album, Birth of a Heroine sets out to take the listener on a journey through time and place; destruction, war, love, hope, and even the apocalypse. Images of War is an emotive piece written to depict the many faces of war. I hear the marching of the soldiers, feel the sadness of loss and destruction and towards the end I see hope. It’s important for me to try and convey these different emotions so the listener can feel the highs and the lows and not just see one side of it. When I compose I first paint a picture in my own mind and then translate it into music. Hopefully when you listen to it you get to paint your own picture and create your own story. iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/album/birth-of-a-heroine/id880044705

Northampton shire
I am South African but I’ve spent the past 7 years in the UK. I prefer the English countryside to its cities so I end up commuting quite a bit but I’ve always enjoyed traveling so it rather suits me. The local scene in Northampton shire is pretty much pub bands so if you want to see live music then its best to head into London. I love food so food related fun is just up my street: whether it’s a food festival or market, making new dishes at home and experimenting with new tastes or trying new foods when I travel – anything relating to food (and that includes coffee, craft beer, good wine) makes for a good time.

Trends…
One of the main reasons for my move from South Africa to the UK was based on just that. I was caught up in a music industry that demanded vocals, catchy guitar riffs, toe tapping, fast-finger-action-kinda-music and that didn’t suit the violin very well. The UK allowed me to explore many different avenues with the violin without me ever feeling pressurized to write a certain way. The music was allowed to come from me, no-one else, and this was incredibly liberating for me. I now write what moves me and if it doesn’t move me then I chuck it.

BIO
NEOLEKTRA is an extraordinary violinist who has successfully given the violin an exciting new identity in her debut album “Birth of a Heroine” (released 2014). Her revolutionary sound has been likened to film and gaming music – it’s evocative and epic, taking the listener on a journey through war, destruction, loss, lust, passion, victory and hope; from the Arabian deserts to medieval battlegrounds, through the cobbled streets of Spain and the forbidden alleys of Argentina. Having performed in over 15 countries and 3 continents over the last decade under her own name, Naomi Tagg is no stranger to the stage. She has performed for Sir Richard Branson & Peter Gabriel, Arabian Royalty, African leaders and celebrities and well as shared the stage with Elton John, John Legend, Celine Dion and Michael Bolton. >> Armed with her classical music upbringing and rebellious spirit, South African-born NEOLKETRA moved to the UK in 2008 to pursue a career unrestricted to traditional expectations of the violin. An eclectic violinist, Naomi has traveled the world as a solo electric violinist and with an all-female string quartet performing in nightclubs, fashion shows, exclusive parties and high-end corporate functions for some of the world’s largest brands and has now come back to her musical roots to create an orchestrally rich sound, diverse in genre and instrumentation with the violin at the very center. >> Her sound has been described as hypnotic, surreal, and beautiful “giving your favorite movie score a run for its money” >> “Not many musicians are able to elicit visualizations with their music, but I could see where Neolektra’s music wanted the listener to be every step of the way, and I felt myself there.”

Social Media:
Website:
www.ossiarecords.com/artists/neolektra
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/neolektra
Video: vimeo.com/user29937992
You Tube: www.youtube.com/user/neolektra/videos
Twitter: www.twitter.com/neolektra
Facebook: www.facebook.com/neolektra
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/album/birth-of-a-heroine/id880044705