Sun Glitters flies over for the Felix Music Night

Tell us a bit about yourself. Did you grow up in a musical household? What kind of music did you listen to growing up?

My name is Victor Ferreira and I compose and perform under the moniker, Sun Glitters. I was born in Luxembourg in 1973 and sadly I didn’t really grow in a musical household…

I remember my first record was a 12”, a Hit Connection Compilation with artists like Billy Ocean, Pia Zadorra, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, etc… It wasn’t until later on that I grew to like music by The Cure, My Bloody Valentine and bands like that...

How did you start making music?

I started playing bass in rock bands. I then discovered artists like Portishead, Massive Attack, Third Eye Foundation, and Boards Of Canada, who brought about a new fascination with electronic music. That’s when I purchased my first Groovebox…

I also have fond memories of rapping and making hip-hop when I was younger… I first approached my sampling technique when I bought a sampler; it was after this that I started making melodies with a guitar and a bass.

Is Sun Glitters your first project or were there others before?

Like I mentioned before, I started playing bass in several rock bands. I was also involved in electronic projects including a duo called stereOneric and another personal project called sug(r)cane...

You don’t only make music – it seems you also do your own artwork. What’s the benefit of having direct creative control over all aspects of your music?

I worked with a small company as a graphic designer. Ever since I was young I’ve enjoyed drawing illustrating and creating handmade flyers, for example. I work under the artist name madebyjujo, and you can find my stuff at www.madebyhujo.com. Later on, I started to take photos which I’ve incorporated into the artwork for Sun Glitters. I felt it was important to create a visual identity to run side-by-side with the music.

Which musicians inspire you and who are you listening to at the moment?

I’ve been a fan of My Bloody Valentine for quite a while, and Kevin Shields is someone I hold with high regard. Reading interviews where he talks about MBV’s sound process has really helped me a lot with my own work. At the moment, I’m digging Evenings, Gold Panda, Twin Empire, Jason Urik (who I met in Innsbruck), Shigeto and How To Dress Well, but of course there are many many more!

What’s the music scene in Luxembourg like?

It’s a small scene but with lots of very interesting artists making great music! I shared some on my Facebook page over the past few days and if you want to stay tuned for more just follow me on facebook.com/listen2sunglitters.

If you could sum up living in Luxembourg in three words, what would they be?

Small, beautiful and good living.

What feeling do you try and convey with your music? Or what you do want people to feel when they listen to your music?

I really hope people enjoy listening to my music. I hope it captures a special moment, a moment that they can recall fondly in the future. It’s inspiring when people write to me and tell me that my music has helped them get through bad moments or that my music encouraged them to be creative, by doing their own music, or making paintings for example. That’s one of the biggest rewards when making music.

What is the worst thing about making music? And the best?

If there is a negative aspect to making music, it has to be deadlines or reaching a point where you aren’t happy with the results you’ve created…

The best thing about making music is the creative process for sure. Trying to make new sounds or songs and playing live and hanging around with people who enjoy your music.

What’s your proudest achievement?

I feel I’ve achieved a lot, but everything could be fine is surely my best work ever! I still listen to these tracks and enjoy them as much as I did the first day they were recorded. That’s a good sign for me. But I’m also proud of my very first EP when I started making electronic music, called in2 the skies. I’m pleased with two other tracks, ‘Children at Play’ and ‘e’, that I created under my old alias.

What does the future hold for you? Are there any new releases we can look forward to?

Yes, I’m working on a 7” which will be released on Lefse Records and still working on some other new songs for my new album. There are some other exciting projects planned in the near future, but I’m unable to talk about them yet, and there are also some remixes remaining to be achieved! My other wish is having some merch as well like t-shirts, posters, bags etc… but that will be the next step. I want to find someone to collaborate with for this, so if there are some interested people, get in touch with me!

Ok, now for the serious stuff.

Angela Merkel phones you up and says, “Victor, we need you to save the Euro with music. What songs do you play?”

Haha, maybe ‘too much to lose’ and ‘everything could be fine’ ;)

You’re at a bakery in London, about to buy a pasty. You can have it piping hot, slightly warm, or room temperature. Which is cheapest?

I would choose slightly warm...

You’re asked to perform at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, but as you go on stage you notice the absent-minded organisers have failed to provide you with any instruments. What do you do?

I just felt a sense of déjà vu! Not at the Olympics, mind you. It wouldn’t be the first time that I arrived in a venue and that they forgot something that was included in my tech rider, haha So, I would stay calm and try to solve the problem as best as I could… I think as long as I had my laptop, everything would be okay, and I would just make it work.

But if I was forced to be a bit more creative for the situation, then I would take the microphone and sing, mimicking the missing instruments the best I could!

Sun Glitters is playing at Metric this Saturday