Agshin Alisoy making music for 6 years and been releasing under the name “Fausteir” for almost 3 years now. He is 19 years old, studying PR & Advertising in Istanbul. When it comes to music, he is always very curious about the ways he can explore my expression in different ways and he is very passionate.
Hi, who is Fausteir?
Hello. Conceptually, a friend of mine once described Fausteir as the “personification of melancholia.” While I think that is an accurate depiction, I want ‘Fausteir’ to be more than that – I want it to be an extensive meditation on life and what it means to be alive. On a more tangible level, Fausteir is my stage name – I’m 19 years old, I am from Azerbaijan, but I’m currently based in Istanbul, Turkey. I write and produce all of my music by myself, and I try to turn deeply personal moments into something that feels more cinematic and intimate, as if you are reading someone’s journal in the middle of the night. It is as much about the sound as it is about storytelling, memory, and emotional texture.
Tell us about your latest release!
My latest release, “Valentine,” was released on Valentine’s Day. It was the first single from my upcoming EP. It is a soft piano ballad that captures a moment of existential dread after I ended my last relationship due to personal problems. There’s a nod to Mitski’s “My Love Mine All Mine” in the first chorus as I sing, “I thought all the love I had is mine, but what if it is poison, my Valentine?” I recorded it when I was doing my student exchange in Romania, and we shot a music video for it with my roommate at the time. It is a very existential track. It’s been 4 months since I released it; I had to stop the promo cycle for the EP after March because of the protests happening in Turkey, and that felt like a more important place for me to be in.
Which guest would you like to get for your next album?
There is this indie-folk singer that I have recently discovered, his name is Kevin Atwater. I love his work, I’ve DMed him a few times on Insta, but we haven’t talked more than that. It’d be cool to have him for a song, I think. I like his lyricism and melodies a lot.
Which bands influenced your style?
I grew up listening to The Strokes, the Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, Joni Mitchell, Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, David Bowie, and Lorde, so definitely there are echoes of them in the songs.
How many styles can we listen to in your music?
Since I try to capture the emotional texture of the feelings or moments that I am writing about, there is a lot you can find in my music — there’s no genre limitation. I had this one track in my last EP; it was titled “Peace,” and it is this very much garage rock-influenced track with heavy drums coupled with some chamber pop elements. On the upcoming EP, there’s a 6-minute electropop ballad where I use heavy autotune in some sections, kinda like Charli XCX. Mostly, it can be classified as “Alternative.” Anything that fits the story I tell goes.
What about the cover?
The cover is a picture of a necklace I gave as a gift on our first-month anniversary. The color palette is a very dark, deep shade of blue that I think describes the mood of the EP’s vibe very well. The next single, “Once a Dream,” has a cover that is styled the same, but this time instead of the necklace, there is a big, blue moon on the cover.
How is the music scene in your country?
In Azerbaijan, I can’t say it’s the best for indie artists. There’s a lot of stigma and limitations against anybody that wants to do anything slightly different. I want that to change. When I am back, I’ll try and see if I can play some sets for the release of the EP. As for Turkey — specifically Istanbul — the music scene is much bigger than Azerbaijan, but since it is bigger, it feels more intimidating. I wanna do a release event here for the upcoming single. Let’s see if I can find a venue first.
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