I want people to feel uplifted by my music

New sound is best discovered live – opening for your favorite artist, at a small festival showcase overshadowed by the headliner, or on the Teufel stage. That’s why we invited five artists to play their newest songs live just for us with audio support from Teufel products both new and classic. In the fifth and final part of the series, we’d like to introduce Sofia Portanet with her unmistakable personal sound, which carves out a space somewhere between Neue Deutsche Welle and New Wave. What are you waiting for? Bring a new sound to your life today!

Teufel presents: Unstoppable by Sofia Portanet (the song from the Teufel campaign)

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An interview with Sofia Portanet: I like experimenting. And color.

Growing up between the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Paris requires a strong personality to process the variety of influences and be able to articulate them. And personality is something Sofia Portanet brings in spades. Starting with her style, which recalls Nouvelle Vague stars of yesteryear, she’s hard to overlook. Her music carves out a space between Neue Deutsche Welle and New Wave – and all that while remaining true to her personal signature sound. Here’s our interview with Sofia:

Teufel: Sofia, how did you get into music?

Sofia Portanet: I might put that question the other way around. To me, it more feels like music got into me. There was always music in my parents’ house. My father was also a musician and I was born into it. We had a studio at home and I’ve been plunking around on keyboards since I was a little kid.

Teufel: How would you describe your sound?

Sofia Portanet: Personal, and true to myself. Poppy, but also indie. I like experimenting. And color.

Teufel: What is most important to you in your music?

Sofia Portanet: What’s important to me is that I always feel like what I’m doing is cool. So like, when I listen to a song, I have to feel like it’s a part of me before I can put it out there. Like it’s something I want to share. I always have to have the feeling that I can see myself in it. And not that I’m making something because someone told me I should make it a certain way. I always want to have the feeling that something comes from inside and that it communicates a part of me.

Teufel: How do you listen to music in private?

Sofia Portanet: Different ways. Obviously at home. When I wake up, I always think that’s a good way to wake up. But I also like going to concerts. And hanging out in bars that play good music. Basically, it’s with me all day on totally different levels. Both at home and outside, live and recorded.

Teufel: What role does good sound play in your life?

Sofia Portanet: Obviously you can say when a song is good, but the real question is – when I’m listening to a song, can I also enjoy it? Is the way I’m listening enjoyable? I have a trash phone, plus one of the speakers is broken, so it bugs me that the sound is so bad. But when I put on headphones or a stereo with nice bass and a rounded sound image, I can get into the song and engage with the thing as it is. Also in clubs when the sound is super good, it feels like it gets into your body and makes your cells start jumping around. To me, that is a very decisive factor – how the sound is. I am also a freak when something doesn’t sound good. I am not at all happy with that.

Teufel: What are your associations with the Teufel brand?

Sofia Portanet: Devilishly good sound. (translator’s note: Teufel means devil in German)

Teufel: If you were a song or playlist, how would you sound?

Sofia Portanet: I don’t like that question because it always depends how I’m feeling. Some days, I’m sad, happy, or angry. And there’s a different song for every mood. But my music is also meant to be accessible for different moods. And it’s really nice to hear people say there are many songs that go with each mood.

Feeling uplifted by music

Teufel: What do you hope to achieve with your music?

Sofia Portanet: For me personally, I like to express my ideas and my creativity. It’s good for me to make music. I also like writing with other people. It’s about expression. What I want to achieve is for people to feel uplifted by my music the way I feel uplifted when I hear music by other people. I want to feel better. Or I want to feel good.