Despite the fact that Jenny and Alexis both love to eat olives, the idea of the duo The Magic Olives was born a few years ago in Mallorca and the name was inspired by the one-hit wonder band The Olives (You Are Not Alone). Back in 2018, Alexis made a post on Instagram announcing, „My new TRAP POP music project is coming out soon.“ So here it is – a few years later.
Jenny and Alexis paths crossed in Berlin, but the newlyweds decided to leave the city behind in search of a new place to call home: Malaga. Following the move from Berlin to Malaga, it was time to process – especially for Jenny. Since her father was a gypsy, she spent a lot of time in nature so she often felt trapped and cramped in the city’s walls. She recalls one moment, „I was so sad once because I couldn’t hear the birds singing anymore. I couldn’t stand it any longer.“
By taking the mutual decision to move away from Berlin, they both needed to digest the newly found situation and return to nature. The timing was exactly right for them to create something together. Jenny began to read and write down poems describing her current feelings, and for the first time, she began to read those poems out loud – which is when the magic happened. „Alexis felt me, he felt what I felt, and he transformed those feelings and words into music. He knew what sound would go with the lyrics.”
Jenny takes inspiration from all kinds of artists, in particular from Die Neue Deutsche Welle (new wave) such as Hildegard Knef, who was a German actress, voice actress, chanson singer and author. Their first song „Where I Belong“ is more of an indie song, while in their new releases one can increasingly feel influences from German electronic music, particularly since the lyrics are also in German. Alexis‘ expertise in modular synthesis shines through in the productions, managing to create a medley of spot-on electronic dance music that keeps the groove at the forefront and the drums and basslines balanced. With the addition of harmonic elements and Jenny’s live vocals, the tracks get the crowd dreaming and drifting off to far away places.
The most common sound we know from animals is the chirping of birds: there are so many species of birds in the world, each with its own characteristic sound. If we listen attentively to the birds around us, it is possible to observe exactly how the birds sing and form a harmony. Birds make music, and indeed it is what Jenny missed in Berlin and found again in Málaga. Birds seem to compose music by instinct and also act as musicians, they are artists by nature, just like Alexis and Jenny – you can feel their spirit, their understanding and love for each other, their passion for music and the common bond in their compositions.
The Magic Olives manage to bring electronic music to a fresh new level by incorporating the idea of lyrics and poems, New German Wave influences and of course their genuine passion and soul into a single song. Together they have found a way to bring lyricism and poetry into the electronic minimal world and soon their first EP will be released on Priku’s label Atipic. Be on the lookout and give them a listen!
