Name: Alex Rapp
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Nationality: German
Current release: Alex Rapp's Monya EP is out via Fluctua.
(Pure) Vocal Music Recommendation: "Seca" by Lucrecia Dalt and "Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt" by Holly Herndon are  some great experiments! Not pure but only voice with lots of augmentation somehow pulling out a lot of purity. I was inspired by these pieces for the opening track “No Choice” on my latest EP.

If you enjoyed this Alex Rapp interview and would like to find out more about her music, visit her on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook.  



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in your voice and singing? How and when did you start singing?

I started singing in musicals in my town's local theater!

I loved singing with other people mostly and eventually gained confidence to audition for larger roles.

If you're also playing other instruments, how does the expressive potential of these compare to your own voice?

I grew up playing the violin. I feel the violin can be easier to spiritually connect with sometimes because there is no need for words.

But there is nothing as liberating as singing.

What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist? What moves you in the voices of other singers?

The intention, the connection with their emotions. I love a good voice crack in an intense moment.

How would you describe the physical sensation of singing? [Where do you feel the voice, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or tension etc …]

Singing is definitely a whole body sensation, it is my favourite therapy. Singing helps me connect to my subconscious, starting with just mumbling melodies that soon form words of feelings maybe I have been suppressing.

I also really like to belt. I have a few songs where I sustain really long notes and sometimes I get a bit light headed - but it's always a huge release.

We have a speaking voice and a singing voice. Do these feel like they are natural extensions of each other, ends on a spectrum or different in kind? From whispers to screams, from different colours to dynamics, what are the potentials and limits of your voice? How much of your vocal performance can and do you want to control?

I guess you can play with them as different characters, but I think it depends on the story. My EP is really varied vocally, the first track is only my voice completely covered with a harmonizer and effects and the last track is completely raw.

With each song my voice becomes a little bit less effected. This was not intentional but happened to work out nicely.

Strain is a particularly serious issue for many vocalists. How do you take care of your voice? Are the recipes or techniques to get a damaged voice back in shape?

Lots of water and warm ups, breathing and rest! Learning where to place your belts is really important.

How has technology, such as autotune or effect processing, impacted singing? Has it been a concrete influence on your own approach?

I see autotune as another tool for expression. Sometimes, when I am feeling shy to record something vulnerable, I'll put on auto tune to lighten the mood.

I don’t like to use autotune to hide anything. If it is on my songs such as “Ego,” and I shut down it is very obvious and almost used just as another instrument with its own texture to play with.

For recording engineers, the human voice remains a tricky element to capture. What, from your perspective, makes voices sound great on record and in a live setting?

A little reverb and a comfortable performer.

Motherese may have been the origin of music, and singing is possibly the earliest form of musical expression, and culture in general. How connected is the human voice to your own sense of wellbeing, your creativity, and society as a whole?

Singing is a huge part of staying connected to myself and others.

I grew up in church and this was my earliest memory of singing with others. It really affected how I see singing as something not to be “good at” to know fully that everyone can and should sing! No matter how pitchy ;)

As long as you are openly expressing yourself I see it as a beautiful thing.