Name: Rafael Lasso aka Deviu
Nationality: Colombian
Occupation: Producer, composer, songwriter
Current release: Deviu's "Snow," featuring Mira Nait, is out via Purified.
Recommendations: Innellea’s "Silence" harmoniously combined the deep emotions and characteristic energy of electronic music.
Parra for Cuva - "Manila Palm," for the creativity with all the sounds of call and response.

[Read our Innelea interview]
[Read our Parra for Cuva interview]

If you enjoyed this Deviu interview and would like to keep up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

I immerse myself in expansive landscapes and imagine new ideas with each note.

Whether my eyes are open or closed depends on the music's nature; some melodies demand visual exploration, while others require internal reflection.

Entering new worlds and escapism through music have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to listening to and creating music?

My focus centers on sound palettes. The “color” of each sound and note.

I like to get lost in the different layers of instruments, feel and understand their shape and how they play and interweave with each other.

What were your very first steps in music like and how would you rate the gains made through experience?

I’ve been surrounded by music since I was a child. So I’ve listened to a lot of different genres and through the years I’ve experimented with a lot of them too. So I think you can get inspired from other types of music to create something new and interesting.

My musical journey began in my childhood when I first picked up the Charango. However, I remembered since a small kid that I played being a composer and performing live music.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music mean to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

It was an important age for me since I discovered electronic music and was fascinated by the idea of being able to craft your sounds and have thousands of instruments within your reach.

It was a turning point that put a clear path in my life.

How would you describe your own relationship with your instrument, tools or equipment?

Instruments, to me, are extensions of both body and soul, extremely helpful for crafting musical expressions into melodic and rhythmic tales.

Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

I focus on my own emotions. Dreams, art, relationships, etc, serve as fuel, which helps me decide the next steps on a song to turn melodies into stories, waiting to be told.

Are you acting out parts of your personality in your music which you couldn't or wouldn't in your daily life? If so, which are these? What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music?

I’ve always tried to be myself in every aspect of my music career.

I think that resonates not only in my compositions but also in connecting with audiences.

If music is a language, what can we communicate with it? How do you deal with misunderstandings?

Music, as a language, speaks to the soul, through emotions, stories, and abstract feelings that often work better than words, resonating differently with each listener.

I focus on the positive things around me and I like to live in harmony, to be centered on the important things

Making music, in the beginning, is often playful and about discovery. How do you retain a sense of playfulness and how do you still draw surprises from tools, approaches and musical forms you may be very familiar with?  

I like to try new tools and see what interesting things may come from them.

This does not always work but it keeps the sense of discovery alive. You never know what may get you inspired.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

Music is everywhere and you can create music from anything. Indeed that’s something I love about electronic music: You can use any type of sound and work with it.

In my productions, I've used rich natural sounds—ocean waves and whale songs, as showcased in my track "From The Silence” for example.

There seems to be an increasing trend to capture music in algorithms, and data. But already at the time of Plato, arithmetic, geometry, and music were considered closely connected. How do you see that connection yourself? What aspects of music do you feel can be captured through numbers, and which can not?

Many aspects of music can be represented and understood through numbers. Elements like rhythm, tempo, pitch, and harmony can be described and manipulated using mathematical principles.

However, certain aspects of music can not be captured. The emotional depth, interpretative nuances, the emotional impact of a piece, the artist's intention, and the listener's personal connection.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

Music, though subjective, tells us the emotions behind each composition. Understanding music on a deeper level offers valuable insights into managing the complexities of emotions, and translating them into a balanced existence.

It's about applying discipline and intentionality in both artistic expression and daily living.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

I found this extremely important in music and our life. Silence becomes a moment for introspection.

Also in music, silence is a fundamental part accentuating the importance of every sound.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

As I mentioned before I think music is everywhere and you can make music with anything, even a cup of coffee.

I think everything is connected and the other things you do in your life and vice versa always influence the way you make music.

If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

I'd like to see continued innovation that makes music more accessible and diverse.

Additionally, I hope for a supportive environment that nurtures emerging talent and encourages fresh perspectives within the industry.