Aleksander Vinter, a dynamic artist proving reluctance is the only disability

Photography by Jeffrey Pierre

 

By Natalie von Cieminski / Contributing Writer

Savant has been his stage name since 2011; but its not just a stage name to the Norwegian EDM artist Aleksander Vinter– its a constant reminder of the kaleidoscope in his head.

After show an electric show at Mekka Nightclub on Sept. 5, Vinter spoke to FIUSM on living and coping with Savant Syndrome.

 “I have this kind of compass that’s always saying what’s right to do. It’s like f*****g math. Let’s say I am working on a track and I have drums and a bass guitar, and my mind is just seeing thousands of combinations that can fit on top of that.”

Savant Syndrome can be associated with autism; however, it is not all savants who are autistic. Despite difficulties in social interactions, non-verbal conversations and serious mental or physical disabilities, such as scoring very low on IQ tests, people affected by this disability may demonstrate exceptional artistic and musical skills, as in the case of Vinter.

But Vinter’s pays a cost for a mind that overflows with creativity.

“It’s tough. It’s not fun at all. When I am alone, I don’t say anything. I don’t do anything. I am very introverted. But when I am with people, it is a practice of living,” said Vinter of his disability. “Normal things for people, like breathing, looking at people, communicating, sorting facts, conversations, and being in the moment are really hard. It is a lot of focus for me.”

Even though the Savant Syndrome impairs Vinter in his personal life, the disability does have an interesting effect on his music.

“The music is always positive. When I hear the right frequencies matching with each other, also mixed with the right rhythm and different types of sounds, the whole thing lights up in a very special way and that’s when I feel good,” Vinter said. “I have this kind of compass that’s always saying what’s right to do. It’s like f*****g math. Let’s say I am working on a track and I have drums and a bass guitar, and my mind is just seeing thousands of combinations that can fit on top of that.”

During his tenure as musician, he has created over 10,000 songs from Classical to Black Metal and Dubstep. In 2012, Vinter released four albums that helped him to climb up the Beatport charts in Norway. After taking over the market in Norway, Vinter, who started his music career at the age of 11, aims to attain success in the U.S. “I decided to go to L.A. because there are so many opportunities, both in the movie business and with other artists, like writing for a pop artist.”

“I want to work with Hans Zimmer for movies, work for him in the studio, and also work with some other singers, songwriters and women.” When asked if he would like to work with Justin Timberlake, Vinter said: “You are talking my language right now. That would be awesome. He can dance, too. So that would be fun playing some beats for him. It would be an honor.”

When performing on the stage, Vinter is wearing a mask to find distance to his audience. “I have been a nerd all my life. So I have not really been like, ‘Look at me, I am cool,’” he said, adding that “I don’t want to have eye contact. I want to be able to look once in a while but not have it where [the audience will] know where I am looking, what I am thinking. I get paranoid. So I need my space.”

But Vinter’s bucket list does not stop there. While doing a few shows through the States in order to explore new markets, he is making a funk album with a friend. In addition, Vinter is planning on doing a rock band tour next year.

He grew up with rock and pop music in the eighties that still inspires his music career today. “I like the eighties a lot. There was a lot of good melodies and catchy tunes like, ‘I wanna know what love is,’” Vinter explained. “I just need to do something more than house music. I can get bored. I don’t want to get stuck in one thing because then people expect one thing from you, and if you change too late, people will hate you for it. So when people know you for being a person that changes a lot, they will expect the unexpected.”

-life@fiusm.com