Press "Enter" to skip to content

Berj Fazlian: interview with the drummer of the Exposonix 2020 festival

Berj Fazlian (born June 26 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a talented drummer from a family of artists. His father is principal conductor of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra and his grandfather, a renowned Lebanese/Armenian actor and theatre director. This is how Berj has become involved in the art world, he has trained as an acoustic band musician and music producer of rock and hip hop rhythms. Currently, he presents his latest song “Night in 1401” with Vannorte and Chill Select; and advances new projects before the end of 2022.

He says he started taking piano lessons at age 7, but at age 12 he discovered that his true passion was drums. His biggest influences have been John Lennon, J Dilla, John Bonham, Madlib and Earl Sweatshirt. Today, Berj produces instrumental music and performs video tutorials in which he performs songs by artists such as Limp Bizkid, Billie Eilish, Julia Boutros, Jimi Hendrix, Artic Monkeys, The Polize, Red Hot Chilli Pepers and many more.

“The drums play a very important role in who I am, and it’s an easy way to express myself in the studio and on stage,” Berj Fazlian said in an interview by Gilberto Ewale Masa for Free Press Info. Berj has admitted that he is more comfortable with hip hop and rock music, although the musical style he would like to perfect is Jazz. “With the way I act on stage, I tend to be vulnerable and expressive all the time. Jazz is one of those musical styles where you have no rules and every musician can express themselves in that musical context,” Berj Fazlian.

I love live music! The energy and power of live music is pure magic. We feel the direct impact of sound waves on our body. If you’ve ever been in the audience of a Mahler or Wagner symphony, you can feel the full weight of the brass section on your chest: it’s a multisensory experience.

Berj Fazlian

Interview with Berj Fazlian, drummer of the Exposonix .

Why do many producers remain anonymous despite being behind greatest hits?


The idea of masked artists and hidden identities has been used both as a way out of the spotlight and as a creative concept. They may be representing an alias and not themselves; it’s the artistic image they’re trying to complete. It also brings more anticipation from people. If we all loved an anonymous artist, we would do our best and look for that name to find out who they are. MF Doom is probably the best example. Most people love his music, including me, but we’ll never know who he was behind that mask.

What is your advice on sampling?


Ugh! You don’t really have rules when it comes to sampling. I have been experimenting with reversing certain cuts, and it fits perfectly into a certain context. I can advise you to listen to every element of the song, so you can deconstruct it and put it back as you want it to be. Experiment with filters and compressors, different shades, accelerating/reducing samples and equalizers. The excavation of snares is also very important. So, at the end of the day, you have no limits to overcome. The options in the direction you’re taking your music are endless!

Could you tell us about your upcoming releases and release dates?


I have a single coming out on June 20th with Chill Moon Records and another single with Chill Select on August 5th! I’m working on my Hip-hop album, along with many talented artists from all over the world. I don’t have a set date for that, but it will come out soon.

What’s your best album or mixtape so far? And your favorite song?


My favorite is “Friends.” That period of time was quite difficult for me and gave the album a more meaningful meaning to me. My favorite song to date has to be “Night In 1401”. I loved the work of “Vannorte” on that song, and it was a great collaboration!

What would you say about “Friends”? Was it easy to collect the 10 cuts until they were published?


It wasn’t. When “Friends” were being made, I was quarantined for 3 weeks, which was more than the scheduled date. So I felt fatigued, drowsy and unmotivated. I was forcing myself out of bed to cut some samples and create new beats, so I could finish this album. It took me about 2-3 weeks to complete all 10 songs, and I’ve been happy ever since!

Of the artists you’ve worked with, which one has helped you complete yourself the most as a musician?


As a producer, “Opollo Heights” helped me make a name for myself and pushed me to send my beats to ever-larger audiences. As a drummer, I have to thank all the musicians at the “Exposonix”. From September 2021 to April 2022, I had the pleasure of performing at Expo 2020 in Dubai. I was the drummer of the official band of Expo 2020, the “Exposonix”. We were made up of 19 musicians from all over the world, and each musician had different experiences in the musical world. Each musician in that experience plays a very important role to this day.

What collaborations do you have in mind?


I’m doing my best to collaborate with producers I enjoy, like “Nogymx,” “Lazlow” and many more.