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Aleksander Vinter, aka Savant, is an out of the ordinary electro artist. Born in Oslo, Norway, he has Asperger’s, an autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, he is one of the most prolific artists you can find. Since his debut in 2009, he has released thirty-four albums, twenty EPs, two hundred and six singles, nineteen mixtapes. An endless and eclectic discography that explores the vast majority of electro genres. According to him, he has composed more than 11.000 tracks since his adolescence.

Savant, the syndrome behind the stage name

Aleksander Vinter suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. He has never hidden his disability and talks about it openly in interviews.

“My childhood was really special. I have autism and I’m really like … a cloud. To me, I’m not an artist, I’m more like a camera that floats around and spends its time observing everything and anything.

I didn’t care about people, I just wanted to have fun with my toys, make music, play synthesizer, record myself on tapes and that since I was four years old. “

He has also been diagnosed by doctors as having savant syndrome. This is a rare condition that can affect some people with autistic disorders, who develop an area of skill and excellence that contrasts with the limitations of their disability. Aleksander Vinter discovered he had the disorder as a child after spending several weeks under observation in the hospital. He underwent tests, several scans, to let the doctors study his brain. This difference materializes, in his words, in the way he perceives art. “They are like shapes that make sense to me”.

He describes the discovery of this syndrome as a revelation. He decided to accept his difference and throw himself body and soul into what he is passionate about, music. He turned his difference into a strength and adopted the name of his syndrome as his stage name: “Savant“.

An artist with a multifaceted discography

Singer, guitar player, piano player and many other instruments, Aleksander Vinter is an accomplished musician. He claims to be influenced by a variety of genres, from jazz to blues as well as video game and 8-bit music. This variety of influences can be clearly felt when browsing his discography.

Each album has a strong theme that transports his music into a very specific universe. Slasher (2018) refers to the golden age of 70′ horror movies, ZION (2014) has a lot of oriental influences, Protos (2014) can be listened to as a full-fledged space opera. Cult (2013), with its grandiloquent melodies, is reminiscent of church music – with a Savant twist, and Alchemist (2012) is a little gem mixing, in its own words, classical music, circus and pirate songs. An intriguing cocktail that remains one of his most popular albums even today. The elements that make up Savant’s discography are often found throughout his discography, namely guitar riffs and 8-bit surges that are intertwined with the unique influences of each album.

Album covers of Protos (2014), Cult (2013) and Alchemist (2012)

Far from being anonymous, Aleksander Vinter often appears masked when he performs live. Often appearing on his album covers, in drawings, Savant is an extravagant and colorful character. He regularly wears a Guy Fawkes mask, a reference to the movie V for Vendetta.

Aleksander Vinter is a unique artist. His discography is as eclectic as it is vast. Each album is an invitation to travel, in a different universe each time. He is also an extraordinary character, extravagant, a true music lover who knew how to make a real strength out of his handicap.

Credits: Léo Marchandon

Futurgrooves and The Void Project team promotes its collaborators and the artists that made it possible for The Void Project’s label to grow. Today, we went to check on Pierre-Antoine and Thomas, the founders of Maison Records. The two Brussels-adopted deliver to us their course and their future projects.

Who is Maison Records?

Five months ago, Pierre-Antoine (P-A) and Thomas decided to break the boring lockdown routine by creating Maison Records, a secondhand record store centered around electronic music and every type of house. The two French men originally from Montpellier (Thomas) and Lille (P-A), are actually bartenders and festival organisers, who moved to the Belgian capital a few years ago. Due to the stopping of events, the guys of La Petite Soeur launched the adventure of Maison Records.

Where is it?

This welcoming duo and full of humor has chosen to establish its headquarters of electronic music in a glass room, on the mezzanine of Supermarket, a shop that supports local creators. Supermarket and Maison Records, united in one place, support Belgian artists, each one in a different way, and they actually don’t only share a place. “Our projects match because Supermarket only works with Belgian or European creators. If it’s further, it would be fairtrade business”, P-A confesses. “We sign up in sustainability, in the sense that we are a second hand store, we bring collections that people haven’t had the necessity of using back to life”, Thomas insists. Maison Records is then an adventure resulting in a combo of passion and friendship. But what do we find there, who do we run into?

Maison Records: why, and for who?

On your way to Maison Records, it won’t be rare to run into people who have a passion for music, but you certainly will run into DJs! Indeed, on your way up to the mezzanine, you will be walking into the den of the maxi 45 spins, a disc format initially aimed for DJs and their mixes. We are talking about form here! Looking at the content, Maison Records is an electronic music gold mine, with a sensible preference from Thomas and P-A for house music. “We are really into garage, there’s a lot of UK sounds. Here, you will only find danceable music, that is mixable, and a synonym of party. According to us, this remains very subjective. The idea was to really do something that resembled us”, Thomas explains. To compose their collections, the two music lovers listen to the enthusiasts. “To select the disks, we base ourselves on requests, on what we’ve already sold and on our own taste”, P-A explains.

Beyond the second hand, some local gems are also to be discovered, like the productions of Hoot label and The Void Project. The duo is inclined to suggest new sounds and calls for the support of Belgian artists. “Initially, one of our rare conditions to promote new sounds is the proposition of Belgian labels’ productions. It hasn’t been long since we moved to Brussels, so if we can promote the Belgian scenery, then you’re all invited!”, they explain.

During their opening, Maison Records would get 400 discs per week, but since then, the bins are full and the selection has become more picky with the merchandise that comes into the store. “We have become more selective, we only allow discs to come into the store if we like them and if it is salable”, P-A emphasizes.

Maison Records: projects to come?

Initially the duo wanted to get started in the creation of a label, and then in the creation of a record store, but with the sanitary measures, this project was unachievable in this particular order. Now that Maison Records has come to life, Thomas and P-A are getting ready to reach the mark of the founding of a label: Mezzanine Records. Furthermore, starting from april 2021, Maison Records is “moving out”, or more like it’s expanding with an extra space, dedicated to electronic music, always at Supermarket.

Maison Records, the feedback

Maison Records and The Void Project met due to their passion and their common desire to promote the local scene. Futurgrooves’ team is pleased to have reached out to the duo that aligns so well quality and humility in their propositions. A mezzanine comparable to a gold mine for music lovers, Maison Records is slowly becoming an unmissable record store in the Brussels electronic scene. Only one word on behalf of our team: stay tuned.

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Aleksander Vinter: the most prolific artist of the electronic scene