Alev Lenz

Biography

Alev Lenz is a singer, songwriter, composer and producer. Based between London and Germany, she dug her heels into the ground to plant her own musical sign post – somewhere between sophisticated pop, ethereal 'vocalscapes' and music honouring her heritage outside of the 12-tone scale. Daughter of a Turkish actor, activist and artist and Oscar winning German engineer, Alev – her name translates into flame - has always danced to her own rhythm. Her rich catalogue of compositions fuse distinctive musical worlds into something that is authentically hers. Her honest lyrics, instinct for melodic hooks and intriguing harmonics form deep and compelling songs that hold their own on both on record and screen.

Soloing school choirs, recording radio plays, traveling TV stages to big festivals with a rock outfit by her own name, Alev started her journey early to reach her now well over 10,000 hours and in 2009 she released her debut album Storytelling Piano Playing Fräulein, which showcased her talent as a singer-songwriter. Through her sophomore record 'Two-Headed Girl', co-produced with acclaimed drummer Samuli Kosminen and mixed by now long-time collaborator Jas Shaw of Simian Mobile Disco, Alev continued to explore her diverse set of influences, from European classical to experimental electronics.

While working on material for her latest record ‘3’, Alev composed her breakthrough track 'Fall Into Me' for Charlie Brooker’s Netflix series 'Black Mirror'. Her single ‘May the Angels’ from ‘3’ featured on season two of critically-acclaimed Netflix series ‘Dark’. ‘Splendid Soldiers’, Fall Into Me’s album version, has also been featured on the third season of ‘The Rain’ (Netflix) while ‘Pieces’ of the same record has even been prominently featured twice on SKY’s brand-new series ‘Funeral For A Dog’.

‘3’ was released 2019 on the label arm of music tech company Spitfire Audio, SA Recordings, alongside a 20 patch Alev Lenz - ‘3’ best selling and five star reviewed sample library, the first in the acclaimed music tech company whole new series of artist-led sample libraries. The record itself is comprised of 12 songs which are predominantly carried by voice alone and exhibit the artist’s courage to push the tonal palette of pop music into risky and truthful directions. The twelve compositions are bound by Alev’s authentic voice and her rich choral arrangements as sung by Grammy-Award winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth. The intricately crafted compositions evoke a primal, almost prayer-like sensibility, whilst also addressing patriarchal oppression and the subsequent heartbreak and disorientation that it leaves in its wake. ‘3’ marked a moment of deep personal and artistical awakening in Alev’s life through motherhood. In our hyper-modern world, burdened as it is with 'content' and constant distractions, Alev’s deeply personal sonic experience offers a contemplative and refreshing alternative.

Since 'Fall Into Me', her voice and writing have been in steady demand. Alev recently finished work on her debut feature film score, a commissioned piece for Grammy-award winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus and contributing vocals to Oscar nominated composer Volker Bertelmann's scores for the US-drama 'Downhill' and Netflix-blockbusters like 'The Old Guard', ‘Stowaway’ and ‘Against The Ice’. Alev is frequently working in close collaboration with other artists, most famously with Martin Phipps who called her in to write the original song for “Black Mirror” and calls her the “queen of simplicity” and renowned sitarist and 7-time Grammy-Nominee Anoushka Shankar, with whom Alev co-wrote the title track for the Grammy-nominated album ‘Land of Gold’ as well as co-writing and co-producing Shankar's latest album 'Love Letters' - which culminated in three sold out shows with Shankar at London’s Southbank Centre in December 2019 and a Grammy-nomination for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards in 2020. In 2021, on occasion of the gala concert at Krakow Film Music Festival, her composition for the Netflix-series Black Mirror was performed.

Outside of music Alev follows her artistic calling in multiple ways, from creating collages and album artwork to directing her own music videos and painting and exhibiting her multiple artworks.

She has two imminent releases in 2022 which showcase her keen sense for a body of work as a whole. Her first Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “Im Nachtlicht” – which features 15 commissioned cue videos and one lyric video and an experimental piece of work which feature 4 female composer alongside multiple of her own digital artworks. Alev is also currently writing a work for orchestra, a commissioned piece for an international production to be premiered in 2023, is working on a short film, a musical and a two-women satirical music show.

Awards & Nominations:
2020 Love Letters GRAMMY Nomination (role: producer, songwriter, vocalist, musician, engineer)
2017 Land Of Gold GRAMMY Nomination (role: songwriter, vocalist)

Discography

3, 2019
SA Recordings (Spitfire Audio)
Engineered and produced by Alev Lenz
Mixed by Jas Shaw
Mastered by Guy Davie at Electric Mastering, London

Two-Headed Girl, 2016
Produced by Samuli Kosminen (Mùm, Kronos Quartet, Jonsí) and Alev Lenz
Mixed by Jas Shaw (Simian Mobile Disco)

Storytelling Piano Playing Fräulein, 2009
All songs published by Universal Music Publishing
Produced by Don Philippe
Mixed by Fab at puremix.net, New York City
Mastered by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace, New York City

Film