“Music is an extra-semantic way of communication, aimed at our inarticulate subconsciousness, at the deep layers of the soul. Music is not ear to ear, it is soul to soul. We should aspire to reach the state of holism- it is when the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. I try not to write meaningless lyrics, but to send a message.“

Eduard Shyfrin: Upside Down Blues

Raised in Ukraine, Eduard Shyfrin was classically trained on piano before becoming an award-winning mathematician, physicist, and businessman. A crisis led him to begin a search for meaning and purpose, and to research and write the Amazon bestseller ‘From Infinity to Man: The Fundamental Ideas of Kabbalah Within the Framework of Information Theory and Quantum Physics’. But Eduard’s passion for music never left him, and his musicianship and profound life experience have now led to his debut album, Shyfrin Alliance. This intoxicating mix of rock, blues and romantic balladry brims with messages of unconditional love and antiwar – and the effortlessly rich voice of this singular talent. “Upside Down Blues” (2024), the debut album from Shyfrin Alliance, is as fitting a title as a record can have. Twelve songs that fuse blues and rock with elements of jazz and soul to create an alternate musical universe that’s familiar and new all at once. With a liquid gravel baritone unlike anyone in the blues world today, Eduard Shyfrin doesn't so much sing as he engages in verbal acrobatics with his own lyrics, teasing the most out of every syllable and subtly weaving in just the right dose of subtle intensity to bring the songs to life.      

(Eduard Shyfrin / Photo © by Julien Sanine)

The Alliance (a six-piece ensemble featuring some of the best European musicians) underscores the proceedings in muted technicolor, painting a sonic portrait that dwells more in the realms of infrared and ultraviolet than visible light. Upside Down Blues isn't post-modern blues, post-modern jazz or post-modern anything, it's a reflection in a black mirror that taps into what makes the blues work - an instant emotional connection to the stories being told. In this album of intoxicating rock, blues and romantic balladry, written entirely by Eduard himself, you won’t find songs devoid of meaning. All tracks brim with the messages of unconditional love and antiwar – themes which resonate on a timeless level but no more so than today.

Interview by Michael Limnios                  Special Thanks: Larry Kay (Night Train PR)

How has the music influenced your views of the world? Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues?

I like the world which has space for music. As for the Blues... Blues is not a temporary trend in music. On the contrary, Blues is one of the pillars of music. Please check my article, ‘Why God Loves The Blues’ in The Jerusalem Post.

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

Music is an extra-semantic way of communication, aimed at our inarticulate subconsciousness, at the deep layers of the soul. Music is not ear to ear, it is soul to soul. We should aspire to reach the state of holism- it is when the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. I try not to write meaningless lyrics, but to send a message.

What moment changed your music life the most? What is the driving force behind your continuous support for your music?

In order to create, one must break the symmetry of one’s soul, to leave the state of equilibrium. My Kabbalah studies, the lockdown, the war in Ukraine and Israel definitely broke the symmetry.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I’m missing the blues in rock music. About the future, I have some apprehensions about easily produced AI music.

”Music should make the world a better place, people’s souls to turn towards love.”

(Eduard Shyfrin / Photo © by Julien Sanine)

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

In music and art in general, one must be sincere. Any predictions are worthless.

How do you want the music to affect people? What is the impact of music on the spiritual and socio-cultural implications?

Music should make the world a better place, people’s souls to turn towards love.

What touched you from Kabbalah? Life is more than just music, is there any other field that has influence on your life and music?

Kabbalah is the Theory of Creation, of the relationships between God and man, man and God, of Good and Evil, of Life and Death, its Soul and Body, of the purpose of our existence. My music is affected by my life, my faith, my DNA.

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