Review Fix Exclusive: Beware Of Darkness’ Kyle Nicolaides Talks Goals And More

Review Fix chats with Kyle Nicolaides of Beware Of Darkness, who discusses his origin in music, creative process and his goals for the rest of the year.

Review Fix: How did you first get involved in music?

Kyle Nicolaides: Music was always around. As a fan, my Dad breathes music and is the most passionate music lover I’ve ever met. My Mom comes from a linage of classical musicians from Salt Lake City. I think it was just in the environment and in my genes. My earliest music memories are from video games. I remember playing Sega Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and I having these intense visceral and emotional reactions to certain chord progressives and sounds. Every time the Marble Garden 3 Zone music hit at 43 seconds, I felt it. Certain progressions and sounds would almost immobilize or paralyze me, sort of overwhelm me, like a hit of bliss to my system. They made me felt safe, warm, at home, caused a physical reaction in my body so strong and nourishing and healing. Music calmed me and soothed me like nothing else did. I went to Catholic school and I remember the same thing would happen when the organist played certain progressions or harmonies or chord voicings. It was like being hit hard in the soul, or heart, and it still happens to this day. Some recordings hit me like that, and I listen to then hundreds of time. “Can’t Find My Way Home” has always done that for me. It’s that feeling that I chase, and hope I can give to other people. It’s spiritual. After that, was a natural progression, learning how to play, and so on.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Nicolaides: It’s been a long slow process of learning how to surrender. Almost like a flea standing up to a tidal wave learning how to surf. I think the human brain is like a speck of sand to divinity’s infinite ocean. All creativity comes from that ocean so it’s been a process of learning how to be a vessel, get out of my own way, rely on the endless abundance of God, and hold the process with reverence, and humility. The more I let go, the more I get. The more I try to understand it, the more I know nothing. It’s always a coming back, a returning to, home.

Review Fix: What inspires you? 

Nicolaides: Helping people, our intrinsic joy, being alive, living through and overcoming depression, therapy, sound, ayahuasca, when my friends thrive and succeed, noticing how the morning breeze makes a spiderweb dance and float, conversations with authentic people, death, genuine connection, clothes, the smell of a paperback book, meditation, fresh flowers, moments where you write something and you don’t know where it came from or how you did it, and lastly knowing that whatever happens to us in this life we can always just take a breath.

Review Fix: How would you describe Beware Of Darkness’ sound to someone who has never heard you? 

Nicolaides: I don’t. I just send them a Spotify link. I create, I don’t judge. I just make the music, I don’t describe it. I know how it makes me feel and that’s enough.

Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?

Nicolaides: Complete opposite. Studio is about energy flow and lightness calmness, trust and tying things up neatly and nicely, live shows are about letting things explode. Live shows are like throwing rocks into a Vitamix plugged in near a bath tub and studio work is like the best slip and slide run of of your life

Review Fix: What inspired your latest single “Bloodlines”?

Nicolaides: The divine and the perfect alignment of the universe made it happen, they could answer it better than me. If I starting talking, I’d just be guessing.

Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of 2019?

Nicolaides: Keep on doing the heartwork.

Keep on trusting that life is working for me, and not against me.

Keep trying to see things clearly.

Be present to these new opportunities, see them all as a gift, and enjoy them 

Stay compassionately vigilant and awake in regards to mental health.

And write, record and write, and finish more creative endeavors.

Review Fix: What’s next for Beware Of Darkness?

Nicolaides: I’m writing an EP and getting ready to record it. After that I’m letting there be room to have absolutely no clue for what’s next. I’ll let the universe make that call.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Nicolaides: I think the world would be a better place if everyone meditated. 

-Read Tom Robbins.

-Be kind to people.

-Lastly, since there were no surprisingly any Jim Henson questions, I’d just like to be on record saying that the Dark Crystal Prequel was astonishingly touching and I want to celebrate that Deet has two Dads.