Feel the music: A journey with Kayvan Nikjou 🎵🌍

Unlocking the Soul of Sound: Kayvan Nikjou’s Immersive Musical Journey at Web Summit Lisbon 2025

Kayvan Nikjou, CEO of FadeProof, captivated the audience at Web Summit Lisbon 2025 with an immersive musical experience, advocating for a deeper, more intentional way of listening. He shared his dual professional focus: organizing major music festivals globally, including Tomorrowland, and curating intimate music sessions that explore the profound stories behind compositions.

Mr. Nikjou proposed a fourth method of engaging with music, beyond passive observation or active dancing, by experiencing it as artists originally intended. He encouraged attendees to close their eyes, trust the unfolding journey, and embrace the unexpected. He underscored music’s unique status as the only truly universal language, capable of conveying deep emotion across all cultures.

The session began with “Voyage” by Riviera Monk, a French duo creating analog music on a Mediterranean beach. Mr. Nikjou revealed the song’s origin: a chance encounter with a humming fisherman who was invited to contribute to the track. This organic collaboration highlighted the song’s evolving layers, forming part of an album designed as a complete narrative journey.

Next, Mr. Nikjou presented an original song by a French artist, sharing its poignant genesis. The artist composed the melody after a momentary death in a hospital, hearing the tune during a coma, and later dedicated it to his mother. This analog recording, made in a humble Parisian studio, showcased raw authenticity, including a drummer’s self-corrected mistakes.

A remix of this song by Gilligan Moss followed, described as a piece that boldly disregards conventional music theory, particularly the “rule of eight.” While retaining the original instrumentation, the remix introduced piano and a radically different arrangement, transforming the track into a “strange” yet compelling reinterpretation of the artist’s profound experience.

The audience then opted for a “spiritual journey,” leading to a selection by Swedish artists. Recorded in the extreme darkness and cold of a Swedish winter, this composition featured unique instruments and vocals. Mr. Nikjou guided listeners to discern a female voice inviting them, contrasted by another voice of caution, creating a “counterbalance” between nature and darkness.

The final piece was “Arrival of the Birds” by Cinematic Orchestra, celebrated for its “soul-gripping” quality. This track, symbolizing the advent of spring, fused Persian and Spanish artistic influences, imbuing it with vibrant passion. Mr. Nikjou characterized it as a dynamic composition that “creeps in,” “drops you down,” and “takes you up again.”

Concluding the experience, Mr. Nikjou emphasized the critical importance of intentional listening, urging attendees to disengage from digital distractions and fully immerse themselves in music. He affirmed music’s power as a universal source of energy, love, and emotional upliftment, describing it as a “fifth element” that deeply connects with the human heart.