Felix Raphael on Mental Health, Creativity and Staying Aligned with ‘Compass’
- Undrtone Blog
- Sep 29
- 4 min read
Felix Raphael has always walked the line between electronic music and emotional storytelling. A producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist based in Berlin, he has built a sound that blends melodic and organic house with indie folk influences, pairing live instruments with heartfelt songwriting.
His new single, ‘Compass (how to stay aligned)’, out now on [PIAS] Électronique, continues that path while deepening the themes behind his upcoming album ‘DO YOU’, which arrives on 28 November.
The project, split into four chapters, explores mental health from an artist’s perspective. It looks at the highs of creation, the anxiety of comparison, the chaos of touring, and the calm that follows acceptance. For Raphael, it is both a reflection and an act of care. “I’m just sharing my experience,” he says. “I wasn’t broken before or healed after finishing the album. It’s an ongoing process. Some days I manage, some I don’t. Making this record helped me look at things from a different perspective.”
The spark for ‘DO YOU’ came from a slow accumulation of moments, not one dramatic turning point. “I remember playing a show in Madrid where everything went wrong. I felt so bad and alone,” he recalls. “At some point, carrying everything quietly felt heavier than speaking about it. The album looks at doubt and coping in a way that’s honest but hopeful.”
That balance defines ‘Compass’. Built on warm piano, emotional synths and Raphael’s resonant voice, the track builds like a reverse breakdown, layers rising until they circle back to stillness. “It maps both the rush and the bliss of many roads visible to take,” he explains. “It’s about the moments when the mind pulls in every direction at once, while searching for balance. The record spins through opposing feelings and lands on a simple goal: to keep the needle steady enough to move forward.”
Across ‘DO YOU’, Raphael draws from his background in social work. The album reflects his own mental health journey and his experience supporting others, both inside and outside music. “Working in social care shaped how I think and listen,” he says. “That mindset moved into my songs. They try to speak with a close feeling, not from a distance. I still have a hard time doing everything perfectly because change takes time, but it helps to stay involved in real conversations with other artists.”
Those conversations inform both the message and the method. Raphael writes from an unfiltered place, avoiding the temptation to glamorise chaos. “The idea behind ‘DO YOU’ is less comparison, more you, more care,” he says. “The record is a reminder to protect your own tastes and mental hygiene, to actually do the small things that keep you well instead of only talking about them.”
That philosophy runs through the album’s structure. Each phase mirrors a state of being, from anxiety and struggle, through pressure and doubt, toward balance and release. “I wanted to name the hard things but not leave people there,” he says. “The concept is built to move forward. The more honest I was, the lighter the songs felt.”
Instrumentation plays a key role in shaping that journey. Raphael taught himself the flugelhorn specifically for this record, using it as a recurring voice across the chapters. “It felt right, warm, mid-focused and hopeful,” he explains. “It isn’t common in my scene, which made it personal. It symbolised the tone I wanted, less harsh highs and lows, more centre. More balance.”
The result is a record that feels cinematic yet intimate, layered but deeply human. Songs like ‘Creation (no matter how far I go)’ reflect a more grounded joy in artistry, less about chasing the next rush and more about returning to a steady source. “Early on, creating was mainly about curiosity,” he says. “Now it’s also about coming home to connection and authenticity. Creation is a reliable place to return to, not just a chase for the next high.”
That grounded energy extends to his live shows, where Raphael performs with piano, guitar, synths and brass. “I try to perform the idea of each chapter,” he explains. “Early songs feel tighter and more physical, later ones open up. Mostly it’s about presence. The audience can feel when you’re really there with them. That rawness carries the emotion better than any effect.”
For listeners, Raphael hopes the album offers calm and recognition. “I hope they feel seen and less alone,” he says. “It’s okay to name what’s hard and still hold space for light. You don’t have to earn joy by suffering first. A small, steady kind of happiness, feeling at home in your own life, is a real goal and it counts.”
As mental health becomes a more visible conversation in electronic music, Raphael is careful to keep it honest. “More plain language, fewer buzzwords,” he urges. “Less highlight reels, more real talk. Teams should normalise therapy, time off, boundaries, the same way we talk about gear or releases. The scene is full of sensitive people. That’s a strength. We should support it with real structures.”
Ultimately, ‘DO YOU’ is both a question and an invitation to turn inward, to reflect honestly, and to find meaning beyond comparison. ‘Compass (how to stay aligned)’ is its steady heartbeat, a reminder to keep moving toward balance, one small choice at a time.
‘Compass (how to stay aligned)’ is out now on [PIAS] Électronique. The full album ‘DO YOU’ arrives on 28 November.
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