Fabz Pi

Musical artist

Lives and works in Rotterdam, Netherlands

From Ethiopia to the Netherlands and from Earth to other realms, we follow Fabz Pi, a psychedelic music artist, who calls himself a hyperspace shaman and a multiversal portal jumper

Synopsis of episode 1

Everybody has a story but some people’s lives raise eyebrows more than others’. Better Than Fiction is a television documentary series following immigrant niche artists in the Netherlands. From musicians and painters, through creative hairstylists and artivists, to stand-up comedians, all featured artists have something in common - they are extraordinary. Better Than Fiction tells stories so interesting and unique that one indeed might say they are “better than fiction”. The programme is not just about art, but about art with a twist.

Each episode of the series follows a different person, exploring both their background and art. The artists invite the viewers to their life and allow them to witness their art in the making. Better Than Fiction shows the splendid part of the artists’ lives such as shows, exhibitions and the creative process, as well as the less splendid parts, for instance, financial struggles or discrimination. The artists open themselves up in intimate interview sections, but to a get a broader picture each episode of Better Than Fiction also brings in people from the artists’ environment.

The pilot episode follows Fabz Pi, an artist from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He left Ethiopia at the age of 16 to pursue his dream of being a professional soccer player in the Netherlands. After his sports career failed due to a knee

injury, he turned to music. He is an emerging multidimensional musician combining punk, hiphop, trap and mosh pit energy, waiting for a breakthrough in his career. In April he released a new four-song psychedelic EP - “iN BETWEEN REALMS”, which is a soulful exploration of the human psyche. Fabz Pi creates psychedelic music which dates back to the 1960s.

The camera follows Fabz in his apartment, reflecting on the past, present, and future. The creative process is documented in both an intimate, at-home setting as well as in the studio. Better Than Fiction also follows Fabz at two of his shows at the New Skool Rules Festival in Rotterdam. Jumping on the speakers, walking into the crowd, and taking his shirt off on stage, Fabz confirms that people rightly describe his music as „energetic”. Does the energy come from psychedelics? Tune in and see as Fabz does not shy away from speaking about all aspects of his life, raw and unfiltered.

Timeline

First half of May 2023

End of May 2023

June 2023

Working on vertical and horizontal research, scripting, online presence as well as the two filming days

Main tasks are editing of the documentary, continuing to work on our online presence and creating a production book

Episode 1 comes out, followed by two studio days, the second of which is the official date of our live talkshow.