Name: Automat
Members: Achim Färber, Zeitblom, Ingo Krauss, Max Loderbauer
Nationality: German
Occupation: Drummer, songwriter
Recent release: The new Automat album Heat is out via Compost. Heat features not just the new Automat line-up but also a string of guests, including Scott Montieth (Deadbeat), Barbie Williams, Gemma Ray, Prince Alla, and R Zee Jackson.

[Read our Scott Montieth aka Deadbeat interview]

If you enjoyed this Achim Färber interview and would like to find out more about his work and current projects, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram.

For an interview with one of Achim's collaborators, head over to our Ben Lukas Boysen interview.



What was your first drum set like and what are you using today? What, to you personally, are factors in terms of build and design that you appreciate in drums and percussion instruments?

My first drum set was an early Japanese made kit. To this day I have no clue which company it was. There were no badges or anything that would tell me the company. But it came in a nice red sparkle finish …

I’m a great fan of Gretsch drums. Most of my shells are made by Gretsch. Have a nice collection of old and new Gretsch drums, from 1937 to 2018. As every drummer I play snaredrums from different companies - like Gretsch, Beier Drums, Ludwig, 101 Drums from Sweden, Slingerland and many more ...

Late Rush-drummer Neil Peart said: “The equipment is not an influence. It doesn't affect the way I play. It's an expression of the way I play.” What's your take on that?

Mr. Peart is completely right! He used different types of equipment, and always sounded like Neil Peart. The instrument is just the tool that lets you speak as a musician.

That said, a great drum set can also inspire your playing.

Drumming is an integral part of many cultures, and traditions. Which of these do you draw from in your playing – and why?

For me Africa is the most important influence. All variations of African drumming still inspire me to this day.

The modern drum set is a North American invention and their musical history.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a drummer / percussionist? Which practices, exercises, or experiences were most helpful in reaching your goals?

For me most important thing was always playing together with other people. Technical drumming never interested me. The olympic aspect of drumming is the most boring!

My only goal is to make music together with other people, and hopefuly on a good level.

What do you think you're doing different than other drummers?

Ask the other drummers. :)

How do you experience the concepts of "groove," "swing," and "rhythmic feel" in music?

That’s a tough question. Groove is most important, and that also includes swing.

Listening to the drummers of James Brown in the 60s and 70s is the ultimate lesson in groove to me. The interaction between drummer, bass and guitar is just mind-blowing … and these guys also had the swing, like early rock n roll drummers, and then the classic pioneers of rock drumming.



The rhythmic feel is all the micro notes that make the difference. As I am not a native English speaking person, it's really hard to answer this question …
 
How do time signatures and tempo affect our perception of rhythm?

There are tempos where I feel more comfortable, also some time signatures where I feel more at home than others.

I always really admired the way Jaki Liebezeit was playing odd time signatures and made them sound not odd at all. He managed to play every beat like it was light and danceable …

Seeing a Western/German audience dance to “One More Night” is fascinating … its' a 7/8 signature, played so light and swingy. :)



What is the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? How do non-percussion instruments contribute to the overall rhythmic texture of a piece?

The most important thing is that everybody on stage is a drummer, too.

Again, I have to mention James Brown's musicians. They all played from a drummer's point of view. I like that.

Different drums have a distinct sound and drums and percussion are also timbral instruments. What drum sound are you aiming for and how are you making use of the timbral potentials and possibilities of your instruments?

I like big, open, and well tuned drum sounds, like in an orchestra. On the other hand totally muffled and dry drum sounds can sound perfect in the right musical context.

I just recorded an album for Berlin based singer Joanna Gemma Auguri, where I was able to play really tuned drums. This meant I could play melodically, and on two track just a very dry, controlled sound, nearly with no tone.

In relation to drumming, Stewart Copeland said: “Listening is where the cool stuff comes from. And that listening thing, magically, turns all of your chops into gold.” What do you listen for?

I always listen to Stewart Copeland, he always made interesting music, was and is a unique and fantastic drummer, and most of all he is great performer and storyteller. So much wisdom and humour.



He is the reason I wanted to become a drummer, by the way. Will always be thankful to Mr. Copeland!

Do you feel that honing your compositional / songwriting skills has an effect on your drumming skills?

No.

How has technology, such as drum machines and sequencers, impacted the way rhythm is created and perceived? Has it been a concrete influence on your own approach?

In the beginning of the early drum machines they killed some drummers' careers. Then came samplers, which killed even more drummers' careers. After that, drummers started to be creative and were playing together with loops, something I also do with AUTOMAT.

Playing with loops and sequencers has made a lot of drummers much better players concerning the timing. But there is always the danger of becoming too stiff when playing to clicks, loops or sequences.

My goal is simply to let the acoustic drums breathe when playing with General Click.

Physical strain is a particularly serious issue for many drummers. How does it manifest itself, how do you deal with it and in how far does it affect your creativity?

As a drummer, you need a certain strength and stamina. Playing two hour shows with a hardworking live rock band is extremely taking energy.

Every drummers is dealing differently with that. Some go the gym, some just try to have a healthy lifestyle, and some take their energy from drugs and booze. I try to live as healthy as possible …  

Many recording engineers have remarked that the drums can be particularly hard to capture. What, from your perspective, makes drums sound great on record and in a live setting?

I think when you know how to play drums, tune the drums and listen to other musicians not much can go wrong.

One of the big problems is always the cymbal bashing, which can ruin a song completely. Live you can go wild a bit easier, but in the studio you should be able to have control over the stuff you’re doing.

Which means controlling your testosterone output. :)

Drums and percussion are remarkably often used for physical therapy / healing. What, from your point of view, makes them particularly suitable tools for this?

Drumming is a language, drumming also has a highly healing effect. And drumming can be so much fun, especially drumming with other people.

And I do not mean on a professional level, but just the experience and joy of playing!

I've been fascinated by pure drum / percussion  recordings and even drum solos for a long time. Do you have some recommendations in this direction?

When it comes to drum solos, I prefer the great jazz cats from the 40s to 70s. There is the elegant soloing by Max Roach, the fierce drumming of Art Blakey or Elvin Jones, and the pure energy and genius of a Tony Williams.



Rock solos never really interested me, but there is so much great stuff out there to listen to.

I rather enjoy listening to people like Steve Jordan, Jim Keltner … there are so many great players on this planet!