Name: Andi Pupato
Nationality: Swiss
Occupation: Composer, drummer, percussionist, improviser
Current release: Andi Pupato is part of Mata Atlântica, a multiheaded ensemble inspired by Mathias Derer, led by Markus Reuter and featuring, among others, Tobias Reber, Gary Husband, Luca Calabrese, and Pat Mastelotto. Their debut album, Retiro e Ritmo, a musical love letter to the beauty of nature, is out via iapetus.

[Read our Markus Reuter interview]
[Read our Tobias Reber interview]

If you enjoyed this interview with Andi Pupato and would like to know more about his work, visit his official website. He is also on twitter.

Over the course of his career, Andy Pupato has worked, collaborated and recorded with a wide rangee of artists, including Colin Edwin, Nik Bärtsch, and Robert Jürjendal.

[Read our Colin Edwin inteview]
[Read our Nik Bärtsch interview]
[Read our Robert Jürjendal interview]



For many artists, a solitary phase of creative development precedes collaborative work. What was this like for you: How would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your first collaborations?

Making music has always been collaborative for me. The magic that happens when musicians get together and create has always been a driving force and has kept surprising and pushing me since the beginning.

In a live performance, where you might need a band to create the sound you imagine or perform a specific composition, the unified energies and ideas can become extraordinary. Being part of this process and interaction is the most fulfilling aspect of music-making and a constant learning experience for me.

The continuous exchange with other musicians or producers in countless situations has improved my craft, all the good or bad notes or mistakes you play at a gig or rehearsals or things you hear on your recordings that can be improved. All that shapes you and your sound.

Also, I love trying out stuff, and sometimes, this was exactly what was needed in a collaboration. Decent skills and a creative, open mind were essential to open the doors to many fantastic collaborations.

Tell me a bit about your current instruments and tools, please. In which way do they support creative exchange and collaborations with others? Are there obstacles and what are potential solutions towards making collaborations easier?

As a multi-percussionist from Switzerland, I'm constantly searching for new sounds and percussion instruments, so my collection has grown over the years. Also, I try to invent my own instruments when I imagine a specific sound, but I don't know any existing instrument to achieve it.

I have a recording and experimenting place where I have all my instruments right at hand, depending on the project I work with any major DAW.

Technology has advanced so well that your collaboration possibilities are at your fingertips. Probably your worst enemy, but sometimes also your best friend to be creative are deadlines.

What were some of your earliest collaborations? How do you look back on them with hindsight?

In the early days, it was like daydreaming. The most fantastic things could happen, and it was like breathing air or child's play. Later you become more aware of the significance of what is happening, and you begin estimating its magnitude.

Looking back is always nice, especially when a collaboration brings new friends. I often remember not just the music but all the funny things that happened on the road or during a studio session, all of which will stay in my memory.

Besides the aforementioned early collaborations, can you talk about one particular collaboration that was important for you? Why did it feel special to you? When, why and how did you start working on it, what were some of the motivations and ideas behind it?

Recently I had the opportunity to collaborate on the fascinating project of "Mata Atlântica" with many incredible musicians involved. To make music together was an authentic next-dimension experience.

The music, arranged and produced by Markus Reuter, contained so many interesting aspects, like generative electronics and highly skilled musicians, that it was both creatively demanding and satisfying.

But what finally touched me most was the idea or purpose of the projects to protect nature and biodiversity. So, as a collaborator, you can become part of something much bigger that can communicate your ideas or concerns much better than you could.

What are some of the things you learned from your collaborations over the years?

It can be demanding at first, but diving deeper can be very rewarding, and it is truly fulfilling to sometimes go the extra mile. Tasks that might sound easy at first can get really deep when they get their proper dedication or attention.

Over the years, I performed in many collaborations, but those stood out where there was profound work and my heart and soul were genuinely involved.

How do you feel your sense of identity influences your collaborations? Do you feel as though you are able to express yourself more fully in solo mode or, conversely, through the interaction with other musicians? Are you “gaining” or “sacrificing” something in a collaboration?

You're constantly gaining. Even if your part is not that prominent, which does not make it less valuable. Of course, you can have complete freedom in solo mode, but that can bring other problems or responsibilities.

I enjoy performing with others. Many of my instruments sound better when combined with others. In some collaborations, we work with a live-looper to get an even bigger sound by combining more instruments.

There are many potential models for collaboration, from live performances and jamming via producing in the same room together up to file sharing. Which of these do you prefer – and why?  

In a live performance, you experience the magic of the moment, which is always unique. The audience interacts and cheers; even their hearts can synchronize while listening.

On the other hand, in a production environment, you get way more options to shape your sound, and the possibility of sharing your work over the whole planet is just incredible. It opens doors to fantastic opportunities. I spent countless joyful hours in various recording studios and my own recording room via file sharing, performing with amazing artists.

Still, a good balance of studio and live performance is preferred, as each model benefits from the other.

Is there typically a planning phase for your collaborations? If so, what happens in this phase and how does it contribute to the results?

This totally depends on the nature of the project.

Recently some work for a game soundtrack required quite some effort in learning the score, finding certain specific instruments, and finding the right location for recording. All this makes a big difference in the final work contributed.

What tend to be the best collaborations in your opinion – those with artists you have a lot in common with or those where you have more differences? What happens when another musician takes you outside of your comfort zone?

Of course, it's best when you have a lot in common. But I really enjoy being challenged. As a non-specific genre player, I'm actually constantly challenged in some way. Being out of my comfort zone gives me plenty of new things to learn and discover.

In a recent collaboration, "Fractal Sextet", the composer and guitar player Stephan Thelen had specific ideas about the percussion parts based on math. As a player, you can't rely anymore on particular patterns that usually work. The rhythmic grid becomes an equation that must be solved to be able to play it, all while grooving with those exceptional musicians.

[Read our Stephan Thelen interview]



Do you need to have a good relationship with your collaborator? Or can there be a benefit to working with someone you may not get along with on a personal level?

It definitely helps to have a good relationship. The more intense a collaboration gets, the more essential it becomes to have a good connection.

It's also very nice to hang out with your collaborators outside of a project and just eat, drink or spend time together. Apart from being fun, this can give space for new ideas. Friendship truly inspires.

Some artists feel as though the creative process should not be a democratic one. What are your thoughts on the interaction with other musicians, the need for compromise and the decision making process?  

To finalize something, somebody has to make some decisions at some point. Too many opinions can distract or distort the envisioned. I have sometimes pushed too hard for something personal, which can be destructive even when made with the best intentions.

To have somebody conducting the democratic process can be necessary and is to be endorsed. Enabling highly creative and open interactions between other musicians without restriction is a great gift. Unleashed creativity can appear chaotic initially but can be an infinite source of new ideas.

I learned that compromising leads to something outstanding, resulting in various opinions or ideas condensed into one.

What's your take on cross-over collaborations between different genres?

I really like that. I never felt comfortable in just one genre, so the cross-over aspect is part of my DNA. Any genre can be a universe of ideas, and to be able to interchange those is fascinating.

The genre borders are sometimes unclear anyway, and inspiration can come from somewhere you might not have thought of at first.

In a live situation, decisions between creatives often work without words. How does this process work – and how does it change your performance compared to a solo performance?

One almost magical experience over the years is that with some musicians, there is perfect communication without any signs, words, or looks. You're just synced. While with others, it's vital to perform together, having signals or cues. That is also fine.

In a solo performance, this communication starts growing more towards more awareness towards the listener, which can be intimidating at first but is a lovely experience that can push you to new levels.

There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you as part of a collaboration? In which way is it different between your solo work and collaborations?

I like diving deep into other artists' musical ideas and finding connection points to contribute to their vision and evolve my ideas. I often get overwhelmed with too many possibilities when starting my own stuff.

Collaborating with one's heroes can be a thrill or a cause for panic. Do you have any practical experience with this and what was it like?

The few heroes or musical geniuses I was lucky to work with amazed me at how relaxed they approached the creative process while being totally focused and that there was not even a tiny spark of showing superiority. So this made the situation really beneficial for everybody involved.

I'm deeply thankful for everything I learned from working with these great artists. It's a never-ending source of inspiration.