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Part 2

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece or album that's particularly dear to you, please? Where did the ideas come from, how were they transformed in your mind, what did you start with and how do you refine these beginnings into the finished work of art?

For example, regarding my album Liber Novus I took inspiration from the great psychoanalyst, Carl Gustav Jung. The composition methodology and general approach evokes an imaginative and visionary venture in a waking state, exactly like Jung’s "Liber Novus".

During my fantasy travel, I explored different musical directions and emotional phases, trying to alternate more dark and deep sounds with something straight, heavy and hypnotic. This inspirational chain reaction has helped me also in finding suitable names for the tracks of the album, so that the whole concept can run under a single central narrative.

There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter into this state more easily?

We know that our brain, by receiving and decoding positive information and perceptions, can influence our mood, our endocrine system and even our immune system. For me, good contrasts in music, art & literature or meditation are some effective distractions and essentials for my ideal state of mind.

But having a sedentary job, I have to also consider physical activity, in order to offset the effects of sitting all day. I am lucky enough to live in a peaceful village of a wonderful region, home of Germany's highest mountains and I love having endless possibilities to go for short or long excursions by bike or by foot.

How is playing live and writing music in the studio connected? What do you achieve and draw from each experience personally? How do you see the relationship between improvisation and composition in this regard?

People say, composers don’t create something out of nothing and I fully agree with that. There is always a connection between inspiration and life experiences, both from the past as well as from the present.

Also my gigs and travels always provide me with a great source of inspiration. So, once I am back in the studio, just because composition is a process that you cannot schedule in advance, the real skill is being quick enough to accurately transcribe what I have “heard” in my head, translating it into notes, sounds or concepts and using all the available resources at hand.

In other words, improvising...

How do you see the relationship between the 'sound' aspects of music and the 'composition' aspects? How do you work with sound and timbre to meet certain production ideas and in which way can certain sounds already take on compositional qualities?

To me personally, both aspects are equally important. Regarding sounds and timbres, I love experimenting with all types of instruments and effects in order to emphasise the dramaturgy or the thrust of a part of the track and with much attention to detail.

I am aware of the fact that this could be a dangerous double-edged sword. Most A&R Managers usually prefer standard productions, rather than too sophisticated music, if you know what I mean.

Before the digital age you couldn't start your own label without a significant investment but this was a good deterrent against time-wasters and 'impromptu label managers', because they were scared to take financial risks or they simply didn't have enough money to press vinyls and CDs. But now, with a ridiculous budgetary amount, almost everyone is able to start a label, without taking risks. On the other hand, they also usually don't have the competencies needed for that job. Many label managers are inexperienced and, consequently, not inclined to think differently or to dare musical experiments.

Over the last years, this caused a counter-productive uniformity of many productions, in almost all electronic music genres. For this reason compositions and productions which go against the current are not necessarily advantages.

Our sense of hearing shares intriguing connections to other senses. From your experience, what are some of the most inspiring overlaps between different senses - and what do they tell us about the way our senses work? What happens to sound at its outermost borders?

There is a true quote I read somewhere, which says “Appreciating what you have is what makes you happy”. I totally agree with that, because I am very glad and grateful, as professional musician, to have the opportunity to live my passion every day in my job and - since we know that every emotion has a vibrational frequency - this positive attitude provides me with the right vibes to begin my daily session.

But I don't only set up vibrations in my body, I also receive them from the music during the inspiration, the composition, the improvisation, in other words, through a bidirectional exchange of feelings. Sometimes the reception is much stronger than the transmission, for example, when I am working on a commissioned binaural beats track. In this case I am aware that this could induce a meditative state within a short duration.

Art can be a purpose in its own right, but it can also directly feed back into everyday life, take on a social and political role and lead to more engagement. Can you describe your approach to art and being an artist?

Art to me includes the need for creative self-expression and a way of giving myself meaning. It's the sublime process of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to my emotions. But it's also something extremely personal and intimate, which should never be underestimated and judged through an analysis of the character, social behaviour and political orientation of those who created the work.

I mean, it should be completely irrelevant if an artist is vegan, a dropout, an introvert, an arrogant, a narcissist or a self-righteous egomaniac as long as they are true to their vision, true to themselves and as long their work possesses essential beauty, essential meaning or essential style.

Unfortunately, you read way too often next to the artist's name additions like “the Jewish painter”, “the  Muslim photographer” or “the Anarchist writer”. This is what I call political exploitation of art. In my opinion, religious or political affiliations or correlations have no business here! These are no added values for an artist, but instead a subliminal and deviant influence for the audience in the perception and assessment of their work. The same goes for when the artists themselves decide to participate in any kind of engagement activities, representing organisations. They should know that their activity will influence, more or less, the subjectivity of the audience in the perception and assessment of their work.

I hope that in a world where corporations, governments and organised religions spend trillions of dollars to define our political, social and moral behaviour, art & artists will always remain strictly neutral and completely intact, inside out. Comparable to a vacuum, not contaminable by any kind of influence, political interest and strategy.

It is remarkable, in a way, that we have arrived in the 21st century with the basic concept of music still intact. Do you have a vision of music, an idea of what music could be beyond its current form?

No, I don't have any idea, because I don't know what happens beyond the short term. But also in this matter I hope that the basic concept of music remains intact forever, despite all the new technology and new communication systems. This would be the victory of empathy and sensibility against a system increasingly driven by selfishness and greed. Ultimately, Good will hopefully triumph over Evil.

But one thing is clear: I have an animus against transhumanism!


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