Name: Sebastian Birkl aka DOT
Nationality: German
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current Release: The new DOT album Tales from Erygow, featuring Matthias Lindermayr, is out via Anette.
Recommendations: I would like to mention two works that have strongly influenced me in my work on my current album. An album and a novel:
Bastien Keb - The Killing Of Eugene Peeps
Kim Stanley Robinson - The Ministry Of The Future

[Read our Matthias Lindermayr interview]

If you enjoyed this DOT interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage.  
 


Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

Even though other artists from other genres always have a formative influence on my work, I like to be influenced by other areas of art and culture outside of music. Film and literature have always played a significant role. With the current project, of course, even more so than before.

The global climate policy situation has also been a real driving factor in the creative process of the latest album Tales from Erygow, no question. Especially when writing the story, the lyrics. Thematically, the work revolves around the climate catastrophe and paints a picture of a future that  that we might want to avoid.

But the idea of using a concept album to tell a story is of course not mine, this influence came from other artists.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

I used to just start working on pieces and then see what comes out at the end, what fits together. This often resulted in a self-influencing process, which also worked. But when I began to deal with a concept album, I had to change my approach.

When I started, I had a kind of foggy vision of the project in front of my eyes. Of course, this vision is constantly changing throughout the creative process and that's a good thing. But I needed to have an idea of what I wanted to achieve. And in the end, you come out of that foggy forest and hope to find what you were looking for. I think of it as: yes, chance plays a role, but you can still keep the rudder in your hand.

For me, the element of chance lies more in the elaboration of the details. The whole album is sprinkled with little bits and pieces and hints, musically, but even more so in the lyrics. And for me, these details usually only emerge when “the big idea” was already there. After a large part of the production has been completed.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

When it comes to a topic, I like to do some research. For example certain aspects on climate science that went into the lyrics on my record (eg “Memories of a fighter”).



And sometimes you just need to practise something or get to know a technique. But I don't really make any specific preparations. Being able to take my time is my preparation, I think.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I like working in the morning. So a balanced, not too late start to the day helps. And then it's often just work. And time.

There is this romanticized idea of creative genius artists who create a masterpiece at night out of pure intuition over 3 bottles of wine, working non-stop until the early hours of the morning. I think that's a myth. At least it doesn't work for me, haha.

What do you start with? And, to quote a question by the great Bruce Duffie: When you come up with a musical idea, have you created the idea or have you discovered the idea?

The beginning is often banal, a melody, a few harmonies or samples. Sometimes a song that influences me and makes me want to do something similar, even if unconsciously.

Hmm. Originality. That's the big question. Is there true originality? Or is it often a reference? I find that enormously exciting, it's basically a philosophical question. Ultimately, everything refers back to something that already exists.

But maybe that also has something to do with the fact that I also work as a sampling artist, that could well be the case.
 
Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

Oh no, I'm a control freak. Very bad. I like to keep an overview and don't like to just drift along.

But with songs like "Venusian Winds" or "Sister Sister", I had to give up the wheel. Or rather: I was allowed to. Matthias Lindermayr contributed his detailed, airy trumpet playing to my production in a fantastic way, I let myself be completely surprised and the result is simply wonderful. So it also works like this.



Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Like I said before, I like to keep the wheel in my hands. But when new paths open up, whether technically, musically or in terms of content, I'm happy to go along with them. I always find that interesting during the creative phase.

Sometimes you have to turn around, take three steps back and then start all over again. If it was nothing, then get rid of it, just try not to brood over it for too long. It can be sometimes frustrating because you can spend a long time working on something that turns out to be not so great after all. And that's fine.

I just don't want to lose the overview, when discovering new paths.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

I'm sure that everything you experience has an influence on the creative process and therefore on the creative state you are in. Your upbringing, your social and societal circumstances, friends, family, everyday experiences, politics, culture, a ride on the subway, a movie, the bullying in elementary school or the affection a pet shows you.

But I don't see creativity as something spiritual. I like to think that it also has a lot to do with dedication and the will to work. Even if that sounds very disenchanting, it does level the playing field.

But there is of course a state in which everything around you becomes blurred. A kind of tunnel vision. The focus narrows, becomes more precise. Focused on creating. That can be good, but it can also be a hindrance.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

Oh, that's very important to me. And of course it prolongs the process until something is finished. But for me, there's nothing worse than looking back on something later and thinking, if only I'd taken a little more time.

How much detailed work is then ultimately done on a song varies greatly. It's usually small aspects in the area of mixing or adding an instrumental part here or there that make a big difference, in my opinion.

When you're in the studio to record a piece, how important is the actual performance and the moment of performing the song still in an age where so much can be “done and fixed in post?“

As I work a lot with layering, the moments of performance are limited to a few. In general, however, I consider the moment and the type of recording to be essential; anything that is bad here will be difficult to fix afterwards.

What feels good when you record it doesn't always have to be the right take, but it's a good indicator if the feeling is right.

Even recording a solo song is usually a collaborative process. Tell me about the importance of trust between the participants, personal relationships between musicians and engineers and the freedom to perform and try things – rather than gear, technique or “chops” - for creating a great song.

I think that trust plays a big role.

Of course it helps if you know that you're working with a professional artist. And hope that he or she perceives it the same way in return. But interpersonal tones have to be right.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (performance)?

In my perception, this is essential. I come from a sound engineering background myself, so unfortunately I have a habit of immediately listening to the balance of a mix. That can also be a real curse. Everything doesn't always have to be glossy or super clean, by no means. But for me, a song has to be coherent in the mix.

There are cases where the arrangement follows the composition. For example, the fourth track on the record called "Big Water All Done". Here the composition of the theme was decisive for the arrangement and the instrumentation. But of course it also works the other way around.



After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

Yes, I know that very well. Personally, I always have some reservations about this phase after a release. It's easy to fall into a kind of hole. It's logical, you work on something forever, you're excited, then there's a release and it's all over.

Playing the music live helps me a lot and over time there will be room for new things.

Music is a language, but like any language, it can lead to misunderstandings. In which way has your own work – or perhaps the work of artists you like or admire - been misunderstood? How do you deal with this?

The perception of music is something so subjective that I find it really difficult to answer this question. I must have heard thousands of songs in a different way and might have interpreted them different than the artist intended.

I think we always misunderstand art in a certain way. The basic idea of the artist, if there is one, will always be slightly different from what we perceive. I’m fine with that.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I believe that there can be just as much creativity in making a wonderful cup of coffee or preparing an interesting dish. I think we give many everyday activities too little magic than they deserve.

I am passionate about cooking, for example, and the process of cooking gives me just as much as working on a piece of music. The creativity can be at a similar level. It's really only about the level of dedication.