Name: Arnold Kasar
Nationality: German
Occupation: Producer, DJ, sound engineer, pianist, composer
Current release: Arnold Kasar's new album Spring Songs is out via curious.
Recommendations on the topic of sound: First of all, you need to stop scrolling endlessly through social media and start visiting websites like this one. That's a very good start. Good music journalism isn't free.
Buy magazines, take out subscriptions. Buy vinyl or CDs directly from the musicians. Instead of spending a lot of money on one big stadium event, go to five smaller concerts for the same amount of money. Support musicians directly on Patreon or Substack instead of consuming snippets on YouTube in a constant stream, circulated by AI.
These are the first steps, but I guarantee that the rest—an awareness of good sound and ultimately good taste—will come naturally.

If you enjoyed this Arnold Kasar interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, and Facebook.

For a deeper dive, read about the thoughts of one his collaborators in our Hans-Joachim Roedelius interview, and our conversations with Roedelius about about Ego as an Energy and doing IT, and collaboration.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

I listen with my eyes open, but my gaze is directed inward. I also enjoy moving to the music.

How do listening with headphones and listening through a stereo system change your experience of sound and music?

I like lying down with headphones on. And it's OK if I nod off briefly while listening to music.

By the way, I only use wired headphones.

Tell me about some of the albums or artists that you love specifically for their sound, please.

These albums have surrounded me with beautiful sounds lately:

Loscil - Umbel.



A dark, warm, cozy sound chapel

Ann Annie - El Prado.



It sounds like what it feels like to run barefoot across a crumbly flower meadow. It tickles so nicely.

Ms Gloom - Ballads For Da Bizness.



Crystal clear, frozen, brilliant. This can only be enjoyed with headphones or speakers with the appropriate deep bass performance.

[Read our Loscil interview]

Do you experience strong emotional responses towards certain sounds? If so, what kind of sounds are these and do you have an explanation about the reasons for these responses?

I find deep bass and piano with lots of reverb warm and pleasant.

And at the moment, I can't resist down-pitched guitar loops.

Are there everyday places, spaces, or devices which intrigue you by the way they sound? Which are these?

The stairwell to my apartment has a great echo, and I've also used a few underground parking garages nearby as echo chambers; you can hear them on my latest albums.

Have you ever been in spaces with extreme sonic characteristics, such as anechoic chambers or caves? What was the experience like?

I can't stay in anechoic rooms for long.

Unfortunately, I've been in rehearsal rooms and studios with exactly this concept, and it wasn't fun to work in.

What are among your favourite spaces to record and play your music?

Among them are several churches, including Christuskirche Bochum. The Elbphilharmonie was spectacular, of course.

I especially like the Silent Green Quartier in Berlin, which is the perfect venue for my music. I'll be playing there again soon and am already looking forward to it.

Do music and sound feel “material” to you? Does working with sound feel like you're sculpting or shaping something?

I really like using material terms to describe sound. My current favorite adjective is “glassy.”

How important is sound for our overall well-being and in how far do you feel the "acoustic health" of a society or environment is reflective of its overall health?

This is very important to me. I can't listen to music in the background and am very sensitive to noise. Uncontrolled noise and constant exposure to music also cause stress.

Our society is not yet aware of how stressful this is for them, so we are only just beginning to educate people and find solutions.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds?

The rustle of tree leaves in the wind is simply incomparable in its ability to calm me down.

Many animals communicate through sound. Based either on experience or intuition, do you feel as though interspecies communication is possible and important? Is there a creative element to it, would you say?  

Of course, I communicate with my cat Ella all the time.

Please don't think I'm crazy.

Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?

These are not work-related illnesses for me, but symptoms of stress, anxiety, and overload.

When they arise, you have to stay calm and face them as something natural. They will then be part of you for a short time and will go away again when you are ready to let go of the stress.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

I don't see it that way; we are letting more and more music, sounds, and images into our lives. It's hyperinflationary because we now have unlimited access to it and don't set any limits.

That's not healthy for me; I need periods of rest and regeneration because the rest of the time my sensitive antennas absorb so much of it.

Seth S. Horowitz called hearing the “universal sense” and emphasised that it was more precise and faster than any of our other senses, including vision. How would our world be different if we paid less attention to looks and listened more instead?

That's a beautiful description of active listening.

For me, music is the most intense art form because it doesn't need words, materials, or images. That's probably why it has such a powerful effect and makes me feel life and humanity much more intensely than other art forms.