Name: Chris Bartels aka Blurstem

Nationality: American
Occupation: Sound artist, composer, producer
Current event: Blurstem teams up with Andrew Tasselmyer for Duets, mastered by Ian Hawgood, and out now via Fluid Audio / Facture.

[Read our Andrew Tasselmyer interview]
[Read our Ian Hawgood interview]

If you enjoyed this interview with Blurstem and would like to stay up to date, visit Chris Bartels's official website which offers an overview of his different projects. He is also on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud.



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?

Maybe I’m being a bit romantic about it, but I would say that impulse is simply a part of me. It’s “in me.” It’s how I’m wired. Put another way: I can’t not make music. Ever since I started writing songs when I was 16 and learning how to record (badly, at first), that’s been the case.

I would say a lot of non-music sources bring inspiration to my music, be it personal relationships of mine, or writing through the lens of someone else’s situation, or even through a film or story’s character.

Dreams, memories with family or friends, and seasons of life in general - these are all potential sources of inspiration, and work their way, either consciously or subconsciously, into the music.

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?

It’s definitely a balance for me I’d say. Other than initial inspiration, I don’t plan ahead too concretely or fully.

I like to embrace the chance side of things once I’m creating and writing in the studio. I rely on chance heavily when it comes to the actual hitting of notes, turning of synth knobs, dialing in of a sampler or plugin.

That’s where the fun is for me, and sometimes, the magic.

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'?

I wouldn’t say I necessarily have preparation methods for specific songs. Going back to the planning vs. chance balance, I lean more heavily on chance during the actual writing.

That being said, the prep is in the bones, or the foundation, of my studio setup. That is, practicing instruments, education of gear or styles, or in setting up the studio for optimal workflow with DAW software templates, having synths and plugins already wired into a patchbay so they’re ready to go when I want to use them - that sort of thing.

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 don’t have any hard and fast rules in this regard, but I do sometimes implement some of these things. I have my morning coffee and try to read for awhile, then write for most of the morning, and in the afternoon I often focus more on emails, admin work - that type of thing. It’s definitely not always like that - I have to be flexible depending on schedules - but that’s a general overview.

So yes, I love coffee, and a writing session with coffee is always a welcome combination for me. Getting out of my studio environment is a good thing for me from time to time, as well - working on something in a limited capacity at a coffeeshop, or even outside, can help me often to bring in a different creative feel.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

My first notes or ideas for a song are often the most inspiring, and in some ways, the easiest part of the process for me. Often listening to other artists’ song or album will spark something in me, and inspire my own initial exploration.

The laying down of initial ideas can happen fast - one idea leads to another - one layer to another. It’s the middle portion of writing a track that can be more difficult for me - the more specific editing decisions, or the latter half of development - getting it to a place that is close to the finish line.

Sometimes it helps me to do a sort of “reset” then - letting the song sit for awhile (sometimes even years!), then coming back to it with fresh ears and inspiration.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?

I wish I could articulate this better, but I’m not quite sure actually.

I think after years and years of writing and producing songs, I’ve developed enough creative muscles where I usually just keep coming up with things to try. Sometimes the ideas work out, other times not, but I rarely run out of ideas to experiment with when it comes to adding layers to a song.

My problem is more so making creative decisions after I’ve added too many layers - cutting things back, or knowing when to stop. But I do think giving songs time to rest, and coming back to them later on, can help in this regard.

There will be times when I’ve hit a wall on writing or arranging or producing a track, and I simply have to move on from it. Then, maybe several days or weeks later, reopening that session will give me a fresh source of inspiration.

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 over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

Definitely the latter. I don’t like keeping strict control over anything when I’m writing.

Undoubtedly, there are certain limits that I’m placing on a track, probably often accidentally even, but in general, it goes back to that embracing of chance.

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?

Yes, all the time. I won’t make any arguments as to whether it’s the best way to deal with it or not, because no doubt it depends on the creator and their own path, but for me, I’ve naturally morphed tracks into new, separate artist projects, or monikers, over the years.

For example, Blurstem started out as simply a piano-centric project, whereas Elskavon was more my ambient-cinematic project. New Elskavon material is now more rhythmic and electronic than before, and Blurstem has, in a way, expanded the writing style to adopt the more ambient side of things.



And I also write tracks that are more in the vocal-indie realm, and to me, I never felt these could all be under one name or moniker - it was more fitting for each style to have its own project name. I try not to spread myself too thin, but at a certain point, I kind of stopped fighting that, and let things organically happen.

Besides, I made a choice to stop worrying about it, because what good would that do? I’m having fun writing all sorts of stuff, so why not.

A lot of song ideas never get fully fleshed out, too - there’s plenty of half-written songs collecting digital dust on my hard drive. But I don’t see that as a waste - if you’re writing, you’re writing. You’re growing and learning things, and you can enjoy the journey, regardless of whether it’s ever released or not.

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 not entirely sure I can describe it. To me, it can be so many different things.

One day, everything is flowing and it’s exciting, and I’d describe it as magic, or the flow state, or life-giving. The next day, it might be simply hard, tough work. Blood, sweat, and tears. In the end, I believe all of the above are a necessary part of the journey of creating something worthwhile. It can be frustrating, tiring work. And it can be incredible, inspiring, exciting at the same time.

Yes, there’s certainly an element of spirituality to it all for me. It goes back to how I believe I’m wired - the music is in me. I believe I was created to create. And in a sense, I believe we were all created to create. Obviously not all create music, or a form of art, necessarily - but in a broader sense - whatever makes us come alive - there’s a specific creative wiring in all of us.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

Great question. Sometimes it’s a mystery to me, and I have to simply call it at a certain point. I’m better at reaching a finish line on some projects than others.

Writing ambient music is often freeing, in this sense, for me, maybe because of the high level of creative and song form fluidity.

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?

I have grown in this over the years I think. Once I feel a mix is finished, or close, I often like to take a long walk and listen through the album in full, at least once. Sometimes while driving, as well.

Getting the songs out of the studio, into a different environment, in particular while walking, really opens up my creative and critiquing mind. It helps to give me a different perspective on the songs. I’ll take any mixing or editing notes then, and head back to the studio eventually for final edits. Other than that, I actually like to move on fairly quickly. At least creatively.

The finishing phase of a song is often quite different than the initial inspiration writing phase. And while finishing something is satisfying, and of course important, it’s that initial writing phase that is always exciting to get back to for me.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

These things have always been married to each other for me. It’s just how I work. Songwriting and mixing happen at the same time for me, at least to a certain degree - it all happens together. In a sense, production is writing to me.

Mastering is the final step, and sometimes I’ll even do this myself, but more often than not, I’ll send mixes off for someone else to master. Bringing in another producer’s creative taste, and flavor, to an album is always nice. It simply depends on the project, and collaboration.

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 can certainly relate.

One thing that has helped me in this area is collaboration with other artists. Co-writing songs together - even remotely - like Andrew and I did on this album, Duets. Having a team, in that sense, is not only fun and of course brings a unique element to the songs, but you also get to experience the creative highs together. You’re not alone in the emotional ups and downs of creating.

But regardless of collaborative or solo creative endeavors, I’ve learned to do my best in enjoying and valuing the journey of creating more than the destination, or results (or lack thereof) of it. That is way easier said than done - it’s a never-ending battle - but I have grown in it. And simply being aware of that, and reminding myself of it, can help. That mindset, and emotional roller coaster ride, is a journey in and of itself. I don’t know any creatives who do not ride this roller coaster.

As far as returning to the state of creativity, I either jump right back in, be it a similar style or a completely different style, or I take a break: a vacation once in awhile is good, or working on other things besides making music for a time, and then coming back to it when the time is right, and I’m rested.

The saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” can apply to more than just relationships. I believe it can apply to the love of creating, also.

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 definitely think non-music tasks can implement my creative input. I’ve started to really enjoy cooking the past couple years, so that’s an area where I may be bringing some of that creativity (and just like my songs - some of that ends up really good, and some of it… not so much!).

Writing out the stories and inspiration behind releases is also a creative endeavor I’ve learned to enjoy, as has graphic design to a degree. But all that being said, music is a different creative world, or level, for me. Nothing quite comes close in that regard. It’s always been that way, and I imagine it always will.