Name: Markus Guentner
Occupation: Producer, composer, DJ
Nationality: German
Current release: Markus Guentner's Onda is out via Affin.
Recommendations: Neuromancer - one of the best book/stories I know.
Maurizio – "M7(b)" – the best piece, where the atmosphere, the feeling and situation about it tells brought into that kind of music.

If you enjoyed this Markus Guentner interview and would like to know more about  his music, visit his official website. He is also on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook.



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?

For me the “problem” is, that I’m a very “conscious listener”. So the answer is: open eyes!!!

It’s so rare that music catches me in a way to completely fall into. But if there is a song or track I really like, I can loose myself completely.

What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?

My first steps in making music were already very early with computer and software without knowing any music theory and the technical knowledge and understanding for it. And for me it was (and still is) the best way to make music. You are completely free without the “do’s and don’ts” about everything.

Of course you learn a lot over the years and years of making and you’re getting to “results” faster. But I really try to keep this “open mind” and experimenting around when I do music now.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music meant to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

That’s funny, because I wanted to get my first two turntables and mixer for my 13th birthday back then, and my parents gave them to me. I knew that this was the thing I want to do for the rest of my life - discovering music, working with music, making music. At this time, electronic music (in all facets: techno, house, ambient, electronica, etc.) but also indie / alternative, shoegaze, dreampop etc. was super important for me.

I kicked school when I was 16 because I already had a job as a resident DJ at the time. And the feeling about music never changed. It was my profession ‘til 2009. Around that time I realized that it’s just getting harder for to “serve” people with my gigs and music. So I decided to work as a graphic designer to pay my rent, food etc. and focus again on my love and passion for music.

Since then I’m completely free to create and play the music I want to because there is no pressure anymore.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

When I think about it, there was never a specific instrument or tool that shaped or changed my view on music. For me it was always interesting to try and play around with things. Also listening to new and other music to discover new and different approaches etc.

But ok, the most important tool for me is definitely the computer. No matter what kind of source you use (synth, instrument, field recordings, etc.) you can process and edit anything to bring that stuff to another level.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?

Absolutely no idea to be honest!!! The motivation is so hard to explain. For me it’s just my form of expression.

Making music is not about reaching fame and living a superstar-life. Of course it makes me happy when people like my music – especially in an emotional way. It’s great to know, when people listen to your music and find something in it that brings them into a special mood – whether if it’s the same mood I felt while making or not … Maybe that’s the motivation.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?

Exactly!!! For me it is never about being super “musical” or crazy “clever” in my music. It’s all about the atmosphere and feelings the music creates.

Music doesn’t have to be super complex and “new” all the time. When the mood is right, everything is fine.

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? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

For me, the sounds of my surrounding and the sounds of the whole environment are very important. Every single sound you hear starts somewhere, no matter how short, quiet etc. it is. It’s in your mind to translate it into something you like or not.

Everything follows nature somehow. Structures, rhythms, atmospheres and so on. So for me everything can be music. And nowadays you can process every single sound into a “proper” piece of music.

Listening to your environment can shape your hearing … it can make you aware of the things around you. It can be nice and calm, but also annoying and stressful. It can lead you into different moods – like music.

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?

That’s a good question and to be honest: absolutely no preference on anything.

You can catch me with the weirdest composition, but also with the “cheapest” pop-tune. It’s just about the feeling it creates inside of me. No more, not less.

From symphonies and traditional verse/chorus-songs to linear techno tracks and free jazz, there are myriads ways to structure a piece of music. Which approaches work best for you – and why?

It really depends on what you try to achieve. In pop-music there is the typical “grid” that works. People who like pop-music and “typical” songs rely on the structure of it. In techno it’s the stomping, hypnotic structure. In experimental music everything is allowed. And in ambient (or especially in my approach) I really don’t want to think in structures. Most of my tracks don’t even have a tempo or beat. It’s about the flow.

There is this funny story from a few years ago. An orchestra had the idea of playing my tracks for a concert. But they gave up after a short time because there was nothing in my tracks they could hold onto and make a clear composition out of it.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

That is super hard for me, because most of the time my music doesn’t start with a concrete idea. I just sit in front of my hardware / software and play around a bit. When there is something I really like, I’ll start to build things around that. And during that process the music writes itself somehow. It’s a very natural process.

Ideas are coming while doing it. And things changing a lot during that. Maybe the “first” sound I took isn’t even there anymore or is changing a lot because of all the other things that came by etc.. And sometimes it’s crazy for myself to see and realize how much sense everything makes even though I wasn't thinking about it.

Take my new album ONDA on Affin. In the beginning it was not meant to be an album. It came about after a period of time when I had taken a longer break from making music and just wanted to bring all the pent-up feelings into some music. And while composing and producing some tracks it was like: damn, that’s a whole story and that makes absolutely sense as “one piece”.

Sometimes, science and art converge in unexpected ways. Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?

Uhm, not really. Well, fun thing is that I often use scientific models as a “concept”, but never go for that while composing or producing or use it. It’s more like: how can I set this to music in a emotional way or (especially with the ASIP-Trilogy “Theia-Empire-Extropy”) bring the atmosphere of these scientific models and ideas to a sound.

But when I think about, I’m definitely more on the side of “theoretical science” than the “factual”.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

When I make music it’s always a direct reflection of my physical and emotional situation … and also inspiring things like listening to other music, concerts, art, etc. too. There is no “happy” music when I’m not happy … there is no dark or sad music when I’m not sad. That is the base.

On the other side, the music can bring me in emotional states while making it. But maybe that’s because there is something inside, that unconsciously comes up and needs to break free somehow.

Do you feel as though writing or performing 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?

The “mundane” tasks are always some kind of “automation” and sometimes thinking about “ingredients”, the amount of it etc ... In my music I can totally clear my mind and fall into it without thinking of anything but still being aware of what I’m doing.

In that position you can try and play around as much as you want. All the technical stuff (like mixing, EQ-ing, etc.) comes later.

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?

I can’t think of any to be honest. Not a specific one. I definitely avoid listening to stuff like this.

Of course there is a lot of music-stuff going on and I think: oh my god, why is this even out in public and (much more worse) successful (speaking objectively) … but I don’t need to understand everything.

If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

Sometimes I wish I’d have more experience in the technical way of doing music. Better mixing, better sounding, etc.. In the end I’m always happy with the result – it just takes a bit longer to do.

But what I really wish is that I never loose the lightness and “jauntiness” of doing music.