Part 2
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”?
Well, even silence has a sound, the sound of silence. I spend a lot of time in meditation, and when you discover the silence within yourself, your environment can transform into a musical experience.
The edge of a forest in summer becomes a whole orchestra, and a stream can turn into a wonderful piano concert, accompanied by birds as flutes and insects as accompanying strings. The night in a dark forest can become a threatening, almost unbearable symphonic sound experience. Music always ignites an emotion in us, which we like to listen to, or which can also be perceived as disturbing or threatening.
The same goes for nature. Who doesn't enjoy sitting by the roaring sea, listening to the sound of the waves and the whistling of the wind? Here pops up my experience listening to the Zadar Sea Organ in Croatia a couple of times. The music of nature is something majestic to me.
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?
This is a very complex question in my opinion. Sound waves move tiny particles in the air, which react with our ears, the eardrum, and transmit information as action potentials to our brain to be processed. Acoustics, harmony, volume, the sound system, the environment, and especially the situation I'm in all play a significant role.
When I visit a contemporary art exhibition with a sound and light installation that aims to evoke a particular experience, any type of sound, whether short, deep, high, or long, can be very impressive. The music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Moondog or Steve Reich are extremes that have often inspired me incredibly.
The diversity and complexity of their music are extremely impressive and pioneering. Alva Noto's music is also very important to me, and a concert of his at Berghain many years ago opened up new horizons for me.
[Read our Alva Noto interview]
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?
Oh yes, I can. My release MSK08 – Knef 12” EP, which I released anonymously like all the MSK01- MSK10, 12” EPs, was at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clubs were closed, gathering and listening to music in groups were temporarily forbidden, and there was no end in sight. However, I was determined to release records and share my music during this time. So, I decided that I wanted to bring the feeling of the club, the dance floor feeling, into people's living rooms.
A 12" EP with six tracks that tells a story of a club experience, a night of dancing, with all that it entails. From ups and downs, warm-up, deepness, ecstasy, euphoria, after-hours, to chillout. 😊
Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?
Experiments, yes, I love experimenting to create a specific harmony, a certain sound, and then building upon it.
Often, I also leave much to chance during the production process. Strange things sometimes happen in the studio. Synths or Sampler take on a life of their own and create something I didn't play or program, but it elevates the entire piece to a new level, opening up a new space.
Is that scientific knowledge? If it is, I use it; if not, I don't.
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?
Thank you for this question; it's almost a philosophical one. Whether we can learn life lessons through a deeper understanding of music, I don't believe so. Perhaps through the ability to listen correctly.
However, I believe that music can help us endure or process experiences we have in life more easily. Moments can become more intense through certain music. Film music is the best example. Dance music is also an excellent example. Deliberately stepping onto the dance floor and letting go, surrendering to the sound, is something wonderful.
This quality can be transferred to everyday life. I live a very conscious life and constantly remind myself of what moves me in life, what propels me forward, and what seems to hold me back. I try to hold onto as few things, emotions, or people as possible, so I am open to the love and magic happening around me and allow it to flow through me. I discovered my love for music in early childhood, and that love has never left me, even though I often doubted it or wanted to quit.
These experiences can certainly be transferred and learned in everyday life. Music gives me a lot of strength, whether as a listener, dancer, musician, producer, or DJ. It was, is, and will always be a significant part of my life.
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 cup of coffee is a beautiful metaphor. Here, I would like to draw reference to the Japanese tea ceremony. Preparing a cup of tea is something very special in this ceremony. Every movement is deliberate and follows a rule, a rhythm. Each object has its place, and every action occurs at a specific time.
In a way, this is also meditation. The art of meditation is to transpose it into daily life. For me, playing my music live or a DJ Set playing my favorite vinyls is somewhat the same. Added to this are, of course, experiences and everyday life.
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?
Oh yes, there are several. One of them is Steve Roach – "Structures of Silence."
When I listen to it with my eyes closed, especially after meditation, I leave the planet and fly through space and time, light and darkness accompanied by music.
If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?
Currently, what I wish for in electronic dance music is that it finds its way back to the listener with a bit more deepness, atmosphere, and awareness of the music.
I have nothing against social media presence and performance, but when the music itself fades so far into the background that everything else becomes more important than the sound itself, it makes me very sad.
