Name: Josi Miller
Nationality: German
Occupation: Songwriter, producer, DJ
Current release: Josi Miller's new album 4 stages of sleep is out via Groenland.
Recommendations for Berlin, Germany: I love record stores, especially the HHV Store in Friedrichshain.
Topic I am passionate about but rarely get to talk about: I like talking about aliens.

[Read our interview with Ronald Seibt of HHV about Anniversaries, Vinyl Culture and the Changing Faces of Hip Hop]

If you enjoyed this Josi Miller interview and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her on Instagram, 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?

To be honest, I'm inspired by almost everything that surrounds me. It can be little things like noises in the streets or a stone hitting the ice of a frozen lake.

But it was mostly my hyperrealistic dreams that were crucial to finding the sound of my debut album.

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?

Most of the time, I start with a sample or listen to a vinyl record that inspires me to sample something. I continue working on this basis and quickly develop a picture in my head of how it should sound.

I am a very impulsive musician and don't plan unless I have to.

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'?

If I have to spend too long preparing for a creative session, I quickly lose motivation. It's best when everything is already wired up and my favorite plugins are already set as presets in my DAW tracks.

Then I like to start with a synthesizer sound and work my way up to a demo version. I let this “rest” for at least one night and then continue working on it.

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?

First of all I'm a caffeine addict, so yes, that substance does play a role, especially when it comes to focus.

Sometimes I take a random book from the shelf, open it to a random page, and work with the first word I find.

In general, I love the concept of aleatoric music. I like to let chance decide how a song sounds.

For 4 stages of sleep, what did you start with? If there were conceptual considerations, what were they?

I started writing down my dreams. Then I analyzed what my subconscious was hiding from me when I was awake and began to produce with these emotions.

I also took a closer look at my sleep and the four stages of sleep. I then made these the focus of the album.

Tell me a bit about the way the new material developed and gradually took its final form, please.

I worked on my debut album for almost two years, and during that time my sound changed again.

There were songs that I had 27 versions of. Over time, I learned to trust my taste and to finish songs. I definitely work better when I have deadlines :)

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

I see my lyrics more as part of the song rather than the focus. I treat my voice as an instrument.

Lyrics that move me often have something simple about them that I can identify with. But I find those that surprise me and contain new word creations more exciting.

Because I am not a native speaker, I often stick to simple and intense images.

What are areas/themes/topics that you keep returning to in your lyrics?

I mostly write about things that affect me personally. I suffer from panic attacks, and since I know that many artists do too, I don't feel so alone.

That's why I address my mental health in my songs. I'm also not afraid to talk openly about my psychiatric medication.

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?

For me, it feels like meditation. All my focus is on the magic of making music, everything else fades away.

These are the rare moments when I’m completely in the here and now.

Music and the accompanying artwork are often closely related. Can you talk about this a little bit for your current project and the relationship that images and sounds have for you in general?

The artwork and imagery are very important to me. For me, art is almost always immersive, and I love combining different forms of it.

My friend painted the graphic with window color, and next to it is a portrait of my neighbourhood in Berlin, where I spent so many sleepless nights.

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?

I feel this emptiness inside me when I release something or come back from a tour. My feelings feel empty then. I allow myself to feel these emotions and practice gratitude for the privilege of being able to make music.

What helps me most is to arrange sessions with other artists and just keep going.