Name: Kitty Solaris
Nationality: German
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, producer
Recent release: Kitty Solaris's new album James Bond is out via Solaris Empire.  

If you enjoyed this Kitty Solaris interview and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, 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?

Sometimes, music creates pictures of beautiful places, for example an island, sunny beaches and the sea, that make me feel positive and relaxed.

I remember listening to a playlist on a boat from Thessaloniki to a beach, where you could sit on tables close to the water … I remember Italian trap on a beach in Taranto and in the bus filled with young people on the way to the seaside.

Music make it all so much more beautiful.

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

I like both! Sometimes you're more into the music with headphones!

But I like doing housework just listening without headphones.

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

Nico – These Days
Carmen Villain – Infinite Avenue



Fontaines DC – I don't belong
King Surfer – Dum Surfer
Manu Chao – Bongo Bong / Je ne t'aime plus



David Sylvian – Orpheus
Alt-J – Tesselate



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 like the sound of the seaside, its soothing and relaxing.
 
There can be sounds which feel highly irritating to us and then there are others we could gladly listen to for hours. Do you have examples for either one or both of these?

I can listen to Talk Talk for ages!



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

I like coffee places, bars and clubs with good music. And nature, the wood with birds and the silence there is just relaxing.

The sound of seaside and the sound of rain is amazing. Also the sound in a church is beautiful. It's inspring to visit churches in different cities when you have the chance to travel.

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

Not yet.

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

I would like to record in a church or empty factory.

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

Oh, not yet.

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?

I believe that music can be uplifting and do some healing.

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?

I like the noises of animal farm, cats, dogs and birds.

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?  

I think animals are the best company you could have and there is a communication between humans and animals.

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?

I try to keep some silent time every day.

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?

Silence and sound should be in balance. Like everything, action and relaxing.

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?

I listen to a lot of interviews and talks online and learning a lot.

Always interesting to get information about philosophy, astrologie and hystory. Just found this Kung Fu teacher Shi Heng Yi: