Name: Nico Plagemann aka Kollektiv Turmstrasse
Nationality: German
Occupation: Producer, DJ
Current Release: Kollektiv Turmstrasse's new album Unity of Opposites is out via Not Sorry.

If you enjoyed this Kollektiv Turmstrasse interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit the official Kollektiv Turmstrasse homepage. The project is also on Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud.  



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in production and technology?

No, that came later when I caught the techno fever.

What were your very first active steps with music technology and how would you rate the gains made through experience - can one train/learn being an artist/producer?

It started with the Amiga 5000, Fast Tracker.

It's definitely something that can be learned. I think it's like in professional sports. The more often you do something, the better you become.

Were/are you interested in the history of production and recording? If so, which events, albums, artists, or insights stand out for you?

Basically, I'm less interested in that. Simply because I'm not a collector who collects records that are valuable to me.

But there was one record by the band The Winstons from the 60s that thrilled me. The track 'Amen Brother' contains the Amen Break, the most famous drum solo ever, which laid the foundation for the entire genre of Drum 'n Bass.

Making music, in the beginning, is often playful and about discovery. How do you retain a sense of playfulness as things become more professionalised and how do you still draw surprises from equipment you may be very familiar with?

In the beginning, you discover more. Over time, however, this becomes increasingly difficult as you eventually reach your limits. It becomes more and more of a challenge.

I maintain this playfulness by sampling a lot.

What is the balance and relative importance for your own creativity between what you learned from teachers, tutorials, and other producers, and what you discovered, understood, and achieved yourself? What are examples of both?

The question is what your points of orientation are.

For me, the balance between those two poles is 50/50. It is very important to be inspired by others because the inspiration unconsciously flows into my own work over time. There are too many idols to name, like Four Tet, DJ Koze, Rick Rubin, just to name a few.

On the other hand, I also discovered a lot on my own. Earlier, there was no internet and you had to deal with the devices and programs yourself. So, it was an autodidactic learning process, where you acquired knowledge on your own.

How and for what reasons has your music setup evolved over the years, and what equipment and software are currently most important to you?

In the early years, I bought a lot of equipment like synthesizers, drum machines, and samplers.

Over the years, however, I realized that I don't need much. Essentials are more important than a full studio.

The most important software for me is Ableton. I work with it 80% of the time.

Are there technologies that have profoundly influenced, changed, or challenged the way you make music?

In the last 10-15 years, a lot has changed and there have been new technologies that have influenced me.

A major technological advancement was that so much equipment was no longer necessary. Today, you only need a laptop to make music.

The next big step is AI. This will change everything again in the future.

Yann Tiersen, in a surprising statement, told me: "I feel more sincere with electronic instruments [than acoustic ones]." Is that something you can relate to?

Yes, of course, because as an electronic musician I have a greater connection to synthesizers than to an acoustic guitar.

Late producer SOPHIE said: “You have the possibility with electronic music to generate any texture, and any sound. So why would any musician want to limit themselves?” What's your take on that and the relevance of limitations in your set-up and process?

Basically, these tools were built to replace real instruments. Setting limitations or boundaries is important for the production process. You can write a whole song with a guitar.

The pool of sounds and tones is much larger in electronic music. Therefore, it is important to limit oneself and set boundaries to avoid being overwhelmed.

What does your current production workflow look like, from the initial sketches to the finished piece?

In the beginning, there's a sketch that I create in a few hours. If I feel that the sketch is good, it is saved and I get to work.

Then it can take somewhere between a few hours and several weeks until the piece is finished.

Rhythm, sound design, melody/harmony, something else – when do the different elements of a piece come into play for you?

It always depends on how I start a sketch and the idea I'm working on first.

In relation to sound, one often reads words like “material”, “sculpting”, and “design”. How does your own way of working with sound look like? Do you find using presets lazy?

Both. It's nice to have a preset that fits right away. In the end, I'm very particular about it. That's why I modify presets so that they ultimately fit me better.

What are the respective advantages of solo work and collaborations for you , and do you often feel lonely in the studio? Can machines act as collaborators for you?

I enjoy being alone and immersing myself in the sound, especially when I'm developing sketches.

But during the album production, I also realized how nice it is to work with people who think like me. That was an incredible enrichment for me.

Some people say that the advent of artificial intelligence and 'intelligent' composition tools gives machines the opportunity to contribute to the creative process. What are your hopes, fears, expectations, and possible concrete plans in this regard?

I believe that AI will change our whole world. Accordingly, I also believe that it will have an impact on all production developments.

However, I doubt that there will be an AI that is really creative in the next 10-15 years. The reason being that what has driven humans to the top of evolution is the way humans think creatively. That's what makes humans special - and you can't replicate human creativity that easily with artificial means.