Part 2

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

You know, this answer always changes. I actually believe that the demo of a song, as raw as it is, is often the most pure version you’ll ever have. It might not be the best produced or the best sounding, but in terms of heart, it always hits the hardest. I think that’s why demo-itis exists and why people can have such a hard time moving beyond the first take.

Sometimes it’s good to give your music space and come back to it later. I do tend to take a long time carving out a song once the basics are there. But what I really loved about this project is that we didn’t have the option to go back and fix things. It was the first take, and that’s what we used.

What came out is the most honest and channeled version of the music

How do you think the meaning, or effect of an individual piece is enhanced, clarified or possibly contrasted by the EPs, or albums it is part of? Does each piece, for example, need to be consistent with the larger whole?

I think we’re obviously living in an era shaped by singles, especially with Spotify and streaming culture. But with pieces like this, especially in the world of ambient music, that format feels very different. This album belongs together. When you listen to it from start to finish, it takes you on a journey. Each track holds its own, but the way they unfold in sequence creates a deeper experience. It really does lull you into a different state.

Personally, I find it hard to put out just a single. I like creating bodies of work. I think of them as snapshots of where I’m at in a specific moment. They reflect the world around me, the research I’ve been doing, or the emotions I’m processing. That’s why I don’t usually write one song at a time over several years. I tend to create in bursts, writing a lot within a short period, then taking time to refine what’s there.

With this album, everything was recorded in one go. Then we just listened back and chose the parts that resonated most. That process gave the album a natural cohesion, because it was born from a shared state of presence.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (performance)?  

One of my favorite things someone once told me is, “You can’t polish a turd.” I think about that a lot. If something doesn’t have good bones, no amount of mixing or mastering is going to make it a great song. You can make it sound polished, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningful or strong at its core.

This is Marc’s world. He works professionally as a producer, mixer, and mastering engineer. And from working with him, I’ve learned how important it is to have someone on that end who really understands your vision. If they don’t, no matter how technically good the mix is, it won’t feel right.

I produce my own music, and while I care deeply about how something sounds, mixing and mastering isn’t the part I enjoy most. I would rather focus on creating. Still, I like to be present when things are being shaped, because I want the final version to reflect what I actually intended.

With this project, everything was recorded live. We worked with a single stereo track, so Marc just made small adjustments, like balancing frequencies or adding light compression. The mix happened as we played. There was no fixed composition or arrangement. We were just responding to each other and letting the sound guide us. It was fully intuitive.

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?

All of the artwork for this album comes from screenshots of videos that David took of water being moved by the music we were creating. That connection between the sound and the image was really important to us. It felt essential to keep that relationship alive, showing how the music was physically shaping something in real time.

We’re continuing to explore how sound and visuals interact, whether that means staying with this analog water story or eventually moving into a more digital or virtual space. The world is incredibly open right now, especially with the rise of AI and so many breakthroughs in virtual art. But I think no matter how far we go, it will always be important for us that the imagery stays deeply connected to the sound.

When we pair images with music, we offer people a new way of experiencing it. It gives the listener another lens, another point of entry, and that can shift how the music is felt or understood.

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?

This is such a real feeling. You put something out into the world, and then you’re like, okay … now what?

I’ve found that, for me, the trick is to never fully stop. I’m not sure if that’s the healthiest thing, but I always have multiple projects going, usually a few music things at once. So when I finish something and release it, I give it just enough space to feel proud of it, and then I shift into whatever’s next. I try not to stay in that stale or stuck place for too long.

I think I do that mostly to protect myself. You can put your whole heart into something, and once you release it, it feels like throwing your child into a void. It’s just out there, floating. I think a lot of artists know that feeling. You’re proud of it, but also left wondering what comes next.

So I try not to get too deep into that “now what” space. I let myself feel the accomplishment, and then I move forward. Staying in motion keeps me connected to the creative flow.

I would love to know a little about the feedback you've received from listeners or critics about what they thought some of your songs are about or the impact it had on them – have there been “misunderstandings” or did you perhaps even gain new “insights?”

What’s interesting about this project, unlike some of my other work, is that there wasn’t really any room to go back and fix things. It was recorded live, as a single track, so once it was done, it was done.

With other songs I write or produce, I usually have a few trusted people I share early versions with. They have amazing taste, and I really value their feedback, especially when it comes to production. I’ll usually take what they say into account and work from there.

But with this project, I didn’t do that at all. I didn’t want my mind to be influenced by how something could have been changed or improved, because there was no going back. I wanted to honor the process for what it was, which was very channeled and intuitive.

The people I have shared it with have responded really positively, and I love it, and Marc loves it. And honestly, for both of us, that feels like the most important part. We’re proud of what we made. It feels true to the moment it came from.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing 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?

I think about this a lot. Creativity is such a versatile concept. I know people who don’t identify as artists at all, but the way they live is so imaginative and intentional that they often feel more creative to me than people who do call themselves artists.

For me, creativity is part of a larger ritual of existence. On days when I feel really connected and grounded, I notice that everything I do reflects that. Whether it’s making music, making coffee, or arranging things around me in a way that sparks inspiration. Making food, especially, is one of my favorite creative practices.

I don’t see it as a hierarchy. Music just allows me to express emotions and ideas that are too abstract or layered to communicate through everyday actions. But those so-called mundane moments carry their own kind of meaning.