Part 2

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 definitely has a spiritual aspect.

If I manage to get into a “real” flow that makes me forget my musical “ego”, then art is created. Intuition, enriched through countless nights of composition, leads me to distant places if I dare.

At this moment it is not being judged, it is just being done. At a later point in time, of course, potential results are evaluated to determine whether they “work” in the context and whether they are performable. This is less spiritual and more sober craftsmanship, but it takes both.

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?

I tend to “tweak” my music until the day it is performed, especially in a theater context.

Some of my scores are permeated by an incredibly high proportion of aleatoric music some of which can be described as “quantum scores”: Only in the act of performance (“observation”) does the score become concrete and the actual piece. This also extends the compositional process into the moment of the performance itself. I find that incredibly exciting. You could say the piece itself is never finished, it is just performed.

Anyways I am greatful for deadlines. Without them I'd never finish anything ...

When you're in the studio to record a piece, how important is the actual performance and the moment of performing the song still in an age where so much can be “done and fixed in post?“

The most important question that arises for me in the studio is: Am I able to feel and execute musically what the gesture in my head is trying to represent.

This can be quite challenging if, for example, gestures try to appear depressed, hopeless or violent - because I need to know what that feels like for me. The performers don't have to be able to empathize with me - so I have to figure out how to articulate, in enough detail, what I expect from the musicians I work with.

For the rest: “fix it in the mix” of course ...

Even recording a solo song is usually a collaborative process. Tell me about the importance of trust between the participants, personal relationships between musicians and engineers and the freedom to perform and try things – rather than gear, technique or “chops” - for creating a great song.

For me, trust and a personal relationship with the musicians and sound designers are extremely important!

Since all the gestures and discoveries I make can sometimes only be recorded superficially, I attach great importance to personal conversation and vocal explanations. It's a wonderful feeling when people I work with can show me that they understand or empathize with what I'm looking for - and more than that, they're able to surprise me when they use their own sound, their own ideas and skills bring in for interpretation.

This creates a feedback loop: When I listen to musicians trying out my ideas, it becomes clear which parts can be improved, where I can improvise, etc. This also applies to sound designers!

The social aspect of making music is a fundamental part of the whole magic for me. This includes musicians, technicians, and of course the audience!

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)?

To be honest, I try to delay any “serious” mixing and mastering as much as possible in the process.

This is because I would like to have a lot of loose ends in the process that I can combine with each other - a fixed mix can seem a bit restrictive.

Beyond that, I am convinced that proper mixing and mastering is a central theme of the work, not my work as a composer, but as a vehicle to present my work, my ideas, the skills of the musicians, with the appropriate energy and power.

Especially in my theater work, or in a larger live mixing context in general, mixing becomes a really difficult performance in itself. I tend to use all the faders, knobs and equipment that I have at my disposal. Many sound designers distinguish themselves as an essential part of the music ensemble!

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?

Since I see myself as a rather obsessive person when it comes to my work, it's hard when I have to finish something - considering the time and effort involved, of course.

However, my experience prepares me for it: I am aware that this feeling will come, I know when and approximately how long it will last - so I can prepare myself emotionally and practice being able to let go. This is always a valuable lesson for all aspects of life...

Music is a language, but like any language, it can lead to misunderstandings. In which way has your own work – or perhaps the work of artists you like or admire - been misunderstood? How do you deal with this?

In the context of musicians and those involved in the creative process, I first try to avoid misunderstandings by trying to communicate as precisely as possible, whether in writing or verbally or with hands and feet ... Nevertheless, there will of course be ambiguities and misunderstandings.

When that happens, I try to examine them for their potential: Can a misunderstanding turn me into a “happy accident”? Can I use the momentum to my advantage? I think you have to give such situations space and then calmly claim them as your own.

In the context of misunderstandings between music and audience: In my experience, this only happens when a viewer is very biased and thinks they know a lot. If someone perceives a microtonal structure as “out of tune”, or a very precisely notated musical passage as improvisation, then this is often, sorry, due to subtlety of certain listeners. But that's rather rare, in my opinion. Most people are cool and open.

I deal with this by trying to use channels like this one to make my work and thoughts understandable for those who are interested.

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 consider myself an artist regardless of whether I'm currently writing or not. This implies that I am able to elevate every process of “sophisticated” life to art. But I don't see any reason for that.

As I mentioned above, I tend to be obsessive about my artistic pursuits. It would therefore require too much of me to artificially give this mundane process an artistic boost.

I find it quite fulfilling to create and write something - but at the same time exhausting, sometimes painful - and so when I write, I bring myself, even force myself, into this state where I am able to carry it out. But I don't want to force myself to make a cup of coffee ...