Name: Sankt Otten
Members: Oliver Klemm (guitar, synths, bass), Stephan Otten (drums, synths)
Interviewee: Stephan Otten
Nationality: German
Current release: Sankt Otten are one of the acts featured on Compost Record's formidable Future Sounds of Kraut compilation, compiled by Fred und Luna. Order the vinyl here.
Kraut-related recommendations: One of my favourites is the album Synthesist by Harald Grosskopf, dating from 1980. Harald also was a drummer for Klaus Schulze, Ashra, Wallenstein and many more. We are lucky that we could do a track with him. It was released on our album “Messias Maschine” a few years ago. Last week I met Harald again. He is 74 meanwhile and still a cool and incredibly energetic guy.

My all-time favourite is Ashra’s New Age of Earth, which is Manuel Göttsching’s second solo album, dating from 1976.

[Read our Fred und Luna interview]
[Read our Manuel Göttsching interview]

If you enjoyed this Sankt Otten interview and would like to stay up to date with their music and live dates, visit their official homepage. They also have a dedicated page on the website of their label, Denovali.

For other artists featured on the Future Sounds of Kraut compilation, read our Pyrolator interview.



How would you describe your personal relationship with Krautrock?

When I started to listen more intensive to music in the early 1980s, I mostly was into New Wave and Industrial sounds, especially UK and US bands.

Then, about 20 years ago, a friend infected me with the Kraut virus. He owns a huge Kraut vinyl collection and we regularly met in his basement to have a beer and listen to records.

In his Krautrock Sampler, Julian Cope suggests that the actual Krautrock phase lasted only a few years. Are you interested in the history of Kraut – and if so, what are defining moments for you? Where do you draw the bracket for the first, classic period?

I think the classic Kraut happened from 1970 to 1975. My favourites from that period are electronic bands, plus some really exciting projects from the late 70s and early 80s.

Kraut drew inspiration from a lot of influences. Which of these would you say were most prominent?

The minimalism of traditional African drumming was an important influence. Just listen to Jaki Liebezeit’s simple but powerful playing, which is in contrast to the drumming style of most drummers in those days.

Jaki created drama through restraint.

What was it about Krautrock that particularly attracted you as a listener?

The bands in this genre are and were of incredible musical quality. Enriched by endless improvisations and otherworldly electronic sound worlds.

The music and these unknown sounds seem, then and now, as if they were out of this world, as if they came straight from the cosmos.

Tell me about the albums and artists that stand out for you?

The bands that influence our current sound most are La Düsseldorf, Klaus Schulze, Manuel Göttsching and Harmonia.



Some believe the well for discovering hidden Kraut gems has dried up. Do you still stumble upon amazing music from the magic Kraut era that you'd never heard (of) before? Do you think there are still vaults with hidden gold in them?

There are still some treasures that have to be discovered. The German label Bureau B is specialized in finding interesting old recordings and also new interesting artists.

Among many others they did re-releases of some gems like Wolfgang Riechmann’s album Wunderbar and Dorothea Raukes’ project Deutsche Wertarbeit.



What, to you, are the main elements that make something Kraut? What are the practises of the musicians from the 70s that inspire your own practise today?

We partly use the same equipment as the bands in the 1970s. Analogue synths, space echo and sequencers – the ingredients of a perfect Kraut soup.
 
When did you start making use of Kraut elements in your music?

We have released albums since 1999, starting with Post Rock/Ambient oriented stuff.



The first Kraut influences came in on our album Morgen wieder lustig by using synths and sequencers.



Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your own Kraut-leaning pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

While composing, it takes us quite a long time until we are satisfied with a sound. Sometimes we spend hours working on a pad sound.

Basically our sounds and songs should be “touching” and have a slightly melancholic tone.

I got into Kraut via Tangerine Dream and early Ash Ra and to me, the motoric beat was never quite as important. Today, it seems as though it's the most important defining element. Are you interested in it? Are you making use if it? What makes it special to you?

As a drummer, the motorik play of Klaus Dinger and Jaki Liebezeti attracted me most. So, as you can imagine, it was a highlight for me and my musical partner Oliver to visit Jaki in his rehearsal room in Cologne in 2013.

We had prepared some tracks, and in only a few hours he was playing perfectly to them.



It would seem that to Julian Cope, the prominent inclusion of synthesizers was somewhat of an exclusion criterion for Krautrock. Interestingly, today, they are a signature element. What role do they play for your own view of Kraut and your own music?

Sorry, Julian, I can't agree with you. Bands like Kraftwerk or Tangerine Dream are the best example of how musical boundaries were first opened.

A lot of the Kraut spirit came to life through musicians living in communities, playing and recording together every single day. From your perspective, how does this change the results? Have you ever tried working and creating in such a constellation?

Creating music and living together is a typical 1970s thing, it’s the way how Can or Faust did it. Nowadays we have to fill our fridge by doing a regular job. For composing and recording there’s only the weekend left.

Nevertheless for the recording of one album we did it a bit different and rented a house next to the German North Sea, which was an exciting experiment.

Did you ever visit one of the birthplaces of the genre – Berlin, Düsseldorf, Munich – or any spaces related to the history of Kraut?

I have been to all these cities, not having the idea of a musical pilgrimage in mind.

But I will never forget the day when I visited the former Can Studio, that originally had been located near Cologne and now is part of the German Rock & Pop Museum in Gronau.

Do you own any paraphernalia from the era?

Sure, I own some essential albums on vinyl, but not the ones that are hard to find and expensive.

I remember an auction on ebay some years ago offering instruments and devices from Kraftwerk’s Klingklang studio. I would have loved to buy something, but the prices were just insane ...

There are quite a few fantastic compilations of modern Kraut-oriented music. I am wondering, however, if the approaches of this time may have survived more subtely. Do you see the influence of Krautrock in any contemporary styles, approaches or scenes which bear no obvious similarities with Kraut?

Modern electronic music like techno or ambient definitely wouldn't have been possible without Kraut influences of the 70s.

Even a lot rock bands like Sonic Youth or Mogwai would not sound like they do without these references.