Name: Thomas Elsner
Occupation: Art Director, designer, photographer, magazine founder and party organiser at Elaste
Nationality: German
Current release: Together with Michael Reinboth, Thomas is currently in the process of preparing a major book about the history of Elaste. For more about that project, read our Michael Reinboth interview about Elaste, Compost, and the Joy of DIY.

If you enjoyed this Thomas Elsner interview and would like to stay up to date on his work, visit the official homepage of his agency. He is also on Instagram.

For a deeper dive, we recommend our earlier Thomas Elsner interview about Music & Fashion.



I have always been fascinated by the music scene of Munich. It seemed to be very different from the ones I was familiar with – Amsterdam, The Hague, London, Frankfurt – and slightly in a world of its own. How did you experience it?

I moved to Munich in 1982 when I was already 26. I was born in Lübeck in northern Germany. My older brother introduced me to the music of the Beatles, Stones, Jimi Hendrix and the Doors when I was just 10. For my confirmation, I got my first record player and albums from Kraftwerk, Neu!, Can, and Amon DüüL II. The experimental music and unusual compositions of these bands with their driving, monotonous rhythms immediately fascinated me.

[Read our Michael Rother of Neu! interview]

Then, at the age of 21, I moved to Hannover for studies. At that time, I was deeply immersed in the world of David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop, and of course, the early punk stuff. I found German music to be innovative at the time and listened to Fehlfarben, D.A.F., Malaria, Der Plan, Liaisons Dangereuses, etc. In Hannover, I met Michael Reinboth and Christian Wegner, and we founded the magazine "Elaste" (which Michael elaborates on in his 15 questions), with pop culture in all its facets as our main focus. Two years later, we all moved to Munich together.

Munich seemed quite conservative to me at that time, in terms of music. Clubs like Sugar Shack played more rock and disco, and Why Not? was similar, although the occasional new wave song sneaked in here and there. My preferred music was mainly played at the Tanzlokal Größenwahn, where everything from Siouxsie & The Banshees to Joy Division to Motörhead was being played.

The Monday concerts at the Alabamahalle, recorded for Bavarian Broadcasting, were fantastic. Affordable entry, fantastic music. The Elaste squad was always present, and we saw many concerts, here's just a small selection: The Dead Kennedys, Sisters of Mercy, Fashion, The Cure, Alien Sex Fiend, Gang Of Four, even Glenn Branca. Pretty legendary!

Not to be forgotten is the P1 under the direction of Inge & Hansi Grandl. Minimal interior, marble & neon tubes in the east wing of the Haus der Kunst, a select audience (the beautiful, the rich, and the wild), and very cool music.

What were the earliest days of Elaste like?

In 1981, the decision to create a magazine together was made on a lively Saturday night at the 'Casa Blanca' club, over one or two gin and tonics. Although I usually worked as a DJ at this club, on this particular evening, I took on the role of a bouncer.

Michael and Christian arrived earlier in the evening, and since it wasn't very busy at that time, we had the opportunity to calmly discuss our ideas. The conversation was so inspiring and animated that I forgot the usually strict entry control that night and, as far as I can remember, let in anyone who sought entry.

Already on the following Monday, we had our first editorial meeting ...

What did the design and layout process look like at the time? Everything was analog, it must have felt like a completely different world …

Yes, it was indeed a completely analog world. Even obtaining photocopies was a challenge at that time. While copies played a certain role in the early issues, we quickly distanced ourselves from them as we aimed for a slicker and more stylish look than the fanzines typically had back then. For the layout, we relied on halftone images, separated photosetting, LetraSet, technical pens, and plenty of scissors and glue.

To be honest, we didn't have much experience. I had acquired some basics during my graphic design studies, but since I was only in the early semesters, my knowledge was still limited ... Eventually, we coordinated with a printer to find the most cost-effective method for producing the magazine.

Elaste was not just a music mag, it dealt with the arts in a far broader way. Tell me a bit about what personally interested you back then and how these interests were reflected in your interview- and article topics and interviewee choices.


Well, music has always been the central driving force that motivated us to create the magazine. We viewed music as a transcendent genre that best expressed the “zeitgeist“ for us. With the emergence of Punk, the Do-It-Yourself principle became established, allowing anyone to do what they wanted without prior knowledge. There were no rules.

At the beginning, Punk had nothing to do with mohawks, safety pins, and hardcore beats. It was an anti-commercial, anti-bourgeois, and generally anarchic attitude of a frustrated youth that gave rise to a counterculture. Musically, this initially manifested itself in a form of aggressive garage rock, but also in the exploration of new sound forms and the creation of experimental, original, and artistically distinctive work. The fact that the industry, especially the commercialization of the Neue Deutsche Welle, later appropriated and recoded everything is another story.

The influence of Punk manifested itself in many areas, including fashion (for example, Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Sprouse, Jean Paul Gaultier), literature (Patti Smith, Shane MacGowan, Tom Verlaine), film (Alex Cox, Julien Temple, Derek Jarman, Jim Jarmusch), photography (Anton Corbijn, Nick Knight, Richard Kern), and art (Jean Michel Basquiat, Barbara Kruger, Die Neuen Wilden, Raymond Pettibon, Robert Longo). Art students formed bands, musicians created art, punk singers wrote literature.

The music scene claimed the most attention. Alongside musicians and songwriters, stylists, fashion designers, as well as hair and makeup artists were in demand, as were photographers, graphic designers, and film and video directors. Creating the magazine required almost all of these disciplines. It was just another form of expression.

I believe Michael, Christian, and I could have also pursued art, fashion, or music (Michael and I even played in a band together once, and Christian learned to play bass from the bassist of the Scorpions). When in public, we were frequently mistaken not for magazine makers, but rather for a New Wave band, due to our distinctive style. Once even as the opening act for the Rolling Stones ...

What were some of your own most memorable experiences during your time with Elaste? 


There were so many exciting moments. Michael has already described some highlights in his Q15, which I share. Perhaps the most impressive was our meeting and dinner with Andy Warhol. I have never encountered such an extraordinary, almost otherworldly personality like him again. To this day, I remember his distinctive voice and manner of expression.

Equally unforgettable was the backstage experience with the Rolling Stones in ‘82, the moment when the first riffs of 'Under My Thumb' sounded, the stage curtain opened, hundreds of balloons rose into the sky, and thousands of camera flashes sparkled simultaneously, all this while I was able to glance over Keith Richards’ shoulder.

I also remember the whiskey-drinking duel (which I unfortunately lost) with Jello Biafra (from the Dead Kennedys) at Schumanns Bar, the kiss I received from Joe Strummer at P1, and the bodyguard who knocked me down when I followed David Bowie to the elevator of the underground garage in the Arabella Hotel.

What was the feedback to Elaste like, both from readers and artist featured in the magazine?

I can't say for certain, but we probably didn't get everything wrong. Here is an excerpt from a letter Hermann Brood once wrote to me:

"Dear Thomas, ... but only because I don't find you young men so terrible. Of course, I absolutely want to be in your magazine because I believe you're creating a pleasantly decadent, creative, snobbish magazine without fear of intellectual boredom and analytical nonsense. Populated by megalomaniac and tormented prodigies or failures, respectable psychos and idols, illustrated yo-yos, Goldfinger & Dr. No's in the shadow. In this case, Herman Brood at the end of the rainbow and now a bit of soul, or else I'll get sick from so much warmth."