Name: Tosca
Members: Richard Dorfmeister, Rupert Huber
Nationality: Austrian
Current release: Tosca's MIRAGE, the OSAM Remixes is out via K7. The album features remixes of their 2022 Osam LP by, among others, Brendon Moeller, Balint Dobozi, and Cay Taylan.

[Read our Brendon Moeller interview]
[Read our Balint Dobozi interview]

If you enjoyed this Tosca interview and would like to stay up to date with the duo's music, visit their official website. They are also on Facebook. For an interview with Richard Dorfmeister's partner in Kruder & Dorfmeister, check out our Peter Kruder interview.

For even more information, we recommend our Tosca interview about collaboration.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often -quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

The inspiration comes from all the little things that happen in your life - sometimes you are able to be aware of them, sometimes they stay there subconsciously.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

Since we have known each other for such a long time, we have developped a certain workflow which is always limited by time.

So once we have managed to meet up in the studio we know that we have to make use of this time – while at the same time looking to be completely free.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

Sometimes there is already a draft we can work on, sometimes we start from scratch. The magic lies in the fact, that you are together in the studio instead of working alone.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

Coffe for sure.

But every day has a different vibe. So when we are lucky we can catch these golden moments where the creativity is flowing – these moments are not predictable ...

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

To start has never been the problem - to create a draft is easy - it is just hard work to generate something worthwhile afterwards.

To quote a question by the great Bruce Duffie: When you come up with a musical idea, have you created the idea or have you discovered the idea?

Normally we create the idea.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?

We are jamming – we changeover instruments, try out new ones. There is no limit in that sense.

We then pick the best ideas generated by this jamming process and take them from there until we feel it's something good.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

It's true - there are days when errors are occuring – mostly technical errors – and this normally leads to a situation that wasn't planned. I love that ...

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

That's again the beauty of working together. There is always a new input that leads you to unexpected directions.

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?

There are definately moments when you feel that you are creating something good and you are aware of it – call it spiritual or perhaps just catching the right vibe.

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?

Very important. All our tracks were created in that way.

Some tunes took years in the making. The longer the better because then you see if they can stand the test of time.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

All originalTosca tracks are pruduced and mixed only by ourselves. The mastering is traditionally done by Bo at Calyx mastering in Berlin.

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?

It's a constant state of mind to collect little ideas that might lead to something bigger. Once a album is finished the pocess of collecting starts again...

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?

Making music is expressing your feelings in a creative process.

Sometimes it can be easier than at other times. And it follows no recipe.