Let’s start at the very beginning. Can you tell us how you got involved in composing, and what was your very first piece of gear?
In my early teens, I was deeply into the electronic music scene, and by the age of sixteen, I had been DJing for two years. I quit school because I had no interest in the typical path of going to school, getting a job, and having a career. During that time of my life, I would just DJ and go out with friends. I soon became interested in learning how to make music, and one of my good friends was already using some software for his music productions. So I asked him if it was possible to get that kind of software on my computer, too, because I couldn’t afford any hardware back then. I started playing around with this software and exploring the possibilities of creating digital music. In the beginning, I was experimenting more than composing and producing. At first, I tried to see how I could make sounds similar to other artists that I liked and tried to figure out how they built a track. I spent A LOT of time making things and experimenting before I could start creating things that sounded a bit different. I eventually began making sounds that felt and sounded more like me than anyone else. At one moment, I finally had “my sound”. This is the sound on my tracks like Regensburg or the stuff that was released on Festplatten and Ware. So, it’s fair to say that the first piece of gear that I made music with really was my computer!
How many different studio iterations have you gone through, and what does your final setup look like right now?
I have been through many different setups for my studio. So many! After my first few records came out and I made a bit of money from that, I bought lots of hardware (Mackie mixer, Emu esi sampler, Access virus, Novation drum station, etc) but I soon realised that this is not how I make music, and more importantly – not how I want to make music. Having a digital workflow gives me more freedom to try things and make things differently. For example, in most of my ambient works, I don’t even use a tempo or a beat structure. There is generally no BPM, and I am not locked into anything. This was something I couldn’t do so easily with hardware. Eventually, I sold everything and invested that money in a new computer, software, and monitors. Of course, over the years, I bought more gear, and I still have some of it. But I sold the gear that I didn’t use much. I guess my studio is changing constantly, and I don’t think there’s ever a “final” setup. Also, there will be more changes coming to my studio as I figure out how to adapt my setup to playing live shows in the future.
Tell us about your favourite piece of hardware.
That is difficult! Honestly, it’s hard to name only one of my favourite pieces of hardware because there are so many good and useful things! There is stuff I’ll use for one album, and at that moment, it’s the best thing to use and absolutely my favourite. Then, for the next album, I won’t use those things at all! I think my field recorder (Roland R-05) is one piece of hardware that I always use. It’s been like this for many years now. The Roland R-05 feels like an instrument to me somehow. There is so much I can get out of it – no matter what I record. It could be some specific sound I intended to record or unplanned sounds – like noises in the background that I decide to use when I hear the recordings played back. Also, there is one piece of gear that I don’t use so much but am very happy to own – this is my 1963 Höfner Colorama guitar. My late uncle (who was a musician back in the day) gave that guitar to me around twenty years ago. But I kept it in its case and never played it. A few years ago, I started restoring this guitar and playing around with it. It’s still not a good and clean sound, but there are definitely some interesting things you can get out of it. Although I don’t use the guitar very often, I’m always happy to see it when I’m in my studio.
And what about the software that you use for production?
When I started making music with software in the mid-nineties, I used ACID… and I still use it now for recording and arranging! I have also worked with other DAWs – Cubase, Ableton, FLStudio, etc. No other DAW made me feel as comfortable as I did when I used ACID. Of course, I also use a lot of plugins like Soft Synths (Kontakt, Arturia), and Effects (mostly Waves). But nothing really fancy.
Is there a particular piece of gear that you’re just dying to get your hands on, and do you think one day you’ll have it?
It’s kinda funny, but I’m going to have to say the Roland TR-909! This drum machine is the sound of my youth. I have heard so many tracks with that specific drum sound, and I would be so proud if I had one of them. Okay, so maybe I’d never use it as there is not much need for a drum machine like this in my music. I wouldn’t pay a crazy, expensive price for it. But I would love to have my own Roland TR-909 one day.
Can you please share some aspects of the sound design in your work?
I think the way I approach sound design depends first on the material I have and how I decide to use it. For me, it’s not necessarily important to create a sound that is modeled on a specific thing or that is exactly like something I can hear in my mind. I prefer that the sounds grow as I am working on something, and then I’ll see how everything fits together as a whole. I’ll tweak a sound in one direction or another. The sound “design” part itself is something I don’t place too much importance on in the first place. If I limited myself just because a specific theory says that I shouldn’t do this or that, then some really interesting possibilities could be lost. There can be some really weird, wrong, and dirty things happening with the production that just sounds so cool and so good that I have to use it. In such cases, I always take care of the frequencies later.
Any particular new techniques that you tried out for your new album?
It’s not so much about new techniques, but more about the fact that I have tried different techniques. My approach was the same as in previous albums. However, there was this feeling and mood during the making of this album where I said to myself, “It has to be a bit different now”. Some sounds needed more space to work, so I questioned if I really needed that pad sound. Was it necessary? Do I need certain sounds for it to sound like a Markus Guentner track? I think Black Dahlia sounds much more defined, but at the same time, there is way more unpredictability within the tracks. It became this process of reducing and then adding to make it sound big and rich.
What does your live setup look like, and what do you bring with you when you travel for an extensive tour?
I haven’t played live for a while, but I’m working on a new live setup now. I want to use more external effects (Microcosm, Space Echo, Wingie, and more) and possibly add some live sampling. Of course, the basics of a laptop with Ableton and controllers are a must. I hope to use sounds and samples from some of my previous works and bring them into a live show. Ideally, I want to rearrange and process some sounds to create something different. Imagine that there will be sounds that you might know from my tracks, but they’ll be very different from the original.
What is the most important environmental aspect of your current workspace, and what would be a particular element that you would improve on?
During Covid, I quit my office/studio space and have been working from home ever since. The room I use as my home studio is not a perfect space to produce music as there are no acoustic treatments. But, honestly, for me, it’s not about creating the perfect-sounding album where everything is precise and sounding perfect with the creative aspects moved more into the background. Over time, you learn what sounds good in the environment that you’re working in. In my case, I know that I always mix with too many lower frequencies. My mix might sound good in the studio, but on the sound system in the living room or my car, it sounds like way too much! Over time, you develop a sense of what sounds good and what you need to take care of in whatever space you have.
What can you tell us about your overall process of composition? How are the ideas born, where do they mature, and when do they finally see the light?
Basically, I start working on music without any concrete ideas. I play. I try different settings. I let sounds and atmospheres arise until I decide what to work further on. I like to approach this process as free and open-minded as possible, and be guided by the flow of what appears – and let that grow. Therefore, most times, it’s not a concrete or conscious decision about what to use and how to use those different sounds, effects, etc. It could be that everything is built on the computer only, or something tells me to use a guitar or a particular synth or a certain effect. It’s not really about intending to create specific sounds. Everything comes to me as it is meant to be. All the technical stuff with polishing the sounds and the arrangements comes after – when I have a bit of distance from the initial creative process. By now, I know quite well which finished tracks I want to use for a possible release, and I know how to continue working further on them to get an album done. Maybe there are tracks I will never use for anything. Maybe parts of some unfinished tracks I will return to someday for other projects that might suit them better. I’m not the kind of guy who has to finish a track no matter what or because I have to finish it for an album.
After the piece is complete, how do you audition the results? What are your reactions to hearing your music in a different context, setting, or sound system?
I always listen to finished tracks on different sound systems to get a feeling of how things work in different settings and places. This is more of a technical aspect, and there is still a chance to change some stuff before sending it out to anyone. After the album is finished, the whole process is done for me. I’m not crazy about listening to my own music again after sending it out – because there is nothing I can do about it anymore! Sure, when the mastering arrives, I will have a proper listen. But that’s more a technical and objective necessity. Does it sound good? Are there any mistakes? Is there something to tweak a bit more in the mastering? Things get quite surprising and funny when I hear my music after a long time again (on release or at listening parties), and sometimes there are situations where I’m like – What? Where is this coming from? Did I make this? There are sounds and parts that I haven’t heard before! Well, of course, I heard them because I made them, but I haven’t heard them in that way before. Maybe some parts weren’t obvious or important to me when I made the track. But with distance and time between hearing it again, my perspective shifts.
Do you ever procrastinate? If so, what do you usually find yourself doing during those times?
I don’t really procrastinate. The thing is, I only make music when I feel like doing it. I’m quite busy with my job as a graphic designer, and so I want to have as much freedom for my music as I can. It doesn’t matter how long something will take. A track could be finished within two days, or it could take weeks. I never want to force the creative process. Everything happens when it needs to happen.
What gets you inspired?
Almost anything inspires me!! I can feel inspired by my surroundings, incidents, other music, and chats with friends. For me, it’s not a matter of “Oh, now I need to work on something because that inspired me so much.” It’s more about the mood and feeling that are transferred into the music. It’s not a conscious decision about what to take from inspirations – it’s the entire feeling or state that moves me.
And finally, what are your thoughts on the state of “electronic music” today?
That’s a difficult question to answer because there are many answers to give in every direction about that. On the one hand, having easier and more accessible tools for producing electronic music is a good thing. It means that it’s not limited to people who can afford to buy expensive studio equipment. Everyone can express their creativity. Many good things are happening because of that. On the other side, the “market” is overflowing with music, and unfortunately, there is a lot of music being released that sounds the same. There are no “borders” to cross anymore, like when there were just a few music labels back in the day. It used to be that you made an album and sent it to labels that fit your style and idea. Maybe they would see potential in you and then invest time, energy, and money to release your music. But now you can upload anything, anytime, anywhere, and it’s sitting there along hundreds of thousands of other tracks. It’s hard to tell what’s worth releasing and what is not. These days, everyone who can make music thinks the world needs to hear it. A certain objectivity is missing. Is the music good because you sound exactly like another successful artist? The music becomes a product. It’s no longer interesting and special. With streaming services like Spotify, it has become even worse. Of course, it’s easy to listen to music that way. But if there’s access to everything all the time, you get used to it without seeing the effort of making it and the value behind it. A super luxury car wouldn’t be the same if you could drive it anytime you wanted to by paying 10€ per month.
For the music itself, I saw this trend many years ago in electronic dance music. Tracks become just functional tools, and the ideas and the wish to push things forward gets lost. It is just about what works on the dancefloor, and it’s about big names. The creativity moves into the background. This makes it harder for young, super-creative people to get the attention they deserve. Unfortunately, I see the same evolution in the ambient/electronica areas of music. There will always be super interesting artists and music, but they’re harder to find in an endless ocean of music and releases. There can be ten amazing releases in one week, but not enough time to listen and appreciate them all. The good stuff falls behind and gets lost.
