Hello, how are you?

Hi! I’m holding up surprisingly well.

Where are you right now?

I’m in my apartment in Vienna’s 9th district. In my studio room, to be more precise.

Which sounds surround you?

Up until a minute ago it was Xiu Xiu’s album Always, which I turned off to focus on these questions. Now it’s construction workers shouting, and drilling noises.

Have you been productive so far? What are you working on?

I’ve been far more productive since the “quarantine” than I was in a long time.

My partner and our 3 year old fled to the countryside in Northern Germany the day before the borders closed, and while I miss them immensely, I suddenly have much more hours in the day that I can use in a productive way.

I’ve been doing a lot of mastering and mixing for other people – much more than ever before actually – but I’m trying to make sure that I get some time to work on my own music every day. I’ve been working on a new album for a while now, and I’m finally starting to see a concrete vision unfold before me, which definitely ignites the (work-) flow.

What inspires you right now?

Being alone, and having a healthy and productive daily routine.

The latter is probably the main reason why my mental and physical health are still holding up.
My alarm goes at 6:50 every day, then I exercise for 30-40 minutes, and then I go for a walk.

I usually work (on music) until 15:00, and then I get to do whatever stupid thing I want to do. Play video games, or read. Most of the days I do another hour or so of making music before dinner, and then it’s chill time again.

Any reading material you can recommend?

Fiction: Stoner and/or Augustus by John Williams. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Non-Fiction: Inventing the Future by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams, and obviously everyone should read Männerphantasien (Male Fantasies) by Klaus Theweleit at least once in their life.

To listen?

I’ve been watching a lot of Trap and EDM production videos on Youtube, because they keep getting recommended to me by the algorithm, and I decided to fully dive into that.

As far as music goes, I’ve been enjoying the self-titled album by John-Robin Bold (Milles Plateaux), the new KhalilH2OP has been getting a few plays around here too. I’m not really listening to a lot of music right now, because after working on and with music for hours every day, my ears and brain really need a break.

To watch?

I haven’t watched a single film or show since all this started. I can only list a few of my favourites. I generally gel more with depressive or negative stuff though, so I’m not sure if these recommendations are appropriate in these dark times, where we should rather strive for positivity. But anway, here you go, my top three films and shows:

Films:
Life is Sweet (1990, Mike Leigh) – don’t watch this if you don’t want to cry though
Possession (1981, Andrzej Zulawski)
Spoorloos (1988, George Sluizer)

Shows:
Klovn
Please Like Me
Lost (seriously, it’s fantastic, assuming you go into it knowing nothing)

What’s your opinion on live-streams? You see any alternative ways to support the music community?

Not a big fan of those in general. Especially when it comes to laptop acts.

Watching someone standing around, turning knobs, from the comfort of your living room, with a “pleasant” volume – that’s kind of the opposite of what a live experience is supposed to be. There’s nothing physical, and nothing social, and nothing spiritual about this.

What are you missing most? What are you afraid of?

Obviously I miss my son the most. Other than that I’m in a very lucky position. Nothing much has changed for me personally or professionally, other than losing a few gigs. I don’t look into the future with fear, I rather look into the presence with a sense of contentment.

What will change you think?

As much as I welcome and enjoy the fact that “the strongest and best economical system” aka capitalism has to be saved by socialist ideals right now (unconditional basic income, free healthcare etc.), and that the earth gets a chance to take a deep breath, I’m pretty sure not much will change in the long term.

What is the gig or occasion you were most looking for, that was cancelled in this period?

I was really looking forward to playing the Editions Mego showcase in Berlin in March, with Nik Void, Thomas Brinkmann, and others. This was actually cancelled like 2 days before the show or so. Bummer.

Are you still able to pay your rent?

Yes.