Written Interview with Robot Koch for FWD.DJ 2018

Listen to the mix here: http://www.fwd.dj/mix/fwd102-robot-koch-label-showcase/

What was the last truly great track you listened to (that’s not one of your own or on your label)? What made it so good?

This might be odd, but "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas came on on the radio recently when i was driving to Arizona. It was the perfect road trip song even though i heard it many time before it struck me how good it really is. i love the vocal harmonies on there, the lyrics and the whole arrangement with the violin solo part in the middle.

What’s your favorite venue to play at in the world?

I headlined at this festival called Magnetic Felds in India a few years ago, it was the first year of that festival. it`s set in a 17th century palace in the desert of Rajasthan, India. I loved playing there, truly magical place.

You sound has morphed over the years and become significantly more emotional. Has this mirrored your own interpersonal development?

For sure. My music is a outer reflection of my inner growth and transformation. I don´t believe in repeating myself and keep developing myself and my music from a place that feels genuine and that i`m excited about. It´s all a process.

You’ve given masterclasses in Ableton. How do you think you approach the program so that you get really original sounding music out of it and avoid some of the “cliché” traps that Ableton seems to encourage?

I work with it in a somewhat idiosyncratic way. i never read manuals or watch tutorials and approach any instrument intuitively by just trying it out and finding my own approach to it. there is not just one way to do something and with ableton there are many ways to be creative without sounding generic, that`s why i love the program.

What does your studio look like right now? Hardware, software?

I used to have way more gear when i lived in Berlin. I got rid of a lot if it when i moved to LA. Nowadays it`s pretty trimmed down to the essentials: laptop with RME soundcard, a pair of Hedd Speakers, Lyra 8 Analog Synth, Elektron Analog Heat, Roli Seaboard and a vintage phillips NG 1219 microphone from the 60s. Software wise i use Ableton, NI, and some of the Fabfilter stuff along with some other sound libraries, some of which i made myself.

If you could design a custom plugin to do anything, what would you design?

It would be something that randomizes a lot of stuff, i love happy accidents. so that plugin would just randomize parameters and sounds in a way that will surprise you and inspire you to think outside of the box.

Can you tell a bit about Trees and Cyborgs? What does the label represent for you? What sound are you going for?

The label is the platform for my own music as well as my collaborations with others artists.
It`s not a classical label that signs artists, but rather a platform to release music of artists that i`m involved with a co-writer or co-producer.

The name Trees and Cyborgs references my 2nd album title (Songs for Trees and Cyborgs). It`s about nature and technology. Roots and Cables. Being rooted in the Now and headed to the future. I grew up next to a forest and was heavily influenced by sci-fi movies, so the name Trees and Cyborgs represents this balance of the analog/natural/organic element and the digital/futuristic/dystopian element, which both inform my music.

You’ve been working with a lot of vocalists lately. How do you approach a track if you have a vocalist vs if you don’t have one? Do you treat the vocal as just another sound or have you developed a concept for that arrangement?

Yes i love working with vocalists, but i also love instrumental music. I think both have their own allure and i would not wanna have to decide between either one. Ultimately i`m always interested in an emotional expression in the music, so this can be achieved both with vocals or instrumentally. When i write a track for a vocalist i keep in mind that there needs to be enough space in the the instrumental to give room for the vocals and a clear structure that allows for song ideas to come through. With my instrumental tracks it`s a different approach, the arrangement can be more expansive and different instrumental voices take the lead instead of vocals. But also here there emotional depth is what i´m mining for.

What can you tell the FWD.DJ audience about your mix?

It`s an overview about my label catalog, with a spotlight on the most recent releases: Fortnite, Little Ashes x Robot Koch and May x Robot Koch. It´s a good mix of vocal and instrumental tracks and showcases the variety of sounds i`m going for on my label.

What’s coming up for you in 2018 that we should be aware of?

A bunch of stuff is going on this year, i like doing several different projects at once.

I was asked by German Neo Classical imprint "Neue Meister" to write a concert and album which will be preformed live by the German Chamber Ensemble in November in Berlin. I´m writing this orchestral/electronic album in collaboration with Savannah Jo Lack, as a follow up to our Particle Fields Album.

The next release on my own label will be the solo debut by Delhia de France, which will be out by end of May. It´ll be a really exciting release. She writes and produces mainly herself so i co-produced and co-wrote the material.
I´m also working with Fiora on a new Fortnite EP and i started working on the first Robot Koch solo release since 2015´s Hypermoment. This should be out early next year, accompanied by a new dome projection live show which i`m currently developing.

Tags: Ableton, Trees and Cyborgs