Christian Löffler

In Germany’s Darss peninsular, overlooking the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, is a log cabin nestled among the jungle-like overgrowth of surrounding birch and willow trees. The cabin is Christian Löffler’s atelier, where he locks himself up to work on both his visual art and music. Inside, a huge oak table, splotched with multicoloured oil paints, surrounded by canvases, camera tripods, tools and brushes. There’s a  wide view out on the sea through windows that allow the light to flood in and cast shadows of leaves and branches across the walls. The a small fireplace allows Löffler to work throughout winter so that his introspective creative process is uninterrupted all year round. The place is very basic – working, sleeping, cooking, all in one room; yet it’s these modest and in some ways rudimentary parameters that allow Löffler to make sincere and honest music.

‘Mare’ is his second studio album which follows a similar vein to his self-released debut, 2012’s ‘A Forest’. The key difference being that while his first album was heavily sample-based, ‘Mare’ is much more organic with nearly every sound in it being self-recorded. Many of the album’s ideas are based on field-recordings taken from Löffler’s surroundings. Several microphones were set up in the atelier and left to run for whole sessions. They collected everything, from tapping to singing, footsteps to percussive elements added on the fly such as bottles, sticks, or a set of keys. Instruments were perched on the table; an old marimba, a mandolin zither, some self-modified synthesizers, and other sound tools acquired in Löffler’s travels. The LP features the highly emotive sound that Löffler’s become known for, using deep house as a stylistic framework. It explores spaces of emotional and physical loss, feelings of getting lost, as well as arriving, in a melancholic mélange of wistful melodies and drum machines.

His 2019 album, ‘Graal (Prologue)’, is no less melancholic and it continues to draw on the importance of his physical surroundings as inspiration. Named after the town he resides in, the album contains music that was created in a period where Löffler was constantly away on tour –sketches of melodies written on the road. The resulting six tracks on ‘Graal (Prologue)’ has a minimal and focused feel, perfect for eyes-closed introspection. The album is also accompanied by Löffler’s own art – a series of hand-drawn monochromatic sketches that served as inspiration for the music. A natural sequel to ‘Graal (Prologue)’, his latest album, ‘Lys’ will be released in 2020 via Ki Records.

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Letzte Änderung: 17.04.2023 20:55 [EBNID:442 | 647 Aufrufe]