You not only prefer working with analogue techniques in the studio but you also tend to stick to certain sounds. All your albums have all these recurring elements, like that specific Minimoog sound. Are you a creature of habit?
Yes, and I heard a few people complaining about it. (laughs) In my head the songs sound different to me but than I realize I’m just too close to them and I sport minor differences other people don’t see. And after this record I was able to see that I really got this specific range of sounds. And I think the past these the last records were all working toward one idea. And Awake was the most precise form of that idea. It was the first record where I set down to specifically make an album from start to finish. The previous ones were just like a hobby in the background. And I felt that now I got this cleared out I think my future records will sound a bit more diversified.
But one of the good sides is that people instantly recognize a TYCHO track once it comes along.
That’s kind of interesting to me. Take a band like TAME IMPALA. They have their guitar tune and nobody goes like ‘Hey man, all your guitars sound the same.’ (laughs) I think electronic musicians are somehow expected to be always experimenting. But once you find your musical space I don’t see why I need to force a change. It inspires me, so it’s good.
I’ve read that you had severe anxiety in the past and find live performances extremely difficult. Did this get any better?
Yes, it did. I think it’s basically about repetition. It was really just beating yourself over and over again to do it. And this is actually the first tour where I am able to enjoy it. I’m sober, focussed and allow myself to get lost in the performance. In the past it was always like ‘Damn, I got to get through this’ and now I’m enjoying it and being in the moment. A way better experience, I can tell you.
Your music feels obviously quite bright, very sunny and dreamy – how much does living in California influence your music and art in general?
People ask me that a lot. But I don’t think about it that much, I must say. Basically because I always lived in California and I always made similar music. Maybe if I lived somewhere else where it’s all dark and gloomy. But people always forget that San Francisco can be a pretty rainy place as well. We were originally supposed to record the album in Montana but it didn’t work out as planned. But the next one is probably going to happen there.
TYCHO‘s music is the perfect material to relax, chill and all these things. When you want to calm yourself down what sort of music do you like to listen to?
I listen to white noise usually. Or the recording of an airplane engine. Very calming I must say. When I listen to music I usually use while I’m designing things. It’s a lot of indie rock stuff I’m listening to in this mood.
We’re finishing with our question around the name of our magazine. Would you consider yourself a hopeful person?
Yes. But not in a certain moment. In certain moments I’m a negative person ’cause I always want to make things better. I’m too much of a perfectionist. But in general I have hope for the future.
What other things besides hope and passion are important to make it through daily life?
(laughs) I’m starting to realize that there are a lot more things to life than just these two. As I get older I realize that relationships and love are important. And building things together with other people. For a long time I was just focussed on one singular passion – music and art – that it just isolated me from the world. I’ve been working on these human connections a bit more in the past few years.
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