TO BE CREATIVE ON POINT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. EVERYBODY KNOWS THE SITUATION WHEN YOU ARE SITTING IN FRONT OF A WHITE SHEET OF PAPER TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT BEGINNING AND THE RIGHT IDEA. HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED YOURSELF IN SUCH A SITUATION AND HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO FIND THE BEGINNING?

(Laughing) “Do I find myself in such a situation? Nearly every day. Then I sometimes go out and have a walk or I let myself be inspired by similar music, as is demanded for the project.”

IF YOU GOT THE CHANCE TO GIVE YOUR 15 YEARS YOUNGER SELF AN ADVICE – WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

“I would myself not to buy specific sample libraries which I now know were bad investements. The saved money I could then invest in libraries for which currently the money is missing. It would be interesting to know what I would say to my 30 years younger me. “Learn to play guitar and not keyboard” for example.” (Laughs)

HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO FIND THE RIGHT WORKFLOW? DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS OR METHODS THAT HELP YOU TO GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF A THEME?

“As I already mentioned I like to hear music of the same genre to get into the right mood. Sometimes I rummage in some loops and phrases to extend my personal musical vocabulary and with a bit of luck you can find the dazzling idea that you can elaborate on. What happens in another musician’s head doesn’t happen in my head. With the help of the loops I bring a session musician into my studio and he will add some new facets to my composition.”

HOW CAN SAMPLE LIBRARIES SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR DAILY WORK? SURE, THEY ARE HELPFUL FOR TIME CRITICAL PROJECTS, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER BENEFITS?

“Well, first of all they are the only way to play instruments that I can’t play or aren’t available. So about 99% of the world’s instruments. Sample libraries are the foundation of my work.

Beyond the pure sample libraries with which I can play every melody there are loops and phrases that are fully recorded. This has the advantage that it sounds more realistic as there is so much happening between the notes that the pure sample libraries can’t reproduce.

The finished loops can compensate your own deficits. For example I am not super creative writing percussion notes. The loop libraries come in useful to me.”

HOW DO YOU RATE THE QUALITY OF SAMPLE LIBRARIES IN COMPARISON TO LIVE RECORDINGS?

“Depending on the quality of the musicians and the recording – the sound is fantastic and can be close to real musicians. Of course the most important factor is missing. It’s the interaction between the individual musicians and the reaction to my music. In the end the libraries are all crutches and with which you can get much further than without.”

WHAT DOES YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH A NEW LIBRARY LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR YOU WHILE TESTING THE NEW PRODUCT?

“For me it is very important that a spark emanates. First I don’t read the manual. The library has to be self-explanatory. Just as I press one or even more keys and start to play, something should happen in me that draws me into its spell. In the best case you can feel a certain satisfaction and happiness while working with the library. Unfortunately I often make the mistake to expect too much or to expect the wrong thing. Many times I throw the library into the corner (figuratively speaking) after the first test, because I am disappointed and expected more after listening to the demos. Anytime later I need something specific I unpack the library again. Suddenly without any unrealistic expectations I start to play and think: ‘Hey that doesn’t sound too bad’. And then the library finds the way into my compositions.”

HOW DO YOU JUDGE YOUR OWN COMPOSITION? WHICH FACTORS PLAY A ROLE?

“First of all I have to like what I hear. If no joy arises in me, no joy will arise by the audience. My track should fulfill a certain compositional quality and the sound should be great. In the best case everything sounds homogenous, the progression of the composition is coherent and nothing interrupts your flow while listening. The listener wants to listen to the track until the end.”

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE WRONG DIRECTION WHILE COMPOSING? HOW DO YOU REACT?

“Never! (Laughs) Okay, all joking aside: This happens almost every time in the beginning. I am a person, who throws over everything out and starts with a new idea. Maybe sometimes too early as it could be a good composition in the continuing progression. Sometimes it also happens that I return to my first idea after many detours and many new starts. The only important thing is that my own composition thrills me and at no time I lose the passion and the belief in my track. And if so, it isn’t the right thing. Then I have to necessarily clench my teeth and start at the beginning. If I am not convinced of the composition no customer of the world will jump out of their seat.”

HOW DO YOU HANDLE CUSTOMER’S CRITIC IF HE/SHE HAS GOT ANOTHER VIEW ON THE RESULT AS YOU HAVE?

“The customer is the boss. I have to get in line, even when it’s difficult. The customer has got the better overview of the project and also if I write the best track in the world and everyone likes it – if it doesn’t fit to the project I have to write something different. The track will find another place if it is as strong as I think it is. At least a composition should please the customer’s taste as it is his project and not mine. What point does it have if the customer plays the game or watches the movie and every time my track is playing he gets annoyed because he doesn’t like it? The customer should back the project and often there are many musical possibilities and not just one. Mostly a track gained through the customer’s feedback and only rarely a track has become worse. You have to live with that and as long as I can write my name under the composition without a second thought everything is fine.” (Laughing)

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Alex Röder

  TO BE CREATIVE ON POINT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. EVERYBODY KNOWS THE SITUATION WHEN YOU ARE SITTING IN FRONT OF A WHITE SHEET OF PAPER TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT BEGINNING AND THE RIGHT IDEA. HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED YOURSELF IN SUCH A SITUATION AND HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO FIND THE BEGINNING?

“Yes, I know this situation and I often find myself in it especially when there is a deadline I have to stick to. Often I force myself to start with any idea to overcome the dead point and to get into the right workflow. Partially I overrule my first idea and just use it as a catalyst to get some new ideas in mind. It’s important to start the work and not to suffocate every idea with self-doubts.“

IF YOU GOT THE CHANCE TO GIVE YOUR 15 YEARS YOUNGER SELF AN ADVICE – WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

“If you start out on your personal development sometime you try to slip in things that bother your current thoughts. That is very important for the learning effect, but also can go down the drain if you have to work on commissioned works. Probably I would advise myself to gain a more objective view on the tracks and more to empathize with my customer. In my opinion this is the factor with the most potential of development of young composers.”

HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO FIND THE RIGHT WORKFLOW? DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS OR METHODS THAT HELP YOU TO GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF A THEME?

“Rather not, but the requirements are very different so it can’t hurt to listen to tracks of the same genre.”

HOW CAN SAMPLE LIBRARIES SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR DAILY WORK? SURE, THEY ARE HELPFUL FOR TIME CRITICAL PROJECTS, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER BENEFITS?

“In general libraries enable me to make my musical vision audible. In this regard we have a leg-up on composers of the past who arranged their idea on the piano and just before the recording session they could first listen to the implementation through a bigger ensemble.”

HOW DO YOU RATE THE QUALITY OF SAMPLE LIBRARIES IN COMPARISON TO LIVE RECORDINGS?

“I think there is no general answer. It depends on the genre. Nowadays some instruments are well represented. Percussion libraries are on a very high level. You can record great mixing tracks that are hard to record with live drums as you can control the single signals of the rate of overdrive. But also the melody instruments get better and better on samples. Some legato instruments sound really realistic. In some genres a mix of libraries and live recordings is established as you can use both strengths of the two music worlds.”

WHAT DOES YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH A NEW LIBRARY LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR YOU WHILE TESTING THE NEW PRODUCT?

“Besides the sound aspect, the usability is really important. An inconvenient mapping can keep me from using it as the layering of several instruments is very annoying if you have to adjust to many parameters.”

HOW DO YOU JUDGE YOUR OWN COMPOSITION? WHICH FACTORS PLAY A ROLE?

“During a commissioned work the compliance of the customer’s briefing plays the biggest role. Thereby the creative frame is narrowly defined. But I am still in search of certain originality. I am only really content if I manage to surprise myself.”

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE WRONG DIRECTION WHILE COMPOSING? HOW DO YOU REACT?

“Yes, it happens. When I notice that my composition doesn’t lead to the right result I start a new one. In the best case I can use parts of the arrangement as a starting point for a new idea. If I am in a real deadlock it is reasonable to start all over again.”

HOW DO YOU HANDLE CUSTOMER’S CRITIC IF HE/SHE HAS GOT ANOTHER VIEW ON THE RESULT AS YOU HAVE?

“I would say it is individual different. Some customers are open for contrary argumentation, when you fight for your idea. Often you have to bite the bullet and do some reworks. Sometimes you have to do some reworks although you think there is no optimization scope. That’s part of the business.”

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Christian Hartung