CYCLICAL

Magazine

INTERVIEW:
MATHIAS
GRASSOW

GEAR: ALBUM REVIEW: TOP 12

RELEASES:
- ELEKTRON ENTROPY BY COSMIC
MODEL SAMPLES GROUND AUGUST 2023
- KRISCHER
ANALOG SYNTHE-
SIZER

AUGUST 2023
GEAR:
and the lack of an internal usb ba-
ttery has also been an unfortunate
omission, this being a supplement
ELEKTRON that is sold separately and is not
always available in all markets.
MODEL The storage is a generous 1.5 gi-
gabyte that can be operated very

SAMPLES
intuitively from the Transfer app.
MIDI goes through TSR and has the
option to be configured for both

I
s the economic solution of the type A/B and features MIDI thru.
Swedish company Elektron to An efficient MIDI filter allows you
approach other costumers, it is a to restrict incoming messages.
sampler player with an interesting The sound is of excellent quality, al-
and complete sequencer integrated though the samples must be 16-bit
in the elektron style. It is organized mono. The unit is stereo and the ri-
in 6 tracks with loading of a sample des can be configured for each track
x track. Each track has its own LFO, as well as modulated by the LFO.
loop, reverb & delay send, filter (HP In conclusion, it is an apparently sim-
- LP), swing specific options, and va- ple machine but with powerful pos-
rious note hit probability functions. sibilities and flexibility, also highligh-
Envelopes are limited to decay ha- ting its complete panel of knobs and
ving no attack time, but with a little less editing via menu typical of its
ingenuity this can be done with the bigger sisters Digitakt, Syntakt, etc.
LFO applied to the sample level. The
sequencer is classic from elektron, Ulises Labaronnie
with polymetry possibilities, assig-
ning up to 64 steps independently
to each track. At first glance we only
have 6 tracks with 6 samples, but this
is expanded thanks to the “sample
lock” function that allows adding 20
more samples to the sequences, be-
ing located specifically in each step.
The samples can be organi-
zed in folders and subfolders, so
its easy to find the desire item.
The construction is good plastic but
the sensitivity of the pads does not
allow for effective fingerdrumming,
2 AUGUST 2023
GEAR: nerator, LFO... to create their own
synthesizer and their own sound!
Since 2023, he have started to de-
KRISCHER velop a more “complete” range
of synthesizers (available soon),
ANALOG but always with a simple hand-
ling and use! With this new range,
SYNTHESIZER he would like to offer Krischer’s
users the opportunity to crea-

J
te their unique sound universe.
ohn Krischer is an analog synthe-
sizer designer in Paris, France.
These synthesizers are designed
and handmade by John, to offer
an optimal and durable product.
John work as a sound engineer and
producer. As electronics was always
a passion since childhood, he was
able to merge his skills by creating
their own machines. As a matter of
fact, he also use their own machines
in his music mixes and production. Krischer Analog Polyphonic Syn-
He started his business with the thesizer V2:
3-voices polyphonic synthesizer in Described as a 3-voice Drone Syn-
th the Analog Polyphonic Syn-
thesizer has evolved to include 3
CV inputs with the combination
of just 3 knobs and 3 buttons.
Each knob and button refers to
one of the 3 sawtooth oscilla-
tors inside the box. You can crea-
te chords or detuned notes by
changing the pitch with the knobs.
Krischer has released a new ver-
sion that features 3 CV inputs.
2018, a simple design and use with
Each input is set to control the
an idea of integration into modular.
pitch of one of the oscillators.
Indeed, he would like to offer to
users and those curious about elec-
Instagram:
tronic music, the possibility to choo-
Krischer_analogsynthesizers
se their filter modules, envelope ge-
3 AUGUST 2023
INTERVIEW:
MATHIAS
GRASSOW
“…the aim of my
music lies in a phi-
losophical digres-
sion, as well as in
a strong spiritual
orientation”

Grassow is a German musician

who has been called “The King of
Drone Ambient”, one of the leading
figures in “sacred” space music, and
much more. His music encourages
slowing down the pace and
connecting with the inner self. He
calls it “Alchemy of the third ear”.

How were your first steps making

ambient/drone music? Which
artists influenced you in this
style? Is there something that you
manifest or transmit punctually
with your music?
- I can’t say exactly when I decided
to make music. It probably
started at the end of the 70s.
Originally, I wanted to make
rock music in the style of YES,
RENAISSANCE and the supergroups
of the 70s, which all disbanded or
became entangled at the time.
The “culprit” was the burgeoning
PUNK and the DISCO wave. This
obviously irritated my idols, and
so I wanted to “save” this music,
but at that time I couldn’t find
any comrades-in-arms and there
was also a lack of money for
synthesizers and / or drums...
Since I always took a two-pronged
approach as a listener, there was
also the electronics with their long
pieces, in which I could lose myself
so beautifully. Of course, Schulze and
Tangerine dream were very present, PH: CORNELIA KERN

4 AUGUST 2023
as were Georg Deuter and the entire
“Munich School”, specially around
KLAUS WIESE and POPOL VUH.
One of my favorites and good friend
until today is PETER-MICHAEL
HAMEl. So I wanted to play and
own synthesizers, which were
still very expensive at the time. A
MEMORYMOOG or PROPHET 5
remained a dream, but at least I
had the opportunity to play and
record these instruments in the
legendary SYNTHESIZERSTUDIO
JACOB in Wiesbaden ! I don’t like to disclose my
My main influence has always
been the “spiritually oriented”
Munich School rather than the
Berlin School, although the two
do not have to compete. The
musicians behind both schools
influenced me in some way, and
in the early 90s I got to know the
Americans around RICH / ROACH
/ STEARNS etc. know and love.
The unfortunately deceased ELMAR
SCHULTE (SOLITAIRE) also gave us
the opportunity to get to know
some of these personalities. It was
a wild and beautiful time - early
90s (in my opinion the heyday
of ambient and subgroups...)
My goal and intentions in my
music clearly lie in a philosophical
digression with largely
instrumental albums, as well as
in a strong spiritual orientation,
without being confessional or
representing a particular doctrine.
How is your current workflow,
what instruments, composition
and recording processes are you
using? Do you have any method
of inspiration when you dive into
the studio to compose?
- At the moment, it’s summer
break. In this respect, everything
rests, and I start again in autumn.
equipment. For me, the way and
style of composing is something
very intimate, which I don’t
necessarily want to share publicly.
Good music does not depend
only and not necessarily
on expensive equipment!
In autumn, I will start to work with
the HYDRASYTNH, the ingenious
SOMA gear and the NYMPHES,
CIRCUIT RHYTHM etc. Furthermore,
I have been using CLAVIA and
ROLAND equipment for years.
I don’t make any special preparations
during the admission process, but let
myself drift. My specialty is probably
that I always record LIVE. There are
no multitrack recordings and no
elaborate rework. With the various
tools on the PC, I am rather spartan.
5 AUGUST 2023
In “Through an unknown
stargate”, the album you released
last year on Cyclical Dreams label,
you raise the direction of the
planet from certain questions,
such as turbo-capitalism,
exploitation of all kinds, climate
change, war and epidemics.
Is there any branch of art that
serves as a source of inspiration
for you when approaching an
album like this? Could it be the
music of a work of art you like (be
it a painting, an opera, a movie)?
-Well, I let myself fall into the sounds
that I carefully selected beforehand
and see how the “live” fit
PH: CORNELIA KERN
together, what the vibration is like,
whether the “spirit” is there, etc.
Certainly, there are influences from
film and experiences running in
the background. However, these
are not the basis of a process of
creation in the sense of experience
= direct implementation in music.
It’s more like a dream, in which many
experiences mix and which is often
chaotic and difficult to interpret. I
“help” myself by musically “sort”
and let my listeners participate
in it, (that’s the “afterward
concept” on most albums...)
- Here is a little more understandable:
I would even go so far as to say
that the “concept”, as on the work
you mentioned at Cyclical dreams,
only arises AFTER the music, or
shows itself to me afterward, like
in a shamanic session! There,
too, roughly speaking, it is first
experienced (making of music)
and then interpreted (the deep
listening sessions after creation).
“Lyramos”, for example,
doesn’t follow any concept and
thus seems more “chaotic”
than “Through an unknownn
stargate”. This is also interesting
for me to observe afterward!
Besides making music as a soloist,
you have had collaborations with
other musicians, how do you live
that experience? Do you feel that
it brings another kind of vision
even within your music?
-Of course, other musicians
- preferably from other genres -
bring a breath of fresh air into my
PH: CORNELIA KERN
more than 40 years of activity!
They also help not to rust and
stand still in a self-indulgent way.
Here, too, I let myself drift
and see where a collaboration
wants to emerge in practice,
which feels easy and coherent.
What new plans do you have in
mind? Are you working on any
new work or project?
-I am very happy with my
collaboration with HEIKKI
LINDGREN from Finland, who
inspires me a lot and with whom
I can work well remotely. Since he
has an acoustic set in his luggage,
he is an ideal partner as a contrast
to my devices. From autumn on,
we are working on a new album.
At the moment, I’m working
on a project with a friendly and
gifted guitarist. This process of
creation takes a long time and
reaches new depths for me.
6 AUGUST 2023
That’s a nice surprise for me,
because I often think that I have
long since “said” everything there
is to express in the ambient...
Nothing more is planned or fixed yet
– I here follow the path of TAO ;-)
My vision for the future is that this
music will be used more in the
medical field. For me personally,
ambient music is music that has
healing powers, especially in today’s
world, which makes us more and
more sick in our heads and spirits.
My experiences with this music
and sometimes poignant fan
letters show me that music in the
broadest sense is and should be
much more than just a narcotic
for entertainment and distraction.
In the words of the great medium
EDGAR CAYCE: “Music and sound
will be the medicine of the future”.
PH: CORNELIA KERN
COSMIC
GROUND:
ENTROPY
I
don’t know if you’re in the
same place as me, but I’d
definitely place the name
Cosmic Ground, a project
by keyboardist Dirk Jan Mü-
ller, alongside Arc, Redshift,
[‘ramp] and Brendan Pollard
when it comes to talking
about those artists who
have best transported the
Berlin School style out of its
glorious 70’s. After all, the
man who co-directs Electric
Orange’s activities with Dirk
Bittner, has been delivering
solid albums in the genre
since his 2014 coup de ca-
non in the self-titled Cosmic
Ground. This album was the
kick-off to a series of CDs,
download albums and EPs
that have done wonders for
the eardrums of aficionados
of Tangerine Dream’s style
from the Ricochet years to
Force Majeure. And ENTRO-
PY isn’t about to change
that! Available on Digipak
CD and in 24-bit download format,
this latest offering from the German
synthesist follows in the footsteps of
the sumptuous Isolate and the fan-
tastic Cosmic Ground IV in a rhyth-
mic fury so powerful that even your
ears won’t know where to hide.
We enter a universe of horror and
science fiction with the strange mel-
ting hoops of sound that fuel the
introduction of Space Speed. Then
come the hums of machine and
the ululation of cyborg specters.
Dirk Jan Müller introduces a fau-
na of psychedelic sound elements
into ENTROPY’s dimension that
sets it apart from previous opuses,
lending futuristic Luciferian dimen-
sions to the music and its ambien-
ces. Wind, woosshh and mechanical
yowlings combine to activate an ini-
tial rhythmic structure that stutters
like a train making buckings. Passed
through a sequence shredder, the
spasmodic rhythm eventually leaps
between rattling debris and other
percussive elements to run like a
rhythmic train. It rolls at breakneck
speed, even risking overflowing and
derailing when it mocks a curve. The
sequences are nervous. They twirl
and flicker in this mass of percussive
clatters, racing towards a passage
where the atmosphere becomes ra-
rer, before finally resuming a more
conventional momentum, inters-
persed with a few atmospheric traps
in an industrial ambience as sordid
as ever. With a few variations, Ran-
domize User 0 follows this rhythmic
train structure in a long more fluid
flight and a slightly more sober se-
tting. But the industrial scent con-
tinues to whistle through. Phasing
76 is a tribute to the pioneers of
the 70’s who recently passed away.
Klaus Schulze, Vangelis and Manuel
Göttsching come to mind. The track
begins its turn towards our ears
with the warbles, distortions and
woosshh inherent in the genre of
the golden years of electronic music
(EM). A sequenced bass line emer-
7 AUGUST 2023
ges from as close as 30 seconds
later. Although muffled, its move-
ment is fluid and circular, with slight
jolts. A more harmonious rhyth-
mic shadow - the arpeggios have a
more translucent nuance - sticks to
this structure that rolls beneath this
woosshh storm in a seductive alter-
nation between the mutation of the
color and tones. This cadenced me-
lody takes on a more nebulous, al-
most ghostly form, over the almost
10 minutes of Phasing 76. Dirk Jan
Müller plays with the modulations
of the sequencer, here as elsewhe-
re on the album, creating confusion
and charm between our ears for a
structure that slows its course more
and more to reach a short
atmospheric finale. Are our
ears still thirsty for these
hellish rhythms? No pro-
blem! Substance’s frenetic
rhythm and spasmodic mo-
mentum run through them,
with the unbridled race of
the sequencer running its
rhythm breathlessly under
a veil of murmurs and ch-
thonian orchestral hums.
The Cage’s opening spreads
its murky veil with a drone
layer. The track feeds more
on elements of industrial
and psychedelic ambiences, enve-
loping a rhythm that struggles to
emerge and remains stifled under
this hold for its 7-minute length.
Q2408 feeds a little on these am-
biences to offer a rhythmic structu-
re born from the tinkling of metal
on aluminum. The structure quivers
and splutters in a rhythmic approach
that jolts along without really taking
off. The color of the sequences and
its jerky variations, like the blows of
different instruments on a meshed
anvil, tinkle between the clutches
of a dark oily membrane that pu-
rrs and hums. A bit more, and we’d
be in Freddy Krueger’s dreams! Af-
ter the long journey of Randomize
User 0’s rhythmic train has reached
its destination, Equilibrium takes us
into ENTROPY’s only moment wi-
thout real rhythms. It’s a track full
of chthonian ambiences, where
machines have souls and breathe
out their dark thoughts. These dark
industrial ambiences flow over into
the introduction of the long title
track. Here, specters and evil gargo-
yles are born from a fusion of cast
iron and tungsten. Their yowling,
murmurs and hungry gurgles inter-
twine in long howling moans, akin
to metallic winds. They run throu-
gh long imaginary corridors before
fueling a rhythmic structure that
shudders to ignite like a train from
the underworld shortly after the
8th minute. Two rhythmic lines, one
fluid and the other spasmodic, knot
together this rhythmic momen-
tum that mechanized fireflies peck
at here and there, giving Entropy’s
music a tormented psychedelic
sheen. This is as true for the title
track as it is of the other 7 structu-
res on an album designed to chan-
ge the minds of those who whine
that the Berlin School style has ne-
ver been able to reinvent itself. The
rhythm wears out these sequences,
which leap like scissors across the
industrial void, only to disintegrate,
rather like a rhythmic weapon, in
a slow, atmospheric finale just be-
fore the 14th minute, whose sonic
combustion is lost in the muffled
winds and murmurs that will haunt
our ears for a few minutes yet.
8 AUGUST 2023
Rhythm! Lots of rhythm. Sequen-
ces spread out in constantly per-
mutating rhythm structures, and in
tones, in colors and modulations,
ENTROPY explores a hidden facet of
Cosmic Ground’s repertoire, at least
not in that dimension, inserting psy-
chedelic and industrial textures into
an electronic music inspired by the
best moments of Tangerine Dream,
Arc, Redshift, Ramp and so on. Dirk
Jan Müller has the gift to astonish
and seduce even more. Album after
album! Here he delivers 72 minutes
of flawless ferocity, where the anvil
of our eardrums vibrates in symbio-
sis with an infernal music conceived
in the shadow of darkness. Yep...
true Berlin School in a tradition that
transcends its usual gothic universe!
Sylvain Lupari
synthsequences.com
 TOP 12 RELEASES:
AUGUST 2023

FOLD BY ANDREW HEATH WHEN TIME STANDS DREAMS AND DRONES GARDENS IN GLASS BY
STILL BY ASTROPILOT BY CHRISTIAN WITTMAN DARYL GROETSCH

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REVELATIONS BY MICADO NDUSTRIES

9 AUGUST 2023
 CYCLICAL DREAMS: LATEST ALBUMS

DECLIVE BY
M3NASH
MUSIC COMPOSED, PERFORMED AND PRODUCED BY M3NASH
MASTERED: M3NASH
BANDCAMP ALBUM: https://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/decli-
ve-cyd-0085
ARTWORK: CYCLICAL DREAMS
PHOTOGRAPHY: AMP PUTTIPONG

STEPS TO THE STARS BY

JOHN SCOTT SHEPHERD
MUSIC COMPOSED, PERFORMED AND PRODUCED BY JOHN SCOTT
SHEPHERD
MASTERED: JOHN SCOTT SHEPHERD
BANDCAMP ALBUM: https://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com/album/
steps-to-the-stars-cyd-0086
ARTWORK: CYCLICAL DREAMS
PHOTOGRAPHY: AMP PUTTIPONG

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