D/B 11+3 | interview with FELIX KUBIN

Posted on | January 14, 2010 | No Comments

11+3 is a section of Digital In Berlin dedicated to personal interviews with all the musicians and bands that have appeared in our Artist Features.
Each artist is asked 11 set questions and to contribute 3 “facts” which can be any statement from them on absolutely anything: their own views on politics, religion, the environment, sport…or just something they read in the paper or saw on TV. 11+3 is designed to give you an insight into the motivations and aspirations of the best creative minds in the world. This time with the German musician & artist Felix Kubin.

FACTS:

1. The word of the year 2010 is Utopia.
2. At the moment, we are in a state of Rennaissance. Lots of re-issues of good music, films etc.
3. After the abstraction of the digital realm, the physical world has become important again. Physicality in performance, the rediscovery of the complexity of acoustic resonance bodies, the rise of collectives in art and orchestras in music. The next years, people will spend much time with creating refined interfaces between the physical and the digital world. We don’t need more sound creating devices at the moment.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
resonances, unusual films & architecture, microphysics, speed, noises of the city

2. How and when did you get into making music?
At age 9. I was bored of playing other people’s music and started composing. My father supported me a lot. When I was 11, he bought me a KORG MS-20. At age 14 I got the first available 4-track audio cassette recorder.

3. What are your 5 favourite albums of all time?
I have difficulties with this question because music and art are processes that cannot be fixed in a nostalgic “best of” category. Five albums that I listen to a lot: “Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.”, “Iannis Xenakis – Electronic Music”, “Renaldo & the Loaf – Songs for Swinging Larvae”, “The Honeymoon Killers – Les Tueurs de la lune de miel”, “Rolf
Dieter Brinkmann – Wörter.Sex.Schnitt”

4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Space, humour, the film Braindead

5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
The harbour

6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Talk rhythmically.

7. What was the last record you bought?
George Coleman – Bongo Joe

8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Christian Marclay, Lary7, Daniel Padden…

9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
Spectator: “The Cardiacs” – 1989 at Kir, Hamburg
Performer: couldn’t name the best; a good one most recently: Nov 2009, live at the Issue Project Room with Lary 7 and Scott Haggart

10. How important is technology to your creative process?
The idea of RECORDING something still amazes me. Such does the invention of radio, telephone and vacuum cleaner.

11. Do you have siblings and are they proud or jealous of you?
One brother who is also a musician. I think he is proud but he keeps his secrets.

www.felixkubin.com | MySpace | Gagarin Records