Jens Massel aka Senking was born in cologne in 1969.
In the early 1990s, Massel gained his first musical experiences as a bass player in different punk and indie band s. In 1995, he got his hand s on a very low-fi synthesizer that was able to create short samples of 5 seconds in length. These “mini loops” were recorded and arranged on a 4-track machine with the result of his first electronic track on tape.
Massel’s experimental work is a lot about organic dynamics and also about a certain atmosphere that often reminds of listening a soundtrack or of being miles below sea level – in the best case, both of them. As with 2013’s Capsize Recovery, Closing Ice is coming out via Raster-Noton, one of two labels Jens Massel has been associated with throughout his 17-year production career (the other is wide-ranging German outlet Karaoke Kalk). Raster-Noton says the nine-track album explores “bass-heavy and atmospheric compositions and the trips into the dark recesses of the human psyche.”
Facts
1: So called facts are way to often just opinions.
2: Hope is the origin for unhappiness.
3: I’m not sure if these are just opinions too :)
Questions
What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Everything in life itself
How and when did you get into making music?
At age of nineteen I bought a bass guitar and started to play punk/indie rock in several band s.
What are your 5 favorite albums of all time?
Talk Talk – Laughing stock
Aphex Twin – Selected ambient works 85 – 92
Dinosaur jr. – Green mind
Bohren & der Club of Gore – Midnight radio
Melvins – Houdini
What do you associate with Berlin?
Friends.
What’s your favorite place in your town?
Underneath my headphones.
If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Cycling, but i do this beside music anyway.
What was the last record you bought?
The Clash – Sand inista
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
With someone who can do visuals for my live performances, because I’m not pleased with the stuff I come up with and prefer to spend my time on making music..
What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
As a performer I had plenty of great gigs. Impossible to choose just one.
Of course a very special and rare thing are the gigs I play on the 4D soundsystem.
I’m very happy for the opportunity to create a set for the system..
Actually the same goes for being a spectator: it’s hard to pick just one. Defining the best gig not only by the performance itself, but the whole atmosphere of the evening, seeing “The Grifters” in the 90’s was one highlight. It wasn’t just the music and performance itself which was so very powerful and massive, but also the whole atmosphere of the crowd, the band , the place etc. was so perfectly in tune. We just wouldn’t let them go off stage.
Also I would like to mention the dj sets of Loefah years ago when dub step came up and the outstand ing set of source direct at berlin atonal in 2014.
How important is technology to your creative process?
Not very important. Of course it seems like a nice thing to me with all this great gear around, but on the other hand side it can make me also less experimental/inspired. In the end you’ve to be creative with what you’ve got and sometimes less can be more.
Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career?
One older brother. He likes that I went for it, but he’s not to much into the music i make.
Our Favourites:
Chainsawfish
Nightbeach
https://youtube.com/watch?v=m_RuqH5F9kY
Closing Eyes
Links: Soundcloud | Facebook
