As a teenager, Hannes Kretzer was driven to collect sounds, processing and distorting them until they fused with his insular, mental universe. Synthesizer pioneers such as Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream were his inspiration. Now an established artist in the worlds of ambient and modern classical and label boss of Unperceived Records, Kretzer is ready to take the next step in his musical journey. Mezzanine caught up with Kretzer to talk about these early days and his 'Circulation' Mixtape.

Where are you based at the moment? 

I'm living outside of Berlin with my beautiful wife and two naked cats.

Can you tell me a little about the concept behind the mix?

This mix is kind of an emotional release for me, growing from an overly complicated and somewhat confusing time. I seem to fall in love with more body-oriented music since I moved to Berlin in 2019. Unquestionable raw tunes with a particular drive and energy draw my attention.

Are there any tracks that are special to you from your selection and why?

FKA Twigs' "Sad Day" gets me every single time. I cannot tell you why, but it makes my neurons fire heavily.

Did you have a musical upbringing?

My father gave me his beloved Jazz records when I was young. Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" comes to my mind. I think you can call that an upbringing...

What does your studio look like at the moment?

My studio is a refugium for me, so it should feel cosy at any time. There are a couple of battleship synths (Moog 'one', Arturia 'Matrixbrute'), my beloved Fender Rhodes piano with some guitar pedals, old tape echoes and the obligatory half-broken vintage mixing desk.

Tell us a bit about your journey as a musician. How aware are you of involving your personal experiences into your creative process?

As a teenager, I spent lots of hours in my room recording albums because I was too scared to leave the house due to mental disorders. I discovered early seventies electronic ambient music (Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno...) and that's all I wanted to do. It was most definitely a hideout from the outside world. Only much later, I discovered I can be responsible and take care of myself, but those years of fear still find their way into my music.

Do you ever think about who might end up listening to your work?

I try to avoid this thought in the process of making music, but I hope people find a way to reflect while listening to my music.