CIRCULATION: Hannes Kretzer
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.
Which musicians and artists do you feel most inspired by?
I'm most inspired by artists who have the power to rediscover and reinvent themselves. I often find myself enjoy listening to unexpected gems from artists who are not really from the genres I work in.
How important is collaboration in your creative endeavours?
Collaboration is an essential part of everything. Trust is an important ingredient here, and that is a thing I'm discovering at the moment.
What are the key ingredients to one of your tracks?
Major pop-style vocal synth lines through an old Solton Cathedral tape echo.
Do you ever think about the visual element of your music while you're making it? Album art, videos, etc.?
I recently got a lot into graphic design, and it opened a whole new world to me. I understand my music and the message behind it much better since I started working on a multimedia level.
What's on the horizon for you?
I'm in the middle of a progression at the moment. Combining worlds and shifting genres while learning from what I have discovered so far. I began to get conscious of my body and started moving while playing synths. This positively affects the mood of the tracks. These are exciting and creative times, and I cannot wait to share the outcome.
Hannes Kretzer’s ‘Dream of Sleep’ is Available Now. You can listen to his ‘Circulation’ mixtape tonight from 9pm BST on Mezzanine FM.