Tahpir brings us Des Morgens, the opening track of the Am I Elsewhere EP. An innovative IDM track filled with dystopic synth elements and a nicely complex, multilayered arrangement. A truly immersive listening experience. Read our discussion with the gifted producer below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Adventurous. Moody. Tense.
Tell us a few things about Des Morgens. What is the main idea behind it?
In the beginning I wanted to try to turn a Charles Mingus piece (“Solo Dancer”) into something that would work in a club, something one could dance to. I kind of felt that the chords and the repetitiveness of the original piece would translate really well! But the track then wanted to go its own way and I just let it take the lead and it became this sprawling, tumultuous journey. It would be a stumbling mess on the dancefloor now, but I like how it turned out.
You spent many years playing in post-hardcore and metal bands. Anyone could tell the differences between genres such as punk and metal compared to electronic music. But what’s the biggest relation between metal and IDM?
Some kinds of heavier guitar driven genres and IDM I am listening to are similar in the way that they are not merely creating soundscapes but are almost world building in nature. The grooves and textural qualities really move you to another place, they shift your perception. Stopping the music then is almost like waking up from a dream, except you were really hyper conscious and alert while being in that other place. So there’s an interesting connection. Apart from that, almost all the music that I’m into, no matter the genre, is similar in the way, that it wants something, it’s taking risks, it’s trying to build new bridges.
You are a classically trained guitarist. Does someone really need to know how to play an instrument to make electronic music?
Absolutely not. Every instrument is technology. A guitar, a drum, a flute made of bone, they are all artifacts, technology created for a very specific purpose. Electronic instruments, even if it’s just VSTs, they are just another variety of instrument. That being said, I do think there’s a difference between playing a physical instrument with its own body that resonates directly to your touch, and playing purely electronic instruments where there’s that middleman, translating your voltage inputs into sound. Give a guitar to 10 different people and you get 10 different sounds, because you hear the human playing it. Give a Serum preset to 10 different people and it will sound exactly the same. Creating electronic music is just a different thing compared to creating music with acoustic instruments. There are other things you have to focus on in order to make them sound like living extensions of yourself. But I don’t think they require each other.
Which artist/album make you gravitate towards electronic music?
A real gamechanger for me was seeing the video for Jon Hopkins’ “Open Eye Signal”, that’s what really piqued my interest in electronic music. Around the same time a friend exposed me to Stephan Bodzin’s album “Singularity” which also blew some fuses in my musical brain.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
I think it helps if you’re open to go on a journey. My tracks tend to go a little longer, because they want to take you places. They need some attention in order to work. I think they would be awfully annoying if you had them on as background music. I think they’re good driving music though!
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
I’m a little shocked that Qrauer aren’t ten times as big as they are right now. Their track “Lustend” alone is one of the most amazing things I’ve heard in electronic music.
What is the story behind your name?
I have a friend who frequently forwards me funny internet memes. At the time when I was wondering how to name this project he happened to sent me something with a tapir in it. It kind of made sense at the time 😀
Thank you!
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