Acid Pauli – Just Do It.
It is one of the privileges you have being an editor of a music magazine to get to know artists you always admired, and sitting together with Martin Gretschmann aka Acid Pauli is definitely one of the highlights of my career. Heard so much about him and even more music from him so meeting him in person was something I was really looking forward to. What i did not expect is to meet such a humble person, natural and open-hearted and -minded.
He is another living proof that what really defines an artist is his creativity, not the airs and graces some stars build around them, plus the whole machinery that agencies and managers create around them in order to make as much money as possible.
Martin, it is my utmost pleasure to finally meet you and welcome you in dub, how did you come to music in the first place?
When I was a teenager I wanted to be a DJ, but then I just bought a bass guitar and played in my neighbour’s Punk Rock band, because the guy who wanted to give me a turntable didn’t want to sell it to me at the end… so I thought to myself I have some money and I want to make music, and my neighbour agreed that I could join the band. It took me almost 15 years to finally get into DJing via sampling and playing with electronic gear.
An Atari computer, a four-track tape machine, a sampler and a small synthesizer – is that all it needs to make music? (I have to explain that – he started to make electronic music on those machines)
Of course, nowadays you only need a telephone to make music…
…and talent obviously…
Yeah.
– Big laughs-
You went public with ‘Console’ and as part of ‘The Notwist’ – what are both projects about?
‘Console’ is a project that I started by myself as an electronic act that somehow turned into a band for the live situation because I was bored to play alone. ‘The Notwist’ was an existing band for seven years before I joined them, and recently, after 20 years, I left them again.
Both projects are mainly focused on experimenting with electronic sounds generated out of all sorts of machines and other things that can be used to make noise, analog or digital, united in his own, unique style. ‘Console’ is more of an open platform for all sorts of sounds, ‘The Notwist’ can best be described as Experimental Indie Pop.
Next to follow was ’13&God’ – already the name is interesting – what is it about?
It is a collaboration between the core people of ‘The Notwist’ and this Hip Hop people from Oakland, California called ‘Themselves’. We met while we were on tour and became friends, so why not making music together?
Musicwise, what is it about?
Combining the Hip Hop roots of ‘Themselves’ with the experimental sounds of ‘The Notwist’, we somehow found that we got the same spirit in both worlds, out comes something new and fresh.
And then in the year 2000 Acid Pauli was born…
I was on tour with the band in Zurich and somebody broke into our van stealing the laptop which I was using for the live shows. After getting a new one I realized that you could actually use it to make music, not just trigger Midi notes. Knowing that I started to do live performances in small places in Munich I was totally hooked to see that you don’t need to take half a studio on tour but just a laptop to be able to perform. That is how Acid Pauli started.
Any relation to a certain music style or something else maybe?
The software i was using was a virtual 303, 808 and 909 and I had a friend who started shouting ‘Acid Pauli!’ at some gigs – as Pauli used to be one of my nicknames… On top when I started playing at Bar 25 in Berlin people used to say ‘Acid Pauli – – – interesting, maybe we should try some acid with it?’ and so it turned round somehow.
Biig laughs again…
You say by yourself Acid Pauli is a dancefloor-focused hybrid live/DJ performance – does that describe it best?
Yeah, kind of – it’s pretty close to DJing, sometimes I do more live edits, sometimes less.
Yesterday i saw you performing in Heart watching it from the stairs above you – guess that was more of the DJ thing.
Absolutely.
How did your collaboration with Damian Lazarus come to life?
We met in the Bar 25 in Berlin, I was playing a really long set and he was to play as well, when somebody wanted to take him to another floor he just stayed and listened for about 12 hours. He came up to me quite in the beginning and said “Hey I am Damian Lazarus, what you play is really amazing” and I thought to myself ‘I know this name but it does not ring a bell’ as I am so bad with names of DJs and producers… It was really funny. So afterwards I wrote him a mail saying ‘you liked what I was playing so maybe you want to join me at a night in my club in Munich?’. From there onwards we started to do collaborations together.
And the Feathered Sun collaborative project? Seems like a lot more than a musical gathering of different artists, something spiritual, almost religious…
It is a crazy gang of five people that meet in always different instrumentations and only once we played all the five together so far which is funny somehow.
The Feathered Sun collaborative is a combination of five artists such as NU, Acid Pauli, Chris Schwarzwälder, Raz Ohara and Jo.Ke, joined by LUM, interconnected as much existentially as spiritually as they are all close friends.
What advise would you give to a newcomer on how to start?
Just do it, don’t go to a music school to learn how to produce or DJ, it is something I would not recommend because music is, like all creative process, about inspiration and creativity is difficult to learn. As soon as you learn techniques of other people you start to copy, not create something by your own. Just go buy some equipment, digital or analogue and go for it with all the passion you can put into it because that is the most important thing.
Meeting you here in Ibiza brings us to the next point – how did you come to play a residency in Heart?
Actually I don’t know, Daniel Busturia, the musical director of Heart, came to Berlin in late January or February showing me a long presentation of what they are planning to do and, after he finished, he told me “We want you to do the Sundays in Heart”, that is how it happened.
How does it feel for you – does it fit?
Yeah, it certainly fits, I like to work with the team, they are all amazing, especially the performers, we interact in a great way so we are all really enjoying it.
Besides your residency in Heart, do you have time to enjoy the island?
We were staying for longer during July and yes I was enjoying it a lot, especially the place where we were staying, in complete countryside in the middle of nowhere where I came to the conclusion ‘I am not leaving here’ as I have city around me every day and enjoying the quiet was just amazing. Besides that I saw a few places, I went to visit Lenny Ibizarre at his Can Chill studios which are amazing but there is still a lot to discover.
Last and very personal question, how does your perfect day look like?
It definitely has some hours to be by myself, that is very important for me, and I would be walking maybe three hours as I enjoy it a lot, and then maybe go to the studio, but essential is to have time for myself and walk.
Now that is a unique answer, never had this one before. Thanks so much Martin, we definitely see each other again in Heart or, even better, doing some long walks together as i am of the same.
Thank you Andreas.
Acid Pauli performs every Sunday in Heart Ibiza in Marina Botafoch, a new and very special venue from the hands of Cirque de Soleil together with Ferran and Albert Adrià. A place that hosts a terrace dedicated to international food stands, a stage for live bands and lots more sensations. On top at the same day offering ‘Acid Sundays’ you can listen to Valentin Huedo, one of the most prestigious DJs from Ibiza, with a very ample sound spectrum ranging from Chill Out up to very deep House. In the Supper Club, dedicated in parts to a first class restaurant you can enjoy the excellent kitchen by the brothers Adrià and outstanding shows by live performers. From 1 am onwards it converts into a dancefloor including a very advanced sound system, with Acid Pauli on Sundays and ‘Heart Factory’ on Wednesdays hosting high profile acts like Duran Duran, Damian Lazarus & the Ancient Moons and Guy Gerber, amongst others for this season 2015. A unique experience and a great extra value for Ibiza’s nightlife.
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