An Interview with Reimer Eising
Reimer Eising is 21 years old. He lives in the Netherlands. Since 2001 he’s released music on Dub, Kracfive, Neo Ouija, Planet Mu, and several other labels as Kettel. In just two years, he’s already gained a reputation in the electronic music scene with his consistently melodic compositions. He kindly agreed to an email interview for Gridface.
Jacob: You seem to be fairly prolific. How much music do you write in a typical month?
Reim: It depends on how many live shows I planned for that month, since I’m always writing new tracks for live sets. If a month is full of live performances I happen to accomplish just a small amount of music for releases.
How long does it take you to put together a single composition?
I like to work fast; starting and finishing a track in one day is ideal because I won’t lose the vibe that it has, and I won’t get lost in the file and directory and editing mess. Sometimes I find an old track that got stuck around one minute or so, and I finish it by changing the whole thing (theme, melody, time signatures) into something I couldn’t have thought of when I worked on it. So taking a lot of time before finishing a track has advantages and disadvantages for me. But it’s safe to say I generally work fast.
Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you get back on track?
There are times it’s hard to write music (personal reasons, or extremely hot weather). Sometimes when the inspiration gets low nothing works out and everything seems to be disastrous. I never had that for more than a week, though. Like I said, sometimes I get back on an old track by just changing the whole thing or using the samples/sounds/loops for something else. I have tons of unfinished stuff (usually ten-second or so starts of songs) and I use these sources for new tracks. So everywhere I have parts of my own material I can use. I don’t work like that always though; sometimes everything is new.
What inspires you as a musician?
Other music, often. Classical music because the melodic activity is so complex and great; it can get me going to go make some of that melodic lushness myself as well. Electronic music sometimes, but not as much as it used to. I think most of the stuff that is out now gets old real quick, or got old even before it came out!
I don’t know if things inspire me as musician. I don’t write soundtracks for things that happen in my head (visual things). Watching a beautiful river doesn’t make me want to run to my gear and jam out like a madman. Sounds unromantic, eh? I just try to make beautiful music, always. It depends on moods and crossover combinations my brain makes.
Do you have any favorite writers or visual artists?
I really like Paul Theroux at this moment. Lots more. I used to read a lot, but I’ve been forgetting to do it lately. Harry Mulisch (a Dutch writer) too. I’m not into visual art really, but I consider David Lynch to be part visual artist and he’s good.
I like old paintings that go real crazy on detailed realistic things too. I sound like a moron ’cause I don’t really know the names. Dali is great too.
Have you ever collaborated with other artists?
Collaborations are those things that seem to be in planning forever. But I’ve worked together with Kracfive on the original instrument album where we worked with human vocals only. And I did some remixes, but I don’t know if you consider that a collaboration. I do actually.
I’ve noticed hip-hop elements in some of your tracks.
The hip-hop element is widely spoken about, but I know nothing. Most of those hip-hop elements are the beats, and those beats are just basic Western rhythms, I guess. Boom tsk boom tsk. They flow nicely and go nicely with my music I think.
Maybe I used some scratching sample once or some cut-up rapper, but it’s unrelated to a hip-hop scene or personal drive to add hip-hop influences to my music.
Personally I’m not into hip-hop anymore really. I used to like some stuff, but I think it’s really boring usually. And sampling old funk records and adding some drum break doesn’t really make me shiver anymore. But that’s just me. I just want beautiful melody.
A Kracfive press release names you as “the fourth member of the Kracphibian collective.” What is your role with the label?
They’re good friends and I’m releasing some older Kettel music through them. I have a new release coming up very soon on their label: it’s called Look At This! Ha! Ha! Ha! (CD/vinyl). We played live together (me and Colongib). I help them out with the label too—setting up better distribution and giving my opinions about certain things. But it’s not a very huge role. I’m not the ruler of the world. Kracfive is a collective of friends and everyone that is a friend helps out. That’s the way they work, and I really appreciate what they do.
What are your interests besides music?
Here comes the big news: movies. And I’m getting into reading books again after a few years’ absence. Besides that, hanging out with friends, making big fires in huge gardens, playing soccer.
Do you have any new projects in the works?
A new EP on Dub called Cuddle and Then Leave (probably vinyl only). It’s the messenger of a new album I’m working on for Dub. And the Kracfive thing I told you about. Watch my page, at the discography section. There is some info. That’s all for now. I’m working on new live sets too.