Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles. Mr. Stills lives in a stately estate in the mountains of the metropolis of millions. The folk rock star receives eclipsed in his home studio, where a lot of antiquated technical equipment is piled up. Most of it in better condition than himself: The 71-year-old is hard of hearing, suffers from a facial muscle paralysis that makes him almost incomprehensible, and prefers to talk about topics on which he was not asked at all. Here the compressed version of a memorable two and a half hour interview.

eclipsed: How are you, man?

Stephen Stills: So lala. My knees are over, and I can write better than I can talk. I also have all kinds of arthritis and the pneumatic thumb is not what it used to be.

eclipsed: That doesn't sound good!

Today you can stand by Udo Lindenberg as you please. There are a thousand reasons to love him, just as many to hate him, but you can't ignore the phenomenon "Udo". For some he is still the No. 1 German rocker, the personified coolness that lets all external influences bounce off him and does exactly "his thing". Others see him as an art figure hiding behind himself, a mummy of pop pop pop with alternative painting, a self-caricature with sunglasses, hat, cigar and thick lip.

2015 was a year of change for Mogwai. Original member John Cummings left the band surprisingly, but a new project was already on the way. Northern Irish director Mark Cousins hired the quartet to accompany his ambitious documentary "Atomic, Living In Dread And Promise" with music; a job the band didn't want to cancel despite Cummings' departure. "The album was also a test for the band," explains multi-instrumentalist and sound witch Barry Burns, "we didn't know how Mogwai would work without John. It's funny when a founding member leaves you, it has a direct effect on the musical collaboration. And we didn't have much time. The music was finally recorded in twelve days."

In the 60's, 70's and 80's it was customary for musicians to take a stand on current events and choose clear words - Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and CSN stand for this tradition, but also punk rockers like The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers and reggae artists like Bob Marley. But who still sings today about global grievances? Who dares to put his finger in the wounds and also to take criticism for it? Basically nobody - except a lady from the south coast of England who likes to go on a confrontation course: Polly Jean Harvey, 46 years old and a strong, fighting woman.

He really surprised the blues rock community when he disappeared from the scene for some time after his live album "Live 2014 - Night Train To Budapest Farewell Tour". The multi-instrumentalist, who had first come into focus ten years earlier with "The Blues" and who first came to guitar via his enthusiasm for the blues albums of Gary Moore, took a break. But it was clear that this could not be the final farewell to the music scene, because such a talent doesn't draw a line at the beginning of 30...

eclipsed: Withdrawal from resignation? Was it the famous time-out everyone needs, or did you already have the idea for the Henrik Freischlader Trio (HFT)?

He was as British as one could wish for in the selfish, extroverted world of pop. This was not least reflected in his ironically imbued self-perception. He never took his job and his merits as a producer as an opportunity to put his own person in the foreground. He preferred to step back behind the work and praise the artistic genius of his clients. At a time when he was helping to establish the studio as a musical instrument, he saw himself, he once said, in the tradition of those foolhardy men in their flying boxes who had once conquered the airspace as "daring pilots, without a plan and in the open cockpit". Very British, indeed.

The composer and keyboarder Irmin Schmidt, who lives in southern France, is one of the most influential musical personalities Germany has produced in the twentieth century. First and foremost, his name is associated with the Cologne band CAN, but he has also created numerous solo albums, soundtracks and even an opera. One year before his eightieth birthday, a box entitled "Electro Violet" with the retrospective of his complete works appeared. With a not insignificant limitation.

eclipsed: Irmin, why this retrospective now?

Irmin Schmidt: A lot has accumulated over the years. One day you just want to see all his work. Much of it was no longer on the market. Instead of dripping the CDs one by one, all are now available at once. Later you can certainly also buy them individually, but a complete edition is also a pleasant thing for everyone.

eclipsed: But it's not all your work. An important part is missing.

SANTANA - Blues Magic (4:25)
Album: Santana IV (2016)
Label/Distributor: Santana IV/Thirty Tigers/Alive
www.santana.com

A fascinating album that not only takes up the spirit of the early Santana in its title. If you listen to the new songs of the guitar magician, you immediately get the often quoted 'Woodstock-Feeling', also with the atmospheric "Blues Magic". Produced in a pleasantly old-fashioned way and yet never old-fashioned at any time. Album of the month!