SATURMZLIDE - Modern Electronics: "Hand Screwed" Passion

This is how contemporary electronic music works: "Human Art Engines", SaturmZlide's new album, is influenced by the 21st century, refers to the 80s and 90s, captivates with its multitude of sounds and is at the same time groovy and danceable. So it's not only going to be popular on the dancefloor, but also for lovers of old-school electronics. eclipsed talked to Alex Marco from Lüneburg, the man behind SaturmZlide.

eclipsed: Alex, with SaturmZlide you have been active in the wide field of electronic music for quite some time. Before "Human Art Engines" you already released three albums and one EP. How do you classify SaturmZlide within electronic music?

Alex Marco: I call it an industrial merger. But I've always taken in different elements. Guitars, for example. But Industrial was the central theme, along with Breakcore and Rhythmic-Noise, the very hard kind of electronic music. The first album was Rhythmic-Noise. That's what's been going through all the albums. I've been experimenting and adding atmospheric stuff. It was also important to me that an album doesn't always have 50 minutes of industrial sounds. In the reviews it was written that one has the feeling that stories are told.

eclipsed: With the new album "Human Art Engines" you vary your approach. What's different from the previous albums?

Marco: Unlike the older albums, it's not a concept album. It doesn't tell a story. I did little digital work on it and wanted to experiment more with hardware and real devices again. I tinkered with the sounds and didn't pay attention if it would work live. The space for adventure was important. With the new album I am again fixated on pure electronics. It also has some light old-school elements in it. My roots go back to the 80s and 90s, to the techno era. The synths from the 80s. It's still very variable. I'll keep this open. I mixed three tracks with Matthias Schuster, who is a veteran of the scene and helped me move towards the 80s sound. We mixed with an analog console. It's no rhythmic noise anymore, not so hard, but even groovier.

eclipsed: Your musical roots do not lie solely in electronic music. You like prog, too. How did you finally get into electronic music?

Marco: Those are different phases that influenced me. On the one hand, of course, all the techno stuff from the 90s. At that time I played as a DJ and made electronic music with simple means. That trained my hearing accordingly. On the other hand, I played bass in a rock band on the side. And at the beginning of 2000 I grew into a progressive rock band as a keyboarder. It's all important and it's influenced me. Fusion - combining different musical styles - has always been my way. I first discovered industrial 10 years ago. That was something completely new for me.

eclipsed: Do these other styles flow into SaturmZlide?

Marco: That is not foreseeable. I'm currently working on two other projects and trying out new things. At the moment I don't know how far SaturmZlide will continue. I need a break after an album, about two or three years. That's what I needed before the last album. It's gonna be like that again. I will play a few more live shows, but I will concentrate on other projects. The 80s sound is currently very popular again. As a keyboarder, I find this kind of thing interesting.

eclipsed: How do all the sounds you hear on your albums come into being?

Marco: The sounds on the new album are self-made. I spent an awful lot of time working on the sounds. With the previous albums I used digital sound generators a lot. Now everything has been created with hardware. I have a lot of experience with analog sound generation. It took me a long time, but I took my time. It's all hand-screwed. So not downloaded anywhere. Even the rhythms are programmed by yourself.

eclipsed: You practice music as a hobby and passion besides your normal job. What motivates you to keep going?

Marco: That actually happens automatically. Making music is for me like a necessity for my life. Maybe compare it to writing a diary. It's a reflection of the soul. Sometimes it's very technical, sometimes it's very emotional. There are times when nothing happens musically at all. That can take two, three months. Sometimes there is also a deadline for an album. Then there's a little pressure, and then I have to work on it all the time.

eclipsed: What does the local scene look like in this area of music?

Marco: The entire community is incredibly large. Of course, it has grown considerably due to the social networks. As in the rock sector, many enamel albums are created. There are many opportunities to perform, as well as many crossover opportunities with other projects, bands and musicians. It's kind of underground, but very family. And you get encouraged.

eclipsed: So you're satisfied with your label Hands Productions?

Marco: Yes, absolutely. The label took me far. There are good festivals in Germany in this area, where there are really many people. That's one of the reasons I'm doing this. I have the opportunity to do that on stage. It's a whole different story than just making albums. The most interesting part is the performances

eclipsed: What does it feel like to stand in front of people and play?

Marco: A feeling I don't want to miss anymore. My bands have never been anything big. But through the electronic music it has really grown. There was the possibility of suddenly playing in front of many more people. The scene is not too big, but also not too small. You have intensive contact with the audience. Small club concerts are also interesting, but bigger festivals like the Maschinenfest [a three-day festival held in Aachen since 1999 and then in Oberhausen every year since 1999 - d.Verf.] or Forms Of Hands [festival of the Dortmund label Hands Productions, takes place since 2001 - d.Verf.] or the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig are really priceless for me at the moment.

*Interview: Bernd Sievers