Updated 2 years ago
meets Spirallianz/Midimilliz
By Ari Davidov
February 2005
Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe are a duo from Hamburg, Germany who make music as Spirallianz, Midimiliz and as part of The Delta. Since their collaboration began in ’98, they’ve been putting forward a unique brand of psychedelic trance music, using creative sounds and marching elements of hard progressive German techno to deliver their signature power-packed live PA’s. With highly acclaimed albums on Gravity Plus, Boshkebeats and Spirit Zone as well as tracks on a good number of reputable compilations already behind them, they are looking forward to the upcoming release of the new Midimiliz album. In fact, their freshest material is about to make its way to New York for a one-time appearance. For now though, Arne S. gave this brief interview for us to get to know some more:
So where are you right now and what’s happening?
Right now it’s in the middle of the night and I’m in our studio in Hamburg, Altona. At the moment we do an ambient version of a track from us.
How did you first get into the music in the early 90’s? What did you do to get by during those early years?
My first club experience was in 91 in a small dark, foggy hardcore club in Hamburg called “brainstorm”, Planet Ben was resident there and blew my mind! Wayan and me have in common that we started this party thing in a young age. It was something so new and different to everything else that it was just grabbing and absorbing us… we were going to school and lived in our parents house so we didn’t had to work. Also both of us started deejaying in that time and except a few jobs we both never worked in another company than our own.
Was there anything strikingly different about the trance parties in Germany back then, something you miss…? What is the first record you ever bought?
In this time there was no Psytrance genre existing. On the early “goa” parties the deejays were playing the best of techno, ebm, house and whatever electronic music, a mixture of the best tracks from any style. Actually this is what I miss most on the parties nowadays. The music became so predictable!
I think the first really psychedelic and electronic record I bought was the orbs “a huge ever pulsating brain…”. I immediately thought this is the music I’ve always been looking for. And its still lovely! There was so much groundbreaking and good music in the early nineties… But generally I hate this “in the past everything was better” attitude; it’s up to us to create something new and revolutionary now!
Since then, you’ve been on quite a journey: traveling to play all over the globe… how does this shape your view of the world and you as a person?
One important thing is maybe that I don’t think so locally. There are absolutely no borders or barriers of countries in my mind. Everywhere it’s different but the basics are the same!
What else are you into besides the music and such?
I do some graphic design but mainly it has to do with the music like covers, flyers, logos…
Your music features such intense and original sound samples… ca you shed some light for us on what sort of creative thinking goes into their creation?
Well thanks! Hard to explain what we think while creating sounds… we just try to make something what we like. I mean making music is not so much about thinking but about feeling it. We try to keep every track unique and we don’t try to fulfill certain formulas of styles or even producing techniques. Everything is allowed as long it kicks us.
Do you enjoy working with vocals? How do you view them in the context of the entire track?
We didn’t really start to work with vocals yet except for a few experiments. Vocoding and heavily effected vocals yes but we never worked with a singer so far. In my definition of techno or other ecstatic dance music it doesn’t need singing but maybe it would be worth trying it. One of the things I always liked in techno is that it is instrumental. This is also what makes it so different from mainstream, pop, rock etc. and people get more easily into a hypnotic trance. For downtempo music like ambient, electro, etc. it’s a different thing. On last years Transit festival we had a spontaneous performance with Tony of Red Seal for our Downhill project. He toasted live over our instrumentals and it was great!
You’ve become known for your eclectic trance/techno hybrid psychedelic sound… are you looking back at some of your early influences for inspiration, or is it more that each time you’re in the studio you are driven forward to a brand new sound?
We are always trying to do something new for us, influenced by many different things. For sure also from the past but there is much good music out there at the moment that is inspiring us too. New equipment gives new inspiration as well.
Do you play a lot of unreleased material during your live performances? Tracks you’re testing out for possible release soon?
We mix it, the fresh and the best of the older ones. The latest track is always there to check it out, even if it was a ambient one 😉
Please tell us how the Spirallianz vs Midimiliz live performance works and how do you mix the two together?
When we play live it depends a bit on the crowd how we play… We’ll play the best tracks of both projects, this time more of the new Midimiliz album in special versions plus live overdubs and fx processor action.
What is the new Midimiliz album due out in April going to be like and what else is coming?
Update to 2005 for Midimiliz! It is 10 tracks and we could compile it from a bigger stash this time and I think everything fits very nice together now. We are happy that we have “X-dream-Psychomachine Midimiliz Punked RMX” as a bonus track on it.
Upcoming releases:
Spirallianz-Magnitutdes (on the next compilation of Coldgroove Records)
X-dream-Intercorporal Stimulator Midimiliz Remix
(on the new compilation “Chronika2” on BoshkeBeats)
Extrawelt 12″ (on BorderCommunity)
Midimiliz new album (on Gravity Plus Records)
Where is your tour schedule taking you over the next few months? I imagine a lot of promotional work lies ahead…
Our next stops are Athens, Belgium, Berlin, Toronto, Montreal, and Tokyo. Playing is the fun part, the organization of the tour and the release is the work part.
Finally, what should we prepare ourselves for when you hit the stage in New York?
As long you give us 110 volts we will give you a bassdrum! 😉
Thank you for answering our questions and we’ll see you in New York very soon!
Friday February 11th, 2005
“The Soundwave of Love”
TSUNAMI at SPIRIT
TALAMASCA ,live and dj set
(Mind Control, France)
SPIRALLIANZ vs. MIDIMILIZ, live
(Gravity Plus, The Delta, Boshkebeats, Spirit Zone – Germany)
ARNE
MINDS OF DIMENTED
HANOCH
DEKOMPRESSION
530 West 27th Street
(between 10th & 11th Avenues)
10pm till 7am
