We have the pleasure of speaking with the ever in demand Till Krüger to celebrate his latest EP on Quite Needless! We find out more about the ‘Dew EP’ and the inspiration behind it as well as his musical upbringing and studio set up….
How was 2017, what sticks out as the best and worst moments?
2017 was full of ups and downs but the best moment was definitely the birth of my son. I also did quite a lot of music. A record with my friends from 200 Records from cologne and the new EP on Quite Needless. Also I did some remixes and some new music which hopefully will be released soon.
You hail from Stuttgart, a Motor City right? What was musical life like growing up there ?
Actually I’m not originally from Motor City Stuttgart. I grew up near the lake constance which is at the border to Switzerland in south Germany. Growing about there in a small town was influenced by the beautiful landscape and the lovely time during summer. Skateboarding which I was addicted to back then had a huge influence on my taste in music I guess.
Is there a good scene?
Sure, Stuttgart is one of the biggest cities in Germany so there is quite a huge amount of cultural activities. The scene is pretty diverse and there some nice clubs to go to. At the moment I am focusing on being in the studio and making new music.
The artwork for the EP on Quite Needless is lovely – who took the photo, where is it?
My wife did the artwork and took the picture during a holiday weekend at the baltic sea.The music and the artwork were created side by side, so they definitely relate to one another. In our opinion the picture represents the atmosphere of the tracks pretty well.
What else inspired it?
Most of the time the main idea of my tracks arise while trying out things in the studio. There is not really a concept, but I always try to make something different than before. Usually the first version of a tune and the final mixdown are completely different. It takes me a lot of time and work to get my music finished because I want it to be as good as possible. Also I try to tell a story with my music and the melodies and they kind of reflect what I feel like.
Where and when did you write it?
I have a little studio in my flat which I really like and gives me all I need. The whole record from the first idea to the final master sent to distribution took about a year. The studio is pretty simple. The room has some acoustic treatment which is nice to have. I use outboard gear from time to time but mostly work in the box. I listen through my Neumann KH310a and little classic Auratones monitors which I both really like. My AKG headphones help me with the small details in the tracks.
How long did it take? Are you someone who writes quickly or are you more meticulous?
I used to write my tunes really quick. Now that I do this for quite some years I try to work way more accurate. The core of the track is mostly done pretty fast and also simple. The main work for me now is to make everything sound harmonically. Sometimes it takes me about 40-50 mixdowns to finish a track and I go nearly mental. Other times I only need a few takes until I am happy with the result. Working on music too long leads to getting lost in details!!
It’s very downbeat and introspective music, is that what sort of person you are or is this your way of getting those feelings out?
Making music is an essential part of my life and the tracks I write definitely represent my feelings and my personality.
What do you want for Christmas, what would be the dream gift?
Actually I am really happy with what I have. I don’t need much to make music as you can make it on nearly everything. I am going to buy my first christmas tree for my little family this year, which is absolutely great.
What else have you got coming up?
I am constantly writing new music and there are two EPs which are hopefully coming out early 2018. I have finished two more remixes which will be out by end of the year.
Dew EP is out now! grab it here:
https://www.beatport.com/release/dew/2148366
https://www.facebook.com/tillkruger/
https://soundcloud.com/till-krueger
https://tillkrueger.net/
