Steffen Lehmann is now terrorizing us for nearly twenty years. His Greyhound project is one…
Steffen Lehmann is now terrorizing us for nearly twenty years. His Greyhound project is one of the hardest projects from the Hands roster, but it also became a kind of flagholder. “A Storm Is Coming” has been released on Hands again. Steffen Lehmann got assisted by Björn Boysen. They both accomplished Greyhound’s eighth official full length, which is revealing the familiar merciless rhythmic-noise elements, but still a few more subtle sound treatments. 2019 has been a prolific year for Steffen Lehmann who also released a new opus of his Syntech project.
Q: I can’t remember a title of an album has been more appropriated to
define your music as the new one: “A Storm Is Coming”. What’s the link between
the title and your music and what have been your main purposes when composing
this work?
Steffen: The time “A
Storm Is Coming“ was produced I was facing several disappointments. Promises,
which weren’t kept. People who showed unexpected sites of themselves. Hopes
combined with expectations, which didn’t became true. All of that has a big
influence on the result of the album. Greyhound is my all-time valve to find an
exit to all these kind of problems. The current album shows a detailed
reflection of my mind during the production-time.
Q: What have been the different stages you’d to go through to compose
and achieve “A Storm Is Coming”?
Steffen: Every track
starts with producing, experimenting and manipulating several sounds and beats.
After a specific time I got usually the initial idea how it should further
develop. As the track gets shape I am in a state of euphoria. At this points
Björn comes in for further ideas and does the final mixing. It can take days
till weeks to complete a track. In the end, only the tracks that are selected
for the album get mastered.
Q: The songs are once more driven by furious rhythms and noise loops,
but I also experienced –and maybe for the very first time, some subtle
electronic sequences and minimal arrangements in the background. Tell us a bit
more about it and does this work feels as the most accomplished- and
intelligent one?
Steffen: We listen to many different styles of electronic music, but I
love rhythm’n’noise. Impulsive, distorted and energetic rhythms are my
all-time-favorites. But you’re right. As the own taste for music develops,
changes and variations are influencing the way Greyhound finally sound. It has
its charm to implement unexpected sequences and arrangements to change the
usual sound impression. The work on Syntech has its influence, too. In the
tracks “Escape“, “All Complicated“ or “Hope Dies Last“ it is clearly
recognizable. At least for me. I can’t say if this is a sign for an intelligent
album, but it sounds ‘right’ to me.
Q: What are the criteria and eventually references you’re using to know
a Greyhound-song/album is finished or not? What does a song need to consider
it’s finished or do you as artist think a song is never finished?
Steffen: This question is not easy to answer. If a new track is done, I
let pass some time until it gets my full attention again. At the end there are
three options: 1. I am convinced and it gets only some final refinement. 2. It
is not finished, but has potential. So the work on it continues. 3. I don’t
like the track anymore. Then it becomes deleted. A Greyhound-track needs always
a specific complexity and progressivity. If a track is too tame or too dense,
then Björn smashes his critic at my head.
Sure, a track could
be edited for an infinite time and it seems that the work on it comes not to an
end. Every change on it makes a new track of it. As the time flies and new
influences come in, my own recognition of a track changes. And yes, there are
Greyhound-tracks I would produce a different way, because of actual
possibilities and musical preferences. But these tracks are a completed chapter
and representative for the time they were produced. I prefer to look ahead and
realize new ideas in new tracks.
Q: I noticed more and more ‘industrial’ and ‘rhythmic-noise’ projects
are mixing their sound with hard-techno music. What do you think about this
evolution and the impact of techno on other genres and more specifically
industrial music today?
Steffen: That is a delicate question, as the definition of
industrial-music always was a controversial discussion. In my opinion there is
no rule, how to create industrial-music. And if people like industrial-music
with a hard-techno-sound, then it is the right industrial-music for them.
Personally it isn’t my cup of tea and I prefer more complex rhythm-structures.
Technoid elements can be the salt in the soup, but too much of it make it
inedible for me.
Q: You this year also released a new Syntech-album. How do you manage
the switch from one project to the other and do you feel some differences in
the ‘spirit’ and your own mood when working on Greyhound or on Syntech?
Steffen:That’s
right, with “Shadows Above Me“ there is a new Syntech-release after 4 years. To
switch from one project to the other is not that difficult for me, as every
project gets my full attention when I work on it. The approach is also
different. I can’t tell you if I have different spirit when I work on Syntech.
Perhaps this is a point my personal environment only could answer
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.