Joachim Spieth Interview: “Different environments play a big role in my work”

Within seconds of listening to a Joachim Spieth composition, it’s evident that he is a perfectionist.

Both in collaboration and in a solo capacity, the German producer has zeroed in on glacial, immersive sounds. The sort that swallows you up into a world of solace. While his albums, Irridiance (2017) and Affiliation (2020), echoed the majesty of Kompakt touchstones, later releases have seen Spieth explore deeper down the well.

With grainy, grayscale textures, Terrain (2022) saw Spieth exploring sound designed for the depressing winter months, and while his latest release, Retrace, may take some of those same ideas (the icy pulse of Sparkle), there’s something more majestic at play here.

For the most part, Retrace comprises of dreamscapes that take flight. The first two tracks, Recall and Shine, ambient composition exploding with light, tailored for high altitudes in what is essentially surround sound that cascades with wall-to-wall bliss.

On Longing and Drip, Spieth looks for inspiration from other environmental sources; namely underwater with an aquatic rush of sound as the sunlight penetrates the ocean’s surface. And while the dynamic Drain takes Spieth’s principles of the past, namely skirting with the dancefloor, closing track Reminiscence transforms fantasy into reality as Spieth explores the liminal space of past and present.

It’s the fitting end to Retrace. An album in which Spieth’s his crystal clear compositions find new ground in his ever-evolving world of sound.  

Spieth is also the founder of the excellent Affin label. Home to Spieth’s work and many of his collaborators, the latest Indianapolis producer zakè who released the equally spellbinding Dolere earlier this year, and Markus Guenter who together with Spieth released the excellent Overlay LP at the backend of last year.

Like any creative endeavour there are a lot of plates to spin and fires to put out. Midway through last month, Spieth kindly escaped both to take some time to answer some of our questions about Affin, collaboration, and his new album, Retrace.  

Zakè: Dolere

Sun 13: Firstly, can you tell us about the history of Affin?

Joachim Spieth: “I founded the label almost 20 years ago, back then in a rather youthful spirit. In the beginning, the label functioned as a playing field for my various musical preferences, and the circle of people who contributed to the label’s everyday life was also more variable and partly of a short-term nature (we took some time to define what was musically of interest).

“Then there was a phase around 2011 when the label consolidated for the first time and certain content disappeared… At the same time, we started releasing our music on vinyl. A second phase, a musical turning point, was around 2015/2016. During this time, my personal life was in upheaval, plans were shattered, and from then on, I saw more clearly what had lasted for me musically over the years, and from then on, I focused on this track and let other things fall away. In the last few years, the label has become even more specialised, more focused on priorities and ideas. So I would see the label as a mirror of my own development… (even though I was only a part of the whole thing)

“That’s why the name Affin fits perfectly.”

S13: Do you remember the first record you heard that influenced the music you make today?

JS: “I’ve been listening to music ever since I can remember. In terms of my work in electronic music, I can always refer to Warp Records’ Artificial Intelligence 2, which I have done many times. This compilation completely changed my perspective on things. After that, there was no going back.

“The Berlin label Chain Reaction, embedded in the Basic Channel empire with all its facets, certainly had a similar radiance. And of course, Gas, Profan and Studio 1 from the Cologne cosmos under the direction of Wolfgang Voigt also had a lasting influence on my musical way of thinking and working.

S13: Your new album, Retrace is about to be released Can you tell us about the process behind it?

JS: “From my perspective, it’s an expansion compared to its predecessor, Terrain. After several years without using any beats, you can now hear some scattered beat structures again, at least in a few tracks on the album, though within a different context. To me, the whole work sits between the poles of ambient and sub-level structures that might remind some of dub, but it’s not really dub in the traditional sense.

“The opener, Recall, was developed over a long period. I noticed, while experimenting in Ableton, that something new was emerging, but it took time to shape it into what it is now. Once the piece was finished, I realised it set a new standard for me, prompting changes in certain approaches and methods. In fact, my way of working fundamentally shifted with these tracks. A creative environment crystallized where I could let go more, without the fear of becoming random. Letting go has become very important to me; being able to move more freely is a privilege I’ve earned through years of studio time.

“I’d be curious to know if people who have been following my work for a while feel the same when they listen to this album…”

S13: What was the most important aspect you wanted to achieve on the record?

JS: “The main goal was to remain recognisable in a certain way, but at the same time to clearly do things differently – and to make that audibly noticeable. I find it very boring when someone establishes a structure that supposedly works, then clings to it and tries to preserve it indefinitely. The ingredients of Retrace have certainly been touched on in various past projects of mine, but never in the way I can present them in 2024. I find it fascinating when artists revisit certain ideas after years and reintroduce them in a different context, and I feel committed to that concept as well.”

S13: The thing I’ve always enjoyed your work over the years which is also prevalent on Retrace is how you take the listener to another place. Is world building something that has been a key focus of yours?

JS: “First of all, thank you for that! For several years now, I’ve been actively seeking closeness to nature, regularly going on excursions, choosing destinations, and going there with friends. As a result, these so-called ‘other worlds’ have become a real part of my life, not just something I imagine through my sampler, but something I physically and actively enter. However, it’s never the case that I come home and write a piece about this or that place… rather, the experiences, horizons, seasons, and general moods flow into my work, likely on a subconscious level.

“It’s an interesting interplay, as I go outside to escape the everyday routine of sitting in front of a computer, recharge outdoors, and then subconsciously process those impressions, only to feel the need to head out again.”

S13: Some artists say when they enter the writing process certain things are taken out of their hands. Is this something you’ve thought about?

JS: “Yes, definitely. On the one hand (as described above), letting go, which can be wonderful. Things take their course, sometimes it seems as if you are just the person performing them… I have never thought of a piece in advance and then put it into music like that… it may be that there are people who do that. For my part, I can’t do that and don’t want to. I enjoy being surprised when something happens and then pursuing it…”

S13: I definitely get a sense and feeling that the environment plays a large part in your work.

JS: “Yes, as mentioned above, different environments play a big role in my work… (related to landscapes, nature, etc…) There is also relevance on a mental level. However, I find it difficult to answer that specifically, because the world of thoughts exists in our heads, and you can never look into someone else’s head.”

S13: You’ve also done wonderful work alongside Markus Guenter. Does your writing approach change in a solo this project in comparison with collaboration?

JS: “It’s clear that working together on music is something completely different from working alone. When there are two people, a different dynamic emerges – you act in one moment and react in another. Through collaboration, you can learn a lot from each other, even without exchanging many words about the music itself (which is often the case with other artists I’ve worked with as well).

“With Markus, it’s a special case. We’ve known each other musically for 20 years (just from our tracks), and later got in touch personally, but we didn’t actually meet in person until much later. Each of us had a long-lasting impression of what the other was doing and how they thought musically. I believe we both had ideas early on about what might be interesting or what the other might not connect with. We also had a sense of which aspects of each other’s solo work were intriguing and where we could start collaborating – or what we could avoid entirely to achieve cohesive results.

“It’s also important to stay relaxed here, to let go and trust the other person, to let them take the lead without trying to control everything. What matters is the final outcome.”

S13: What about routines. Are you someone who is creating every day?

JS: “Mostly yes, but there are more active and less active phases of work. Recently, I’ve also been dividing my work more intentionally by the type of task. I really enjoy preparing material and separating that process from actually working on a track.

“This approach allows me to have an abundance of sound material, more than will eventually be used in the track. It gives me the freedom to leave out large parts, to vary, to swap things around – and as a result, I can work faster when things are flowing well. This creates a positive work dynamic, which I especially appreciated this year, as I was able to finish a few albums. With the way I used to work a few years ago, this kind of pace would have been unimaginable.”

S13: Staying in the realm of routine, how difficult is it to separate that from your creative process with the label, or do you consider the two one of the same?

JS: “The work on music and the work for the label both have components of routine and creativity. It can be challenging to be fully passionate about a music project while also having to focus on promotion for a current release. However, the label has given me complete freedom in decision-making, without relying on anyone else (regarding the choice of music, etc.). To maintain this freedom, there are certain routines that need to be followed, which, in the long run, create the foundation for preserving that freedom.

“Besides, brainstorming (how to improve things…) also involves a lot of creativity, and Markus and I regularly exchange ideas on this. In the end, it’s a balance between these two poles, and that’s what keeps the whole thing outwardly interesting.”

S13: Do you think the music you produce is an accurate reflection of your personality?

JS: “Good and interesting question. It means listening to your music and reflecting on which aspect of your personality it might encapsulate. Of course, you have thoughts about it, interpreting pieces in one direction or another, considering different mindsets or preferences. Additionally, after years, you might still remember the emotional environment in which certain tracks were created. That’s all interesting and worth recalling. But in the end, you don’t want to dig too deeply into it and create some academic analysis of yourself.

“In short, I do believe my music expresses something authentic about me. But it’s always just fragments.”

Retrace is out Friday via Affin. Pre-order from Bandcamp.

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