The Echio Quiz with Lauer

How did you learn music and did you have any mentors?

I had piano lessons from the age of 6 with a lady called Frau Lukacs, and she said I had good piano hands. But somehow, other stuff became more important as a teenager so I stopped that. Later on I played in bands and had lessons in bass guitar and drums, and I don't recall any particular mentors.

Tell us about a key piece of feedback you received during your career and from whom.

I received a key feedback from my good friend Gerd Janson when we started to record music together as Tuff City Kids. He said that my music always had too many elements at once and I had to strip down or focus on simpler constructions somehow. So that’s something that stuck in my mind. So thank you, man.

What feedback would you give to your first release?

My first release is from the year 2000 and I was called Plenty Ammo back then. Musically it’s okay, but it just doesn’t sound very good. So I would tell myself to look a bit more into how music is actually being recorded well and made so that it sounds well. That’s the only thing.

If you could spend a day in the studio with one of your heroes, who would it be?

I would probably spend a day in the studio with a guy called Zeus B. Held. He’s a legendary producer from Germany from the late seventies until today. He’s done some great stuff and I’m a fan, so that’s my answer.

What’s the object in your studio (musical or not) you can’t live without?

This rock. I was a kid and I couldn’t sleep and I was looking out of the window, and a meteor came down from the universe into our garden. The next day I went down to recover it and it’s been with me ever since. So without this, I think there’s less magic.

If you were not making music what would you do?

Honestly, I have no idea. Probably work some job in some office. I did that for a while. I didn’t mind it too much. But music is more fun, so I’ll stick to that.