T.Raumschmiere and Jochen Arbeit at Roter Salon / Sunday, 17.01.2016

T.Raumschmiere is known for his take-no-prisoners approach to his live sets, which feature distorted beats, grueling basses, and steep descents. Now for the flipside, the negative image of the sound that made T.R. famous, the sound that has allowed us to get closer to the understanding of this magic ambient music. This January TR teams up with Einstürzende Neubauten’s Jochen Arbeit for an excellen double bill at the Volksbühne’s Roter Salon.

There is a purpose behind ambient music: it is utility music. Brian Eno made that clear once and for all with ‘Music for Airports’ – the utilitarian nature of this music can already be found in the title. But way before that, in 1920, Erik Satie composed ‘Musique d’ameublement’ – furniture music. Satie created true background music as a reaction against the misuse of classical music as a carpet of sound. The purpose of his furniture music was also to bridge the awkward gaps in conversation in social situations. In turn, Eno’s airport music is meant to serve as background music while sounding interesting enough for listeners to become absorbed.

If we go by Eno’s definition, the music on T.RAUMSCHMIERE’s new album is not ambient. Although – or in fact, because – each individual track on this album immediately and effortlessly generates atmospheres, it is impossible not to be drawn in. T.RAUMSCHMIERE sucks the listener into the perceptible endlessness of his pulsating sounds, even though the music does not actually expect anything from the listener. It is not demanding, it does not sound lofty or ethereal. It is in constant movement and evolution while sounding grounded at the same time. The tracks are not weightless; they have body.

Jochen Arbeit is a German Foley artist. He has been a member of the band Einstürzende Neubauten since the middle of the 1990s and was a member of Die Haut from 1984 until disbanding in 1997, which also included Einstürzende Neubauten percussionist Rudi Moser and Thomas Wydler, drummer of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Since 2008 he has worked with Gerd Bessler and Hopek Quirin as the trio ABQ (Arbeit Bessler Quirin), which released its first live album to Surrism-Phonoethics in January 2010.