HAPPY KEYS 2019
"IT HAPPENED HERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES, LIVE"
How did you hear about the concert?
Till Kopper: "By Laurent himself when he agreed to come here in Tübingen on the synthesizer weekend Happy-Keys organized by the Synthesizer Stammtisch Stuttgart not only as a guest but also to play on the small stage together with Tommy Betzler. I was very happy about this promise, because I really like Laurent's music for a long time. It was immediately clear to me that together with Tommy he will be the highlight of the Saturday evening."
What motivated you to come?
Till Kopper: "As a co-organizer I was there the whole time anyway, so the question doesn't fit exactly to the circumstances. But the concert was for me the one hour in which I could really let myself go this weekend and just enjoy the music. I had been looking forward to meeting Laurent and Tommy in person long before and then to see them play live for the first time."
How did you feel during this performance?
Till Kopper: "Très bien! The anticipation was great, but the performance was even better than I had dared to dream. I had got goose bumps several times because of this for me so emotional music. I felt as if I had been there live at a lost, extremely well done Klaus Schulze Trancefer Tour concert in 1981. Everything was perfect. It was the concert that I would have loved to hear even then (1981). Of course it was not an attempt of a copy. It is the mood contained in Laurent's music that makes me think of 1981 works.
Tommy played on the e-drums wonderfully to the sequences and gave the necessary "pressure". The choir and string surfaces were the acoustic pads on which the solos played by Laurent on the virtual Minimoog then floated. These long solos were exactly what I love and know from the best time of the Berlin School, both in terms of sound and playing technique. And it happened here right in front of my eyes, live. For me it was a journey through time into an otherwise no longer existing special kind of music which is only partly described and sorted correctly with "Berlin School". Even today, a few months later, I still feel a joy to think back on this really very successful concert."
Sequentia Legenda: "Between two titles, I let a little time go by. Then, when I feel this impulse that's going to lead me towards my keyboards, this desire to create, then the experimentation and research phase begins. I let myself go according to my feelings, by improvising, emotions take precedence at this stage of sound creation. Then, it's the real trigger, so I know that it's the real work of composition that begins, with the progressive implementation of a harmonic and rhythmic structure. Once again, I am pleased to say that my music is the result of my emotional language that I share with sincerity and passion."
Tommy played on the e-drums wonderfully to the sequences and gave the necessary "pressure". The choir and string surfaces were the acoustic pads on which the solos played by Laurent on the virtual Minimoog then floated. These long solos were exactly what I love and know from the best time of the Berlin School, both in terms of sound and playing technique. And it happened here right in front of my eyes, live. For me it was a journey through time into an otherwise no longer existing special kind of music which is only partly described and sorted correctly with "Berlin School". Even today, a few months later, I still feel a joy to think back on this really very successful concert."
Till Kopper kindly asked Sequentia Legenda a few questions 🎤
Till Kopper: "When recording the first tracks of a new title, do you think rationally as a composer in structures and pre-planned sequences, or do you make your music above all from the emotion of the moment?"
Till Kopper: "When was the last time you got goose bumps listening to music? And what kind of piece was it?"
Sequentia Legenda: "I'm a sensitive person, and the album "Spirit of Eden" by the band Talk Talk remains for me a special listening moment. I think back to my army year when I was listening to this music on the train. Today I find that this fantastic opus hasn't taken a single wrinkle! I still get as much pleasure and emotion from listening to this unique sound atmosphere with the passage of the choirs which still gives me goose bumps.
And finally, very recently, it's a title suggested directly by Youtube while I'm going through a difficult period in my life, with obstacles thrown in an inconsiderate way to undermine the union that binds me to Valentin, my youngest son who suffers from autism. It was a magnificent discovery with the title "Hallelujah" majestically interpreted by Mumi with his handpans. The emotions of the moment and this music gave me shivers."
And finally, very recently, it's a title suggested directly by Youtube while I'm going through a difficult period in my life, with obstacles thrown in an inconsiderate way to undermine the union that binds me to Valentin, my youngest son who suffers from autism. It was a magnificent discovery with the title "Hallelujah" majestically interpreted by Mumi with his handpans. The emotions of the moment and this music gave me shivers."
"YOU LIVE THE MUSIC YOU MAKE WITH ALL YOUR HEART"
How did you hear about the concert?
Michael Kukat: "The event Happy Keys was organized by the Synthesizer Stammtisch Stuttgart, in which I regularly participate, so I was involved from the beginning and of course very excited about the acts we had planned."
What motivated you to come?
Michael Kukat: "To meet good friends, to meet some acquaintances I know from the net for a while, to meet them for the first time in real life, to meet new people, to have a nice chat and of course to enjoy the acts, to enjoy and be inspired by them. Distraction from everyday life with like-minded people."
How did you feel during this performance?
Michael Kukat: "I was absolutely thrilled. The music was great to immerse yourself in and dream along with and the emotions you put into this performance were stirring. One could feel that you don't just make music, but that you live the music you make with all your heart, that you are fully absorbed in it. Also the interaction with Tommy was a wonderful match. I could have continued to enjoy it for hours. What a power in our little private event! Keep it up, I'm already looking forward to the next time!"
Sequentia Legenda: "When I was 17, I had set up my first home studio in my parents' basement. Little by little, I surrounded myself with analog synthesizers such as the modular polyphonic PS 3200 from Korg, the MS20 with the SQ10 sequencer, the Oberheim duophonic, the ARP Odyssey to name the most important ones. With the advent of the MIDI standard, I separated analog instruments from digital machines. Currently, I work with carefully selected virtual instruments to meet my requirements. Indeed, I wish to get closer to the typical sound grain of the analog era. I imagine that the knowledge acquired during my youth about subtractive synthesis helps me to achieve this goal. It is not excluded that some hardware machines will be added to my current home studio. The little Moog Wekstatt already has its place ;)"
Michael Kukat kindly asked Sequentia Legenda a few questions 🎤
Michael Kukat: "You mostly use software synthesizers on stage. Do you also have some hardware synths, maybe in a home studio? If so, which ones?"
Michael Kukat: "Vinyl has a big comeback since several years, do you plan a Vinyl release in the near future?"
Sequentia Legenda: "This is indeed a recurring request. I will therefore have to look into this matter. I admit that I am tempted by the idea of a vinyl, but the production costs are still high. The idea of a participatory project remains an option. A project to follow."
Michael Kukat: "How do you prepare for your performances? Any special rituals or do you just let your flow take over?"
Sequentia Legenda: "I am a person who needs a minimum of security and a few days before a concert, I rehearse the songs that will be presented. I prepare my sessions, with a base and tracks defined in the perspective of Live. Playing on stage is different than in a home studio, each stage experience is unique. It's not possible to plan for everything, there's bound to be a bit of improvisation. The imponderables are part of this challenge, that's precisely what makes a concert so charming."
"I LIKED YOUR CONCERT IN TÜBINGEN"
How did you hear about the concert?
Hajo Liese: "Till Kopper and I (Hajo) have been making music together for a long time under the project name EL-KA (a pun (EL for Liese and KA for Kopper. Till had invited me to the concert."
What motivated you to come?
Hajo Liese: "Till and I live 650 KM away from each other. Concerts together are usually the result of spontaneous dates. So it was a great opportunity to make music with people of the same interest. We took the opportunity to rehearse three days before and to record a new projection."
How did you feel during this performance?
Hajo Liese: "Very good, a nice and also interested audience was present. Furthermore many old friends from Germany and Switzerland as well as from France came."
Sequentia Legenda: "I was delighted to be able to play in front of an audience of connoisseurs, and the welcome I received allowed me to surpass myself. Every stage performance is a new experience in itself and it's good to live it. I don't really have a preference for answering your question, for me it is important to be able to feel at ease, to be able to soak up the atmosphere of the moment and to be able to answer it by giving the best of myself and thus to be able to share my passion with fervour and authenticity. The direct contact with the public is something unique and it is a chance to be able to live these privileged moments."
Hajo Liese kindly asked Sequentia Legenda a few questions 🎤
Hajo Liese: "I liked your concert in Tübingen very much and it was also very well received by the selected audience. Did you also feel comfortable with the quite manageable "Special Interest" audience or do you rather love a larger audience?"
Hajo Liese: "In my opinion your music is very much based on Klaus Schulze, is that your intention?"
Sequentia Legenda: "I can't refute the influence of Klaus Schulze, his album Mirage was my real musical trigger. However, I have my own vision of the Berlin School which I share with passion and authenticity. Through my sound worlds, it is my heart, my soul that expresses itself. I have a deep respect for the founding members, the late Edgar Froese and my mentor Klaus Schulze, who gave the Berlin School its credentials. And, if I, in turn, can make my contribution to this beautiful musical movement, then my dream will be fulfilled."
Hajo Liese: "I would be very happy to hear you again at an upcoming event, is there something planned here?"
Sequentia Legenda: "Who knows, we'll see what the future holds for me. It would be a great pleasure. At the moment, a concert in the Netherlands is planned. My personal situation has unfortunately changed drastically and I will save some time and energy for my two sons."
Sequentia Legenda LIVE (Tübingen 2019 +HD Trailer)
The first track is "THE APPROACH" presented during this concert is from the double album "EXTENDED"
from EXTENDED, released September 20, 2016
Keyboards: Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)
Drums: Tommy Betzler
«The integration of Tommy’s rhythm part brings a new dimension to this title. His drums support Laurent’s sequences in a ramp-up leading to a climax of sound. This then leaves space for a floating conclusion where only a few gongs disturb the atmospheric serenity of the final reverie.»
«The integration of Tommy’s rhythm part brings a new dimension to this title. His drums support Laurent’s sequences in a ramp-up leading to a climax of sound. This then leaves space for a floating conclusion where only a few gongs disturb the atmospheric serenity of the final reverie.»
