Klaus Johann Grobe is a couple of swiss dudes making some sweet as nectar disco music. Their art is the kind of stuff that can make you dance when you’re sad — It gives you a cocktail and plops you on a multi-coloured dancefloor. You can’t really complain anymore after that. We talked to one of the duo, Sevi Landolt, about their craft and the land of Yodelling.
First of all, how are things going? How’s life treating you at the moment?
Life is treating us good. It’s always a bit hard to return after a longer tour (we just came back home from the US) but we can’t complain really.
What was your musical upbringing like in upbringing Switzerland? Plenty of Yodelling?
Haha, unfortunately, no yodelling involved at all. My dad was a violin player in different folk bands but enjoyed his Santana and Beatles records more when I was young. My older sisters introduced me to early Chili Peppers, Grunge… and a recorded VHS tape I found of Fritz the Cat introduced me to a more rough side of funk and jazz in my early teenage years which was mind-blowing at the time.
You’ve moved around a lot and travelled with your music, has this experience changed you as an artist?
I’m sure it has, but it’s hard to tell in what ways exactly. I mean you meet so many inspiring people and so many musicians; to see like-minded people actually enjoying what you do certainly makes you more confident. But, I guess seeing so many great people being happy and dancing their ass off while you’re on stage is also tempting to just become lazy and to want to satisfy your fans with a simple musical recipe. So far we have avoided this trap.
You seem to really enjoy all of the arts, films, paintings etc. Would you say they inspire you during your own creative process?
Absolutely. Personally, I’m more of a film than a painting/art guy but it really depends. Everything that opens your mind and makes you remember something is highly inspirational. I think most of all I enjoy everyday life art though. Strange situations, weird constellations, beautiful random patterns, people…
Your music has that cathartic relaxing quality, you can feel your limbs beginning to sway listening to it. Do you ever listen to your own music? Or do you get the same feeling, as I do as a listener, when you perform live?
I hardly ever listen to our music outside of the creation process. Once it’s done, I pretty much put it aside. During the writing process, I often listen to a good loop for maybe hours and just enjoy it. You could say I often find the cathartic relaxing quality there. As far as live playing goes it’s hard to tell.
I’ve seen plenty of people put words like ‘sci-fi’ and ‘fantasy’ to your music, but in what environment do you envision your music being played?
It might sound boring but to be honest, I envision our music much more in the here and now than in weird futuristic dreamscape, or a drug-fueled fantasy. Sometimes, I hope it would appeal to people without the slightest cultural interest. That would be amazing.
How do you continue to push the boundaries when you write? Is it something that comes naturally, or do you work with the mindset of moving away from what you’ve done previously?
I’d say it’s both; much of it comes naturally which I’m really glad for. Being curious and always keeping your mind open to all kinds of music makes this a lot easier. But of course, you fall back to stuff too close to things you’ve already written. I found that out really quickly because it starts to annoy me automatically. This can be a bit frustrating but in the end, it helps a lot to focus on the new stuff because it always reminds you of where you don’t want to go. Or it can still give you the base to develop something different out of it. To me letting things go is a huge part of the creative process.
Finally, what are your plans for the rest of the year? Any surprises up those disco sleeves?
We do have one last tour with Du bist so symmetrisch in November/December. After that, we’ll have a break to come up with new material. Usually, we surprise ourselves with new ideas so we’re really looking forward to a new writing process. So yeah, surprises will happen. It’s always the most exciting time. Seriously, can’t wait!
Listen to Klaus Johann Grobe on Spotify and Apple Music. Get the latest edition of our print magazine HERE.
