Christian Löffler - Graal (Prologue)
Cover Photo by Brian Zajak
Album Art Christian Löffler
Interview with Christian Löffler on creating art and music
Christian Löffler has always been driven by a desire to be creative. In his early teens he would draw and dabble in painting, trying to capture if not a specific feeling, then the essence of something. An ideal. Something profound. “Still, today, it’s the same feeling that drives me, and it makes no difference what I use for it, whether it is music or paint.,” he explains.
Graal (Prologue) his latest album, is named after the town he calls home , a German outpost on the Baltic coast – and the rugged beauty and wonder of the area’s famed landscapes shines through the whole record. Löffler has always been influenced by nature and a sense of place, and he’s become a master at amplifying the power of tranquility. The album cover are drawings by the artist. Following an intense period of live concerts, where his music felt stagnated Löffler would find himself solely focussed on visual art – painting, drawing, and “some video stuff”, but absolutely no music. This return to his roots reminded him how it felt when he first started making music, and allowed him to “turn off my brain a bit, especially thoughts about what is possible or not”.
Greatest inspirations and influences?
Musically I’m mostly socialized with classic rock like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and guitarists like Steve Vai or Joe Satriani. When I got into electronic music I was listening to IDM mostly. My favorites were Squarepusher, Antje Greye Fuchs and Aphex Twin obviously. Discovering house I fell in love with Dial records, Kompakt and DJs like Jori Hulkonen and Tobias Thomas.
The most interesting response you heard about your music?
The last time I played in the US somebody drove a whole day just to see me play. That’s something that makes me really happy.
Your music and visuals express a certain kind of nostalgia, how are the two mediums tied? Is this part of your identity as an artist or do you think it will develop and change over time?
It will never change because it’s my personality. Creating art and music is my way to deal with it. Of course, it’s slightly changing over the years like everything in life. But initial feel that got me into creating something stays.
Favorite albums of all time?