Jo's new album "MEMOIRS" is out now!

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I started out by recording all kinds of percussive sounds of my piano and as I experimented with different patterns I found that one particular percussive sound resembles a typewriter. That sound became a theme and recurring thing that can be heard in every piece. I like the piercing quality of it as it cuts through all the other instruments and always exposes the rhythmical backbone of the track:

The typewriter that goes on and on in the background of our minds that captures everything and writes the story of our life.

A major influence on me and for this album in particular is Steve Reich’s music. I’ve always admired the polyrhythmic nature of his compositions. I took a multi-layered piano approach which for me starts to become a staple in my arsenal. I would put down one layer of a rhythm and then find juxtaposing riffs to create syncopation to intensify the propulsive nature of a piece. Kaleidoscope-like patterns that are interchangeable and always complement each other.

Finding memorable melodies is probably the most difficult part of writing music but also the most rewarding for me if I’m able to “crack the code” time and time again and find a sequence of notes that mean something to me. Notes that have the power to draw you into a piece, that hook you and make you feel stuff.

I also used all kinds of single-note, percussive patterns where a single note motif rubs slightly with another syncopated motif of another pattern. There’s a lot of simplicity paired with the right amount of complexity that (ideally) creates enough intrigue to keep the listener interested and longing for more.

Every track is a tiny emotional snapshot of a life event that I wanted to capture. Things that spun me out of control. Things that challenged me to the core. The brightest joy I’ve experienced and the darkest valleys of despair I’ve wandered. I guess I could also call these “snapshots of momentary illusions”.

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Jo's new album "VANDALS" is out now!

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“My new album "Vandals" has a special place in my creative heart as I allowed myself to fully express different facets of “opposing” genres. The classical, traditional on the one side and the gritty, electronic and modern on the other.

Every track depicts a form of transformation - a new birth out of fire and ashes. Something powerful that can only emerge out of the silence after the biggest destruction. The brightest light that can only shine after the darkest gloom. The fragile seed that can only sprout in a field of scorched earth. The greatest potential that can only be unleashed within us after wandering the darkest of valleys.”

Vandals - Strength | Power | Fortitude

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Jo's new electronic album "Ghost in the Machine" is out now!

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“The initial inspiration for this album was the ambiguity we all experience with technology - the good and bad that comes with technological advancements and how it affects us on a daily basis.

While I can be a complete nerd when it comes to science and all things artificial intelligence, I’m also really vigilant about the negative implications of these things and I can get genuinely scared when I think about possible doomsday scenarios that predetermine a change of power caused by AI sometime in the future. I know it sounds super sci-fi but it’s not as far-fetched as you might think.

The technology that not only augments and furthers the human potential but eventually overshadows us and turns us into “slaves of machines”. I don’t want to get too dark, just to let you know what my inspiration was for the pieces on this album. As for the music: I wanted some tracks to be almost neutral so they are not used as a vehicle to elicit a specific emotion from the listener. Other pieces have more ”emotional content” and are snapshots of “in-between states” of emotional experiences.

I mostly used more archaic electronic sounds of early synths with glitchy things, sprinkled with some highly processed orchestra. I grew up with Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, and Klaus Schulze and then, later on, produced electronic music (while I was working in Real Estate) long before I even got excited about the sounds an orchestra can produce.

This album is like going back to my roots in a way and showing my appreciation for early electronic music. Hope you enjoy this little adventure with me and maybe you wanna give this album a listen even though electronic music is usually not your cup of tea.”

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Jo's debut album "Vendetta" to be performed live in Munich this summer

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A full suite of Jo’s debut album “Vendetta” will be performed live by the Kammerorchester Moosburg, near Munich at the end of July (please see details in event poster above). The orchestra, under artistic direction by Erwin Weber and Gerhardt Boesl will also perform film music in an open-air setting by Ennio Morricone, Vangelis, Basil Polidouris, Jerry Goldsmith, Craig Armstrong, James Horner and Max Steiner.