Hailing from the beautiful city of Hamburg Rupert Marnie has taken over the Minimal/Deep-scene in no time and is seen as one of the most aspiring artists of it. With the reputation of creating extraordinary, exquisite and sci-fi influenced (House) music, Rupert Marnie is not only home in the electronic music scene but also delivers music for theaters. Both though seem to interact and mutually support each other. In addition to his creative outlets Matthias, Rupert Marnie’s real name, is part of Hamburg’s Remoto Records and co-runs a label called The Press Group. Shortly before the artist’s next release on French label Chat Noir, Torture the Artist spoke to him about his creative process, his preference for sci-fi, the record store and where aside from the latter he finds new music.
Torture the Artist: Hello Matthias, tell us something about your day.
Rupert Marnie: Hi, thanks for having me. <smile> Right now I’m at Remoto Records and I just received my copies of my High Tech Artisan EP. Also I’m waiting for a special beer to cool down to the right temperature, which Sasha brought me back from a trip to Belgium.
Torture the Artist: Since you mention your latest EP, your four tracker High Tech Artisan EP on Chat Noir is going to land in stores shortly and is the third EP of yours this year after Dust Of Tomorrow on Long Vehicle and Hybrid Vision EP on XIII Record – just to get it right you also had an album Evocative Rhythm Experience out on your co-run label The Press Group out too a couple of months ago. How did your new EP come about and how did it find its way to Chat Noir?
Rupert Marnie: Actually it’s my fourth release this year if you count my track User for The Shape of Dreams EP on Eya Records / Lonewolf. The tracks for the release on Chat Noir though were created at different periods of times, but mostly during the pandemic. In the summer of 2022 I touched and reworked them again. I added some elements, changed some arrangement parts and also did some changes on the mixdown. So I had this phase of retouching a lot of material and I had about 10-12 tracks ready, which I sent to Sampieru from Chat Noir via Instagram.
Philip K. Dick is my favorite author and I’m very excited by the psychedelic worlds he creates in his novels.
Torture the Artist: Most of your productions on the High Tech Artisan EP have, as the EP and also some of the track titles suggest, a sci-fi-touch or note. Where does this preference in your music come from and how do you turn those respectively your sci-fi-visions into practice, meaning what equipment or hardware do you use for to evoke that touch?
Rupert Marnie: Yes, science fiction (in various media) has always been a great source of inspiration for me. Philip K. Dick, for example, is my favorite author and I’m very excited by the psychedelic worlds he creates in his novels. I’m also a big fan of vintage science fiction movies and often have different scenes from movies or books in my head while producing, which then inspire me to the sounds and timbres that can be heard in my tracks. My setup always changes a bit ,but in terms of hardware I for example use the Elektron Analog Rytm MK II for drums, the Korg Minilogue XD for pads and basses, and the Moog Grandmother, which I mainly use for basses but also for some weird effect sounds. I also have a small modular system with various granular effects and a digital synth-voice with which I do effect-sounds. Here are a few more devices I use: Elektron model Cycle FM Groovebox, Meris Mercury 7 Reverb, Korg MS 20 Mini, my Fender Jazz Bass. But I also use a lot of plugins, like the effect rack from Soundtoys, the FabFilter Pro Q 3 and various plugins from Native instruments. In addition, I also often use field recordings that I then provide with various effects.
Torture the Artist: How do you actually come up with the track titles for your music or are they a reference to certain circumstances of your life or more of a playful funny way to give people a hint, e.g. a Veggie Duck is a paradox while I-Robert can be a hint to I-Robot?
Rupert Marnie: The track titles usually come spontaneously to my mind, but of course some of them are references to the sci-fi genre. I often try to find track titles that don’t take themselves too seriously. In each case, there is always a bit of humor. Sometimes the titles also refer to the vibe of the tracks. In the middle of the track Veggie Duck, for example, you can hear the duck take off in the breakdown.
Torture the Artist: Let’s go back a little in time, you grew up in Mainz, how and when did you get involved with electronic music as in the 2000s there were quite some renowned clubs in the Rhine-Main-area with an international charisma?
Rupert Marnie: In my youth I was mainly interested in Rock music and Nu Metal. I played bass in several bands and my favorite bands were Korn, Metallica, Nirvana and many other bands from the genre. But at some point I got interested in Minimal and other genres of Electronic Dance Music. When I was 18 I went to the Robert Johnson club in Offenbach for the first time, Onur Özer played that night and I remember that the evening fascinated me a lot and I liked the vibe in the club. From then on I went to the club pretty regularly.
Torture the Artist: What is a track from your early days in the scene that lets you re-live or remember this time, and why?
Rupert Marnie: Ricardo Villalobos – What You Say Is More Than I Can Say
Torture the Artist: For many years you have been living in Hamburg now. Besides being part of Remoto Rec. you are also the co-founder of an label The Press Group. How did you get involved in the local scene of Hamburg or did you already have a foot in it before moving to Hamburg?
Rupert Marnie: Before we founded the Press Group label, I was already DJing with a few friends. At that time there was this club called Kraniche bei den Elbbrücken where we hosted our first parties. We still had a collective back then, which also included Phil Evans. Phil and I had already started making music together in Mainz and he was often a guest at our parties in Hamburg. Later we also had regular evenings at the Golem and then also at the Golden Pudel, where we still invite different guests with our label a few times every year.
I generally really like the vibe of the city, as it’s not as hectic and agitated as many other big cities.
Torture the Artist: Personally but also electronic music-wise, what are the major differences between your former and current main place of residence? Do you favor anything over another?
Rupert Marnie: Since I have been living in Hamburg for 10 years now, it is difficult to compare the two cities. But I can say that I really appreciate the opportunities in Hamburg to draw inspiration in many different ways. I often go to exhibitions, the theater and concerts. I generally really like the vibe of the city, as it’s not as hectic and agitated as many other big cities.
Torture the Artist: Your life seems to circle around music, as mentioned before you are part of the Remoto record store, you are the co-founder of The Press Group and you also produce music for theaters. How do all these similar yet different jobs intertwine and complement each other? Do you prefer one field/ job over another?
Rupert Marnie: Music has always been a very important part of my life and I am now happy to be surrounded by it in many different fields. You could say that the different fields influence each other in different ways. In the record store I always come into contact with a lot of new (and old) music which can also inspire me for my compositions for the theater.
When I produce for the theater I always have the story and the different characters on my mind. The music somehow tells parts of the story, emphasizes it or stands in contrast to it.
Torture the Artist: What’s the different approach when producing music designed for clubs than for theaters/ plays? Have you ever used any ideas vice versa?
Rupert Marnie: The approach differs in some respects, but also has many similarities. When I produce for the theater I always have the story and the different characters on my mind. The music somehow tells parts of the story, emphasizes it or stands in contrast to it. In addition, the musical genres vary in many cases; it can be piano music or abstract pads created from field recordings or very reduced tones or sounds that are subtly used to subconsciously create an effect that describes the scene. For club music you always have a certain application in mind and you produce something more functional and not so subtle. But my works for the theater is also influenced by my way of working for club music, because I often use different loops that interact with each other in different ways.
Torture the Artist: What’s a studio equipment or hardware you do not want to miss, and why?
Rupert Marnie: The Moog Grandmother as its my go to tool for quirky basslines but also capable of doing really interesting experimental sounds. Plus it’s semi modular, which means I can connect it to my modular system.
Torture the Artist: What’s a studio gimmick you’d immediately buy if you were super wealthy?
Rupert Marnie: Definitely The Moog One 16, which has so many capabilities and functions. I think you could get lost in it for years.
Torture the Artist: What do you do when you are creatively stuck with one of your productions? Do you have any gimmick to overcome this, e.g. the use of a certain hardware, a routine to let loose of rigor behavioral patterns?
Rupert Marnie: I have this Max for Live Plugin, which is called Euclidean Sequencer Pro, and it’s perfect as a starting point to create some interesting melodies with a nice user interface. I also have the book Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers by Dennis Desantis of Ableton. The book deals with different problems in the different stages of a creative process and always has some few useful tips how to overcome those. In other situations I often just grab my bass and jam around a little bit. This usually results in sketches ,which I then use in new tracks.
Torture the Artist: Let’s speak a little about your Involvement with Remoto Rec. How did this come about and what is your task at Remoto?
Rupert Marnie: When we were at the closing party of Smallville Records in August 2021, a few friends were talking about taking over the store or continue a record store in the premises. In the end, we were a team of six people from different collectives and labels and after many meetings where we talked about different concepts, we decided to open the new store in December 2021. In the meantime, the constellation has changed and different people have joined our team. That’s why we are currently considering how to expand the Remoto concept to open it up even more to the community.
We wanted to create a place for the Electronic Music scene in Hamburg to meet and exchange ideas.
Torture the Artist: What was your vision of a record store at first and which of those visions have become reality versus which visions have you thrown over board?
Rupert Marnie: We wanted to create a place for the Electronic Music scene in Hamburg to meet and exchange ideas. I think we have achieved this to a certain extent, but there is definitely still room for improvement on various levels. For example, it would be cool to offer different workshops much more often. We’ve had various DJ workshops as well as modular workshops and a mastering talk in recent years. But to organize something like that more regularly we would need more time, as we all have other jobs and Remoto is currently still a non-profit project.
Torture the Artist: Do you only dig for music at your “own“ record store or do you use different sources/ platforms too?
Rupert Marnie: Actually I use many platforms to find new records. In every city I visit I check out the record stores and most of the time I find something interesting (not always club music). You can often find real treasures in smaller towns that would have long been out of stock or have been hard to find in record stores in big cities. I also use Discogs a lot and sometimes you also find some interesting tracks on different Instagram channels.
Torture the Artist: On ours, of course. Joke aside, what was the last record you “digged“?
Rupert Marnie: Forever Sweet – The Return Of… (LADOMAT2045)
Torture the Artist: Which one of your records from your collection is a “Discogs nugget“ and where did you get it?
Rupert Marnie: Pole Folder – Moon In A Blue Sky EP, wich is a really awesome Progressive House EP. I found it at a Record store in Lindau for a really cheap price.
Torture the Artist: What’s the snack / go-to guilty pleasure when you are working?
Rupert Marnie: Coca Cola Zero with cherry flavor.
Words by Holger Breuer
Pictures by David Reimann
Torture the Artist 