Edited talk with Acid Pauli

Berlin-based Bavarian Martin Gretschmann played already bass guitar at punk and indie bands in late ‘80s. After a short period, however, he discovered soon electronic music with the emergence of the first drum machines that eventually resulted in his debut release Console in 1995. With an ‘less-is-more’-attitude, he produced one year later with an Atari computer, a four-track tape machine, a sampler and a little synthesizer his first long-player ‘Pan or ama’.

Cross-disciplinary Gretschman takes musical versatility for grant, so he easily manages the balancing act of being a constant member of band’s like The Notwist, Console and pursuing his solo live/DJing project under the Acid Pauli moniker. Apart from that, he also one of founding members of Munich’s top underground institution Rote Sonne that hosted already several international renowned artists. We caught Berliner by choice Acid Pauli for an EDHID chat before his appearance at MiniMüzikhol on February 5th, 2015. Enjoy!

Hi Martin! When was your first contact with music and how did your interest deviate from punk to more electronic sounds?
I don’t remember my first contact, because it was obviously before my first memories. I do remember a couple songs from my childhood that touched  me somewhere deep and still I have this feeling with certain songs.
When I was a teen, I always wanted to become a DJ, but somehow I ended up playing bass guitar in a punk band, then a few years later I bought my first sampler and synth and digged into electronic music. This music has always fascinated me, even as a child.

Was there an influential record store, radio show or club that motivated you to start producing electronic music? What was your first drum machine and which memories do you associate with it?
Actually, I was just always into computers and these kind of instruments. When I was playing the bass guitar, I had a teacher for a couple of hours and he sold me an old Korg DDD1 drum machine. That’s how I started.

Comparing your solo project Acid Pauli with being a band member of The Notwist, Console or 13&God, do you think that producing on your own with all its liberties benefits your creative process or would you like to collaborate more?
In fact I need a lot of time to play around at the studio on my own. It’s some kind of cure or let’s say meditation for me and is very important for my personal balance. It’s not even that important what comes out of these sessions, just the fact to be there by myself and meditate. But I always will be collaborating with other people. Of course!

The albums of Console and The Notwist were quiet successful and aroused the interest of major labels. Did the role of majors become less important over the last years?
Yes, I think it is less important now. For a lot of people including me.

Your Acid Pauli moniker had a phenomenal start with white label edits of Johnny Cash’s ‘I See A Darkness’ and AC/DC’s ‘Live Wire’. Is a remix or edit more challenging than an own production in which you are completely free?
It depends, I don’t think it’s generally more challenging, rather different.

How did your residency at Berlin’s legendary bar 25 contribute to the popularity of your Acid Pauli project? How did your time there influence your style of DJing?
Of course this had some important impact on my popularity and even more important the people I met through the bar 25. Good friends now and collaborators. At the same time, it was good for me because at the bar 25 I started to play really long sets and this is a very good ‘school’ for DJing and travelling inside the music.

What’s your vision for your label Smaul? 
I don’t have a certain vision for the label at the moment. I am not too much into label work…lazy (smiling). But at some point it will continue or make space for something new.

In 2005, you joined a group of people who opened the club Rote Sonne. How did the club differentiate itself from other spots in Munich back then?
We tried and still try to have a very varied programme of DJs, live acts and live music.

How important is social media and video for promotion nowadays?
I am not the right person to answer this question, but I assume it’s important, for a lot of people maybe even too important. More important than the music… (not smiling).

What’s next for Acid Pauli?
ISTANBUL!!!!!!!!!!

Acid Pauli is playing MiniMüzikhol on February 5th, 2015.

Acid Pauli on Soundcloud