Twenty-three minutes of holistic improvisation
Lose yourself in twenty-three minutes of primal audio catharsis. We promise you will see something, but we don't know what that will be. Describing Berlin-based experimental collective Zeug's work is like trying to describe an experience, practically impossible. In this peculiar interview, we attempted to pin them down, unsuccessfully. But in all fairness, we were warned by their manifesto that clearly states: "The space for interpretation and perception of this music remains almost boundless for the listener."
Your performance feels like a reaction to the artistic constriction of commercial music. Is it intentional?
Not really; there is plenty of commercial music that we draw influence from. Still, our approach is more primal and instinctive. Besides, we all are a collection of our memories and listening experience. Our core is a natural, life-like approach to creativity.
You also seem to have a holistic approach to your work. Can you describe your method?
We create a safe sonic space that appears to have no limitations, a landscape where one can find solitude and company simultaneously. But we need to feel unsettled by how unpredictable our music can be.
Do you feel that your stance is part of a broader awakening?
What we are doing is insignificant to the construct of a broader awakening. Hopefully, we are allowing introspecting. In this super-fast world, it is crucial for us to set into a super loud riff for thirty minutes and allow our brains to process without thinking. We think our sound allows the listener to let the mind wander to wherever it needs to go.
Is Zeug chaos versus order?
We don't really believe in the difference between chaos and order. Metamorphosis is more relevant in our case, instead of all the dualities we could find in our existence. To a certain extent, we hope somehow to contribute to a worldwide psychotherapy session.
How much have the last years' events contributed to your work, positively or negatively?
The lockdown situation has taken away the distractions that we would usually have. Also, the unemployment factor has given us a lot of time to dive deep into our pieces without many social constraints. We did get more inner space to revisit our experiences indeed.