Just because Sool has two Os doesn’t mean it rhymes with fool. It’s pronounced soul, and it’s good for it too.
Why did you give yourself the last name “Allien?”
Somebody gave it to me because he said my music sounds like the music in the movie Alien. He said Alien and my name E-L-L-E-N, and we mixed it up. We joked at the bar and at the end I called myself Ellen Allien.
Over the years you have consistently pared down you music. How is it that you’ve made this progress to something so minimal like Sool?
Music gives me the chance to let out my emotions and every album has another idea to transform that. Also it’s what kind of instruments I am working on — that’s why it sounds different. Maybe I want to try something out different. It’s always on stories about friends of mine, people around me or myself.
Whats the concept behind Sool?
The concept is yin yang. The white and the black. Because when I find the word Sool, I find out that I was dreaming about my private planet where I would love to live on. When I Googled Sool, I found Somalia, in Africa, is one of the poorest areas in the world. They call it Sool. And then it came all together that I think in my little world it could be my dream planet but on the other side of the world it is not a dream planet but a nightmare. And that’s life, you know. I try to present some happiness and also some of the emotional tracks like Frieda — I’m singing about my grandma. She died ten years ago, eight years ago. Sometimes I still feel her so strong, like flying over me, watching over me. Like a connection — soul connection — with the person you love. And so… that’s the concept of Sool.
In some places it says that your music is brainy and in others it says that your music is spiritual. What do you think a person should be to best understand your music?
Why I’m saying my music is “brainish” it’s because I’m not making big club hits. Because then I have to make something I don’t like so much. It’s too cliché and it’s not what I ‘m looking for. If I make music I try to connect myself with electronics, show my emotions, share with the people. If I talk about ‘brainish’ music — if you play the hits they are jumping, drinking, very happy and aggressive. And if you play more melodic melodies it’s more brainish. Even if it’s minimal it’s got these little hypnotic melodies on the top, then the people can close their eyes and while they don’t jump they still party. It’s a different type of party, a different way to party. I prefer this…you can dream in your own world.
The music that you played last night (Watergate, Berlin) — would you consider that minimal techno?
*Laugh* I would say brainish house tech minimal.
I saw you yesterday in Berlin and tonight you play in London. Will there be any difference between your sets?
I think every time is different because the sound system is different and so is the crowd. So even if I play tonight the records I played yesterday, it will probably sound different. Also part of the club, how the sound system works. Many things.
Will you play CDs tonight?
I will play records. I play CDs but vinyl is my favourite format.
What was the inspiration for Thrills.
Thrills was my third album and the inspiration was a synthesizer, ARP2600. It’s one of my favourite analogue synthesizers. It’s very interesting to work with because it’s completely analogue.
My last question is about the Goethe Institute of Germany. Apparat was invited to play at the Goethe Institute in Bolivia and DJ Hell also played at the Institute in Tokyo, Japan. It seems to focus a lot on contemporary/modern German culture instead of the the past. What makes this institution, and German culture in general, so futuristic?
Because there’s a big market for electronic music in Berlin. It’s one of the biggest music markets in Europe. In Berlin, after the wall came down, a very big community built up in the clubs. All the DJs started making records, starting labels, paying taxes. The government realized that something was growing and that they could cultivate it and help the capitalism grow. Tourism is the only market in Berlin. There is no industry — no car industry, cinema industry. The music industry is very very huge.
For more info checkout the Ellen Allien website.
