Philipp Pusch - Artist

ZEIT ZUM NICHTSTUN

It is a challenge to defy the merciless passing of time. Through creation I find peace in my here and now. Monotonous noise around me makes me feel good and calm. Why don't we whisper when there are two of us? For me, a lot of things are too loud, the noise of a busy life is often too overwhelming, and I reach my limits when there are only four people in a group. I suffer from misophonia, and although it is not a serious condition, I increasingly withdraw into isolation and silence.

The search for self-regulation, stability and security in everyday life through routines makes it easier for me to find my way. Creating art is the only true medium for me to express myself and calm down apart from language. I always strive to return to the things that are good for me. I feel like I'm on a safari through the worlds of my emotions and soul when I observe myself and grasp the nuances of my reality. I am aware that I cannot really enjoy the things that pass me by if I continue to rush through life too hastily.

In moments of calm, I am filled with a strong sense of joy and pride, time to notice. Traveling makes me feel like I'm actively participating in my life again. The melodies in my music come from the inner sound and the daily attempt to just sit and do nothing for at least an hour.

“Zeit zum Nichtstun” reflects on the meaning of the term ‘doing nothing’ in German. It invites us to explore the art of pausing and leisure and to appreciate the value of doing nothing in our hectic world.

I collected samples from my grandfather's old records and recorded countless melodies and ideas on my parents' electric piano and on my synthesizers before setting off on a 2-month trip to Asia. The preparatory musical approaches should serve as inspiration for me on this journey of exploration. Together with the other field recordings and recordings I collected in Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia, they served as snippets for my creative work on this music project.

During this trip, I studied traditional instruments, particularly immersing myself in the percussive gamelan music from Java, Indonesia. I met musicians to exchange ideas and had the opportunity to play and record many instruments myself. These include the kulintang from the Mindanao region of the Philippines, gamelan instruments such as the bonang, gambang and jambi, as well as traditional bamboo instruments such as the angklung and the flute.

When I took a break in Hualien, I happened upon a real treasure - hundreds of tapes in the Miss You Radio Cafe, which were accessible as an archive of the radio station. I spent a whole day sampling tapes from the 80s and 90s from China and Taiwan.

Shortly before finalizing each piece of music, I created and added missing melodies or sequences digitally in order to refine the analog character with a digital accent. In this way, my artistic work is rounded off. In analogy to my painting, my work addresses the duality between the analog and digital worlds. The dialog between these two spheres is clearly and harmoniously interwoven.

During my breaks in my travel routine, I took time to pause, even if it meant interrupting my own momentum. I collected effects and sensory sounds for the space of my music. An old gramophone in Jiufen, Taiwan served as a crumbling ASMR support, as did a Juwel2 radio and the noise of the channels, which I used in a variety of ways to create the mood in my album. The entire work is like an artfully woven mesh of various field recordings, which come from both urban spaces and nature. The sound of a jet plane, accompanied by the chirping of tropical birds and the gentle sound of rain, creates a fascinating soundscape. These sounds are occasionally interspersed with the pulsating background noise of a night market in Taipei or the steady hum of several air conditioning units, which enrich the overall picture like subtle accents.

The album “Zeit zum Nichtstun” embodies the opportunity to sit back and mentally embark on a fascinating journey. This journey takes you through the traditional music of Indonesia, the beauty of the Philippine islands and the hustle and bustle of Taiwan, juxtaposing the pulsating city rhythm with the tranquility of nature. On a personal emotional level, the journey surges up and down like waves, leaving a world of emotions that is as overwhelming as it is beautiful. My aim is to convey the essence of an amazing journey and encourage people to open up to new experiences and break out of the digital world to consciously be in their here and now.