Christoph Faust (former Inhalt Der Nacht) brings a feeling of being born from ashes and raised, not through fire, but powerful music. Not only did music give him strength to survive, but he also lost himself for some time, pulled himself together and raised even stronger.
By Amanda Sandström Beijer
Photos by Playful Magazine
”My moms girlfriend told me when I was a young adult that if I hadn’t been to Berghain, I hadn’t really been to a techno club, and she showed me what kind of DJs played there and told me all kinds of crazy stories from when she was there. I got so excited, and finally I had to try it out and went there by myself and stayed for 18 hours.” ”I was so nervous before entering, and waiting those three hours in line, thinking; I hope no one can tell that it’s my first time. Then at the entry they asked me three times how old I was, and I said different things all the time until they took my ID and I was allowed in. It was a complete new world that opened up.”
To Christoph it’s not only the sound system and lights, it’s also the architecture of the club and the people who work there.
”To me it’s really important that people care about what they’re doing. That they are doing it full heartedly and committed, and this is something that is very rare but at that place they are fully committed. After that time I went there every week for a couple of years, and it’s what thought me the things I practice today, music wise.”
Although what made him buy turntables himself was before this, when being at Tresor.
”My parents had some friends who were interested in electronic music and who got themselves turntables and controllers, so we organized some school partis, super fun but nothing serious. Although when I visited Tresor for the first time and got down to the cage, I saw the relationship between the people who danced and the DJ’s - from this moment I decided to start creating music myself.”
Then everything happened very quickly. Christoph started his first project without any thoughts of having it as a career. But things can shift and his first gig took place at that exact spot - Tresor.
It’s not difficult to figure out that the parents, who were both big Rock music enthusiasts, have influences his music preferences as well. Even today Christoph listens to Rock when needing to rewind and clear his mind. Music has had a big impact on his life, not the least during his teenage and young adult life.
”I got cancer when I was 18 years old and when I was doing chemotherapy I had some really crazy days when I thought; okay, now it’s over for me.”
”But music with a lot of energy gave me power and strength. It motivated me to keep on going every day. It definitely helped me understand the power that music has, and it’s also around this time I decided that I really want to create music.”
It’s easy to spot the influences when it comes to genre within Christoph Faust. Although Rock is still not associated with work for him.
”When I feel that I don’t have more creativity while producing in the studio, I completely stop listening to it, and listen to only Rock music. It relaxes me a lot and clears my mind. The guitars, the singers that are screaming and the power in the music really does a lot for me. It’s like drinking a strong coffee. I love Rammstein for example, it’s funny because most of their songs are love songs, and people don’t recognize that at all. I love the contrast within that.”
”Rock music, with it’s lyrics calms my mind. When I listen to electronic music I’m way more picky, and I always think about how it’s created, why the person chose to do this or that, any why something works well or not. I also start thinking of where I could play it, what energy it needs when being played and at what time I could play it. In my head I’m opening Ableton and am already getting started, no matter where I am. When I love a techno track I can’t stop analyzing it.”
”I need a good club with a really powerful sound system, and a nice crowd around me to get this real techno feeling today, and I’m super spoiled now a days with these things. Techno is made for bringing people together, and to be able to relax with techno everything needs be perfect, orals miming turns it into work.”
”But when I listen to rock, I’m just easy and don’t turn my ’work mind’ on. I just enjoy it from the start.”
When it comes to him finding his own voice as a musician, Christoph is his own biggest fan and toughest critique.
”I’m not thinking I’m the best DJ or producer, but when I play, I play for me. I don’t play for the crowd, although I enjoy to share the moment with them and when they dance, but the most important thing is to create the best set possible for myself, and for my label partners.”
”It’s important for me to not lose the fun for myself. I think it has to do with my past and the time when I was sick. I think that if you focus on playing for your own ears, you get a unique style within what you create.”
”Today it means so much to me, every time I play techno at a club.”
Christoph has now ben doing it for over ten years, and the road hasn’t been straight to success and knowing what he wants from it.
”I made so many mistakes in the past. I was a barista before, and always prioritized the music. Whenever I got a gig, and my boss didn’t give me the day off, I quit the job without a blink and just left.”
”Really terrible, as I put them all in the shit. I really loved that job as well, but I took the risk and was of course fired and without a job on the Monday after, and had to look for a new job. But besides that I treated my friend really bad and was very egoistic back then. My only focus was to get myself to the point that I wanted to be at. I even forgot to enjoy my life, but most of all to take care of my friends and relationships.”
”Then I had a really bad turning point at the end of my last project Escape To Mars. On one side I got bored of what I created within that, and on the other side I hurt so many of my friends. I was lucky that they told me like ’hey this isn’t you.’”
By this time he freaked out and left Berlin for three months and lived in the South of Germany to figured some things out.
”I couldn’t keep on living like that anymore. I realized that when you want something too much, it’s not coming to you. You’re focusing on it so much that you’re ignoring the mistakes you do. I had become an asshole, and I decided that I didn’t want to be an idiot anymore. Today my friend forgave me, and now he’s really proud that I realized it and changed.”
”You have to take time and reflect on what’s really important. The truth is that I wasn’t very happy at this time. I focused too much on my career, and totally forgot about being happy. Whenever I had a really good gig, it was nice, but my mind was always focused on the next step.”
Another thing he realized in the South of Germany is that he’s 100% a Berlin kid.
”I really missed my hometown. All parts of Berlin is like visiting a new country. You meet different people every day and can have interesting talks with people who have had so different experiences than you did.”
Although some other things has changed since he was a young adult. There among going to clubs to let go on the weekends.
”This is one bad things that happens when you play at so many different clubs. I started to get very picky when it comes to clubs. I really like seeing when people work their asses off to create something with 100 percent commitment. Today I would say Berghain is my go to, due to their engagement and the energy they put into it.”
”Berghain has a crazy sound system, amazing lights, almost always a really really nice crowd and the whole architecture is perfect. The crowd is also really respectful when they se a DJ and respect that we come there to let go, just like they do, and they don’t bother you. This is something that can get very strange at some other clubs sometimes. People can assume that they can talk to you at all times and that you can take time away from privacy to talk about what tracks you played at some party or whatever.”
”But I have to learn this as well. I’m still pretty young, and my friends always tell me that I’m too nice, because at the same time I’m so happy for the people who appreciate my music, but it can go too far. Sometimes I don’t drink and let go at all, because I’m scared someone who knows of me will see me and say something negative about it. But I do want to get fucked up once in a while, I need that as well.”
Christoph doesn’t think the ’super star thing’ really fits the underground scene and hopes it won’t escalate.
”Well it’s weird. Techno DJ’s shouldn’t be treated like super stars. Because in the end we’re just people who enjoy the music and to make a party and staying awake for a long time in clubs, just like the ones who are listening.”
”I think these years, with Corona and lockdown, has separated the techno scene more. On one side there are big locations and giant DJ’s, and on the other side there are DJ’s like Freddy K who are; very popular, but so underground that they prove that it’s not necessary to have a hype.”
”I also hope that Instagram will become less important. Sometimes I feel like stop posting photos of myself, and create a website to put my schedule on. We don’t need all photos really.”
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