Q&A: Live Techno Group Klangphonics Release Latest Single ‘Laminar’
CALL IT AN ORGANIC BLEND — German techno band Klangphonics have a hands-on approach, uniquely using acoustic instruments to create their electronic music. The live techno group have recently released their new single, “Laminar,” via Alaula Music. Drummer Ben Kopfnagel brings pads that create a delicate and minimal tone, and the similarly-alluring French spoken word added to the track presents a sense of found inspiration.
The group often releases accompanying videos for their tracks, which showcase their intuitive approach to live music. The video for “Dendrometry” situates the trio, composed of Kopfnagel, Markus Zunic, and Maxl Walmsley-Pledl, in the middle of a forest, playing the song live. Klangphonics launched during the pandemic and used visuals such as these videos to reach audiences remotely. Since launching, they have built a following that spans across the globe, with nearly 300K followers on Instagram. They have played across the UK, Europe, and India, and the band is set to tour across Europe in 2023. They will also be performing at the electronic music Noisily Festival in July.
Walmsley-Pledl, guitarist and producer of Klangphonics, sat down with Luna to talk about the latest single, the electronic music genre, and the band’s journey. Read the interview down below.
LUNA: What was your process like creating your latest single, “Laminar”?
KLANGPHONICS: It was a track that was difficult to finish and a very long process. It went through a lot of versions and could have become any one of them. That’s sometimes the danger when you spend too long on a track — you keep trying to add new things because you get bored with the original elements. Sometimes you can lose some of the essence that made it feel inspiring in the first place. I’m happy with how it finally turned out, but we definitely learned a lot from that particular track.
LUNA: On your social media, you’ve posted videos of creating music from regular items, such as a vacuum and washing machine. “Laminar” similarly features found inspiration but in French spoken word. Can you talk about the role of your physical environment as an influence on your sound?
KLANGPHONICS: I don’t actually think that the physical environment influences us that much when it comes to writing. It obviously is important to be somewhere where we feel comfortable and creative, and for us that is our studio. But using everyday items such as the washing machine was a more deliberate decision on our part, not because we saw it and immediately thought to make a track with it. Likewise, adding the French spoken word to “Laminar,” that came more from an emotional aspect, as I felt it could maybe work well within that track.
LUNA: Your music videos also express a connection to environment. For you, what’s the relation between audio and visuals?
KLANGPHONICS: Usually — but not always — when I write a track, I can close my eyes and have some idea of how I would imagine the audio being represented visually. The sound makes me feel certain emotions, and I think about how I would try and translate those emotions on a visual level.
LUNA: Your first release was during the pandemic, and since then you’ve gained a truly global audience. At the end of 2022 you wrapped up your first UK tour, then went on to play many other places for the first time such as the Netherlands and India. How has it been for you to experience listeners from all over?
KLANGPHONICS: It has definitely been a very powerful thing to experience. I think we are all on some level aware that music is this universal thing that has the ability to connect and bring people together. But when we go somewhere like India and experience it firsthand, then it really hits home and is then something you think about more often.
LUNA: What would you share with first-time electronic music listeners?
KLANGPHONICS: A difficult question! I didn’t listen to electronic music until about six years ago. The track that got me into it was “Strobe” by deadmau5. I think electronic music still sometimes suffers a bit from being pigeonholed as simple or lacking in emotion, and “Strobe” is definitely a track that, for me, completely disproves this. You can listen to it as you would any other song — you don’t have to be partying or dancing. So I think it’s a great way to hear what’s possible within electronic music.
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