Arthur Kohlhaas Saxophones • Electronics • Studiowork

About Arthur

Main Portrait 2022, Image: Leon Klose

The story so far…

Arthur was born in 1998 in Weimar, where he had piano lessons from age six but switched to the Saxophone at eleven. Playing in Bigbands early on really pushed his desire to make music with others and gained him a deep appreciation for Jazz and improvised Music. He moved to Leipzig in 2016 for his studies with Johannes Enders, which gave him the chance to further develop his skills on the instrument.

At the same time his interest in other genres like Hip-Hop and experimental music started a journey into recording, production, mixing and a few other disciplines that make putting out music possible. Now – near the end of his Bachelor – Arthur is firmly rooted in Leipzig’s music-scene, and enjoys working with and for other like-minded artists on-stage or in the studio.

Projects

…as an Instrumentalist:

Arthur Kohlhaas’ Feedback Loop

electro-acoustic instrumental quartet
arthurkohlhaas.de/feedbackloop

Suck The Vortex

experimental music duo
instagram.com/suck.the.vortex

Demel/ Friese/ Kohlhaas

non-harmonic acoustic trio
georgdemel.de/

…as a Producer

Violet Greens

Pop/Soul Band
instagram.com/violet_greens

Trak_Ster

beatmaking and Solo electronics on Instagram
instagram.com/trak_ster

Samplepacks

qualitiy grooves by Leipzigs finest drummers
janeinargroh.de/ danielklein.org/

Arytmatix

Hip-Hop duo
spotify.com/arytmatix

What Tools I use …

My Arsenal contains a bunch of different acoustic instruments and electronic sound manipulators. I play vintage Conn saxophones (alto and tenor) and really enjoy the warm sounds coming out of them. As my main studio tool I have to go with Logic Pro X – my Digital Audio Workstation of choice. I’ve been learning and using it now for about eight years and am still fascinated by all the possibilities.

Working strictly on the computer gets odd after a while though and so I turn to my synthesizers and keyboards. I can get some classic sounds from my Juno 106 or an SH-101 clone I have, but for some modern sounds I like to use the Argon 8 wavetable synth or my Yamaha Stage Piano. In The Studio I share, there is also a Rhodes Mk1 Suitcase, which I love to play and some amazing drumsets from all eras. Even though I’m not a drummer, I find myself constantly figuring out grooves and sounds on the kit and recently this curiosity has led me to practice some electric bass as well.

For live electronic setups I usually reach for my trusty Elektron Digitakt – a truly inspiring and complex hardware sampler. I have also started my journey into modular synths, but until I feel at home there im still holding on to the guitar-pedal–realm, relying heavily on the Empress Zoia. On the recording side of things i like to experiment with different microphones and preamps, at the moment I really enjoy ribbon mics, tube preamps and mid/side stereophony.

What Music I like …

My parents are not musicians but still, music was playing a big role during my upbringing. I was exposed to so many different genres such as Techno, Brit Pop, Hip Hop, New Wave, Dub and others before I got into Jazz and improvised music, that for a while I wasn’t quite sure where to place myself on this musical spectrum.

Now I try to look for intersections between genres, or music, that uses sounds and techniques from other genres in a new context. Of course this leads me to find some really crazy and weird music, that may not be approachable to many, but I find it very inspiring. These explorations taught me to be very open with my own music, to always look for the next thing I could try and to not be afraid to change everything or start over from scratch.

For me it’s also very important to stay in touch with all the music made by peers and currently relevant artists from my region or in Germany. Some artists I currently listen to are: Petter Eldh, Sega Bodega, Sam Gendel, Gorgonn and many others.

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