TIM LINGHAUS sketches memories through music
Tim Linghaus was born in the GDR in the early 1980s and discovered an RX 11 and guitars in his father’s office when he was a young boy. It was his first encounter with instruments and the idea of making music himself. Today, it's piano music he loves the most.
In November 2016 he released an EP called Vhoir via Moderna Records followed by his debut full length album Memory Sketches via Schole Records/1631 Recordings in March 2018. Between 2016 and 2020 Tim contributed to some Modern Classical compilations and rework projects for other artists and labels like UK pianist Simeon Walker (Letters), Swedish composer Vargkvint (Håll Mig) & Piano And Coffee Records (Saturn Days), Moderna Records (Funeral For Dad), Schole Records (Wish I Were With You), Bigo & Twigetti/Moderna Records (At The End All Is Black), 1631 Recordings (Dark Bird, You Don't Have To Speak) and Thesis Recurring.
In 2019 he released About B. (Memory Sketches B-Sides Recordings) via Sound In Silence. His second full length album We Were Young When You Left Home was the first in a series of albums about divorce from a child's perspective and was released via Schole Records in November 2019.
During the first Corona lockdown he wrote Geisterwelt EP, which was released July 2020. His third studio album Venus Years is the continuation of the album series and was released December 2020 via Schole Records.
Memory Sketches II is his second piano music album and it is available now.
Interview by Interlocutor Magazine
You discovered the Yamaha RX 11 drum machine and guitars in your father's office when you were a young boy. What was your father's trade — was he a professional musician or did he sell musical instruments? In what ways did he influence your own development as a musician?
My dad didn’t work in the music industry. He used to play in bands when he was younger and later he had his own little home studio in his office. There he recorded his songs which I liked pretty much. So, the whole idea of writing and recording your own music by yourself whenever you want to was a key influence. He showed me how to use his 8-track recorder and even bought me my own. There were times when we played together and recorded little sketches. I believe that this was tremendously important for my development as a musician.
Today, your focus is piano music. What was your personal evolution from playing with drum machines and guitars to focusing on piano? Why do you think the piano fits so well for you as a composer?
Good questions. First of all, the piano has always been an instrument which caught my attention. There was an old upright in my grandfather‘s living room and it had some sort of magic inside. Every note came out so easily and so softly. I couldn’t play properly at that time but had so much fun just pressing key after key and listening to the tone. But you’re right, the main instrument I played was the guitar.
I had forgotten about the piano and had been playing in bands for many years before I moved to the sea as a full time teacher. In the assembly hall of our school I discovered the big grand piano and found the magic again that I had once felt in the living room. From this point on, I started writing and releasing piano music. I haven’t found the same energy a piano has in any other instrument. It is powerful, yet so soft and dark and beautifully tempting.
Your second full length album We Were Young When You Left Home was the first in a series of albums about divorce from a child's perspective. Your third studio album Venus Years is the continuation of the album series. Do you also consider your newest album Memory Sketches II as a part of this series? How do you think the compositions on it have evolved conceptually and musically from your previous work?
MSII is not part of this series. It is the continuation of Memory Sketches. My plan is to write another album in the vein of We Were Young and Venus Years in order to complete the divorce trilogy. MSII follows the path of the first MS. I don‘t think that it is overly different from it. It has a slightly different structure though. You can find four synthesizer silhouettes arranged as a frame and counterpart of the piano pieces. In general, I think the piano pieces are a bit more playful and maybe a bit more in the focus of everything.
You've said that Memory Sketches II is a “second try to give my most precious memories a shape because, otherwise, they might disappear together with the person, the scent, the sound or whatever it is that the memory is about.”
Trying to capture personal memories with instrumental music is interesting, as opposed to writing songs with lyrics that would directly express those memories. Do you think your approach is a more universal way to express your own memories while also leaving room for others to rediscover their own memories within your music?
Some memories can be described best by words maybe. But certainly, there are others which need a different language because, alongside images, scents, sounds etc., they also encapsulate emotions. To me, the whole point of Memory Sketches is about recreating these emotions and getting back into the moment when they appeared for the first time. In addition to that, I use the track titles to convey a bit more background information. But yes, I try to leave gaps that can be filled by the listeners themselves.
Memory Sketches II, 2021, Schole Records/1631 Recordings
On Memory Sketches II, strings are played by Jean Marie Bo and saxophone for the song “VERGISSMEINNICHT” is by Tobias Leon Haecker. Could you talk a bit about your experiences working with them? Were there any unexpected creative surprises or contributions?
It’s a real pleasure working with them. Basically, the strings and the sax are additions to the core structure of a track. For example, Tobias and I have recorded a lot of sax lines that are stored on my computer. This means I have quite a good collection of sax runs and single notes which I can use like samples. They can be pitched, cut and put anywhere. Unfortunately, I haven’t got a lot of sax parts on MSII, but the one I have in “VERGISSMEINNICHT” is really nice I think.
Are there any plans to tour or perform pieces from the new album live in the coming months?
Although I really suck at playing the piano live in front of people I would love to. But I haven’t got any proper plans or dates yet.
Thank you for the interview (:
Memory Sketches II is available now.
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