Kosmische Clutharachán / Bergstresser / Secluded Interval is multi genre composer. Mainly Ambient, Post-Rock, Experimental, Indie, Postmodern Jazz, Avant Garde, Dub, Electronic, Noise & Improvisation genres. From California, US.
- What is the meaning and the concept behind the name of your music project?
Thank you for inviting me to do this interview. I really appreciate it.
Currently, I have 3 projects: Kosmische Clutharachán (aka: Kosmik Leprechaun), Bergstresser and Secluded Interval.
Since 1995, Kosmische Clutharachán has been the project I've worked with the most and it also has the most releases (43 albums as of the date of this interview). I'd somewhat loosly describe the sound as "experimental, psychedelic, electronic, indie, noise". The project's previous name (Kosmik Leprechaun) was inspired by the unofficial mid 1970's German krautrock supergroup, The Cosmic Jokers.
In 2021, I changed the name to Kosmische Clutharachán, intending to reflect a more mature side of the project, and with more thought put into the composition and production standards. I chose the German spelling of "kosmische" over "kosmik". And, the old English-Irish word "clutharachán" was chosen to distinguish it from the better-known word "leprechaun". Clutharacháns and leprechauns are similar, but not exactly the same. I relate more to the former, rather than the latter.
Kosmische Clutharachán / Kosmik Leprechaun (Bandcamp):
https://kosmikleprechaun.bandcamp.com/
The 2nd project I have is a raw, lo-fi, heavy, guitar-driven, instrumental noise-metal thing called Bergstresser. I started that in 2022, and I've recorded 3 EP's available under that name.
Officially, the word Bergstresser is an Americanized form of the German word "Bergsträsser", which is a topographic name for "someone who lives by a mountain road". But, for me, Bergstresser means something akin to "breaking a pathway through miles of solid bed rock, mountains and icebergs". The name also has an unintended psychologial edge to it that I enjoy, with "stresser" being part of the word.
You might think that with all these German names and words that I, myself, am German! But, no. I'm not. I was born in the United States. I have no known German ancestry that I can account for. Nothing in my DNA shows anything specifically from that region of Europe. I just simply love Krautrock and Stockhausen, man. Both of those things are very very German!
Bergstresser (Bandcamp):
https://bergstresser.bandcamp.com/
The 3rd project I have is a somewhat melancholy, instrumental, electronic pop-oriented thing called Secluded Interval, which I started in 2023, and I have 3 releases out under that name (all of which can be found at the Kosmische Clutharachán / Kosmik Leprechaun Bandcamp page). To me, the name Secluded Interval simply means "music made in isolation", which is essentially what it is, really.
Secluded Interval (Bandcamp):
https://kosmikleprechaun.bandcamp.com/
Other than those 3 projects, I've also been involved with tons of other projects. I can't mention everything I've done in this interview, because it would go on for days. But, much of that material has been released, independently. But, a lot of it, especially my really early stuff, has been lost to time and will probably never be heard again, unless the unlikely happens and someone finds the actual cassettes and CD-r's that I released from 1993 to 2005 and gives them to me to re-release. I just don't have them anymore.
- What equipment do you use for create music?
My chief instruments are guitars, bass, drums, synthesizers, keyboards and computers. I used to sing. But, I don't do that anymore. I typically record using a Tascam DP-01 FX digital 8-track machine. And, I program and edit everything using Ableton Live on my laptop. For effects, I use a single multi-effect guitar pedal and whatever else is available, via software. For mastering, I use Audacity. For instrument amplification and studio monitering, I use a large JVC HX-GX7 stereo system with built-in subwoofers to get the job done. If it's late at night and I'm creating music, I use headphones.
- Tell us a little biography about your project, when you started to make music?
Started playing music in 1984 when my parents gave me an acoustic guitar for my 8th birthday. In 1985, they gave me a synthesizer. I didn't know how to play my instruments back then, so I just made noise, which drove my mother crazy. My grandmother gave me my first electric guitar and I started recording my earliest solo stuff on a couple of boomboxes in 1988. In 1989, I formed my first grindcore band while in middle school. Later, in high school, I released my first home-dubbed cassettes through my label Hot Damn! Tapes (which later became known as Completely Gone Recordings). In 1994, I got my first 4-track cassette recorder, prompting me to start taking my music a bit more seriously.
Completely Gone Recordings (Bandcamp):
https://completelygonerecordings.bandcamp.com/
- Who are your main music and artistic influences?
The list has changed over the years. As of today, I can say I am still influenced by Arnold Schoenberg, early Ash Ra Tempel, Can, early Blue Cheer, Cocteau Twins, David Axelrod, EPMD, Eric B. & Rakim, Erik Satie, Flying Saucer Attack, Frédéric Chopin, God, Godflesh, Gong, György Ligeti, Herbie Hancock, Iannis Xenakis, Jesu, John Coltrane, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Klaus Schulze, Kraftwerk, Men I Trust, Merzbow, Meshuggah, Miles Davis, My Bloody Valentine, early Napalm Death, early Public Image Ltd., Rocketship, Slowdive, Slug, early Soft Machine, Stereolab, Sun Ra, early Swans, Syd Barrett, early Tangerine Dream, Techno Animal, The Velvet Underground, Third Eye Foundation, early WuTang Clan and stuff like that.
- What underground artists from the netlabel scene do you like?
There's a lot of them. Off the top of my head, I can definitely say that I like Anthony Osborne, Antoine Trauma, Antonella Eye Porcelluzzi, Barbara Brogi, Copperhead, Devin Sarno, EISENLAGER, Fernando Bocadillos, Filmy Ghost, Hell Seb, Humanfobia, I,Eternal, I.v. Martinez, Jaime Munárriz, James Hoehl, Kontrolled Demolition, Lefterna, LR Friberg, Martin MarK, Mean Flow, M.NOMIZED, Night Mode, nordBeck, Quint Baker, RDKPL, Sean Derrick Cooper Marquardt, Secant Prime, Sound_00, Thomas Park, V, Vulnerlogocentrism, WHΛLT THISИEY, Wilfried Hanrath, Yaka╧anima and etc.
- Do you have some influence from your country in your music?
You know, if I'm honest, not too much. While I love a lot of the music from the 1950's until the mid 2000's, most of the current music from my country doesn't excite me. It seems like nearly all of the music I like comes from everywhere but the United States (except for jazz, which I still love). I don't know if it's because I've lived here my whole life, and therefore I've become jaded to music from my own country. But, for whatever reason, I just can't get into many artists from the states these days. I don't find a lot of the current culture in my country to be very interesting, sadly.
- What is your favorite album/ep composed by you? And why?
That's a good question. I don't know. I guess I would probably say my most recent material is usually my favourite. Some of what I've written over the years is exactly the kind of music I've always wanted to listen to. So, it's a success in that regard. But, there's some stuff I've recorded which is just dreadful for me to listen to, and I hesitate to even mention those albums. Lol.
- What are your preferred music platforms/websites? Why?
When I first began uploading my music online, I did it via the Internet Archive, where artist's can't really make any money for their work. After 10 years of doing that, someone suggested I release everything on Bandcamp. He was right. Bandcamp actually pays the artist's who earn via their platform a proper sum of money, while protecting their copyrights and dealing with shenanagans. There's nothing quite like Bandcamp at the moment. As for promotion, I just post links to my releases on Facebook. I also publish music videos on Completely Gone Recordings' YouTube site.
Completely Gone Recordings (YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/@completelygonerecordings
- Any funny anecdote in the composition of a track or an album?
I know for a fact that many utterly ridiculous things have happened over the years, with regards to my music and label. One recent example I can share... A few months ago, I released an album on Completely Gone Recordings by an artist that I like who shall go unnamed in this interview. On his album was an unlicenced sample of a Carl Crack vocal from an Atari Teenage Riot track. Assuming the sample was cleared, I didn't think much about it at the time of releasing the album. But, maybe a month, or so after the album's release, Alec Empire (Atari Teenage Riot's mainman) himself emailed me, inquiring how the artist and label was granted permission to use Carl Crack's vocal sample. After realizing what had happened, I ended up apologizing to Alec Empire and the track with the sample was scrubbed from the album. Luckily, Alec was a gentleman, and he let it go without another word. It could've been a disaster, though. I gotta' watch it. I mean, the last person I wish to irk is Alec Empire!!
- Do you play live? How was the experience?
I've played gigs since 1994. Most of my experiences performing live has been generally positive. I would love to perform some gigs with a group right now. But, it's become quite unfeasible to play live music nowadays. Just the cost of setting up a simple 3 hour time slot for a band to run through their set a couple of times at a local rehearsal studio is so overpriced, many of the studios I used to frequent have closed down because few musicians can afford it anymore.
- Any news for 2025?
Just going to keep moving forward one day at a time and hopefully release some genuinely rad sounds along the way. That's the goal.
- Do you want to say anything else to your listeners?
Yeah, definitely. I want to say thank you for interviewing me. Thanks to everyone for checking out my music, really. Thanks for listening and showing all the support. Thanks to my friends, family, collaborators and everyone I've worked with in the past. And, obviously, thanks to the people for buying my music. You know? Really appreciated.
Lastly, keep an open mind about everything. Don't be too hard on yourself. Be creative, if the spirit moves you. And, if you don't already know... be kind to animals and to vulnerable people in society, man. That's all I have to say. Peace.
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