INTERVIEW. Studnitzky: "The more I play music, the more I understand that I understand nothing"

Studnitzky is an acclaimed German trumpeter who feels equally at home with jazz, classical and electronic music. The ingredients of his latest single "Dusk" are a pulsing bass, a dark and unrestful ambient soundscape, some noises that sound like field recordings and, of course, trumpet. The soundscape and bass sound like humming power lines in a lonely and god-forgotten place and the trumpet really sounds like no one else. We talked to Studnitzky about "Dusk" and his approach to music.

— Could you please tell more about the influences behind "Dusk"?

— I like the concept of minimalism and improvising a long form. When you improvise for such a long period, the rests are even more important than the notes that you play… Miles Davis was a master of playing in a way that could continue forever, and it was mainly because of his mastery of breaks between the melodies.

— How was the track recorded?

— The track was basically an improvisation during one of my daily midnight solo jams. These solo jams were so different. Some nights I played only piano, sometimes it ended up in a techno jam, and this one night I just improvised with my muted trumpet on that synthesizer drone… There is zero edit. Its exactly as it was played. A very old school jazz approach, where you record one take of a song and that's it…

A video from the night the song was recorded.

— How do you exercise improvisation? Do you have any methods for it?

— I've practiced improvisation for my whole life. How you do it? Hmm… Improvising isn't so special. Everybody improvises while talking with another person. But it gets a bit more intense when you improvise alone – in a solo situation. The only way to get it right is to completely concentrate and trust yourself. Each idea or impulse is for a reason and is right. In the end music is a code for emotions and vibe, and the way you order the notes and rhythm creates a certain emotion and vibe. It's such a mysterious miracle, and the more I play music, the more I understand that I understand nothing.