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I am a Polish immigrant and came to Germany when I was four years old.
My father was of the opinion that children have to be beaten to make them understand life.
I have been physically abused by my father.
Being beaten by the person I love the most influenced my reflection of the world outside.
I was incredibly afraid of people.
When I was about nine years old I got a small radio with a cassette recorder as a gift.
In the 80s and I was listening to the channels which my friends were listening to.
I had to go to bed at 8pm but I took the radio with me.
Some nights very interesting programs have been broadcastet.
One night when I was searching and switching channels, I discovered music which I have never heard before.
It let me imagine an invasion of aliens.
I was frightened when I was lying in my bed listening to it.
It sounded pretty much like this...
(music)
One of my works.
Imagine a nine-year-old child suddenly listening such sounds.
I was lying in my bed and I cried just because I have been moved so deeply by these sounds.
The first time in my life I felt the here and now.
I felt the moment of existence.
I was scared but I deeply felt that I was there.
Years later I found out that this was a track from "Tangerine Dream" and the radio broadcast on WDR was called "Schwingungen".
For me it was terrific und incredibly moving.
I grew up in an uneducated home. My parents were neither listening to music nor in possession of books.
I did not grow up with any arts.
I went to school but it did not make any sense to me.
Why am I here? What should I do with my life?
When I was 17 or 18 years old a new genre of music came up.
It was called house and techno music and seemed very abstract.
Another moving radio broadcast.
One day I had the chance to get musical instruments from a friend who was playing in a band.
He went on holiday and doubted that his rehearsal room would be a safe place. So he borrowed me his stuff.
I had no educational background in music.
But I was curious.
I have set everything up and created repetitive patterns, sounds and rhythms which I recorded on a tape.
Then I saw an advertisement in a newspaper.
An ambitious record label was searching for artists.
What did I do? I packed the tape and sent it in.
Three days later I got a phone call.
„This is awesome! We must release it. Please send us your master tape.“
Well, they already listened to my master tape. This was all I got.
Okay, this was my first released record made from a noisy tape.
Then I got a call from a promoter and club owner.
His main act was cancelled and he desperately needed someone to play.
He was impressed by my record and asked me to play.
I said: „Yes, but there is a problem. I neither got instruments nor a clue.“.
He told me that he will organize something.
All I needed was drum computer and a synthesizer.
I was nervously shaking when I arrived that evening.
I went backstage and saw the instruments the first time of my life.
But there is a part of me which pushes me forward when I am afraid.
So I put on the headphones and started programming like mad.
After the DJ the live act had his turn. I set everything up and started to play.
I did not know what I was doing but I had fun.
It was such fun that it changed my life.
I just improvised.
I also like taking pictures of my audience...
Suddenly I knew what I want to do and why I am here.
I felt the moment of the here and now and I was able to share it, this love, and I totally got it back.
From this moment I knew that this is what I want to do.
I graduated school with Abitur although I already lost the motivation.
Of course my parents were hoping that I become an engineer or such.
I replied that I do not want to go to university because of being an artist.
My parents were totally shocked. It was a horrid moment for them.
But I did not care.
I have found what my heart desires.
My parents faced me with a choice: if I want to live at home, I have to study.
Because I was a shy boy, they were sure that I will decide to stay.
No.
No, I moved out.
I had no idea how to live on my own but I somehow managed to get an apartment.
Over time my wish to be able to live from my music came true and incidents happened.
I met people who believed in me.
They donated money so I was able to afford instruments.
With these instruments I was able to play more live shows.
I only just was able to pay the rent an a mattress on the floor.
In this time I was known as Rob Acid.
Retrospectively I understand the meaning of this name.
I had the vision that I do not enter the stage to just make music.
I wanted to burn everything.
Every idea, everything that was in me, all the fears.
I wanted to burn it with loud and harsh music.
Several years later I was able to afford my own studio.
Inside it is like being in a spaceship which takes me into the world of my dreams.
Sometimes I got the vision of moral ideas.
Everyone says what is right and wrong.
Maybe we do not possess any power over our lives.
Maybe we are dreamed up.
I want to wake up in the here and now and be myself.
I love sound above all else. Without an educational background but with intuition.
When a problem occurs, I may first become desperate, but then I follow my heart.
I am an artist who is non-stop touring this planet.
One of my favourite cities is Tbilisi the capital city of Georgia.
Such great people.
I dedicated them a track by inviting a sting trio who played my ideas.
I faced the problem that I had no clue how to record a string trio.
It seemed very complicated.
During rehearsals in the studio I just set up a microphone and started to put the musicians in place.
While listening to the one and only signal from the microphone until it felt right.
This is the track Tbilisi...
(music)
What I want to show you is that I listen to my intuition and I do what my heart is telling me.
And I wish that you do the same.