Q&A with sonic sorcerer Seth Schwarz

We sat down with artistic visionary Seth Schwarz, who released his latest single ‘Radiate Love’ on August 2, 2024, through his own label NASAJA. ‘Radiate Love’ is a rework of internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter Tallula Rendall’s track ‘Radiate’ which illustrates the luminous, enduring nature of authentic emotional connection. Seth’s interpretation adds an enticing, upbeat atmosphere blending elements of pop and electronic music. Renowned for blending classical violin with electronic music, Schwarz has crafted over 150 productions and collaborated with esteemed artists like Einmusik, Be Svendsen, and Monkey Safari. His music, remixed by notable producers such as Rodriguez Jr. and Gabriel Ananda, has graced labels like All Day I Dream and Katermukke. Based in Halle, Germany, Schwarz has toured globally, performing at major festivals including Burning Man, Tomorrowland, and ADE. With over a decade in the industry and a diverse range of styles from ambient electronica to techno, he continues to push boundaries in electronic music.

 

Stream ‘Radiate Love’ while you read our interview with Seth below.

 

 

Set the tone for us. Why the arts?

Passion.

 

Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?

Often a melody or motif.

 

Does your material feature any collaborations? 

Yes many, I especially love working with Einmusik, Gabriel Ananda & Be Svendsen.

 

What’s on your current playlist?

WeR1 music on rotation.

 

Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.

It’s the dance between motions in their faces, movements of their hands and twinkles in their eyes between the tones I play on the violin surrounded by the driving beat.

 

What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?

I love to layer acoustic and electric violins that I record myself and weave them in with synths.

 

Take us through a day in the recording studio.

First, I should clean up the studio and turn off my phone. I would open the piano cover, play some chords, and start improvising just for enjoyment. Eventually, I break out of those repetitive chords that my fingers are used to, and I find a catchy motif or get a certain new feeling while playing a melody. 

 

I forgot to turn on the microphones, so to not forget the mood, I use my phone or a Zoom recorder that’s handy. I’ve built quite a stash of these ideas that I later use in completely different contexts. I might even forget about the melody, but when I hear it again later and it still evokes the same feeling that I can tap into, it becomes special and likely to be worked on further in the DAW. 

 

I would chop up the parts, add layers of synth, and come up with a decent loop. By then, I’ve probably missed a bunch of calls, and it’s time for coffee to work on more admin. If I get back to the studio and finally find time to improvise the violin on top of my loop, it has already been a good day, because that’s where the fun starts. There is not much that compares to the feeling of emotional freedom and expressing it through an instrument that could be considered an extension of your body and mind.

 

I keep recording the ideas, layering them further, pitching them, stretching them, and adjusting their timing. I replace tiny details with previous recordings and layer further until I’m satisfied. Usually, the day is over, but I might add some basic beat ideas and bass to start a groove. The next day, I’m happy with the result and continue until a track is ready to be tested among friends and live shows. Then I start over again.

 

Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?

Fusion Festival, Seebühne 2012 – combined with a successful stage dive.

 

What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?

The electric NS CR V violin.

 

Any emerging artists on your radar?

MINJA.

 

What gets your creative juices flowing?

A mixture of stress and relaxation in other parts of my life.

 

Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.

Yamaha Upright Piano, Moog Subsequent, a variety of older acoustic violins, electric violins by Cantini, Yamaha and Ned Steinberg, Spitfire Audio, Arturia Collection, Push 2, Novation and Akai Controllers, Komplete Kontroll 61S, Modduox, EventideH9Max, DIY Room Treatments, Genelecs 8351B and M040, AKG C414 und UAD sphere Mics, all run through UAD Apollo x8 Soundcard mixed together inside Ableton Live in a MBP.

 

Any side projects you’re working on?

ARTEMIDES together with Lydgen and our label Nasaja.

 

How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?

Finding out less is more, especially in terms of stress. Let it breathe.

 

Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?

Musical releases like ‘Radiate Love’ and ‘Matter of Time’ on my label Nasaja are what I am looking forward to most. I am super excited about collaborating with D-Nox and Beckers as well. Touring live will take me to various countries but I am especially looking forward to Burning Man, as well as organizing our own WeR1 event at ADE with a stellar line-up. In terms of DJ mixes and live set recordings, I am especially happy to now have the ability to release exclusive mixes on the WeR1 music app. It’s our new music streaming ecosystem that rewards artists, soundstages and playlist curators fairly and transparently. (Beta is out per Invite Code only: PLAYME)

 

Famous last words?

One more time 😉

 

Follow Seth Schwarz:

Website – Facebook – X – Soundcloud – TikTok – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify