Instantly filled with jealousy that his location is far superior to mine (I was sitting in the ever so lovely, but not quite a romantically charged location that is Prahran Library), I sigh, and zone into a realm of memory driven dream as he continues his explanation. “That is the river which is going through Vienna, going all the way through the Balkans to the big sea. Five years ago or six years ago, I was cycling all the way down this river on a bicycle and I passed through all the countries where our music comes from, which influenced me a lot in my work.” Perfectly seguing from introduction to explanation, I note that while his monologue may not seem pre-planned or scripted, he is perfectly fusing a story with the answer to my first question. This man is a genius. I drift off again into my dream world as he answers, “So my style that is hard to describe, but the past taught me to keep it short, so I will say it is Balkan electronics or Balkan beats, electro swing and oriental dub, urban Klezmer would also work. This describes pretty well what I do.”
“The travel is influencing my sound.” With travel no doubt one of the most enviable advantages of a career in music, Lindemann reveals that rather than simply getting lost in a moment, he undertakes each and every experience with his eyes wide open. “As I mentioned at the beginning, I made this trip all the way along the Danube to Istanbul. It was around 1600km. The first album was pretty much influenced by this trip.” Though some journeys may have been instigated as sources of inspiration, other inspirational moments are simply incidental. “All my other trips, including Australia, is all connected to my music.”
“When I put my soul into my music, I recall all the memories, feelings, tastes and languages. I am trying to put these feelings into my music.” With his day job ensuring that he is constantly engaging with an eclectic mix of cultures, all Lindemann has to do when composing a new track is to open his mind and let the memories flow. “When the song is starting, I try to make a special atmosphere for it. Then of course I meet people on the road who influence me through experiences. They help you grow more and more. That is life and music is my life.”
Though his talks of travel have simply flowed flawlessly, his talk of inspiration leads him to disclose details about a special person who is more than just his main influence. With a smile clear in his tone, he reveals, “I have a daughter. She is twelve years old. She is influencing me most.” Clearly a proud father first and foremost, the musician is not afraid to share his love of his prize muse with the world. With the proud outburst settling, Lindemann returns to his calming radio tones to explain, “Everyday I spend a bit of time with her. This is what my life is focused on.”
“Of course we do music together. Music is my life. We have a lot of good jam sessions. Playing the piano, guitar and singing.” Like many a proud father, Lindemann’s primary joy is born out of being able to share his passion with his offspring. While he may make his living from his musical capabilities, in his eyes his work is nowhere near as soulfully fulfilling as his musical play with his daughter. “We have a lot of fun as it is really music. There are no borders. It can be anything”.
With his daughter clearly as open to experimenting as her successful father, Lindemann is prone to teaching her to looking at instruments from more than one angle. “You can play the guitar in so many different styles. You don’t even have to play with the strings on guitar, it can be percussion.”
While he far from intimates a desire for Lindemann junior to follow in Daddy’s footsteps, it is apparent that the man who eats, sleeps and breathes music is far from discouraging taking the avenue he so clearly loves. “We have a lot of fun also in the studio. She likes the keys. She is programming my keyboard just so randomly. I am so happy as she is just creating the sounds.”
BY JEREMY WILLIAMS
