A Quick Chat with Berlin Tourist

What are the origins of Berlin Tourist? How did it start?

Berlin Tourist started years before I’d written my first song. When I first began considering music as a creative outlet I was always more obsessed with audio production than actual songwriting (it probably showed). I loved the trailblazers who set out in those early days of DAWs when they really became accessible at the height of the bedroom studios. I would read audio production blogs, books, magazines and even email record producers asking how they made the songs I loved. I think a lot of these artists had no idea what they were doing at the start, in the best way possible.

I think that ethos drove me to experiment outside of the genre of my current music project, Oceans, where shoegaze is such a flexible genre, and I may have pushed it too far. One day I brought in some new demos with drum machines and lofi guitar riffs and everyone hated it. It was at a point in time where our drummer quit, Mayzie hadn’t started singing for the band and I used that musical semi-crisis to make a massive diversion into a new genre.

I went away and learned how to mix properly to polish off the rough edges and decided to pursue this vision as a solo project and hence Berlin Tourist was created.

Tell us a bit about the new single. What does it mean to you?

‘Get Out’ is an expression of nihilism and frustration with youth issues we’re currently facing. It evokes feelings of agitation in me, wanting to break free of a materialistic monoculture, fake people, and a lack of any true emotional expression.

I love adopting the persona of Berlin Tourist as an exaggerated form of myself, kind of like posting anonymously on an online forum, It makes me feel like I can express myself lyrically and I found the words came out quite easily. 

Are there any inspirations you look to beyond music when writing or performing?

I love films, anime, blogs, essays, social media beefs, anything that feels like a genuine artist created it. I feel inspired when I see people pushing boundaries and using art as a means of authentic self-expression. I think any artist’s zenith is the crossover of mastering their craft but still early enough to be bold, experimental and risk fucking everything up before ultimately crafting something beautiful.

Name the five songs that have informed your song writing more than any others.

Enter a Uh - John Frusciante.
Спортивные очки - Buerak
Data Sluts- Filmmaker
Moonlight - Surfing
BasedGod - Lil B

What Australian bands are you listening to at the moment?

Bollard, Soup and the Crouton, Paraguay, Rain Dogs.

How do you hope your music might impact listeners?

I hope that people are equally impressed and disgusted by what I’m putting together. My ultimate goal is to make the most cringe inducing content ever. I hope that it breaks the current trend of over sanitised “safe” music that is currently being put out for content’s sake and evoke a genuine reaction from listeners, even if it is negative. Especially if it’s negative!