Q&A Ben Lukas Boysen

portrait by Claudia Goedke

Today there's another fine interview from our Q&A section on the official Q3A-website, which Sebastian and I had with the inspiring musician Ben Lukas Boysen.

A few lines from it:
"[...] Also the quality of limitation is not to be understated. A clean and organised enviroment is key for me to get into the right mood and deal with the creative chaos in my head."

Ben Lukas Boysen

After embracing this demanding line of work, in 2010 Ben felt the need to explore his roots and early education, which inspired these albums under his own name. Born in 1981 as the third child of opera singer Deirdre Boysen and actor Claus Boysen, his classical music training on piano and guitar began when he was seven years old; the works of Bruckner, Wagner and Bach laid an important foundation. Rediscovering this music shared with his parents -united with the sounds of Autechre, Cristian Vogel and Jiri Ceiver to Pink Floyd and Godspeed You! Black Emperor— brought back an understanding of why he wanted to write music in the first place.
 Ben’s most progressive and shape-shifting new album Mirage is out May 1, 2020.


Studio & Workspace
It’s a light flooded room in my appartement that is ideally always reduced to only the instruments/synths and tools i’m using. I don’t collect gear – if something becomes less useful or overstayed it’s welcome in any way, it will find a new loving home. Also the quality of limitation is not to be understated. A clean and organised enviroment is key for me to get into the right mood and deal with the creative chaos in my head. Basically a table, two side racks,good speakers, good light, a good chair and my synths is what works best for me.

Daily Routine
When i have a tight schedule, i.e. working on a score, and need to get a lot done in a day, i wake up around 7, make coffe, get my yoga done and be at the desk between 9h and 10h. Working for 2-3 hours, then taking a break and then another 3-4 hours, sometimes longer. As a freelancer, I always found it important to come up with your own set of rules as if you’d go to a workplace otherwise i get sluggish and distracted.

Entry Points
When i was a kid and my parents and brothers introducing me to the vast world of music, from Bach to Billy Idol.

Finishing Records
When i start to overwork tracks. There’s the habit of tweaking tracks because you think there’s always more in them, when the truth is: there isn’t. Being able to let go, a point of the process i always look forward too, is crucial for me. I WANT to close chapters because this normally means a new chapter begins and you can move on and evolve.

Health & Productivity
Not well. I have a tendency to get lost in making music (who hasn’t?) and need to remind myself that the body is less and less forgiving –aka, I’m not 18 anymore. So walks, moderate exercise and extensive breaks are becoming a regular thing. Also, and this might sound outrageous, not going to bed too late, really winding down before sleep, helped me with 80% of potential health issues.