MICHAEL

When’s your birthday?
I’m a Sunday kid – January 13th

Where are you from?
“Ruhrpott – Meine Heimat, meine Liebe”
A place in Germany, right in the middle of the Ruhr area.

What are your hobbies?
Actually music is my main free time and work activity. I’m a freelance sound engineer, so it’s everywhere around me. I do enjoy small-group activities like table soccer, kart driving, darts, etc.

Why did you become a musician?
It was always there, but I couldn’t start to really play an instrument until I was eighteen.

In the beginning there were drums, until my first band split up. No rooms to play loudly, no other band, yadda yadda. So I started to play guitar and bass instruments at home. I already had a garbage guitar from that first band experience where we shared instruments for fun.

When it comes to music, I can always find some motivation to make a step forward, to look for unconventional ways of playing and getting sounds, to really get into all levels of songs from the composing to details.

Who are your musical influences?
Opeth, for sure! Devin Townsend, Ghost Brigade, Communic, and lots more prog-metal or gothic-doom-ish bands. You’re probably wondering “what the hell is he doing in a speed metal band?” But I need to play different types of music than I listen to, or else I get bored very quickly.

What other musical projects have you worked on?
Mainly my local band “Unicorn Rodeo”, and I’m also preparing a boatload of film and game music.

What’s your favorite Spielfreude song?
Starblast Apocalypse – it’s so much fun to play, too!

What are your goals with Spielfreude?
To be a working band that’s lots of fun for everyone, to create something extraordinary and share some happiness.