Ragawerk Interview With Colby

Guide

How did the idea of blending Indian ragas with European-influenced jazz come about?

Max: It was a natural development, because I’ve been interested in Indian Classical Music since I was 12 years old, and moved to Mumbai to learn from Pandit Nayan Ghosh when I was 24 – he’s a sitar player, but I always played Indian music on the guitar. The first piece I wrote while in India is “Charukeshi” – which is featured on “Niḷa” – based on the Indian Raag of the same name – but I tried to build chords from that Raag (or Raga) and came up with a vamp to improvise over – which is a jazz concept.

What inspires the “floating soundscapes” in your music?

Martin: Since I also work in theaters as a musician, I’m very interested in sounds, atmospheres, and moods that can be created through music and sound. Max also writes a lot of film music. All of this, of course, flows into Ragawerk.

How do you balance driving, beat-heavy pieces with gentler, meditative moments?

Martin: In fact, these are two aspects of music that we both like very much. We set the more driven pieces against the quieter ones. This contrast we find very exciting.

Critics mention a “krautrock-like mixture” in your work—was that an influence or a happy accident?

Max: A bit of both! We love Can, Kraftwerk, Embryo … and “Niḷa” was recorded at the “Panne Paulsen” studio in Frankfurt (now called “Schwesternheim”) where Klaus Schulze and Ashra (Manuel Göttsching) recorded their music in the 70s, so there was a strong “vibe” in the room.

What do you hope listeners take away from Ragawerk’s fusion of jazz and ragas?

Max: I like to think that every good artwork is like an onion, with lots of layers or skins. With Ragawerk, I hope listeners can enjoy the vibe, the atmosphere, our the virtuosity, or discover the Indian music elements, or go even deeper and discovers the subtle esoterical aspects that are hidden in some of the compositions. But you can also just listen to it without analysing too much