The Obelisk Questionnaire: Benedikt Klemens Berg of Coltaine
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Benedikt Klemens Berg of Coltaine
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I’d describe what I do as creating music together with three people who share the same seriousness as I do, while still leaving space for each of us to express ourselves individually. Music has always been about following what feels right to me. I had vocal and classical violin lessons as a child, but quit when I was 15. I only returned to music at 22, after my mother passed away, when I wanted to connect more with my youngest brother Moe, who was playing guitar in a Black Metal band at the time. That’s when I picked up the bass and taught myself by jamming with people in our local scene. Ever since our first show, I never wanted to lose that feeling again. Several years later, in 2022, we formed Coltaine, and I’m incredibly grateful to have these people by my side.
Describe your first musical memory.
My first musical memory is playing violin at a recital in a church when I was a child and honestly, I didn’t enjoy it at all. I think it was the moment I realized that music has to feel right to me, otherwise it doesn’t work. Funny enough, in November I’ll be back in a church with Coltaine at the Sonus Obscura Festival, sharing the stage with bands like Dool, Dolch, Saturnalia Temple and Daevar. In a way, it feels like a kind of payback time.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Seeing the Mongolian group Huun Huur Tu in a small chapel is my best musical memory so far. Damn, another church… I think they are following me. I had to get up from my seat, move all the way back, and just let myself be carried by the music, crying out of pure joy for almost the entire set.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Before we founded Coltaine, when I was playing in another band with my brother Moe, we often struggled to find people who shared our mindset and seriousness about music. You think you’ve found collaborators with the same drive, only for them to move away or stop making music. Some people in our Karlsruhe music scene even lost their way or their lives due to heavy drug abuse. That period really tested my belief in the value of dedication and focus in creating music.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I think artistic progression opens doors to new possibilities and allows more freedom to express yourself. I feel I have more control over what I want to express in less time, which makes it easier to convey my ideas.
How do you define success?
Being able to stay true to yourself in what you do and continuing to do what you love.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
Fiends who gave up on their passion. It’s painful to see people stop doing what they truly love.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
Making an acoustic or a pure drone ambient record. I’m also a big fan of soundtracks, and the idea of composing a score for a movie or a game really excites me.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Connecting people.
Say something positive about yourself.
I always follow through on things I truly believe in, no matter the challenges.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Going with friends to travel in the Balkans in October.
[Photo by Daniel Kilgus.]
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https://laybarerecordings.com/
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