Kubik Kollektiv and the Bauhaus Sound
Together with Adriana Kapsreiter, the Kubik Kollektiv created the musical accompaniment for the second season of the About Bauhaus podcast—a soundscape that reinterprets the spirit of Bauhaus in a modern way. But who is behind the Kubik Kollektiv, and what defines this unique sound?
In the second season of the About Bauhaus podcast, the music of the Kubik Kollektiv takes center stage. This sound was specifically developed for the Bauhaus Archive and the podcast, unfolding through a series of improvisations inspired by the creative inputs and themes from podcast host Adriana Kapsreiter. This musical experiment is closely connected to the film project Bauhaus Forever by NOW Collective, a multi-year undertaking by director Nico Weber in collaboration with the Bauhaus Archive. Ralf Merten, founder of the Kubik Kollektiv, composed the film’s score.
In About Bauhaus, the Kubik Kollektiv crafts a unique soundscape, with highlights from this sound journey woven into the evolving narrative of the film. The Kubik Kollektiv later appeared as a guest on Erwin Ditzner’s Carte Blanche at the Enjoy Jazz Festival and performed at the temporary Bauhaus Archive during the 2023 Long Night of Museums. The music also shaped the draft of the film, presented as a “Work in Progress” at the Ark Rex Film Festival in Helsinki in 2023—an experimental glimpse into a project still in the making. More performances, recordings, and releases are planned for the future.
Kubik Kollektiv
Jan Hennig (aka Kabuki) is a drum-and-bass DJ, label owner, live performer at festivals like Superbooth in Berlin and the Tokyo Festival of Modular, and has made a name for himself in electronic music as well as in large-scale AV installations that explore the fringes of sound, light, and movement. With his modular system, he brings contemporary mechanical and sequenced sounds to the sound of the Kubik Kollektiv.
Erwin Ditzner (drums, percussion) and Lömsch Lehmann (clarinets, saxophone) perform timeless free jazz in their project Ditzner Lömsch Duo and have played in countless bands and projects with prominent figures in the international jazz scene, including Peter Brötzmann, Aki Takase, and Fred Frith. They bring a fearless spirit of experimentation and improvisation without a safety net, as well as stylistic openness that goes beyond jazz. Erwin Ditzner’s musical roots, for instance, lie in Krautrock, where he lived and played with bands like Guru Guru in a collective setting.
Max Mahlert (drums, known for Geräuschlabor and the band c-types) is known for his stripped-back, minimalist drumming style, enriched by effects. His sound represents reduction, minimalism, and compelling noise-driven grooves that leave ample space for other instruments.
Alex Matwijuck (guitar) grew up in the punk scene, later studied classical guitar, and also works as a theater musician (including in the Granularsynthese project). His altered guitar sounds—sometimes produced with a cello bow or a screwdriver—are not always recognizable as guitar, blending seamlessly with the collective’s other electronic sounds.
Chris Rücker (bass, double bass, known from the band Nachttierhaus) has a jazz background and a passion for funk and hip-hop. He also works with effects and loopers and has developed music for dance theater. Movement, physicality, and a melodic sense characterize his bass playing.
Ralf Merten (prepared piano, electronics) incorporates a handcrafted sound through his piano, prepared with various materials like wood, metal, paper, and rubber. His wooden, percussive, minimalist sequences serve as a counterpoint to Kabuki’s mechanical sequences. His electronic setup mainly utilizes analog feedback loops, drones, resonances, and modulations, adding an element of unpredictability to the Kubik Kollektiv’s sound.
“For me this was one of the most exciting tasks of the past years. How can I, as an art historian, present the content in such a way that the history of the Bauhaus feels so inspiring that people today could make music from it?”
To capture the creative and experimental spirit of the historical Bauhaus, an artistic concept was developed that centers on community and collective improvisation. Adriana Kapsreiter and Ralf Merten chose not to replicate historical compositions; instead, they focused on a modern sound that merges elements of jazz, electronic music, and Krautrock. This approach allows the themes of Bauhaus history to be conveyed in an abstract, intuitive way.
For the recordings, the musicians selected unusual instruments and playing techniques. Piano and guitar strings were prepared to create sounds that echo the workshops of the Bauhaus school. Electronic effects and modular synthesizers reflect the mechanical aesthetics that shaped Bauhaus. This fusion of influences created an acoustic bridge between past and present, making the Bauhaus spirit palpable in a new sonic landscape.