Obsessed with a cassette recorder as a child, Björn Torwellen went on to build a career as a musician, author, event organiser, label manager, lecturer and DJ, began producing tracks that have made him a household name in the world of electronic music. Now, through the SINEE Institute in Cologne he teaches the craft of electronic music.
‘I just do what comes naturally,’ he says. ‘Mostly it happens to be dark, melancholic, with a lot of atmosphere. My music did become less aggressive over the years. Much of it has a cineastic quality to it. I don’t like following trends. Just because everyone is jumping on a bandwagon, I don’t have to.
‘I try to open rooms in my tracks, to tell stories,’ he continues, describing his creative process as a ‘conversation with the machines and the mood’. It is all about the loop, like a sustain pedal for the moment of happiness.’
He has held workshops for more than ten years, passing on the know-how he collected over the years. ‘After publishing a book on Ableton Live, people kept asking me for workshops, which is why I held lectures time and again. The SINEE institute is the logical consequence.’
The emphasis at SINEE Institute differs from other educational establishments in the audio sector. ‘We do not focus on recording others as much as we focus on producing yourself,’ Torwellen says. ‘Ableton and the workings of a compressor can be learned anywhere. But what then? We teach our students important production skills. Sound design, arrangement, composition. And how they can market their music.’
SINEE foregoes a traditional linear curriculum in favour of a dynamic learning structure. ‘We offer a different programme each month. We book lecturers, develop the courses. The students can learn according to their own interests and preferences.’
Book their own schedule in the SINEE°cloud, students are able to work with names like Hannes Bieger, Robert Babicz and Florian Meindl. The institute features five workstations for the students to work on. These workstations are equipped with computers and comprehensive software packages. At the heart of the institute is the Analog Lab, a small studio with lots of analogue instruments and a modular system. PSI Audio A17-M are employed for the perfect reproduction of the educative sound designs. ‘When I built the studio, the choice of monitors was a priority,’ Torwellen comments his choice. ‘We have a very small room of only 13sq-m. Large eight-inch systems were never an option.’
Torwellen was looking for an all-rounder, meticulously reproducing all information while still being fun to work with and precisely featuring the bass frequencies. ‘When we had sorted out the room’s acoustic design, I began trying out speakers from various renowned manufacturers. But nothing quite convinced me.’
When PSI Audio was suggested to him, Torwellen was won over immediately. ‘Despite the small size I get enough power out of them while still having an unbelievable spatial impression. I hardly need to listen to references, with the PSI Audio A17-M every mix works first time. Our students are just as impressed.’
The precise reproduction of the PSI Audio A17-M lets the students find a sweet spot between music and technology. ‘Music and technology are well balanced in our curriculum. Both are important.
‘Speaking of long-term development, I can see SINEE with a large number of subsidiaries. The best thing would be if one of our students made it big.’
