Kiosk I.D.’s 30th release, ‘The Islands,’ marks a milestone in Berlin’s electronic scene, showcasing the artistic evolution of Kater Blau veterans coss and Peter Schumann. This ten-track album demonstrates the duo’s creative synergy, blending Peter’s house influences with coss’s innovative soundscapes to create a sonic journey that defies genre boundaries.
Photo credit: coss / Peter Schumann – Official
‘The Islands’ highlights coss and Peter Schumann’s combined talents, refined through years of collaboration. The album merges Peter’s house influences with coss’s evolving soundscapes, resulting in a complex blend of nuanced sound design and driving rhythms.
The album spans diverse genres. ‘Arrakeen’ and ‘T Step’ feature shimmering harmonics and house beats, while ‘The Box’ and ‘Reminder’ offer moodier Micro House vibes. ‘Maro Reef,’ ‘Kitty Su,’ and ‘Two Tree Island’ present introspective, cinematic soundscapes. ‘Mellum,’ ‘Mercer Island,’ and ‘Cuor di Mela’ blend innovative synths with Techno and Fast House rhythms, ideal for the dancefloor.
In an exclusive interview with EG, coss and Peter Schumann share insights into their creative process, the album’s reception, and their views on AI in music production. The duo reveals that ‘The Islands’ stemmed from a desire to define their sound after years of collaboration, with each track carefully chosen to showcase their production range.
Today we explore the world of ‘The Islands,’ delving into the duo’s artistic journey, their perspectives on the ever-evolving music industry, and their exciting future plans.
EG: Hi, guys! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
coss: I’m good! I’m in my studio working on new songs.
Peter: I spent the last 3 weeks with my family at our vacation camp not far from Berlin, right by the lake.
EG: How is your summer going so far? Any particular highlights?
Peter: My highlight so far this summer was my gig at the Garbicz Festival. And of course, finalizing the tracks and finally releasing our album.
coss: Summer is going well so far, with a lot of new places and experiences. My highlight so far has probably been crafting and playing a lot of new compositions, including our album!
EG: Also, congratulations on the release of your latest album, ‘The Islands’. What has the initial reception been like so far?
coss: We got a lot of great feedback from friends and DJs around the globe who are happily playing the tunes, with overwhelmingly positive crowd reactions.
Peter: I can fully agree with Conrad here, we have almost exclusively excellent reviews from many of our colleagues.
EG: So, what’s ‘The Islands’ all about? Is there a thread or concept interconnecting all 10 tracks?
coss: After working together for a few years, it was the right moment for us to define our sound and work on this colorful collaboration album.
Peter: Exactly, we had made a lot of tracks and were wondering what to do with them and we had the idea for this album. Then we started to see which tracks fit best together to show the range of our productions.
“After working together for a few years, it was the right moment for us to define our sound and work on this colorful collaboration album”
EG: Of course, this is not your first outing together, but how does ‘The Islands’ come about? Did you guys have a clear horizon before taking that crucial first step?
Peter: It was about not repeating ourselves and instead developing a new modern vision of our sound specifically for the dancefloor.
coss: Totally, after crafting many songs together, a recurring theme emerged, which led us to compile this variety of tracks into a full-length album.
EG: Can you describe your workflow for us? Do you guys have ‘set roles’ in the studio by now? Do you play on each other’s strengths, or do you take it track by track?
Peter: We talk a lot about what we’re in the mood for today, for example, or what we’re up for or what we’ve never done before, etc. The fact that we see each other every week helps us to stay in the mood. We always try to capture the idea in the first session.
coss: Yes, that consistency allowed us to develop our workflow, and now we can compose and arrange a new song in just 2 to 4 sessions.
EG: By the way, ‘The Islands’ also signals Kiosk I.D.’s 30th release, which is meant to be ‘a declaration of love to the city whose area code it shares and the vibrant culture that once planted the seed for Kater Blau.’ What does this mean to you on a personal level?
Peter: I moved to Berlin 15 years ago for exactly this reason. And it was the best decision I ever made. To see that after all these years we are able to constantly reinvent ourselves is a gift, which of course has to do with the diversity of the city and the cultivation of techno in the broadest sense that Berlin offers.
coss: Uff, a question on a personal level?! After many years as a resident DJ and hosting numerous events at this club, I have never been treated with more disloyalty and disrespect than I was at Kater Blau. But fortunately, our beautiful city has so much more to offer and endless potential for new loving projects.
EG: Now, on to one of those hot current subjects… What’s your stance on AI? Do you see it driving the scene forward or is this one of those innovations that just take us backwards? Has any form of AI been applied in ‘Islands’?
Peter: I don’t think AI should play a major role in composing music, it’s about real feelings and processing personal impressions, and there’s already enough interchangeable music these days. I can’t imagine an AI mastering this in the foreseeable future.
coss: Well, the process is already underway and is likely more advanced than any of us can fully comprehend. However, for our production and compositions, we don’t use AI. When it comes to visual content, though, we do utilize image-generative AI methods to create video content that complements our songs.
“To see that after all these years we are able to constantly reinvent ourselves is a gift”
EG: Finally, what can we expect from Peter Schumann & coss in the next months? Where can your fans catch you playing live next?
Peter: At the moment we are already working on the next project for our album, there will be a remix album with well-known artists at the end of the year. Alongside this, we are constantly on the road and working on putting a live version of our album on stage.
coss: Peter has said it all.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, guys! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!
coss & Peter: Thanks and take care!
coss and Peter Schumann’s ‘The Islands’ is now available via Kiosk I.D. Stream and download here.
Follow coss: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram | Facebook
Follow Peter Schumann: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram | Facebook
