Born in 1992 on the ruins of communist Romania, Mihnea Berechet, better known as Himbrecht, grew up to be synonymous with deep, melodic electronic music, attention to detail, and a rather twisted sense of humor.
With a newborn in his arms and the drop of his ‘Beginnings’ EP on Anathema Records, EG caught up with Himbrecht to talk about the new record, the impact of fatherhood, his workflow in the studio, and more.
EG: Hello Mihnea! We’re very happy to have you here with us today. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Himbrecht: Hello, I’m great, thank you! I’m currently based in Romania, the perfect place to draw inspiration from, in my humble opinion. I’m mostly working on new music right now.
EG: Congratulations on the release of your new EP, ‘Beginnings’! What has the initial reception been like?
Himbrecht: Thank you! I’m not sure how people received it, especially since we didn’t push the EP promo too hard, but I think my longtime followers really liked it. It’s got a bit of everything for everyone. I think the cover art helped quite a bit, loved what the artist had done with it.
EG: ‘Beginnings’ is a rather strong name…What inspired this particular piece?
Himbrecht: I started working on the first track of the EP – ‘Beginnings’ – when I found out I was going to be a father, so that’s where the inspiration came from. It was an unknown situation I found myself in and what better way to express myself than through music? 🙂 This is probably one of the few tunes I’ve recorded in (almost) one take.
EG: What will your fans find on this one? What can they expect, in musical terms?
Himbrecht: I’ve been experimenting with different approaches when building up the track and arranging it, I think that’s the most obvious thing about these tracks in particular. It’s full of ups and downs and I feel like at some point during each track there’s actually too much going on but I reckon it all plays well in the end.
“It was an unknown situation I found myself in and what better way to express myself than through music?”
EG: ‘Beginnings’ also features a remix by Javier Orduña. What is the process for you when listening back to a remix of a track of yours for the first time? What particular things do you listen for?
Himbrecht: I’m not looking for anything in particular, to be honest, as long as the remix is good I don’t usually comment on anything. The easiest to spot are the original bits from the remix pack, and I think that’s where Javier excelled while doing this remix, he has managed to blend the old (original) with his own interpretation of these bits rather superbly. Hats off to him.
EG: And the EP is out via Anathema Records, for which you’ve recently participated with your own DJ mix in their ‘Anathema Label Series’ on EG. Why did you choose to go with Anathema for this release? What is your relationship with the label like by now?
Himbrecht: I’ve known Fec for quite a few years now and we’ve continuously exchanged ideas, bits, and pieces during this time. I knew that he was involved in the Anathema project, but we never talked about an actual EP until he heard ‘Beginnings’ and ‘Mango Chutney’. He asked if they were signed and I told him that we could make an EP on Anathema. The label got in touch with Javier for a remix, he was excited to jump in and that was it. 🙂
EG: What is your approach to the studio like? Do you have a sort of ‘blueprint’ for your workflow?
Himbrecht: I usually start with a strong sample that can carry both some groove and melody but other times some basic drums do the trick, just to get the creative juices flowing. I haven’t found a template workflow and I haven’t tried looking for one too much as these tend to bore me rather quickly once used two or three times. But 90% of the time tracks start from samples.
EG: We know you have a very particular, dark sense of humor. Any new books or movies that have made you laugh lately?
Himbrecht: I’m not much of a reader if I’m being honest, I can’t seem to be able to focus for long enough. But I do enjoy visual arts and I think they blend so well with humor, especially in 2022. There are loads of funny material out there but cartoons have been a big part of my TV menu lately: Inside Job, Human Resources, Archer are my top recommendations right now (rather mainstream but I don’t have much time to spare).
“I’ve been experimenting with different approaches when building up the track and arranging it, I think that’s the most obvious thing about these tracks in particular.”
EG: What’s next for Himbrecht in the next few months? What new milestones are you looking to celebrate?
Himbrecht: I’m trying to release way more than I have been lately, especially since I’ve had the time to work on new material. I’ve got a few EPs looking for a label but the first one is coming out this May 20th on my Bandcamp and everywhere else to stream. I try not to make long-term plans as these don’t usually come about.
EG: Thank you for your time, Mihnea! We wish you all the best for the future!
Himbrecht: Many thanks for having me, I’ve had loads of fun making this mix and I look forward to dropping some new music very soon! Talk to you soon.
Himbrecht’s ‘Beginnings’ EP is out now via Anathema Records. Purchase your copy here.
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