Christoph Teuschel, guitarist, songwriter, and producer of the innovative metal trio Behind Closed Doors, is known for breaking confines in both sound and performance. The band’s latest single, prichitat | stabat filius, showcases an extraordinary collaboration with a string quartet, blending the heaviness of post-metal with the textures of classical music. This ambitious fusion of genres serves as a perfect reflection of Christoph’s unique musical vision.
In this interview, we delve deep into Christoph’s creative process, exploring the inspiration behind the incorporation of classical elements, the thematic influence of Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, and the challenges of combining such contrasting musical worlds. We also discuss the band’s immersive live shows, the balance between individuality and collaboration in their creative process, and how working with renowned musicians has shaped their sound.
Christoph, your latest single “prichitat | stabat filius” features Behind Closed Doors alongside a string quartet. What was the inspiration behind incorporating classical elements into your music?
That’s a good question! I think it boils down to this:
In my world “metal” is not so much defined by instrumentation but by the feel a piece of music emits. A lot of classical music I listen to I associate with that kind of vibe and it hence was rather natural to take that fork on the road and go down “string quartet lane”.
While there are indeed many differences between a metal band and a string quartet, there are also a multitude of things the two have in common. It is an exciting world to dive into, very gratifying but also demanding. But what would life be without challenges!?
The composition is inspired by “The Grand Inquisitor” from Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. How did the themes of this story influence the music and the overall feel of the track?
I read “The Brothers Karamazov” as a young man, and reread it not too long ago and found a completely different book. I guess life experience changes your perspective over time (the book stayed the same, after all) and the novel resonated and lingered within me in an intense way.
“The Grand Inquisitor” touches upon basic concepts humanity deals with: Power, security, love.
While we all have a basic need for the three of them, each of us has different priorities and needs different “dosages” to feel comfortable. And of course, there is an antagonist to each concept and many of us have the potential to get addicted to any of these.
What I do want to tell the audience is this though:
I am not anti religion. Not at all. I think humanity is inherently spiritual, and a spiritual journey can be everything: A religious one, one through the arts, one through sports. Its shape can be of any form. We all do know though, that organized religion has a lot of blood on its hands and I always have to think about Italian sociologist Robert Michels in this context as well, when he said (and I paraphrase): “Organization is the Mother of Oligarchy”.
But honestly, I can not come up with a satisfactory answer about how “The Grand Inquisitor” influenced our track specifically. Obviously there is the video, which we will discuss later, but I believe every composition has so many influences from different sides, that I wouldn’t dare to put my finger on it and say “That’s exactly how the specific experience shaped that note”. In my internal dialog I can’t find the question about influence either – I think it doesn’t add any value to the composition and I try to just channel whatever is in my self into the specific piece of music I am currently working on.
More heart, passion and flow, less logic and analysis, if that makes any sense.
How did you approach combining the heaviness of post-metal with the delicate textures of classical music in this composition?
I perceive this as a technical question, so, nerd mode activated:
A fully distorted electric guitar is nothing but a broad wall of noise, occupying a great deal of frequency real estate. And it’s loud. As are the drums and the bass. So the challenge for me is to carve out the space for the string quartet in terms of frequency and dynamics but of course also in terms of composing in the first place.
One might be surprised how loud a string quartet can be, though. And of course, a guitar can be used sparsely, a guitar amp might go to 11, but there’s also 0 – 10 (Blasphemy! I can’t believe I am writing this!). What I am trying to say is, a string quartet is not only capable of delicate textures, but can be very very “heavy” as well. Just listen to Bartok‘s and Shostakovich‘s string quartets, it actually doesn’t get more “metal” for me. And vice versa is also true, a trio consisting of guitars, bass and drums can be serene, cautious and shy, it all depends on the notes that have to be played and how these are executed by the respective players.
The collaboration with a string quartet is a distinctive choice for a band known for its metal influences. How did you go about selecting the musicians and arranging the string parts?
I reside in Amsterdam, a city with an abundance of culture and hence a lot of great musicians live here. I met some of them through a good friend, like minded souls who also travel between genres. I’ve worked with them on our latest full length album and was very happy that they joined for this single as well. Their talent is outstanding and knowing their capabilities makes it a tad easier to write the string parts, because I have their specific voice in mind already.
Albeit, I feel every composition has its own demands and I often feel more like an explorer than a creator: I find this musical idea and excavate it, I help it to manifest itself in and reveal itself to the world.
The video for “prichitat | stabat filius” complements the music’s themes. Can you share some insights into the visual concepts behind the video?
I love movies. And I am a big fan of stop motion. The younger generation might immediately think of the videos of the band Tool (and I do love them), but of course there are also artists like the Quay Brothers and Jan Svankmajer who made incredible works of art in that medium.
So, animation is a long and tedious process, but I love it! I have a little green box where I can stage small settings, so I just did this. The “hero” in the video is a rather naked and headless character. The plot kind of wrote itself with the input of “The Grand Inquisitor”. The aesthetics of the video are very sparse and bleak. It’s a bit hard for me to talk about it. I chose instrumental music for a reason. Language is a great thing, but it also has limitations. It can’t reach where music reaches (and vice versa) and what I try to express is through music and in this case also visuals, I haven’t really found a way to put all this into words, nor am I striving to do so in the future.
You’ve mentioned that Behind Closed Doors blends guitars, bass, drums, synths, and strings. How do you approach the songwriting process when combining so many diverse elements?
Another great question! The short answer is: I can’t generalize.
A good friend of mine, a writer, once told me: “When you finally finished writing a book, you have not learned how to write “a” book but “this” book.” I feel it’s the same with music.
Every song has its own life and the process is never the same twice. There are similarities, for sure. I am primarily a guitarist, so it feels rather natural to start out on the guitar. But there’s also times where I have a rhythm in my head and program drums first and take it from there. I hope that I grow with each song I compose, that I have more tools at hand and that the insights I obtained will be of help for the next composing adventure.
When you ask about the diversity of instrumentation, I think it boils down to a couple of things: Knowledge of the instruments capabilities, how they interact with each other and how to write for them so they complement each other. Once I have a structure and the notes for a composition, it’s actually a very fun pursuit to see who plays what and try out different combinations. Sometimes the possibilities are ample, sometimes there are stricter borders. Knowing the musician who is going to play the part is a big plus!
Your band is known for creating an immersive, interdisciplinary experience. How do you see the connection between the music and the other sensory elements (like visuals and performance) in your live shows?
For the upcoming shows I worked quite extensively on a bcd light show. It’s very sparse, but I love the intimacy of it. I am curious how the audience will react. Technology these days allows for a quite fluent integration of light with music and the other way round. We humans are very much “eye animals” aren’t we?! Hence, a great light show goes a long way and only supports the song by conjuring up a vibe.
Behind Closed Doors has a strong foundation in professional music, with each member being active in other projects. How do you balance your time between those projects and BCD?
That is indeed a very tricky part of bcd.
For the upcoming gigs, I actually perform as a solo act because my fellow musicians are all tied up in different projects. Music has so many facettes and I am quite happy that everyone who contributes to my music has their own musical life and agenda.
But yeah, it’s not easy at times, but it’s even more rewarding when things fall into place.
How do your cultural and professional backgrounds in the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden influence your approach to composition and performance?
While this is another great question,I have to admit, I never thought about it.
I believe this would make an interesting research topic though.
When musicians meet there are arguably people with an individual background coming together to create something, and the formatting they experienced through their cultural background will probably show in one way or another in their music. Or does it? If it does, can you “measure” it?
“Caged in Helices” was nominated for “Instrumental Album of the Year.” How did that recognition impact the band, and how do you think it shaped your approach to future music?
I really don’t know! Of course it is an honor when your hard work resonates with fans and journalists to such an extent that they nominate you for “Instrumental album of the year” – we were stoked and it gives a certain level of confidence! As far as impact on composition goes, I do not have the feeling anything has changed within us though. We are making music the way we always did: Humble, with the best for the song in mind, and with this comes rather naturally authenticity, I believe.
You’ve worked with acclaimed musicians from the Dutch Metropole Orkest. How does collaborating with musicians from such different backgrounds shape your compositions?
I am getting a bit of a bad conscience over here, because I have to answer “I don’t know”, again.
I do think that with every musician you work together, comes the potential for learning, for all parties involved. Annie Tangberg is part of the wonderful and immensely talented cello section of the Metropole Orkest. And Annie is a great composer and arranger herself and working with her is always as intense as enjoyable. Her input regarding the cello parts I write is always spot on and I feel they help me to grow. And the same applies to viola and composer wizard Oene van Geel – his contribution and thoughts are something I wouldn’t want to miss. He immediately understands what I am trying to say and helps me with his point of views and suggestions tremendously. Tracking with him is always a great experience: I just sit still and feel my jaw drop to my kneecap, flabbergasted by what unfolds in front of my eyeballs!
Without bassist Fred Jacobsson, his talent and contributions to my compositions, bcd wouldn’t sound the way it does! He’s been on the bcd train since the beginning and is an integral part to the whole process.
But here we go again: I can’t really put my finger on it and say “Because of Annie, Oene and Fred (just three among a couple of other great musicians I have the pleasure to work with), I compose in this specific way”. I can’t really define my artistic persona in that way – nor do I think it’s actually important for me to know. I just enjoy the ride, while working hard.
Your music straddles a fine line between ferocious heaviness and delicate tenderness. How do you find the balance between these contrasting elements in both your compositions and your performances?
I believe it’s experience and communication. I remember one situation in the studio where a dynamic drop was very sudden and the string players were feeling a bit uncomfortable. While it was too late to change that, I remember this instance and try to really have it in mind when I compose nowadays. Like with many other instances. That’s experience and after reflection, experience becomes growth, hopefully.
Communication is also crucial. I believe we all feel a bit differently, the curse and benefit of individuality. And it is hence by talking about your own perception, listening to your fellow musicians, you can approximate and assess where a song needs and wants to go. The same applies for performances. The dramatic arch is crucial, for any art form!
How did your experience working at Hertz Studio with the Wieslawski Brothers shape the production of “Caged in Helices” and influence your approach to mixing and mastering?
I can’t say enough good things about Hertz Studio and Wojtek and Slavek Wieslawski.
The crescendo I can offer goes like this:
They have great gear.
Their studio has great acoustics (it’s no coincidence they developed a superb sounding drum software – with access to top notch instruments and a great room, the table is set!).
They have tremendous talent and their ears are the legendary golden ones.
All these attributes are matched by their kindness and social skill: We all felt extremely welcome and cared about, during the two weeks of intensive tracking there. They offered us everything you could wish for as an artist. And when we hit a brick wall and asked them for artistic advice they gave us their perspective and it was always input worth considering and following.
And of course I took a lot of tips, tricks and insights back into my home studio. It’s the same like with composing: You acquire a toolbox and have access to a specific tool in a specific situation for a specific task. I feel I have three different kinds of hammers now, when I only had one a couple of years ago.
Behind Closed Doors is involved in teaching music as well. How does your teaching experience influence your creative process and work with the band?
After moving to Amsterdam three years ago, my teaching has subsided, I have to admit.
I still love doing workshops and the years I spent giving lessons were very valuable. Interacting with many different students, different age groups and different learning types with eclectic musical preferences makes you learn a lot about people and also about yourself.
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from Behind Closed Doors in terms of new music or live performances in the coming year?
I have the pleasure of opening a concert of genre giants Alkaloid and Obsidious on December 13th in Stuttgart, Germany. Then there are some options on the table for 2025 but before I have something definitive to announce, I prefer silence over hot air.
For more Behind Closed Doors visit their Bandcamp. Follow the band on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
