Dominik Matzka “Was ist dann los”
“Was ist dann los” (what’s the matter), is about perspectives. An ode that takes the form of open-ended “what if” queries. Behind each disaster and destruction is rebirth and rebuild. A loss is always accompanied by an opportunity for new, but Dominik Matzka goes even deeper than what we all know. Through thought-provoking questions and mind-opening twists, Matzka invites you to really see your situations for what you have missed.
“If truth can’t be named; if the flames can’t be burned; if we’re in fact the fire not the wood; if our veins are full of gold…”
With picturesque cinematic epic thundering through underneath, coming to you in deep, ground-shaking pulses, the surrounding of nature and its spirits is woven into Matzka’s smooth and earthy voice. His music feels like a call to return to truth. The world seems to have slowed down in “Was ist dann los,” you see moments and life on a big screen and are not deterred by your own emotions, but seeing it flowing through your eyes. One image, in particular, sticks out.
The falling house image first occurs in the lyrics, in which an ancient tower is then discovered. What’s interesting is how it’s being projected in a much more profound way into the sonics. As modern folk texture meets medieval polyphonic-inspired chants, even no crumbling of destruction is heard, a deeper, vertical revelation and expansion into history, intelligence and origin in “Was ist dann los” can be observed, and its movement is more than ever conscious. But it has been in the fabrics of Matzka’s songs since the beginning.
Deep in both folk music and sacred music and with the broad board of history under his thumb, there has always been a curious and spontaneous trace to ancient art and its forms in Matzka’s music. Combined with his own modern acoustic sensibility and instincts for creating organic sound designs, his music is a mending and a continuation of old and new. Deeply refreshing and therapeutic.
“You can think of literally any problem as a chance to learn something. In fact we need crisis and dark times to learn things we otherwise wouldn’t,” says the artist.
Read our interview with Matzka and learn more about his fifth single “Was ist dann los.”
Punk Head: I love how intimate and immersive "Was ist dann los" is. Tell us more about the story behind this song. How did everything come together?
Dominik Matzka: Well, first, something broke apart. When my former relationship ended in 2017, I had a key moment. On the bus home, I felt that this was exactly the situation I should be in. Right now, in this emotional and mental mess, there was the chance for personal growth. In that moment, the melody for „Was ist dann los“ evolved in my imagination. The lyrics then developed around a game-changing thought: „What if this problem is actually a gift?”
As a living thing, the song has gone through some radical changes, too. First, I recorded a ton of background vocals like those you hear in the end. They were inspired by the rough energy of medieval polyphonic chants. In 2020, when I got the opportunity to work with the Film Orchestra Babelsberg during my film music studies, I took the chance and arranged „Was ist dann los“ for orchestra.
PH: Is there a particular message or theme you hope listeners take away from this single?
Matzka: You can think of literally any problem as a chance to learn something. In fact we need crisis and dark times to learn things we otherwise wouldn’t. This is just as true for social, economical and ecological problems as it is for personal issues. But the real boost – also for society’s learning curve – is playfulness.
PH: What has been one of the most significant moments of your musical journey so far?
Matzka: This year I’ve committed myself to the fact that I don’t make music for money. I do it because it’s fun, and as a kind of service to the divine spark in all of us. That’s why I chose to earn the majority of my bread as a music teacher, not by selling my ability to compose and produce. I want to create music from within, and I don’t want to compromise on that anymore, just in order to survive as a full-time musician.
PH: What is your creative vision as an artist?
Matzka: As an artist, I don’t need one big vision. Many small visions – usually one per project – are totally sufficient.
As a human being however, I do have a vision. In my boldest dreams, humanity realizes that happiness can’t be reached by staying greedy and busy. Instead, we somehow manage to escape the treadmill of capitalism and learn to care for ourselves and each other on a basal level. This whole process starts with unpleasant questions, and one way to ask those questions is through making art.
PH: How has studying at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg made an impact on your music career?
Matzka: Studying at Filmakademie has helped me get into touch with lots of people from different film departments. A win-win situation: Filmmakers can commission me to write scores for them, and I can commission them to make music videos and visual art for me. During the time at Filmakademie, I received many tips from fellow students and teachers that have helped me improve my music production skills quite fast. I’ve also learned to look at every part of the music production process as a means to tell the story.
