What’s this about?
zensounds is a music and culture newsletter covering
experimental music – ambient, jazz, electronic, drone, noise-/post-rock, indie rap, leftfield pop and more
culture – books, films, media and technology
personal essays – off-grid life, spirituality and philosophy
Who are you?
I’m Stephan Kunze, a writer and culture journalist, as well as the former editor-in-chief of Juice magazine (Germany) and a former Senior Music Editor and Global Editorial Lead at Spotify.
For more than two decades, I’ve mainly covered music and culture for German-speaking media. In recent times, I’ve been publishing in English and writing for publications from the UK and the United States.
I’ve also worked as a copywriter and editorial consultant for labels, brands, media and tech companies. My non-fiction book Zen Style was published in 2021 by Arkana/Penguin Random House.
I am based in Berlin, but spend many months of the year with my family in a tiny village in rural northeast Germany, living off the grid.
Why should I subscribe?
A paid subscription is the best way to support and value my work.
I offer a sliding scale with 3 paid subscription tiers:
1. The regular subscription
As a paid sub, you will
get all free posts,
additional paywalled articles,
exclusive access to the full archive of posts,
and be actively supporting an independent ecosystem for music and culture journalism.
A subscription is only €5/month or €50/year.
2. The 20% discount
If you want to get a paid subscription but your economical situation feels too tense, the link below will get you 20% off for the first 12 months.
No questions asked.
3. VIP status
If you’re well-off and enjoy what I’m doing, you can become a VIP member and receive full paid sub status plus extra karma points.
Just fill in the sum you would like to pay for one year. Even if it’s just a few bucks above the regular subscription price, I really appreciate it.
Can I pitch music to you?
Sure, but please note I can’t reply to pitches or give feedback to music due to sheer volume.
Make sure to include with your pitch:
relevant infos on the artist/project including release date
download link for current press images
HQ music download (Bandcamp codes preferred)
How do I reach you?
zensounds [at] posteo [dot] de
