What is this?

Zen Sounds is a weekly newsletter on experimental music and culture.

Every week, I take a closer look at one specific piece of music – mostly a composition or an album, new or old, which I have been listening to lately.

Zen Sounds is sent out on Saturday morning 8 am CET. The idea is to give one listening recommendation for the weekend.

In addition to the music-focused newsletter on Saturday, I will occasionally send out essays on various topics from arts and culture to practical philosophy. I hope you’ll find them helpful, inspiring and/or entertaining.

Who are you?

My name is Stephan Kunze. I am a writer based in Germany. I have been writing about music for over 20 years – from hip-hop to jazz to electronic music to the avant-garde.

I grew up in a small village near the Baltic sea. I’ve lived in Berlin for the past decade, but now I reside in the North German hinterland with my family.

In the last years, I’ve listened to a lot of ambient, musique concrète and experimental electronics, as well as spiritual and ambient jazz. Back in the days, I was the editor of a hip-hop magazine, and I still have a soft spot for alternative rap and instrumental beats. I support independent music and artists.

I’m a practitioner of Deep Listening, a technique developed by the late composer Pauline Oliveros. Here at Zen Sounds, I focus on soundscapes and compositions suitable for focused and meditative listening instead of capitalist productivity music dissolving into the background.

I have a monthly community radio show on Dublab DE and a Spotify playlist.