Hi, I’m Stephan.
I’m a writer based in Germany, covering music across genres –
jazz, electronic, neoclassical, avant-garde.
Check out Zen Sounds, my weekly newsletter on experimental music and culture.
I also work as an editorial and content strategy consultant.
References
- I’ve been working in music journalism for 20+ years
- I held leading editorial positions at Juice (music magazine) from 2007–2013, and Spotify (streaming service) from 2016–2022
- Bylines in Zeit Online (DE), taz – Die Tageszeitung (DE), Musikexpress (DE), Spex (DE), Bandcamp Daily (US), RBMA Daily (US), Everything Jazz (UK), and others
- past and present consultancy clients include Universal Music, Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Music, Vice Media, Red Bull, Nike, Endel and many others
- my non-fiction book „Zen Style“ (in German) got published by Arkana, a division of Penguin Random House, in 2021
- worked as an artist manager and co-founded an independent record label
- hosted community radio shows for Byte FM (2015–16) and Dublab (2022–23)
10 facts about myself
- I’m a fully qualified lawyer, so I actually studied law and graduated.
- I live in a farmhouse in a tiny village in rural Northeastern Germany with my family.
- I avoid social media and the daily news. I’d rather get to the bottom of things than stay on top of them.
- I read around 50 books per year, but I don’t own a TV.
- I’m more of an introvert. I like silence and one-to-one conversation. I don’t particularly enjoy parties and phone calls. (Scheduled videocalls are fine!)
- I practice mindfulness meditation, and I go on a silent retreat once a year.
- I consider myself a minimalist, and I never check a bag.
- I’m sort of a wise spender and always up for a bargain.
- I don’t drink alcohol, but boy do I love good coffee.
- I took my wife’s last name when we married. Patriarchy is hurting everyone, including men.