Sebastian Mullaert: Philosophy of Improvisation

Sebastian Mullaert is an electronic musician and live performer whose work has captured the hearts and imaginations of global audiences throughout a prolific career spanning more than two decades. Rising to prominence as one half of the acclaimed duos Son Kite and Minilogue, Sebastian has gone on to forge his path both as a solo artist and as a curator of the groundbreaking improvised performance concept Circle Of Live. In recent times he has also embarked on a collaborative project named Natthall which aims to bridge the gap between electronic and modern classical music.

As part of the #LoopAtHome music-making weekend, Sebastian delivered a live-streamed broadcast from Malmö, Sweden where he shared some of the techniques and philosophies he applies to improvised electronic music. The session opened with a short performance derived from his recent single “Moonwaker”, which was recorded in collaboration with musicians of the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich. Sebastian went on to explain how he uses various analog and digital instruments in ways that encourage spontaneity, collaboration, and flow within his sets.

The presentation reflected on the values of improvised creation in both live and studio settings, as well as the technical aspects of structuring in-the-moment performances. Sebastian’s aim was to encourage participants to understand the connections between musical improvisation and everyday life and to pursue and develop their own philosophy.

Concluding the session, Sebastian took questions from the online audience and provided further explanations into the various parts of his live setup.  

Sebastian’s Live Set, featured in the stream, is available for download so that you can see exactly what he does, and if you wish, develop your own projects from his template.

Download the Live Set Sebastian Mullaert uses for performances here*

*Requires a Live 10 Suite license or the free trial.

Please note: this Live Set and included samples are for educational use only and cannot be used for any commercial purposes

A 15-minute instructional video has also been recorded, where Sebastian explains how to work with the Live Set template.

Bonus Track

Sebastian continues to invite people to explore improvisation and creativity through a series of online workshops, masterclasses, and creative retreats, currently launching via his new education platform Circle of Live:In Bloom.

Keep up with Sebastian Mullaert on Facebook, Instagram, circleof.live, YouTube, Twitter and linktr.ee.