Steve Hauschildt is an electronic composer known for lush, immersive and melodic ambient blended with arpeggiated synth patterns and spacious rhythmic structures. First emerging as a member of the influential trio Emeralds formed in 2006 and with releases on Editions Mego, his solo work has refined and expanded those kosmische foundations. In 2011, Hauschildt signed to Kranky as a solo artist and released his debut album: the shimmering, majestic double-LP Tragedy & Geometry. He moved to Ghostly International in 2018 with the more techno-influenced album, Dissolvi, that included guest vocals from Julianna Barwick, and followed it up in 2019 with the album Nonlin. He is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia and in 2025 released a solo album, Aeropsia, on his newly minted label Simul Records.

Could you share with us what mood or feeling guided you while putting this mix together?

The guiding feeling was one of suspension. I wasn’t thinking in terms of peak moments but rather atmosphere and texture, letting pieces breathe into one another. There’s a contemplative undercurrent to the mix, but it’s not meant to be religious, more about resonance and attention. As there are a lot of styles represented I wanted the mix to feel like walking through different rooms if that makes sense.

Moving from Chicago to Tbilisi is a big change. How has living in Georgia shaped the way you think about music and approach creating it?

Both cities have their own divergent musical histories. Living in Georgia has sort of recalibrated my sense of time and listening. Chicago is a city where music often builds on itself where there is a kind of momentum. In Tbilisi music often exists alongside or part of daily life rather than in front of it and there’s a strong tradition of sound that isn’t concerned with novelty so much. Being around this living relationship to the past has made me more comfortable with slowness and repetition. I think more now about music as something that is holding time rather than driving it.

You’ve mentioned Async by Sakamoto as a touchstone. What draws you to that album, and has it influenced any of the sounds or ideas in your own work?

I think more than anything it feels like a listening environment and not so much like an album and that's why it's timeless. I love the deterioration within and the way sounds coexist with silence. There’s a sort of understanding that music doesn’t need to dominate space to be meaningful. That approach has definitely influenced my own work, especially with regards to texture and structure. I’m interested in sounds that feel slightly out of focus. Although I would say there are much more acoustic sounds on that album than I normally engage with in my own practice as I'm usually more in the digital realm.

My setup is fairly hybrid at this point. I work primarily in a DAW/Ableton, but a lot of the character comes from processing and interpolation of sounds. The process itself is more important to me than using specific instruments. I like to record longer passages and then revisit and edit them over a longer period of time. That said, the Prophet '08 and/or Rev 2 have made an appearance on all of my albums thus far.

What are some daily rituals or habits you follow that help maintain your creativity and focus?

I have struggled a lot with focusing since I was younger. I suppose that making things without the intention or impulse of 'finishing' them is kind of critical to moving things forward. Although I listen to a lot of music throughout the day I prefer not listening to anything early in the day before I start recording as it can send me in one direction or another. I also play a lot of chess which I think is useful for a kind of mental reset.

Are there any visual arts or books that have really influenced your artistic vision?

When I moved to Tbilisi a few years ago I unfortunately wasn't able to bring my book collection (along with the rest of my vinyl, CD's, movies etc.). So I felt sort of like Diogenes or something, not having all of these material objects I spent a lifetime acquiring. I think cynicism is a deeply misunderstood school of thought. But a couple of the books I brought with me were 'The Oxford Handbook of Algorithmic Music' and 'Permutation City'.