STEVE BALTES: On the Synth Globe
- Marius-Christian Burcea
- Jun 30
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 1
(AUDIO INTERVIEW + MUSIC MIX)
STEVE BALTES has spent more than three decades navigating some of the most important currents in electronic music. He first gained recognition during the rise of the 1990s trance and techno scene, then returned to the cosmic sound that had inspired him as a teenager, collaborating with pioneers including Manuel Göttsching (Ashra/ Ash Ra Tempel), Harald Grosskopf, and Wolfgang Flür of Kraftwerk while also developing projects such as Baltes & Erbe, Arctic Sunrise, and Sunya Beat. Alongside his work as a composer and performer, he has become one of Germany's best-known specialists in synthesizer technology, connecting musicians with the instruments that continue to shape contemporary electronic music.
In this episode of Journeys to the Infinite, Steve traces his musical journey back to a childhood spent listening to the legendary German radio program Schwingungen, where hearing Tangerine Dream's Rubicon convinced him that electronic music would become his life's language. He recalls the moment Harald Grosskopf unexpectedly opened the door to Ashra, his first meeting with Manuel Göttsching before the band's 1997 Japanese tour, and other significant encounters that became defining moments in his career. Our conversation also explores why Baltes remains devoted to hardware synthesizers in an age dominated by software, how he views the creative possibilities and limitations of artificial intelligence, and why live performance remains at the heart of his collaboration with Stefan Erbe.
Audio interview (27 min) + Music Mix (61 min.)
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