Synonymous with a very musical aesthetic and approach towards the culture of electronic music, Acid Pauli (aka Martin Gretschmann) is as eclectic and determined as an artist can get. Over the last 20 years Martin Gretschmann has been exploring new fields of music off the mainstream paths: psychedelic, adventurous and full of musicality. Born in the 70s in the Bavarian region of Germany, Martin started to play bass guitar in a
punk/indie band in the late 80s, whilst at the same time developing a keen interest in the evolution of electronic music and its instruments. The introduction of affordable samplers in that period led him to produce his first electronic tracks. His initial forays under the name Console were released in 1995, and with the help of an Atari computer, a four-track tape machine, a sampler and a small synthesizer, he made his first
album Pan or ama in 1996. Between 1997 and 2014, he was a member of the band The Notwist, with whom he released several albums, performing and touring the globe extensively. In the year 2000, the moniker Acid Pauli was born, since then he has played at renowned festivals and clubs all over the world, from Australia to Mexico, and his first full-length album, Mst, was released on Clown & Sunset in the summer of 2012. It was the subject of both wide-ranging praise and comparisons with the likes of Ricardo Villalobos and Björk -
who used a Console track for her album Heirloom. “Acid Pauli’s music falls somewhere between planting basil on your windowsill or breaking into a dancing frenzy. It’s delicate and floats in the ether before being brought back with long drawn out kicks and slithering basslines.” Martin’s DJ sets are characterised by a deeply personal artistic approach, mixing often up to 4 tracks at a time which he weaves into a sound collage, incorporating live edits as well as edits inspired by artists and cultures local to the venues he is invited to play in. This pursuit of diverse sources of inspiration has led to many exciting collaborations, such as at Sacred Music Festival in Jodhpur (India) where Martin collaborated with traditional musicians, and “Dialoge 2020 –Radialsystem” where Martin provided the soundtrack to a dance performance by Sasha Waltz, entirely improvised, an immediate, intensive artistic exchange. Collaboration feeds inspiration, and his sources of inspiration are something Acid Pauli often pays homage to in his sets. When he was invited to perform at Mutek Festival in Montreal (Canada) in 2018, he decided to pay tribute to his favourite singer/songwriter, himself born and raised in Montreal, by creating a live-set consisting only of samples and songs taken from Leonard Cohen. Later, in 2023, he presented a very special set with Viken Arman at Frue Festival in Japan, an homage to Sakamoto. When he isn’t touring the globe, playing unpredictable sets in unpredictable places, Acid Pauli
can be found writing scores for radio plays or films, working on the launch of his new label “All is Acid”, his next studio album, or projects in the non-electronic realm of music such as the jazz album “Letter to a friend” by Raphael Pannier, or his next Ambient set - his most famous was played for and in the renowned museum “Fondation Beyeler” in Basel. The curious can check out his extensive discography. One thing’s for sure, this unique character and musician will never cease to surprise us and dream spaces for connection into reality through his rich musical tapestries.
