Audeze catches up with musician Reinhardt Buhr

Reinhardt Buhr creates improvisational music live and in the moment by blending the sounds of the guitar, electric cello, Synthesizers, laser harp, didgeridoo, shofar, and percussion via live looping. Since the start of his career in music his online following has grown to over 1 million and his videos have gained around 200 million views to date. Reinhardt’s music is often described as touching, healing, thought-provoking, inspiring and innovative.

"Thanks to the exceptional sound quality of the LCD-XC headphones, I'm excited to take on new projects with confidence, knowing that I have a reliable tool to help me achieve my musical goals. "  - Reinhardt Buhr

Here's our chat with Reinhardt:

Can you pick out any highlights from your work that you're particularly proud of?

My music is mostly improvisational and the album “Movement 2” was recorded on one day and in one take. Most of the videos from that album went viral. It was so spontaneous that I have not been able to recreate any of the tracks but it inspired me to dig deeper into the world of spontaneous creation!

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on these days?

My role is to come up with the idea of a musical piece, figure out how to structure it best, play around with it and practice it, and incorporate it into my live looping setup. I then perform it live while being recorded. Once I get a good take, I mix and master the sound, edit the video, and release it. For the last couple of months I have been spending most of my time creating an Ableton based live looping setup.

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

I got started in music quite late in my life. I picked up the guitar at the age of 19 and instantly got hooked. I then taught myself to play with the help of YouTube. This was back in 2007. I was mostly inspired by Flamenco, rock and alternative music.

Can you name any factors that influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

For me personally the biggest factor has been my faith. Back in 2016, I had an encounter with Jesus and was set free from a very destructive cycle of drug abuse. From that moment on my music started to come to life and quickly transformed into what it is now.

My dad was also very supportive from the start and really encouraged me to pursue my music. And my wife has helped me beyond what words can ever describe to get to where I am today as a person and as a musician.

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

A big ongoing frustration is not having the right room for mixing and every time I listen back to a previous album, it sounds dull and disappointing compared to my more recent work. This is why I was really excited about the Audeze Headphones. One of my biggest inspirations in music, Tony Anderson, stated in his studio tour video that the Audeze LCD-XC headphones sound about the same as his $25,000 studio monitors. As a performing artist, I perform in so many different environments and it’s essential to have good critical listening headphones.

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

I would say Ableton Live is just beyond amazing when it comes to creating tracks completely live because you can perform a song live, create each element on the spot and then afterwards make it sound like a studio album!

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

Be patient, be kind, be humble, be dedicated, always try to learn new things, and don’t be too hard on yourself. I have seen amazing musicians that never get to the point of releasing their music because they are too critical. I have always posted and released my stuff and then moved forward. If I realise later that some of it sucks, I just remove it.

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow?

I use headphones quite a lot. Most importantly when performing live because I have learned time and time again that I cannot rely on stage monitors. I love over ear, closed back headphones as they are super comfortable, they give me good isolation from harsh reflecting frequencies, and they give me good control over my overall sound. I have also found that they are crucial for performances on big stages, as low frequencies can really mess up your monitoring.

How have your Audeze headphones affected your work? Can you tell us what you've been working on with them recently?

Recording a live performance in a public space can be a daunting task for any musician. However, with the Audeze LCD-XC headphones, I was able to capture a high-quality performance that has since gone viral on my YouTube channel.

Since December 2022, the LCD-XC headphones have been an integral part of my music production process. The level of detail and accuracy they provide has allowed me to mix and master several singles with precision and attention to detail.

It also means that I can work on my music from anywhere, without having to compromise on quality.

Thanks to the exceptional sound quality of the LCD-XC headphones, I'm excited to take on new projects with confidence, knowing that I have a reliable tool to help me achieve my musical goals. These headphones have been an amazing tool for my music production process, and I'm grateful for the freedom they provide in terms of where and how I can work on my music.