THE BLACK CAT’S EYE

Christian:
“Expansive music takes you on a journey and unfolds in its own rhythm.”

Jens:
“Listening should be enjoyable first – everything else can come afterwards.”

Jens:
“We try to create something new from long-familiar ingredients.”

Jens:
“A piece is finished when I feel: ‘This is exactly right for me now.’”

Christian:
“Atmosphere clearly comes before structure.”

Christian:
“Our brain seems to have a need for structure, even when we flirt with chaos.”

Christian:
“Trance is about switching off the mind and surrendering to the moment.”

Christian:
“Dynamics, silence, and unexpected moments keep long pieces alive.”

Jens:
“The voice is the most personal instrument there is.”

Jens:
“Making music is first of all great, positive fun.”

Jens:
“I have no patience at all – which makes it amazing that others listen so patiently.”

Christian:
“Pure repetition is not interesting to me – that’s what cover bands are for.”

Jens
“What happens live exists only in that exact moment – and never again.”

Christian:
“In psychedelic music, everything is possible – nothing has to be fixed.”

Their music doesn’t unfold in verses and choruses – it unfolds in states.
Somewhere between psychedelic rock, krautrock motion, and post-rock patience, The Black Cat’s Eye create long-form pieces that feel less like compositions and more like environments one can enter and inhabit.
Atmosphere outweighs structure, repetition becomes ritual, and sound and image dissolve into one continuous process.
In this conversation, Jens and Christian talk about music as a shared space, the balance between order and chaos, patience as a listener’s virtue, and why immersion matters more than explanation.
Your music often feels less like a classic song format and more like a state one is drawn into.
When does a piece start to ‘work‘ for you – when it stands structurally, or when it mentally takes you to a specific place?
Jens:
“For me, a piece is finished when I listen to it and feel: ‘This is exactly right for me now.’ Of course, that is also structurally related, but above all it’s this feeling of: ‘Now the song is finished.’ Before that, I usually have the sense that things don’t quite fit together yet. When that point is reached is hard to describe – I just feel it, like I said.”
Christian:
“Atmosphere clearly comes before structure. I remember a quote by Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream where he roughly says that in psychedelic music everything is possible and nothing has to be fixed – especially not classic song structures like verse and chorus. When I work on a new piece and record a demo, it has to create a special atmosphere from the very beginning, one that grips me and transports me to another place.”
‘Decrypting Dreams Of Weird Animals And Strange Objects‘ sounds like an attempt to decipher something uncontrollable.
Do you see music more as a tool for order – or as a conscious invitation to chaos?
Jens:
“While making music and creating a song, I mainly experience it as a great, positive joy. Afterwards, I sometimes think about the therapeutic aspect – that you can process and reflect on a lot through it – but you don’t have to talk about that all the time… ;)”
Christian:
“Both are possible. Still, I believe that music based on a certain sense of order is closer to the human ear. Our brain seems to have a need for structure, for categorizing and connecting things. Our music also consists of riffs, melodies, and phrases that come together as a whole, as a song. In that sense, I tend more toward order. Chaos, however – as a conscious concept – fascinates me just as much.”
You move naturally between psychedelic rock, krautrock, and post-rock without sounding nostalgic.
Where do you draw the line between conscious reference and mere repetition?
Jens:
“First of all, I’m glad you see it that way. Nostalgia can sometimes be something very beautiful – without the ‘everything was better back then’ attitude, because it often wasn’t. I do indulge in nostalgia from time to time myself; I’ve recently started collecting very old Rock Hard magazines again (roughly the first 50 issues), and that clearly satisfies a nostalgic mood. But you also see that even back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, this was already a topic in music and music journalism. I think with us it’s genuine reference, not simple repetition 😉 At least that’s the attempt: to create something new from long-familiar ingredients taken from all kinds of genres.”
Christian:
“I try to avoid very explicit references. What inspires me more are characteristic sounds or certain sonic atmospheres – for example, the overall sound of 1970s progressive rock. Pure repetition is out of the question for me; that’s something cover bands can do.”
Many of your pieces build tension through long arcs rather than clear climaxes.
How important is patience to you – both when writing and when listening?
Jens:
“I actually have no patience at all, which makes it even more amazing to me that others seem to have the patience to listen to the pieces I impatiently pluck out of orbit! So thank you for that!”
Christian:
“I try to structure our music in a way that remains engaging over longer passages. Dynamics play a central role in this: developing from quiet to loud, an unexpected moment of silence, or a sudden outburst you don’t anticipate. Attention and openness are therefore important when listening. I also try to give the pieces grooves that feel as hypnotic and compelling as possible.”
It’s audible that the balance of songwriting within the band has shifted.
What has this new dynamic released emotionally and musically that may have remained hidden before?
Jens:
“I’ve actually always been making songs, music, and sounds – for other bands I played in, for friends’ projects who needed music or sound for their art, or simply for myself. And always across different genres. When it came time to develop new songs for a new TBCE album, I made demos and gave them to Christian. He liked some of them and sent me new material of his own, which I commented on. That’s how we more or less put together the setlist for the new album. It became a bit more rock-oriented, since my pieces have a rockier framework, and that complemented his more atmospheric material very well. Although ‘Sternenfels’ is his piece, and that also turned out rather ‘rocky’ – not as spherical as many of his other tracks.”
Christian:
“I think our music has become somewhat heavier overall. The pieces are rockier, and the different stylistic signatures of the individual songwriters complement each other very well.”
Instrumental music is often described as ‘open to interpretation‘.
Are there still images, thoughts, or states you hope resonate while listening?
Jens:
“First of all, listening should be enjoyable – and if that happens, that’s already great. If your thoughts are carried somewhere else while listening, that’s wonderful. Overall, I hope it evokes positive thoughts. We certainly don’t want to spread fear or oppressive feelings with this band – I’d rather counteract that with our music. Especially with the world-political news of recent years already triggering negative emotions for many people, I don’t need to reinforce that.”
Christian:
“Our music should always evoke emotions, images, and inner worlds.”
Your music feels ritualistic, almost meditative, without slipping into esotericism.
What role do repetition and trance play for you – musically and personally?
Jens:
“Trance doesn’t really play a big role in my life. Repetition can be fun – revisiting a beautiful place, watching a great film again, or listening to great music repeatedly. Creating a song with a constantly repeating beat can also be great fun. But I find variety and discovering or experiencing new things just as important and enjoyable – even if it feels more demanding at first. You’re often rewarded with new insights and impressions.”
Christian:
“Trance and ecstasy play a central role for me. It’s about switching off the mind and fully surrendering to the moment. Repetition is an essential element here: it creates spaces you can immerse yourself in, experience a hypnotic flow, and get completely lost in sound. Musically and personally, it’s a way to experience intense presence – a way of stretching time and dissolving into the music without it ever becoming boring.”
The album was largely recorded live.
What can a collective moment in a room capture that even perfect individual takes never could?
Jens:
“Togetherness. Several people creating something special in exactly that moment – something that exists and sounds that way only then. The next time, it would be different. There’s a certain magic when it really works and everyone says afterwards: that was a great take. And when you listen again the next day and think: that really was great.”
Christian:
“First of all, it’s a practical decision. Recording drums, bass, and two guitars together on the first day saves at least three times as much time. But it’s not just about efficiency. Music is something that ideally comes into being together with other people – preferably friends. Only through interaction does a piece fully unfold. That’s also what I love about live concerts: there is only this one version that emerges in the moment – immediate, unique, and irreplaceable.”
References to krautrock ideas such as movement, cycles, and process are clearly perceptible.
Do you see your pieces as finished works – or as snapshots of an ongoing path?
Jens:
“I’d take both answers!”
Christian:
“First and foremost, they are always snapshots – usually carefully prepared and rehearsed. In live concerts, however, we orient ourselves very closely to the atmosphere and structure of the pieces. In the studio, we try to capture them in their best versions, which usually works quite well. That’s why we also set very high standards for ourselves live: some pieces are played almost exactly as on the record, to make that moment as authentic and tangible as possible.”
With ‘The Magic Ballon‘, a voice appears more clearly for the first time in your otherwise instrumental world.
Does a voice automatically change the relationship between band and listener?
Jens:
“I think so, because it’s the most personal instrument you have. The sound comes directly from you – regardless of whether it’s manipulated afterward or not. You immediately have a personal reaction to a voice. I can like songs even if I’m not completely into the guitar sound, but if I don’t like the voice, it becomes very difficult.”
Christian:
“I’m a big fan of the human voice and well-thought-out, sophisticated lyrics. For me, the voice is the most original and touching of all musical instruments. With my lead guitar melodies, I try to emulate the expressiveness and nuances of the human voice.”
Your music demands attention without imposing itself.
Is this a conscious counter-design to today’s fast-paced culture – or simply your natural form of expression?
Jens:
“I’d say it’s a natural expression. I couldn’t develop a 10- or 20-minute song purely as a counter-concept anyway – I wouldn’t have the patience, the desire, or the time for that.”
Christian:
“When I write my own music, today’s fast-paced world doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t try to cater to it. So yes, I’d say it’s a natural and self-evident form of expression for me. I’ve always been fascinated by expansive, sprawling works of art and music – works that take you on an imaginary journey and unfold in their own rhythm.”
Visually, you work with strong symbols like spirals, rituals, and contrasts.
How closely are sound and image actually intertwined for you?
Christian:
“Our music is visual in nature, so it makes sense to choose strong visual symbols for the cover. An image can inspire a certain kind of music – and conversely, music can evoke and inspire images. Sound and image are therefore closely intertwined for us; they reflect and enrich each other, allowing the listening experience to also become a visual one.”
If someone discovers ‘Decrypting Dreams Of Weird Animals And Strange Objects‘ years from now – what should ideally remain first:
a specific feeling, a thought, or simply the urge to dive back in?
Jens:
“That someone says: cool songs, I really like this :)”
Christian:
“That would be truly fantastic: that our music still feels fresh and alive even a hundred years from now – as if it had just been created.”
The Black Cat’s Eye are not interested in guiding the listener – they are interested in opening space.
Their music thrives on patience, repetition, and subtle transformation, resisting both nostalgia and instant gratification.
What remains is not a message, but an experience:
one that can be entered, left, and re-entered, always slightly changed.
Whether encountered live, on record, or years from now in a quiet room, these pieces invite the listener to slow down, listen deeply, and remain – if only for a moment – inside the flow.
Interview conducted by Fok ‘bs’.
Questions answered by Jens Cappel and Christian Blaser.