J：可以與臺北分享你創立廠牌Stólar的靈感來源？這個名稱與廠牌發行的Dub Techno和Deep House有特別關聯嗎？
Philipp Priebe：非常高興有機會分享我的廠牌Stólar，意思是冰島語中的「椅子」。在創立廠牌時，我反覆思考「創作時最重要的是什麼？」對我而言，就是椅子，我長時間坐著聆聽、創作；作為廠牌主理人，還需要坐著回覆郵件、處理訂單。因此，將「椅子」作為廠牌視覺對我來說幾乎是直覺。但我不喜歡德語椅子（Stühle）的發音，便開始思考還有哪些語言有我覺得適合的音節，冰島語立馬浮現在腦海中，年輕時我經常聆聽來自冰島創作人的音樂，也覺得Stólar非常適合。你也可以將它與音樂風格聯繫起來，因為舒適感不僅針對聆聽，對椅子來說也同樣重要。不過，老實說，這並非我最初的本意。
J：Stólar的視覺設計與音樂風格，展現緊密相連的創作關係。你如何看待音樂與視覺設計之間的關聯？在你的作品中，這兩者如何相互影響？
Philipp Priebe：這確實是一種深層的連結。負責視覺設計的Jules和我已經認識超過14 年，她非常了解我的喜好，我也完全信任她的絕佳品味。Stólar的唱片設計，也唯有在她的設計邏輯下，才能完整讓影像與聲音緊密交織；我希望透過創作傳達的敘事內容，風格強烈的視覺語言也因此非常重要。坦白說，我並不是發行「歡樂音樂」的廠牌，我更希望呈現充滿戲劇張力的聲音感受，以及略帶憂傷與感傷的音樂氛圍，這是我喜愛、也擅長的風格。也因此，我希望視覺設計能夠與這樣的音樂風格彼此對照。唱片設計、乃至於周邊商品的視覺，我則選擇明亮、愉悅的色調，營造廠牌柔和積極的感覺。總而言之，我希望即使音樂沒有直接傳達這種情緒，但透過與設計的結合，每張Stólar的發行，都能帶來希望與喜悅。
J：對你而言，發行唱片有何特別意義嗎？是一種紀錄方式？還是描述一段故事？抑或有更深遠的個人意義？
Philipp Priebe：對我而言，特別是發行專輯（album），敘事就是一切！無論是關於美、在小城鎮的生活或派對文化，抑或是我對百貨公司的熱愛，每張專輯背後都有一段特定的故事，同時，音樂創作也是過程中，個人內心感受的紀錄。當策劃其他創作者的發行時，我更喜歡從音樂發掘音樂的「美感」。我一直在尋找讓人屏息、著迷的聲音，每當我發現迷人的音樂時，更期待能與別人分享，將自己對音樂的理解與感受傳遞給更多人。因此，視覺設計在Stólar和其發行作品中，都扮演極其重要的角色。這些設計並非偶然，每一張都是經過精心策劃，尤其專輯與封面設計都蘊含著特別意義。
J：聆聽你的創作時，我腦海中總會出現極度浪漫的畫面。你在創作時，也會具象化特定的場景嗎？請分享你的視覺靈感？
Philipp Priebe：在創作時，我經常幻想自己在這些場景中聆聽或演奏。最常出現在腦海中的空間是博物館、海邊，或那些可以被聲音完全填滿的商店或門市。當中有兩個特定的場域可以說是我的「空間繆思」；第一個是位於丹麥哥本哈根鄰近、坐落在波羅的海沿岸的路易斯安那現代藝術博物館（Louisiana Museum），很期待未來能在這演出，那的景色極為多樣，每次我都有完全不同的沈浸感受。第二處是柏林的新國家美術館 （Neue Nationalgalerie），這座寬敞開放的建築，擁有令人驚艷的自然音場。我經常幻想合成音色或是管弦樂在這個空間中迴盪，也試著將這種「想像」化為我的音樂創作。
J：請分享一句話給新銳年輕創作人或DJ？
Philipp Priebe：「凡事提問，不問就沒有機會」對我來說，當代社會中大部分你所需要的技術與知識都已垂手可得，永遠不要害怕尋求建議或幫助。我在音樂圈遇到的每個人都非常友善、樂於助人，也期待認識新朋友。我想只要禮貌詢問，大膽決定！不要害怕失敗，因為每位創作人都得經歷這個過程，每位藝術家都會掙扎，但沒關係，到頭來其實一切是庸人自擾！
J：Can you share with us in Taipei the inspiration behind the name of your label, Stólar? Does this name have a particular connection to your musical style—Dub Techno and Deep House?
Philipp Priebe：With great pleasure—so Stólar is the Icelandic word for chairs. While in the process of creating this label, I thought about what the most important thing is for me when making and creating music. And for me personally, it is the chair I am sitting on. Because in the end, I spend hours and hours sitting down, listening to tracks, working on them—now, as a label owner, answering emails, handling orders, etc. So it just came naturally to use chairs as a theme. But since I disliked the German sound of the word Stühle, I thought about which other language I liked. Icelandic came to mind due to all the great music from there that I have been listening to since I was a teenager. And so, I ended up with the name Stólar. You can certainly draw a connection to the musical style, as comfort is just as important to music as it is to chairs. However, I have to admit that I did not originally intend it that way.
J：The visual design of Stólar’s records and its musical style seem to form a deeply connected creative relationship. How do you perceive the connection between music and visual design? In your work, how do these two elements influence each other?
Philipp Priebe：It truly is deeply connected. Jules, who does the visual designs, and I have known each other for over 14 years now. She knows exactly what I like, and I can fully trust her impeccable taste. The Stólar catalog can only exist with her designs because the imagery is so intertwined with the sound. For storytelling, as I intend to do it, you need a strong and consistent visual language. Because let’s face it—the music I release on the label isn’t the happiest. I want some drama, some melodramatic soundscapes, and a slightly sad and melancholic atmosphere. That’s the kind of music I love, and I think it’s what I do best. So I want the design to serve as a counterpart to this music. The imagery on the records or even the merchandise is brighter and more cheerful, with pastel colours and a more positive feel. In the end, even if the music itself doesn’t immediately offer it, the combination with the artwork allows each Stólar release to bring a sense of hope and joy.
J：What does releasing records mean to you? Is it about documentation, storytelling, or something more profound?
Philipp Priebe：Especially with albums, storytelling is everything for me—whether it’s about beauty, about living and clubbing in small towns, or about my love for department stores. There is always a certain story behind it. But beyond that, every album is also a documentation of my state of mind during the production cycle. When it comes to releasing other people’s music, it’s about finding the beauty within the music itself. I look for something that makes me gasp, something I can deeply fall in love with. When I find it, I want to share it with others—to share my vision and perception of that music with people. That’s why the artwork plays such an essential role in Stólar and its releases. Nothing happens by accident; each design is carefully curated and holds meaning for me.
J：Your music always brings beautiful imagery to my mind. When you create, do you also visualize specific scenes? If so, could you share some visual inspirations that stand out to you?
Philipp Priebe：When creating music, I often visualize places where I’d like to hear or play it. Most of the time, I think of museums, seaside locations, or empty stores that could be filled with the sound I’m making at that moment. Two particular places come to mind quite often. The first is the Louisiana Museum in Denmark, near Copenhagen—a beautiful museum right by the Baltic Sea, where I would love to play my music, both inside and outside. The scenery is so diverse that the experience could vary significantly. The second place is the Neue Nationalgalerie here in Berlin—a vast, open building with incredible natural reverb. I imagine how a particular chord or pad would sound in that space and sometimes try to translate that image into my music.
J：What advice would you give to young music producers or DJs who are just starting out? Is there a guiding principle or a motto that has shaped your own creative journey?
Philipp Priebe：“Every question not asked is already a no.” Nowadays, all the technical knowledge you need to create great music is already out there. Never be afraid to ask for advice or help. Everyone I’ve met in my musical bubble so far has been super friendly, welcoming, and helpful—you just have to ask politely. Be bold in your decisions, don’t be afraid to fail. In the end, everyone does at some point. Every artist struggles. It’s going to be okay.
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