Mein Leben als Noiseband

Clemens J. Setz presents his new story collection "Mein Leben als Noiseband" (Suhrkamp Verlag) in conversation with Sophia Merwald, whose novel "Sperrgut" came out recently.

Paul's language is noise: monstrously roaring tracks on which he screams out his despair in a distorted voice. He spends most of his life alone - offstage there is only emptiness, and nobody seems to understand him or his lyrics, except Mark, who is part of the band but keeps withdrawing further and further. After a gig, Paul meets Annika, who shares his obsession with noise bands like Hanatarash and Atrax Morgue, and falls for her without transition.

When they have a child together, his compulsion to express everything through murderously loud music begins to ease. What is left of his art then - and why has Mark vanished for good?