Marsletter 001.2026
Moving Forward With A Smirk: Sounds, Poems & Artist Journal
Hi,
It’s been a while.
First, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who continues to help me through what feels like the most challenging time of my life. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past year, it is this: mental health and physical health go hand in hand and are equally important. Neither is more important. Thank you to my family, thank you to my friends, and thank you to whoever shared words of compassion and empathy.
Many singer/songwriters express their innermost through lyrics. I express myself through sound. But a few years back, I started writing poems, and over the past year I’ve been exploring this territory further. Now I’m adding an artist journal — unfiltered reflections on this peculiar place, a planet with humans.
Moving forward, my Substack will have four categories:
SOUNDS — albums, sound art, and sound meditations
POEMS
ARTIST JOURNAL — reflections of an alien in a human space suit
MARSLETTER — my classic newsletter with everything that doesn’t fit the first three
Starting this coming Monday.
There’s a spirit behind this I want to share. One of my favorite texts is Kleist’s On the Gradual Production of Thoughts Whilst Speaking. I’ve spent many years overthinking — becoming restricted when sharing from the heart, fearing backlash, overanalyzing, backpedaling. And then I noticed something: I was already practicing Kleist in my live compositions. Creating in the moment. Allowing sounds to form freely. Accepting the outcome as it is.
In Buddhism, I learned about the beginner’s mind. And here I am. At the beginning — accepting that thoughts and art are momentary snapshots, not monuments. I invite you to share your reflections in the comments, if you like. Let’s think out loud together.
Welcome to my Substack.
With love and curiosity,
Markus
You can receive updates to your inbox or as a push notification through the free Substack app. Paid subscribers gain access to my music on the website or directly within the app — listen on the go, or when in stillness. For music only, follow me on Bandcamp. For live dates only, follow me on Bandsintown.