Holger Czukay managed to create intricate, beautiful and complicated pieces of music with a magnificent simplicity. He was always so much more than a musician, his art was about the idea, and his musicianship helped him achieve his ideas: his fascinating, mind blowing, soothing, empowering, delicate, funny, bizarre and often just plain bonkers ideas.
“Simplicity is the genius” is an overused phrase, overused because most people are incapable of seeing the simplicity and executing it, Holger allowed space and allowed the intricate to be simple and was not afraid to arrive upon an accident or make mistakes in the pursuit of the incredible.
He once said that accidents are where the magic is, that no one can dream up what can happen by accident, and if you’re not afraid to be accidental or make a mistake and then see where it takes you, you can come up with something special. Holger allowed his unbridled imagination and creativity to embrace accidents, make mistakes and turn that combination of the two into something magical, giving the world a musical legacy that will bring joy and fascination to humans until humans are no longer capable of joy and fascination.
Holger and Can’s influence on Mute is immeasurable, we’ll always be grateful to him and we’ll miss him dearly, he was a hilarious genius.