Sound Advice: Chris Liebing

Join Chris Liebing on Sound Advice, the weekly interview series covering artists’ journeys and their creative process. In this episode, we discuss the veteran techno DJ/producer’s long-awaited debut solo album ‘Evolver,’ Schranz origins and more.

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Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything SoundCloud offers to elevate their sound, get heard and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.

On this episode of Sound Advice, we are joined by techno legend Chris Liebing, who takes us on a journey through the evolution of his sound. From becoming obsessed with techno and DJ culture in Frankfurt, Germany, in the early ‘90s to coining the term “Schranz,” Chris looks back at his wide-spanning artist career, reflecting on how he went from creating New Wave-inspired songs for Mute Records to today producing, mixing, and mastering his debut solo album, 2026’s ‘Evolver.’ 

In this exclusive interview, Chris Liebing shares insight into his creative philosophies, his favorite synths, and his collaborations with friends like Speedy J and Charlotte de Witte. We also discuss the significance of SoundCloud to his process, whether through sharing radio shows and demo mixes or building his CLR label network. Tune in to explore the past, present and future of techno with Chris Liebing, and uncover the secrets behind his relentless pursuit of innovation, dynamics, and, of course, the perfect kick drum.

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LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING CHRIS LIEBING

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LISTEN TO ‘EVOLVER’ BY CHRIS LIEBING ON SOUNDCLOUD

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Things We Talked About In This Episode of Sound Advice

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Chris Liebing on His Return to Techno and the Making of His 2026 Debut Solo Album, ‘Evolver’

• We begin the conversation at a turning point in Chris Liebing’s career. The DJ/producer has been producing cutting edge electronic music for decades, but has shifted gears as of late. After releasing two New Wave‑ and industrial‑inspired albums for Mute Records, Liebing felt a pull back to his 1990s techno roots — a gritty, direct sound, with an emotional charge and dancefloor functionality. That shift, coupled with a move to a peaceful new home studio in the Swiss Alps, sparked the idea of making his debut solo album, ‘Evolver,’ on his own imprint, CLR.
• We hear how the creative process was an energizing one for Chris. “I wanted it to really sound like I want it to sound,” he tells us. Duly, he wrote, produced, mixed and mastered the tracks himself, and tested them out at his club sets. Throughout the process, he explains how he rediscovered what drew him to techno in the first place: the physicality of the music, and especially techno’s dark, propulsive grooves. “For me, the kick drum is the most important thing,” he says. 
• Now that Chris is living in the Swiss Alps, he balances producing music with a routine of outdoor activities. It’s a lifestyle that grounds him, and gives him a sense of clarity and wellbeing. In turn, that’s informed the “sonic character” of ‘Evolver,’ he says; it’s a crisp, confident record, and even though it’s his debut solo album, it’s full of quality collaborations. Here, we hear more about these collaborations: with Speedy J, on “Shaping Frequencies;” with Charlotte de Witte, on “Symphonie des Seins;” with The Advent, on “Subjective Immorality,”  and how they add texture and history to the album.

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Chris Liebing’s Studio Process, Frankfurt Schranz Roots and Use of SoundCloud

• In the Chris Liebing sonic universe, certain pieces of gear have become important studio tools. Despite having access to “every synth and drum machine of the last 30 years,” Chris emphasizes that limiting himself was essential. Too many options can cloud focus; working deeply with a single machine often produces the most creative breakthroughs, he believes.
• Here, Chris discusses some of the pieces that feature on ‘Evolver:’ his Roland TB‑303 Devil Fish, which channels his New Wave influences; Roland’s boutique series, which keep him rooted in hands‑on sound design; and the Overstayer Modular Channel, a hybrid unit he discovered in Speedy J’s studio. “It became a very big part of the album,” he says.

• Chris Liebing comes from the German city of Frankfurt, which is known as a melting pot of experimental music: from hip-hop to acid jazz and trance, to industrial, techno and EBM. Here, he reflects on important nightclubs like Omen and his transition from hip-hop to techno in the 1990s. We also hear the story of how he coined the term “Schranz” to describe a style of crunching, distorted techno from Birmingham, as heard from artists like Surgeon and record labels like Downwards. 
• The Schranz sound has become increasingly popular in recent years — and in SoundCloud’s 2026 Music Intelligence Report, Schranz is noted as a style on the rise. You can find out more about Schranz and the contemporary scene here. 

• In Chris Liebing’s world of techno, SoundCloud has long played an important role. Here, he discusses how he uses the platform to publish his CLR radio shows, share DJ mixes and spotlight underground electronic producers. 
• Part of cultivating that network is using SoundCloud to receive and share demos from artists. Chris shares how the platform is a public hub for his releases, podcasts, radio show and for sharing updates with his fans. For Chris, he shares how SoundCloud’s combination of discoverability, community and ease of sharing makes it an indispensable tool for him. “There wouldn’t be a way to do it without SoundCloud, on that level,” he says. 

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What’s Next For Chris Liebing in 2026, From Remixes to CLR 

• Following the release of ‘Evolver,’ Chris Liebing is keeping his 2026 schedule booked and busy, with a slate of new releases, remixes and collaborations. Here, he talks about how ‘Evolver’ will push several singles, each paired with remixes from techno peers he admires: from FJAAK, Terence Fixmer and Josh Wink. There’s also a slate of new releases ready for CLR, including tracks by artists like Risa Taniguchi and The Southern — and it’s all coming out on vinyl, in the classic techno way. 

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Links and Extras 

Follow Chris Liebing’s journey on SoundCloud.
Press play on Chris Liebing’s 2026 album, ‘Evolver.’
Hit play on Chris Liebing’s collaboration with Charlotte de Witte, titled “Symphonie des Seins.”
Listen to the latest release from Collabs 3000, Chris Liebing’s collaboration with Speedy J.
Check out Chris Liebing’s 2026 track with The Advent, titled “Subjective Immortality.”
Explore some of Chris Liebing’s wide-ranging influences, including Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb and Sven Väth, to name a few. 
Learn more about how contemporary Schranz is evolving via SoundCloud’s 2026 Music Intelligence Report.
Listen to the New Era Trance playlist on SoundCloud.
Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.

Getting The Most Out of SoundCloud

Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
Learn more about how to make a custom playlist on SoundCloud.
Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with an Artist Pro subscription.
Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
Learn more about getting heard with SoundCloud’s updated algorithm, available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers.

To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist or Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.

_{CREDITS Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee, Editorial Associate: Lauren Martin}