Interview with Oliver Teßmer (vocals, music) from Starsign
With roots grounded in the golden era of Synth Pop and an unmistakable gaze fixed on the sonic frontier, STARSIGN has steadily shaped their own radiant and emotionally charged universe. The German duo blends sleek, modern production with a melodic sensibility that feels both personal and cinematic, conjuring atmospheres that shimmer with memory and pulse with intention.
Their latest single, ‘Shiver’ (released March 14, 2025), marks another step in their creative journey - a darker, more introspective track that reflects the duo’s evolving identity, lyrical maturity, and unmistakable emotional texture. Though not newcomers to music, STARSIGN has reemerged with a sharpened vision and renewed momentum. In this conversation, they reflect on personal themes, sonic choices, and the long arc of musical friendship - one that spans decades and continues to reinvent itself with quiet resilience and sincerity. We caught up with the band to explore the stories behind their latest release, the spaces their songs inhabit, and what lies ahead in their luminous trajectory.
Reflections of Darkness [RoD]: Your new single ‘Shiver’ just dropped on March 14. What direction did you take with this track, and how does it differ from your previous releases like ‘Steal the Sun’ and ‘Clear Horizon’?
Oliver: ‘Shiver’ is darker and more atmospheric. The lyrics are about processing personal experiences of saying goodbye, fear of loss, and such, while the other two songs have a positive vibe. ‘Steal the Sun’ is essentially an anthem to youth, and ‘Clear Horizon’ is the closing line of a relationship you’re glad is over.
RoD: Listening across your discography, there’s a strong sense of atmosphere and emotional tone. If each of your songs were imagined as a physical space or landscape, what environments would they evoke?
Oliver: Interesting question. Probably something like a grey, dilapidated industrial ruin in a vast landscape. But somehow you might see a few small flowers, suggesting that more splashes of colour will soon be added. Ultimately, something broken from which something new grows.
RoD: You’ve previously highlighted ‘Ad Nauseam’ and ‘Free the Soul’ as personal milestones. Were there any tracks that almost didn’t make it onto the release but ended up surprising you in production?
Oliver: To be honest, we don’t have the luxury of having a huge repertoire of songs, some of which never get released. We have loads of demos that we only tackle when we’re sure something will come of them. So far, we’ve mostly been right. ‘Ad Nauseam’ is a political statement and a song that is musically far removed from what the scene is currently producing. It was important to us to do something different. After all, we’re not dependent on streaming numbers etc. ‘Free the Soul’, on the other hand, is something special. Thematically, it’s about our own experiences with death and the attitude that has arisen from it. That’s the advantage of being over 50 - having stories to tell.
RoD: Synth Pop as a genre often dances between introspection and euphoria. What draws you personally to this sound, and what makes it feel timeless to you?
Oliver: The great thing about Pop music is that you can convey a lot of emotion, but also what you want to say, in four minutes. But that’s also the challenge. And there are so many examples where that’s been done brilliantly. Personally, we don’t listen to much Synth Pop. It’s more the genre we fell into when we were younger. Nowadays, everything has developed so much that practically anyone can make and release music. On the one hand, that’s fantastic, but on the other hand, given today’s technological possibilities, it’s surprising why so many bands in the scene sound like they load their Super Saw sounds into their software synthesizers, thus becoming pretty interchangeable.
RoD: There’s a subtle cinematic quality in your sound design. If STARSIGN were to score a film or TV series, what kind of narrative or mood would you imagine fitting best?
Oliver: No idea, a road movie in Siberia would be the first thought.
RoD: If you could send one STARSIGN track back in time on a mixtape to the 1980s or 90s underground scene, which track would you choose - and who would you hope finds it?
Oliver: ‘Ad Nauseam’ - a song that would certainly have found its audience back then, perhaps because there was more room for less danceable songs, without a 4-on-the-floor, that still found their way into the clubs.
RoD: Visual storytelling is often an extension of music in the synth scene. How do you approach visual elements such as cover art, video concepts, or live visuals in relation to your sound?
Oliver: There are only two of us and we do everything ourselves. So we don’t have a professional background. Nevertheless, videos are an important element for us. The aesthetics are particularly important here. But there’s always a little story behind them, too. For example, we filmed ‘Shiver’ around the last election here. Against the backdrop of all the crazy and horrible things that are happening here and all over the world, we wanted to remind people that there are some things that are not up for question. For example, how people should treat each other. Regardless of the fact that there are always things that you might be unhappy about. Things that should be reliable and that still are in Europe. We’re not really a political band, but in these times it’s important to have a stance.
RoD: Imagine curating a one-night-only STARSIGN festival. You get to pick three bands - past or present - plus a dream location and a visual theme. What would your ideal line-up and concept be?
Oliver: Okay, that requires a lot of imagination. Even though there’s room here to fantasize about a STARSIGN Festival with DEPECHE MODE let’s leave those dimensions aside for now. If we stay in a more current context and take off our rose-tinted glasses, it might be KITE, COVENANT, TRAITRS... and us, too. That would make four, but we’d be happy with a short set at the beginning. The venue for the whole thing, of course, is the Waldbühne in Berlin.
RoD: You’ve mentioned parties playing a role in reigniting your creative process. How important is friendship in your collaboration today - does it shape the direction, provide grounding, or act as fuel?
Oliver: Our relationship isn’t really the classic friends thing where you spend a lot of time together. We’ve known each other for 30 years and have taken different paths in life, but what still connects us is music and our vision of how we want to make it.
RoD: Looking ahead, what’s next for STARSIGN? Are there any upcoming releases or live plans you’re especially excited about - things you’ve been keeping under wraps until now?
Oliver: An album is definitely planned, and we definitely want to put it on vinyl. Preparations are underway. But that probably won’t happen until the end of the year. There are already demos for singles after the album, and probably for a second one. We’re also in talks with labels. But ultimately it has to be a good fit for both sides in terms of expectations. I think the last time we performed live was in 2004. We’re currently working on a live set that we want to bring to some stage this year, but when, where, and to what extent it will ultimately be hasn’t been decided yet. You’ll definitely be able to reckon with us in the future. We’re a bit proud of how far we’ve come in the last few months without any major contacts or networks.
