Sascha Otten, German composer and performer loves to call himself a thinker and romantic. His concert featuring, `Ballads from Beyond’, organised by Bangalore School of Music in the City last week, was an elevating experience, leaving as it did the audience in a contemplative mood.

Sure, why wouldn't it because all of Sascha's compositions spring out of personal reflections on matters of love, the meaning of life, emotions — both of the intellectual and philosophical kind.

"Being both the composer and performer is to me a great advantage, because it leads to authentic and genuine interpretation and actually there is no interpretation, because the music and the performer is one already," he observes.

Sascha has composed and recorded over 50 songs during his stay in India in the last few years but has never practised any of them.

Among the songs that  he played at his recent concert was Kairos Feet, which is about the right moment to do or not to do something. I Know You Know, is a lesson on love and triumph of love over hate. Sign Of Truth, gives one courage to tide over disappointments in life.

Sascha says after he moved to India, he has begun listening to Indian music and almost never listens to western music anymore. "I prefer Indian music, be it Bhajans, classical music or movie tracks but my style remains the same," he says.

Among the composers who have influenced Sascha’s works is German classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach. "Bach marked the highlight of the western classical music. Elements of his style can be found in some of my old songs but I have also found my own style from the day I started to write songs," he says.

Sascha says he loves to perform for the Bangalore audience. He thinks Indians are much more gifted to sense, produce and play music, than most people in the western world. "People are just more in touch with each other and with themselves. Their openness to react and interact on and with music is amazing."