“The dedication to do something was different than when you grow up in a city where everything is handed to you on a silver platter. I saved all my money to buy records in the city and find that song I had heard. There was no Shazam, you had to dig in every day.”
Between Two Classes is an interview series where we explore the diverse worldviews of the HBS community.
We’re excited to share this special edition of Between Two Classes. We had the chance to interview Gregor Sütterlin during his visit to HBS in October. Gregor is known by many as Rampa, a Berlin-based DJ and producer that is a core member of the renowned electronic music collective and label Keinemusik. Alongside his Keinemusik partners Adam Port, &ME, Reznik, and graphic team composed of Tito and PP, Rampa has helped the label gain global acclaim with millions of listeners across the world.
Tell us about your childhood and how it has influenced your life.
Sütterlin: I grew up on a farm in South Germany with no neighbors. It was very quiet, less romantic than it sounds. I think this environment gave me space to develop ideas. Nowadays, when I want to get creative, I think about going back to the farm. As a kid, I hated it — I always wanted to be in the city, skateboarding, doing cool stuff. But now I appreciate it. There was less distraction, a lot of space, and freedom to decide what I wanted.
Did that background influence your creative process for your music?
Sütterlin: Because it was a time where there was no YouTube and there was no easy access to things like skateboarding, clothes, music – I really had to develop this hunger to go to the next bigger city, go to the record store, and spend time there in fast, dark techno, partly because my best friend’s older brother was a techno DJ. He’d talk about fog machines, strobe lights, people dancing in gas masks with crazy clothes. But there was no Google or YouTube where you could look this stuff up. It was all imagination and ideas from stories. This was important for me, to develop the taste and the hunger. The dedication to do something was different than when you grow up in a city where everything is handed to you on a silver platter. I saved all my money to buy records in the city and find that song I had heard. There was no Shazam, you had to dig in every day.
You’ve obviously been doing this for a long time. What motivates you to keep going?
Sütterlin: I don’t know — I get excited about trying new things. Right now, my main excitement is producing the shows. I think about things like, “How can we work around fire marshal regulations to keep the crowd close and get the stage packed and keep that certain connection with the people?” or “How can we put the lights and fog machine together?” Music is something I always loved to do, and when I break it down at the end, music would be the thing I would choose over everything.
But it's also a temporary thing. One week I’m like f*** all the rest, I just want to be in the studio making music. And then the next week I only want to focus on the production. It changes, but it’s always about the game of creating an experience for myself and the audience.
When you’re creating the music or designing the production, is there a certain emotion you’re trying to evoke in the audience?
Sütterlin: I don’t really think about the audience when I make music. I also don’t have a plan when I make music. Most of the time it’s chilling in the studio, watching a movie, vibing. And then once it’s opening up, we just start doing something. Making music for me is like selecting. It’s like going to a supermarket: I like that cheese, I like that ham, and then I put it together on the toast. So I go through samples or I turn on some synthesizer and react to what I like. I never in my life went to a studio with a set idea of what sound I wanted to search for.
How has your definition of happiness changed over time?
Sütterlin: Why is everybody asking about happiness? It’s just one part of the spectrum. Some of the best music was written when the artist wasn’t happy. Maybe, what’s the definition of sadness?
For the moment, I really crave boring. A lot of people assume that boring is negative. For me, it’s the best. A lot of people ask why I often go to the countryside because they think it’s so boring. And I say, yeah, exactly. It’s amazing. I feel my shoulders go down when I’m there. With all the input and information and emotions from touring, it’s not easy to process things on the run. So for me, finding that quiet place where I can process and chill is happiness.
At HBS, we have a question about what we will do with our one precious life. If you weren’t producing music, what else might you be doing?
Sütterlin: Space tech engineer. Is there anything cooler than that? I don’t know. Everything about rockets, space, going to the moon, Mars…it seems very cool. But I wasn’t the best student. I’ve always been fascinated by that field. Just imagine having a job title like “space tech engineer” — that’s cool. Rockets, space, shuttles, the idea of going to the moon or Mars. But I wasn’t the best student.
Well, you’re here at HBS! Is there one message you hope to share with students at HBS?
Sütterlin: Take off a little pressure. I feel there’s so much pressure. Yes, you made it to Harvard and made your parents proud, but that creates all this pressure. Look at me – if I can make it, most likely you can make it. Take it easy, take your time, chill.
Jay Bhandari (MBA ’25) is originally from Houston, Texas. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2018 with a degree in Economics. Prior to HBS, Jay served as Chief of Staff at thredUP in San Francisco, and as an Investment Associate in New York at Blackstone.
Nikole Naloy (MBA ’26) is originally from Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from Harvard University in 2021 with a degree in art history and economics. Prior to HBS, Nikole worked as an investment banking analyst at The Sage Group in Los Angeles and in strategy for TikTok in New York.
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