An exclusive DMC interview with a DJ legend
So ‘Volume’ – the album encompassing tunes from a massive DJ and production career that has seen so many awards, even a Grammy’s nomination. 15 years of tunes and DJ sets including cuts from 45 RPM, Seven Ways, and Out There. In between of course alongside Massive Attack’s ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ your tune ‘With An Angel’ – (which was simply incredible) – they are probably the two biggest dance music tunes ever to hit our ears and kicking the dance-floors. Who was the angel…?
“My wife Dan – seriously! I had met her before but it was the night of July 4th, 1994 we got together properly and we fell in love pretty much overnight. I had a studio booked for later that week. As soon as I got into the studio I made the record ‘For An Angel’ – completely dedicated to her.”
Has anyone ever asked you that question Paul?
“Nobody has EVER asked me that before Dan, quite amazing really. Good question and I am so happy to let everyone know the truth behind the record.”
What was the idea behind the album, what made you want to make such a huge record reworking your past masterpieces?
“I suppose life in general. I travel so much, go to some amazing places, meet such diverse people, play in so many great clubs and listen to such incredible music. Everything makes an impression on me which I hope comes across in my music – what I see and experience ends up in my music. Life is about discovering new things every day. This is what the album is all about. It’s full of such different dance music, there’s the underground tunes, big dancefloor anthems, contributions from such great vocalists as Jessica from The Pussy Cat Dolls and some cool Electronica. It’s all about just enjoying the music, and a joy to bring out.”
So Jessica Sutta from the Pussy Cat Dolls, how did you get her in the studio singing for you?
“Funnily enough, her manager is an old friend of mine who used to own a record label in America and then went on to managing her, that’s where the connection came from. She was brilliant to work with.”
You grew up in Elsenhuttenstadt, Brandenburg in East Germany in a single parent household and trained as a carpenter and worked as a Broadcast Technician. Your musical education learnt behind the Berlin Wall was via the forbidden radio stations RIAS and SFB plus also listening to DJ mix-tapes smuggled into the country via, unbelievably, your Grandma. What musical artists turned you into the dance world in the first place when you were growing up?
“Would you believe The Smiths? They were my biggest band I was into. Then the late 80s came around and obviously all of the early house stuff caught my ears. Then again there were a lot of labels such as Bigshot in Toronto, Canada that was started by Andrew Kornis and Nick Fiorucci that was created in 1988. Some amazing artists such as Amy Jackson, Dionne, Rupert Gayle, Jillian Mendez, Thando and In-Dex. Then Electronica took over…”
What is the club scene like in Germany like at the like moment?
“We have a very lively minimal thing going on at the moment and also, well I wouldn’t call it Trance, but a harder sound getting people in our clubs”.
(Interview stops as about dozen people land to the table to ask Paul where he is playing that night and get an autograph…)
So getting back to business, you DJ all over the world – traveling all of the time, living out of a suitcase continually. Must be exhausting. Do you have to to change your music where you go – you play different continents weekly…?
“It’s always different, I never think beforehand about how to read the crowd or what to expect. I just go with the flow and pick up the vibe as soon as I get on the decks. If I have a preconception of what to play I think it would affect my set – it’s all about reading the people in front of me on the dancefloor and also exciting going into a new club, a club that I haven’t played at for some time or even one of my favourites…”
You have DJ’d at simply the best club’s and festivals in the world, what have been the best clubs and best festival you have played at, firstly in your home country?
“Wow, where do I start? Ewerk which opened in MauerstraBe in Berlin, opening in April 1993 with DJ Cle spinning the first record. It became an institution really quickly attracting a very glamorous crew from Germany including people like Hille Saul, Andreas Rossmann, Ralf Regitz and Lee Waters. Hille was the soul behind the club musically, the guiding hand. I played at ‘Dubmission’ on a Friday plus there was some amazing ‘Love Parade’ events. I love playing at Coachedlla in Los Angeles and as for the festivals, well Creamfields is always very special as is Nature One in Hunsruck.”
The new album encompasses so much of your life – I suppose ‘For An Angel’ is closest to your heart, but what other tunes you have created over the years that make you feel good lying in bed at night?
“All of the tunes are close to my heart as they are all part of my heart. But there is a new tune ‘Home’ which I have done a Club Mix on that I made with my friend Johnny who is very talented and is pretty special. A lot of DJs out there and clubbers already really like it. But there are some great tracks from the past – ’45 RPM’, ‘Seven Ways’, ‘Out There And Back’, the Grammy nominated ‘Reflections’ and ‘In Between’ plus remixes of artists such as U2, Depeche Mode, New Order, Timo Mass, Binary Finary, Justin Timberlake and even Britney Spears.”
What is the best UK club you have played at?
“The old Gatecrasher in Sheffield was really intense, off the hook, crazy. I think Matter is a pretty cool club, a breath of fresh air for London what with all of some of the big clubs closing down. I like it a lot. I can’t speak for the week’s I am not there, but when I have been on, it’s been brilliant. I think the venue is a combination of Twilo in New York and Ewerk. It’s such a cool venue.
You have a career that seen a recording career that has seen over three million albums sold worldwide, remixing artists such as U2 and Justin Timberlake plus collaborating with the likes of the HR Symphony Orchestra and your own band The Planets combine. Which artist worldwide would you most like to get into the studio with you haven’t yet worked with?
“The most fun I have in the studio is when I get with people who have a very clear idea of what they want do. I don’t really I have a list, there are too many brilliant artists out there, but if you are pushing me, then it has to be Morrissey, he was the guy who really switched me onto music as I said before, I would love to make some music with him. It was one night, I was sitting at my desk doing my homework listening to my radio and all of a sudden this voice drifted into the room. And that was the moment my life changed.”
Tell us about the iPhone and iPod connection with the ‘Volume’ album release…
“I have had great time being a part of the development team for my application over the past few months and think that both aspiring and professional DJs will have great fun using it. On a practical level, it includes everything that a DJ needs. The use of both applications has seen over 960,000,000 downloads from iTunes since it’s launch last July. It features a BPM Counter, Frequency Analyser, Decibel Meter, Seismic Reader, Virtual Glow Stick, DJ Check List and an Itinerary Manager.”
The best DJ you’ve ever witnessed?
“I remember in ’93 or ’94, it was the very first time I ever played in Paris and Sasha was playing before me and it was just when we had released ‘Perfect Day’ – Visions of Shiva which was my very first record and he was mixing it, and he was beat-matching it for something like 2-3 minutes straight and I was just standing there, my mouth open just looking at him and was like ‘wow’!!!!”
Greatest ever record you have placed on your decks?
“Hmmm. To be honest, music for me is an ever-changing thing, so for me there is never going to be thee greatest record. Hopefully I only manage to put very great records on the turntable! It’s never going to be the greatest record as it’s always work in process…”
The Rock The Vote campaign in 2004, meeting Bono, George Clinton, P Diddy and The Black Eyed Peas? Who made the biggest impression on you?
“Actually they all left a big impression on me, because you know how you have an idea of what they could be like before you meet them and they may be ‘super duper’ pop stars and I found them all like really nice and cool, relaxed and chilled out. The only let down is when they have freaky fans who may not respect their privacy which may effect them as people which is totally understandable, everyone would react to that situation, like George Clinton the ‘godfather of funk’- it was pretty massive seeing him run around in his suit!”
What else is coming from Paul Van Dyk in 2009 music wise?
“Well as I said earlier, the track ‘Home’ on the new album which is a collaboration with the same vocalist that I did ‘Time Of Our Lives’ with Jonny McDaid is exciting, and of course the remix of For An Angel which will also be available as a single release too. I am very happy with this album, I have tried to keep the original flavour of the old versions but its all been digitally re-mastered so it sounds even better.”
Your best ever Ibiza moment?
“I’m been going there so often its really difficult to single one thing out, its always great I’m playing like 8-10 times every year so I have had about 100-150 times on the island for the last ten years! Actually one thing has come into my mind. I have very good friends that live in Lebanon, Beirut and others that live in Tel Aviv, Israel and they have never ever had a chance to meet each other and they were all together dancing when I played Amnesia last year and that to me is the ultimate thing that electronic music does – it brings people together from what ever cultural background they might have or religious beliefs, and I know that they are very good friends now that they have stayed in contact and that, regardless of the troubles Lebanon and Israel have as countries, they are human beings and they enjoy the company of each other and therefore it’s a step closer to peace and I think that has definitely something to do with Ibiza.”
Your house is on fire… what one record do you rescue?
Well if everything else is safe… it would be the very first record I ever had. I grew up in east Berlin so I couldn’t go to any record stores so my Grandma as I said, actually went – as she was a pensioner she was allowed to travel. The record is OMD – ‘Organization’.”
Tell us about the Ruckenwind charity that you were involved with the German Red Cross?
“Its a charity organisation that I founded about 5-6 years ago and we are running the whole project together with the German Red Cross and we are helping and supporting children that come from a not ideal or rather unfortunate family background and try to support them in social skills and opportunities to give them the possibility to have a better childhood and chance in life. Children from the ages from three to fourteen.
PAUL van DYK ‘For An Angel 2009’ (Filo & Peri Remix) is available on ‘DMC Essential CLUB HITS 34 (Ibiza Opening 2009 Issue)’. Along with another 11 huge club tracks, log onto www.dmcworld.com for details.
