Berlin-born London based electronic producer, Kinky Roland, continues his rich seam of work with Boy George on their latest song “You’re Not The One”, which is up for a Grammy in the Best Remix category.
Known for their Retrophobia projects like their Remix of “Be Electric” and “Sweet Dreams”, the duo first got together hanging out in electronic & queer scene clubs like Nag, Nag, Nag, Trade and Trash, featuring in Dazed & Confused, The Face, and i-D magazines. Roland remixed E-zee Possee’s hit, “Everything Starts With An E” going on to work with Marc Almond and Soft Cell, Heaven 17’s Glen Gregory, Princess Julia, Jonny Slut and Minty.
Constantly evolving, in the 90s Roland released techno and house music for labels such as Trade, React, Ultravinyl and Prolecult. As production half of dance duo LoverushUK, Roland enjoyed success with their rework of “Yeke Yeke” with Mory Kante as well as collabs with Bryan Adams and Marcella Detroit and remixes for Kylie Minogue, Moby, Nelly Furtado and Katie Melua.
His stellar musical history includes collabs with S-Express; reinventing himself as Replicant during the electroclash era; joining the band Punxsoundcheck with John Taylor and working under his birth name Roland Sebastian Faber (RSF) for electronic Italo-disco film & synth projects culminating in the vinyl release of RSF ‘Metropol” album featuring Erasure’s Any Bell, Boy George and Marian Gold (Alphaville).
Ahead of his new release Roland talks about his longstanding relationship working with Boy George and the other strands of his multi-faceted electronic universe.
Hey Kinky Roland, great to catch up with you and can you tell us how you and George came to make this song?
It was in the 90s a certain sound like american beauty and raven maze soft synth melancholic vocals it was the perfect moment for this song and dance production
You’ve worked with George for over 20 years now and first hung out at electronic & queer scene clubs like Nag, Nag, Nag, Trade and Trash, and can you remember how or where you first met? Did you click right away and how soon after did you start working?
I was producing for the south London dance label HOS (Heidi of Switzerland Records) and had just released the “Mighty Machine” under one of my pseudonym’s Dream Plant when the phone call came in that Boy George would like me to remix E-zee Posse’s “Everything Starts With An E“ in that Dream Plant style. I went to see them all at More Protein Records and hit it off with George right away and the rest is history .
What makes yours and George’s working relationship so special and what do each of you bring to the party in terms of producing and ideas? How does the creative process work for you?
We chat a lot on camera and phone and during those conversations ideas and stuff comes up and often leads to us making new tracks together. I think George appreciates that musically and production wise I’m not scared to put my mind to most styles and we are both extremely versatile in our tastes and refuse to restrict the output to a single genre only.
You’ve worked together as Retrophobia too with releases such as the Remix of “Be Electric” and “Sweet Dreams”, and what are your favourite tracks from this and what makes them so special.
This project is just starting really its the classic DJ production duo to make tracks that we would personally like to dance to. We want to expand this and do a lot more in the near future . “ Sweet Dreams “ was definitely a highlight and is one of Georges favourite tracks I believe.
Originally from Berlin but located in London since the 90’s, what drew you to London originally and how did you get into producing and making music originally?
I think I wanted to come to London ever since I was a very young teenager. I was a dedicated new wave kid with all the outfits and bright blue and pink hairstyles. Later on I was dressing up in all sorts of ways from S-Express-inspired 70s pimp style to baroque Versaille court outfits until acid house hippy rave exploded. I used to make most of my own clothes, heavily influenced by the British underground movement. Usually when going clubbing in Berlin we had to put up with people being outraged at us on the tube or spitting at our outfits not to mention running fast from groups of neo nazi skinheads. It proves that we were doing something right lol Would I have known George in the Eighties I’m sure we would have been like-minded Blitz club friends lol .
Music wise apart form my deep love for German electronica and film music I was a dedicated follower of the synth Britania movement and there was one place I wanted to be more than anything and that was London .
I just missed the Blitz club days but arrived at the dawn of acid, techno, deep house, trance and rave which was just as exiting.
You’re a versatile producer and have produced house music, techno, electronic and pop-electronic releases on a variety of labels and can you tell us about some of your pivotal, game-changing releases and how they impacted on your musical journey?
In the 90s I would say the Tranceparents project with “Child 6 “ that ended up on MTV was the first real stir. After that Dream Plant’s “The Mighty Machine” which became a bit of a Trade club anthem and a favourite of the late Tony De Vit. Terminater Benelluxe “The Warrant EP“ is another techno highlight. Then via remixing “Everything Starts With An E” for Ezee Posse to the “Bonkas EP”, my first proper release on Boy George’s More Protein label.
Then there’s the disco-filtered house of the Nineties such as my version of “The Greatest Dancer” which ended up on a Vodaphone cinema advert.
After that as LoverushUK, my band with DJ Mark Loverush, we made tracks like “Tonight In Babylon” featuring Bryan Adams; the new LoverushUK version of “ Yeke Yeke “ with Mory Kante and remixed Moby’s “Mysterious Ways“ for the last ‘Bourne Identity’ movie. Also I’ve worked with Marc Almond, remixed George Michael as well as my ongoing collaborations with Boy George…lots more in between lol 🙂
You’ve also worked with a vast array of people including Marc Almond and Soft Cell, Heaven 17’s Glen Gregory, Princess Julia, Jonny Slut and Minty and can you tell us about some of your favourite collabs and how they came about?
Marc Almond, who is one of my teenage heroes, I met throufh his photographer, Jamie Mcloud. The combination of my German sentimental synths and his melancholic voice blended perfectly right away.
Glen Gregory for example sang on the Replicant track “X-posed” and I remember him particulary as he was so very nice and chilled.
Princess Julia from the clubs of course :-0 the original punk disco diva.
Same with Johnny Slut and Minty. In fact I met Richard Torry on that same New Year’s Eve that Leigh Bowery unfortunatly left us and he asked me the next day if I wanted to join the OffeSet, a follow on artist movement band with Matthew Glamorre of Minty as well .
As LoverushUK, Mark and I came across several interesting collaborations including Marcella Detroit, Kirsty Hawkshaw and Matt Goss (Bros) which led to the LoverushUK guest performance at the Royal Albert Hall
Going back to the beginning, how did you first get into music and did you study or play an instrument? What sort of music did you get into first and then what influenced and informed your tastes. What have been your biggest music influences and how did they impact your journey?
I think I was messing arround with toy instruments from a very early age and then learning Johan Sebastian Bach on my home organ in primary school. I did A level Music and moved to London right after.
My first love is still German electronic music “Berliner Schule“ and film music. Bands like Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Isao Tomita and Klaus Schulze.
I remember I was 11 years old with a flu in bed my parents said they would buy me one vinyl record of my choice to cheer me u . It was “Body Love” by Klaus Schulze which later turned out to be the soundtrack to a Belgian porno film lol.
Apart from that it was anything…from synth to pop via new wave and dance music. I was also heavily influenced by British guitar bands like The Cure, The Smiths, Cocteau Twins, Echo and The Bunnyman and Joy Division. Also the more synth pop culture bands such as New Order, Culture Club, Soft Cell, the Human League and Depeche Mode.
“You’re Not The One” is the new single from Kinky Roland & Boy George with mixes from Eric Kupper and Paris Cesvette and released on Househead London on October 25th 2024. All info at www.househadlondon.co.uk or instagram @househeadlondon
