Kotelett & Zadak have been spreading their cheeky take on House for some time now, maintaining their outlandish fishing-related backstory over the standard/boring DJ duo biography. Although keen to bring a sense of fun to electronic music, their music is anything but flippant. Never Enough is the new release on Poker Flat Recordings, showcases the duo’s production chops. Slowly building from an atmospheric start, a thick, tight groove shines through, augmented by beautifully crafted percussive and melodic patterns.
Hi guys! Thanks for talking to us. What was the first song you heard today and how did it make you feel?
Kotelett: Oh it was a very beautiful one, from the last Album of Efdemin Oh, Lovely Appearance of Death. Its not a song for standing up fast, i decided to stay a bit longer in bed.
Your bio is a pretty extraordinary fishing analogy… were you really both fishermen?? How do you think netting fish prepared you for a career in electronic music?
Kotelett: The time is over for net fishing. It destroys simply too much and it’s the same on the dancefloor. If you want to catch them all you have to play too obvious. If you give only small baits before The Grande Bouffe, the swarm starts to dance.
Your press photos are consistently well shot but more significantly, funny. Do you think house and techno producers tend to take themselves too seriously, especially when it comes to photoshoots?
Zadak: DJ pics these days show the artists with a sad expression looking rather serious into the lens. For me it’s contradictory because we work in a party culture where it’s about having fun, celebrating and not taking yourself too seriously. This is reflected in our pictures.
Outside of electronic music, who are some of the artists that inspire and influence your sound when you’re making music of your own?
Zadak: Thom Yorke.
You’ve released on a lot of labels over the year, but seem to have a close relationship with Poker Flat. What do you like about them as a label?
Kotelett: I’m a big fan of the label since day one. When i came to berlin and found this beautiful cosmos in electronic music, Poker Flat influenced me a lot and it was a dream to release there once. The releases are always on a high level and they are always up to date since 20 years. Most labels can’t do that. And of cause Steve (Bug) is spreading always a good vibe that you feel welcome.
As Poker Flat are celebrating 20 years in 2019, can you let us know your personal favourite tracks from the catalogue?
Kotelett: Of course Steve Bugs Loverboy was absolutely game-changing in that time and I’m still playing this track sometimes, but my secret favorite is Televinken – Haken Libdo. If I hear this track, everything feels alright 🙂
Tell us about your latest record, Never Enough… was there any specific inspiration behind it?
Kotelett: In the beginning the track had a totally different direction, till Martin came up with that catchy percussion. Later I found this wonderful speech from decades ago that is questioning the permanent human behavior of accumulation in things and never getting enough in it.
Do you have any fun new studio kit that you’ve particularly been enjoying recently?
Zadak: We bought a modular system which drives us crazy because it is hard to use and it takes time to hear more than blapp and blupp.
What else do you have coming up over the next few months?
Zadak: There will be a remix for Jan Mir on Ursl.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about…?
Zadak: Jan Mir is one of our oldest friends in Berlin and in cooperation with the label Ursl, with whom we share our studio and also have been working together for a long time, which makes the EP a very personal family affair.
Kotelett & Zadak – Never Enough is out now on Poker Flat
https://pokerflat.lnk.to/pfr219
