Massive new Visionquest EP absolutely smashing it
Interview by Ian Fleming
What was the last record you bought and why?
An original Jamaican pressing of “Have Some Mercy” by Delroy Wilson from my good friend Naoki at Dub Store Tokyo. Reggae is the teacher and the foundation of us all. No reggae, no sound systems, no disco, no house, no techno, no me… ’nuff said.
Can you tell us a bit about your collection – many nice pieces?
The reggae and dub 7s pile is mammoth at this point and they are the closest to my heart. They are the ones I’ve spent the most time and money acquiring and that I get the most crack head junky crazy about trying to find. My collection of house and techno stuff is more elastic. With the exception of dub techno stuff, which I think I’ve probably got everything worth having both old and new at this point, I buy and sell the rest of it pretty fluidly based on what I feel like playing. Records from friends and stuff in the ambient / drone section never get sold though. It would be incredibly difficult for me to decide what is more satisfying, starting your day with a few hours of gorgeous droning ambiance, or the sheer excitement of putting on a new record from a dear friend and realizing they have written something absolutely mind blowing.
And you just released your Visionquest EP – what was the vibe you were going for there?
It includes new extended edits of 2 tracks I put out on Wagon Repair in 2008, one of which was a favorite of Ryan’s, hence the re-release. For the 3rd new track, Acid Dub Jack, I wanted to keep the same off kilter tribal feel but take things into a weirder, dubbier space, which I guess truth be told tends to be the space I like to exist and create in most of the time.
And is there a story behind the EP at all? What’s your favorite memory of making it?
I clearly remember the first time I played the tune to Ryan many years ago at an after party in Berlin. The look on his face and reaction was really just one of those uniquely satisfying moments the happen so rarely as a producer. A close friend freaking out to something you’ve made is the absolute best feeling ever. I’d been playing a new edit of the track out in my live sets for a few months and thought it might be a good time to put it out again. That memory with Ryan really stuck in my head so I reached out to him and the rest is history as they say.
And how long have you been DJing? Did the production or the Djing come first?
Around 20 years now. In dance music terms forever basically. The DJing came first but producing and playing live are really my focus and have been for a long long time.
As a DJ what do you see as your role? Has that role changed since you first became involved in electronic music?
I don’t do it that often, about 1 out of every 10 gigs is a DJ set for me with the rest being live sets of my own material. I think the role of DJs is basically the same as it has always been. First and foremost, show people new music they wouldn’t other wise have found themselves. Secondly, and this is where the real artistry exists I think, be conscious of the collective feeling or “vibe” in the place you are playing and being able to adapt accordingly, while still maintaining an overview of the set as a whole and being able to tell the story you want to tell within that realm of elasticity. Put another way, great DJs check their ego at the door without sacrificing a shred of conviction and intrinsically know where things need to go from moment of moment. I wouldn’t consider myself among this Jedi set truthfully, but it makes me very happy to count so many of them as good friends and is an unmatched pleasure to watch them in their element.
Am I right in thinking you’re from Montreal but live in Berlin? What prompted you to make the move?
Economics. I moved here 10 years ago and there was quite simply not enough of a scene in North America at the time to sustain myself full time as an electronic music artist.
You’ve released on some really great labels over the years, but what do you consider your proudest moment to date in electronic music?
Without a doubt being asked to remix Lee Scratch Perry and the Orb not once, but twice. I very nearly died from excitement. If you have even a passing interest in Dub it goes without saying this is like being offered a sip from the Holy Grail. Those guys are in the top spots on my hero list without question and I was humbled beyond measure that they asked me to do those mixes.
How do you describe what music you make to people?
When I was younger it used to be a lot more convoluted explanation but these days I usually just tell people I make techno. If pressed for details I’ll tell them I also like reggae and that it ends up influencing my production process quite a bit. The truth of the matter these days really is I couldn’t care less about what genre people want to attach to a given release. The making is the important part. It grounds me, pays my bills, keeps me sane, and forces me to grow and question myself every day. If by some freak accident I went deaf tomorrow I quite honestly have no idea what I would do.
Who or what influences your taste more than anyone else?
I don’t think anyone or anything looms that heavy these days. I try to be an open minded listener as much as humanly possible.
Has Berlin been a massive influence on you in that regard?
The discogs trolls would have you believe it has driven me more to the dancefloor and to some extent that may be true. Obviously from my perspective the musical evolution has felt very organic and the move to Berlin was a big part of that. In terms of standard of living for my family and the absolutely zero bullshit level in the music scene here I really can’t imagine being anywhere else at this point in my life. It is a truly magic place, but you need to have extremely thick skin and great perseverance to become part of that.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given – from a life and musical perspective…
In every conflict big or small there are always 3 sides, yours, mine, and the truth. When every argument and angle of reasoning has been exhausted the wisest course of action is always and without a doubt to sit quietly and wait for that 3rd position to present itself.
What are some of the most important lessons you have learnt when it comes to production?
Nothing is sacred, nothing is trash. Save everything, but don’t let the hours you spent making a given sound prevent you for a second from removing it from a given arrangement when intuition says clearly it’s not working. A new piece of gear will not change your life. If you find yourself writing shitty music over an extended period of time it is clearly time to go fill the well of inspiration elsewhere. Read some books, go to museums, go to concerts, make food, give some extra special love to your friends and family, close your computer, turn off your fucking phone and go for a walk in the woods, figuratively or literally, alone. Silence is golden, and from it springs a great many ideas for colossal, beautiful noise.
Do you work with anyone else in the studio? Or is it purely a solo mission when you’re producing?
I work with Tikiman on occasion as well as with many friends here in Berlin, Mathew Jonson, The Mole, Mike Shannon, Konrad Black, DeWalta, Chris Hreno etc. We don’t find the time that often but when we do we all usually need a few days to recover and come away with some truly brain scrambling shit.
Are you a hardware or software guy? And which do you prefer? Does it matter?
I’m comfortable in both zones but am a very strong advocate of software. It’s where I started and truthfully don’t think you need anything else these days. It’s come a long way.
Where do you want to be with your music in 5 years time? Do you think like that?
As the years pass they seem to go by much more quickly. As such if I was doing a close approximation of what I am now with a bit more money in the bank in 5 years I’d be happy as can be.
So do you set yourself goals as a musician then? If so, what are they?
Create. Everyday. Full Stop.
What’s next up for you?
The Jacks EP will be coming out on Visionquest on June 29. Following that I’ll be releasing 2 vinyl only EPs in August and September leading up to my 10th album, Walls and Dimensions, which is scheduled for October 29th. All of these will come out on my label BLKRTZ. In addition I’ll have remix for Burnski coming out on Constant Sound in November and a track on the 10 year compilation of Lessizmore at some point over the coming months as well. Busy times. Just the way I like it.
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