Getting set for the massive Awakenings Festival 15th Anniversary
Interview by Rob Chadwick
Hey Gabriel, welcome to DMCWORLD. How are you today, you good?
Hey Rob, I am okay…not too good, not too bad. Actually I don’t believe in good and bad. There is only good and bad if there’s an interest behind it.
Can you tell us about the beginning? What were the sounds/parties that got you started on this journey?
It was different. Techno was totally out, everybody listened to rock music and techno people were the stupid, plastic, druggy freaks with no taste. So when we made a party it was a lot about this family thing. When someone we knew came to a party for the first time it was like: ‘Wow, you too? You like techno too? That’s amazing. Come, let’s have a drink together..’. The music was different, much quicker, 136bpm in the warm-up and 140 in the primetime. That was normal.
The music was way more colourful than today. Everybody had to work hard to get something out of the synths, effect units and the mixer. So everybody sounded different. There was no sidechaining, no loop libraries, no presets! It was just pure passion and a vibe was on that something big was happening that you wanted to be part of.
What are your thoughts on the scene at the moment? And how do you think it compares to when you first started out?
Today it’s just normal. When you ask a 17 year old kid about techno, they will look at you with question marks in their eyes and ask you if you also listened to the same music your parents listened to. Techno is nothing special anymore. It’s mommies and daddies music. But it’s a big part of our culture. It is still a substitute for a family for many people.
What can I say? I am 37, I don’t party so often. I still love the music and it’s fantastic to get into the groove with the audience, but I am not going on afterhours or to parties in my free time. Then I can better spend time in the garden, doing sports or meeting friends for a tea.
When it comes to production are you a hardware or software kind of guy?
Definitely more hardware. I think software always sounds glassy. Always. But for the club that’s sometimes even better. But I come from hardware, so it’s my thing. But right now I think about switching to software completely because I want to make music for everywhere, not just the studio. I’ve spent too many years in it, now it’s time for a change.
Do you have a particular writing process? Do you produce quite quickly or the opposite?
Is this a geek interview for guys only? Haha. Okay, I usually don’t start with the beat, I start with a click only and try to find a melody, a sound, some strings or whatever with a face, something which stands out, a main theme. Then I build all the rest around it. If you start with the beat you are already VERY limited in composing something special.
You’ve had some amazing success with tracks like ‘The Space Between Us’, and ‘Doppelwhipper’. When you made ‘Doppelwhipper’ had you any idea how big it would be? Did it come as a surprise when it blew up or did you know at the time that it was the business?
No, I never know when something is a hit. Doppelwhipper was the b-side of the record. The space between us was already 80% finished and I couldn’t stand it. For me it was too obvious, too constructed. I made it all in like 2 hours.
Then I showed it Dominik and he was keen on finishing it. I would have deleted it.
You work quite closely with Dominik Eulberg, tell us about that…
We are best friends, that’s important. We talk about everything! It’s so important to have someone who puts up the mirror on a regular basis. It really helps to find yourself and stay grounded. Sometimes we do music together. But usually we never sit in the studio at the same time, we are both too different in the workflow. A good way is that I compose a theme (in 2 hours) and Dominik works it out (in 200 hours). Haha. We both like it this way!!
You’re playing at Awakenings soon. Are you looking forward to it? What should people expect from you?
Well, Awakenings is very big and you never know as an artist what will happen. I hope I will play at a good spot, a good time, a good stage between good artists. That’s what it stands and falls with. I’ve had some really nice shows at awakenings already, so let’s see if it is great again. You can expect Gabriel Ananda playing a hybrid set.
Are you a fan of festivals in general? For you how does it compare to playing in clubs?
I loooove festivals. I like daytime, sunshine, fresh air, space, colours, sky, nature, the dry and crispy sound… that’s what my music is made for. Clubs can be nice too, it’s more intimate and dreamy somehow sometimes.
But if I have the choice: open air.
What have you got coming up/are you working on?
Some remixes and maybe a release on Ellum.
If your house was burning down and you could only save one record, what would it be?
I really don’t know. It’s so long ago that I found an album which I listened to every day for a long time. Very long ago. And the old favourites are not so fresh in my ears anymore.
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On Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th, the 15th edition of internationally renowned Awakenings festival will take place on Spaarnwoude Houtrak, near Amsterdam. The festival site, open from noon till 11 on both days, will see more than 100 artists performing in 8 spacious area’s, showing the best of techno in all it’s diversity.
www.awakeningsfestival.nl
