Massive new remixes on the masterful ‘Dark Matters’ EP – exclusive interview
With high flying tastemakers such as Maceo Plex, Pig & Dan, Luciano, Danny Tenaglia, Dubfire, Slam, Anderson Noise, Stephan Bodzin, Pirupa, X-Press 2 playing Kram Records new ‘Dark Matters Remixes Vol 3″ EP, we catch up with Kramnik where he talks about the new EP, his current music buzzes, how it all started for him and what’s coming next…
Interview by Nicky Trax
Last year’s’Drop It EP’ did well for your Kram Records label, what have you been up to since we last heard from you?
“For the past year and a half I’ve mostly been working on the new album which will be totally different to ‘Dark Matters’. There’s a blues remix in there, some deep stuff, some acid jazz, a trumpet solo, more harmonica, voices (unfortunately maybe even mine!), even some dub. So very different and, especially, much slower. It’s more of a listening album than something for DJs. In part because the songs will be shorter. I don’t think we need to make 8 minute songs anymore because all the DJs mixers can auto-loop really easily. I think we can go back to 3-4 minutes, which is all you need for a song. Plus no one will ever listen to your 8 minute song (not even the DJ who might play it)! So what’s the point anymore?”
You are now living in Berlin and Madrid, how is the famous German electronic city in the summer of 2014?
“Berlin might surprise you with different types of music on offer. For example, the other day I went to quite an underground place in Fridrichshain that was playing Spice Girls, La Macarena and things like that. So, obviously, we were laughing our heads off in such a club, but this can be more therapeutic than listening to great music sometimes. Berlin tries very hard to appear outside of the box, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. If you think about it, techno and electronic have been around for approximately 30 years…and its always changing.”
Tell us about your new release “Dark Matters Remixes Vol 3 EP” and how it came to be made…
“It was amazing to see that such established artists had decided to take the time to remix my debut ‘Dark Matters’ album with Vol 1 and 2. But we wanted to give it a final push while I worked on the new album because I didn’t want to disappear for that long. And it’s also a way of establishing a working relationship with these great musicians going forward, because I’ll be looking for remixes on the new project as well. The problem is that the new album is very different and I’m not sure who will be interested this time around…”
What are you favourite tracks from the EP?
“The Cari Lekebusch remix is the one I would play the most in my sets. I like this one a lot, maybe because it has the minimal feeling from the original Flex on the album. But this is actually the last release before the album, which will be ready right after the summer but will release in December (as an Xmas present).”
Who are the producers from around the world that you are giving high fives to at the moment?
“At the moment I’m listening to a lot of acid jazz, trip hop, downtempo etc, so it’s these type of producers are most fascinated with right now. And I think you will see some of these influences in the album.”
You once said that given complete free range, you’d love to include breaks, electro, Goa, dub, blues and even opera alongside your beloved techno and progressive. So, what are the sort of artists you listen to at home or in the car chilling out?
“It’s true that I would like to mix very different things like that, but that hasn’t come across the ‘Invisible Radio Show’ yet. In part because those mixes take time to put together and right now I’m concentrating heavily on the album. But when I finish, I plan on coming back to the radio show with totally different mixes. For one thing I want to work on a mix along the lines I mention above. No techno, no minimal, no progressive. Things like China Man, Herbaliser, Amon Tobin, Kid Loco, Bonobo, Lemon Jelly, The Avalanches, etc. But I won’t be able to do this until after the new album, which means after summer 2014. I also want to come out with some deep and minimal shows when the time comes.”
What has influenced you/shaped you on your path in music?
“I’ve always been a part of the music scene, first working at Sony BMG with bands like the Foo Fighters or Eurythmics and then organising very big DJ events in Spain. And I guess that’s what did it for me. Watching guys like John Digweed, Dimitri (from Amsterdam), or many of the Detroit boys such as Jeff Mills, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. I was drawn into DJing by watching these guys create their sets, but my actual productions did not come about until many years later.”
As you say, your career dates back when you were promoting and booking acts under SSS at the famed 19th Century Circulo de Bellas Artes Palace in downtown Madrid. Tell us about that time…
“As it turns out, when I started working at Static Sound System in Spain, one of the first people I booked was actually Luis Díaz, who was the resident DJ at Groovejet! Our resident back then was Dimitry (from Amsterdam) and anyone who saw him back then playing techno vinyl would have to admit he was probably as good as it gets. Most of the guys we booked at Static were technically out-of-this-world. Not only Dimitry, but also people like Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Kenny Larkin or Der Ditter Raum, among many others. But one of the guys who’s technique I’ve always specially admired was John Digweed. Even though he doesn’t seem to play that sound anymore, I think he’s probably the best at creating long-progressive buildups.”
What are your thoughts on today’s laptop DJ?
“I’ve had tons of connection problems with Traktor in the past, so I’m very skeptical about laptops for technical reasons. I think software can be more of a problem than a solution, even though it allows you to carry more tracks. Laptop DJ-ing is ok, but only if it makes you better…”
Kramnik’s “Dark Matters Remixes Vol 3 EP’ with remixes from Monika Kruse, Cari Lekebush and Alexi Delano is out on Kram Records http://www.beatport.com/release/dark-matters-remixes-vol-3/1321659. Kramnik at: www.soundcloud.com/kram-records/dropbox, www.kramnik.dj/video, www.kramnik.dj/music
