World exclusive interview with the Hamburg techno superstar
Interview : Dan Prince
Oliver welcome back to DMCWORLD…where on Planet Earth are you today?
“I’m just arrived in Ibiza after a crazy weekend in Tel Aviv and Beirut, relaxing a few days with some friends.”
It is a whirlwind of activity release wise for you at the moment, whilst we were just calming down of the release of your ‘Elements Series IV: Agua’, next month you are delivering your hugely anticipated ‘Play! 05 Live In Vienna’…talk us through the mix which was recorded live at Grelle Forelle…The ‘Play’ series kicked off back in 2007 after a set at Sao Paolo’s heralded D-Edge club, with that in mind, please give us a sentence describing what you love about playing at the ‘Play’ series’ clubs…
D-Edge in Sao Paolo
“The D-Edge club in Sao Paulo is such a cool one. Not too big, not too small and a crowd which knows exactly what’s going on. Also the light installation is unique and impressive. It couldn’t have been a better start for the PLAY! series.”
Rex Club in Paris
“Quite contrary to the ultra modern D-Edge is the dark and dirty Rex Club in Paris. One of the oldest underground electronic clubs in Europe. At Rex it’s all about the music and dancing all night long. Still one of my favourites in the world.”
Cielo in New York
“Famous for its outstanding sound the Cielo is the top night club in Manhattan. Minimal interiour and maximum party. The small size for about 300 people garantuees intimate experiences.”
Roxanne Parlour in Melbourne
“As part of the Future Music Festival the recording at Roxanne Parlour was a last minute decision. I had only three days to prepare the set. I’ve had always great shows in Melbourne and so was that gig. A bomb audience, truly dedicated to the music.”
Grelle Forelle in Vienna
“The reason I chose Grelle Forelle was because I simply had the best gig 2013 there. Vienna has a fantastic music scene. I really love to be there. Funny enough, the owner Stephan travelled to NYC for my PLAY! 02 recording after I played for him at his very first party under the brand Turbo, a couple of years before he opened Grelle Forelle.”
As I sit here in Ibiza the sky is full of thunder and lightning, which is quite apt as I come to my next question concerning your brand new label Senso which kicked off with ‘Blitz Und Donner’ in July. I understand you have releases planned until next April…what’s coming next…?
“Senso 006 is out now. Perception EP by Florian Gasperini & Marcan. A duo from Montpellier and Barcelona. Then we have Senso 004 and 005 coming out October 06th. That‘s the PLAY!05 CD and according single „Vienna“. Funnywise the release-schedule is twisted. You mind not believe it, since everyone is yelling, that vinyl is not selling and outdated, but the pressing plant was overrun with orders and could not press the „Vienna“ vinyl in time. We had to switch the releases not to run out of timeline. Straight after that, on October 13th we got Matt Sassari & Matt Mor with their „Apaneka“ EP in the pipeline. Again, a duo. Matt & Matt. This time from Marseille and Vienna. Senso 008 comes out November 24th, it‘s a release by our old friend and trouper Andreas Henneberg. So far…”
You want the artists to fit your sound, tech house with some darkness thrown in for good measure. You have been contacting some artists you like but also have been receiving demos from people all over the world. Has anyone caught your attention out there?
“My latest signing is the 19 year old BE//LA from Hamburg. Very fresh stuff with a sprinkling of cool old school influences. We are just preparing the first single release.”
Okay let’s rewind for a moment. You started your path into the music world back in the 80s organizing parties for you school friends, you were impressed with the B-Boy movement and the whole Turntablism art of DJing. DMC are of course the founders of the World DJ Championships creating champions such as A-Trak, DJ David, Craze and Cash Money…did you ever enter the DMC’s…?
“I never entered the DMC Finals but saw the preliminaries in Hamburg once. I was a very big fan and followed everything DMC did. You won’t believe it Dan, but in those days I owned a Suzuki Jeep and printed a self made DMC logo on the cover of the spare wheel.”
Oh my god! Moving on! What were your first steps into the techno/rave world…who were the early producers that grabbed your attention?
“I learned DJing the classic way, combining Pop, Funk and Soul in the 80s. By the end of that decade I experienced Acid House. Luckily I was allowed to play the last hour of each night a Techno set. I waited unpatiently the whole night for this. Always most of the people left the dancefloor but few open minded guys and girls were waiting for this too. Soon later I started promoting my own Techno parties and working in the studio on own tracks. My biggest DJ role model was Laurent Garnier, as he combined the best tracks from different styles in a very unique way.”
What did your family think of your choice of career?
“Sometimes my mother is still asking me if I now have a serious job. I think meanwhile it’s only a joke but it was not easy for them the first years although they supported me all the time. I have the feeling the are quite proud now.”
I loved your Top 5 Tips For Aspiring DJs feature over the summer. You basically told kids to learn the software, follow your heart when it comes to music, play long sets to test you, and know your role as a DJ…no playing the headline DJ’s big record just before they come on. When was the last time that happened to you?
“Maybe they all read my tips because it hasn’t happened since then!”
What are the big 5 tunes in your box this weekend?
1. Leave – BE//LA (Senso Sounds)
2. Rollox – Adriatique (Diynamic)
3. Halftone (Atelier Francesco Remix) – Tim Green (GPM)
4. Better Than This – Andreas Henneberg (Senso Sounds)
Smile – RAR (Keinemusik)
Your festival highlight of 2014…
“SonneMondSterne, Germany.”
The tune of summer 2014…
“We are the champions…!”
Love it! A recent quote from a certain superstar DJ…“I believe true DJing is actually an art, but it’s a dying art, as everyone is pushing the sync button…it’s a real shame when you see a ‘DJ’ plug his laptop in and call this DJing. Music will always evolve but sometimes not in the best way.” What are your thoughts on that?
“Times are changing and so does DJing. Mainly it should be about music and not about technology although every DJ needs to be capable of mixing skills like beat matching etc. That’s basic knowledge.”
It’s that time of year again, the annual DJ Top100. I interviewed Arthur Baker this week, he remarked…“there are too many DJs and genres for a realistic competition, it needs to split”. What are your thoughts on that – do you actually give a shit?
“I don’t really care about any of these rankings. I feel embarrassed for some DJ’s, when they start their annual begging for votes. Some post or reminders might be ok, but some of my colleagues definitely exaggerate it. I cant’ take that serious.”
And finally young man, you have had a monumental 2014, let’s skip 12 months forward…what do you want to have achieved this time next year?
“I hope Senso Sounds and my new booking agency Kontrast Artists are getting established. It would be also great setting a bigger focus on young talents. I have the feeling it’s time to start working on a new album too. Let’s see if I find enough time to spend it in the studio.”
