Swiss artist Kellerkind’s back catalogue stands filled with two full length albums, as well as numerous pensive deep house melodies or compelling tech house grooves on esteemed labels such as Stil Vor Talent, Hive Audio, Noir, Suara, and Katermukke. Having just delivered a cracking remix of Junior Jack and Tube & Berger’s ‘E Samba’ for Kittball, we thought it high time we had a chinwag with the talented chap…DMCWORLD goes in!
A huge welcome to DMCWORLD Kellerkind, where on planet earth are you today?
Hi there, I am just sitting in the airplane flying to Munich where I am gonna play for my friends from the Partylabel ‘Abflug Berlin’.
What is the best piece of new music you have heard recently?
For me this is always a hard question as I always love so many music but to name one that i love a lot at the moment it would be Rufus Du Sol – “Underwater (Adam Port Remix)”
For those who don’t know, please tell us a little about how you first got into making dance music and your big break?
I started DJing and fell in love with House Music back in 1994. I also used to play Piano and took lessons so that I had a small basic knowledge about harmonies. When I listened to the House tunes that I really loved at this time I always thought that it wouldn’t be that difficult to produce this kind of music, but of course at this time I had no idea how much technical knowledge is behind this tunes But this is how I got interested about making my own music and then in about 2002 I had one of the first versions of Propellerheads reason and I started with my first beats. In 2008 I had my first release “Bergluft” which charted to #4 in the Minimal top100 on Beatport (lucky me) and also was in the top10 of John Digweed’s radio show.
You’ve been producing and Djing on the scene for 10 years, what’s changed the most for you and what in the music industry needs to change for the better in your opinion?
Well as I said I even started Djing much earlier but exactly, the fist release is 10 Years ago now. In all that time for me a big change was when we became able to produce music on a computer without expensive gear. That made it possible for me (and I guess for many others as well) to start producing with a low budget. As I am also a synth lover, fortunately I was able to buy some great hardware too, which I think had a positive affect onto my music. In my opinion what would be nice to be changed in the music industry would be that it would be more honest. I mean that there wouldn’t be so many production with a name on it that probably doesn’t even know how to place a kick drum in sequencer for a 4/4 Beat. So no more ghost productions and more real freaks please.
Your remix Junior Jack and Tube & Berger’s massive summer hit ‘E Samba’ has just come out, how did it feel to be asked to remix such a classic and are you happy with the results?
I was very happy when I was asked to do it, but on the other hand I was also a bit nervous because it is always hard to touch such a classic tune. With the result I am happy as I was able to realise my idea that I first had for it. For me its always important to have ideas of how I could make a new version of a tune, if I don’t have that in the beginning I can easily have a block and then it is hard to get a result in the short time that you usually have to do a remix.
How did you go about making it and what inspired the sound?
Well back to my idea that I was speaking before about, a short time before I was asked to do the remix I found some amazing samples of a timpani. I knew I want to do a tune with this sound and when I was asked to do this remix I thought “OK that could work, lets try it” and I think it worked.
You’ve also recently released your new ‘Playground EP’ on Stil Vor Talent, tell us about what we can expect to hear?
Exactly my new ‘Playgroud EP’ was also just released and I was inspired by many new “Afro House” tunes that I’ve played a lot recently. So the EP has a lot of percussion, but you can expect also some nice synth sounds and what is always important for me – good grooves.
You’ve actually been with the Stil Vor Talent family for a while now, how’s it going with them and what’s coming up that you can tell us about?
That’s true, I am super happy to be a part of the Stil Vor Talent family for a long time now. For me this team is truly like a family and also I am very thankful and happy that Oliver Koletzki always supports me and likes the music that I make. I think this man gave me a lot of motivation to go on with my way and that is something that I really appreciate a lot. I just decided to produce my third album and you can expect that also on Stil Vor Talent.
Have you any plans to set up your own label at all?
Sure I was thinking about it sometimes, but there are so many labels on the market as well and as my biggest passion is just to make music, I am actually quite happy with the situation as it is.
You also run your own Unter Freunden events with Luca De Grandis, how’s that going?
Yes, we have that small Party at Kapitel Bollwerk in Bern with about 180 people capacity. So it is a perfect place to do parties “Unter Freunden” which means “among friends”. I also always book other artists to play that became true friends over the years.
Tell us about your studio set up?
My studio is in the basement of the house where I am living. This is perfect for me as I can get there very quick when I have an idea or a creative moment. I produce my music with Logic Pro X and I would say it is a kind of hybrid studio between an analog and digital world. I have some nice synths like a Roland Juno 106, Prophet 6, Roland SH101, Nord Lead 4, Moog Voyager, my Modular System, then some Drumcomputer like the TR-8, Analog Rytm and as well some great software synths like diva, the v-collection from arturia and so on.
What part of your job do you enjoy the most, writing and producing or performing?
I do like both a lot and also I like to stay at a party after I’ve finished playing, as I also like the parties next to performing The best thing for me is when I am playing my own music in clubs and I can see smiling faces and dancing people to my music. This makes me happy and to get this it actually needs producing and performing. But maybe the studio is a little bit more important for me as I really need the time there like I need oxygen to breath.
We come to raid your record collection, which embarrassing record do you chuck out the window before we arrive?
Hmm… I think none, in the really beginning I actually bought some Trance Records that I sold after I discovered house music. But today I regret sometimes that I sold them because it was also a part of my life and sometimes I would love to listen to them again. So all the records I bought I loved at the time when got them and one thing that I am sure about now is that I will never give away vinyl anymore.
What record makes you say ‘damn, I wish I made that’?
Kellerkind – ‘Disco On The Dancefloor’ haha … just kidding, I actually can’t answer this as it would probably a list of 100 tunes! There are so many masterpieces out there!
What are your 3 current top tunes?
Cioz – Lucky Shot
Rufus Du Sol – Underwater (Adam Port Remix)
Stereocalypse – Lone Solo Drummer
Finally, what gigs are you most looking forward to playing before the year is out?
Unter Freunden at Kapitel in Bern as I love to party with good friends. Thats why I also can’t wait to play at the Stil Vor Talent showcase at Übel & Gefährlich in Hamburg and as I also love to travel and discover new places. I cant wait to Play CJC610 in Cairo where I will be for the first time in my live.
Junior Jack and Tube & Berger ŒE Samba (Josh Butler and Kellerkind Remixes)’ will be release on Beatport & Spotify November 2nd / Full release 16th November 2018 on Kittball Records.
