Kenneth Bager

The Danish don bringing his Music For Dreams to the best sunset spot in the world

Interview : Dan Prince

Welcome to DMCWORLD, and congratulations on the wonderful Café Mambo – The Sunset Sessions 2013 compilation. Well, let’s start with the obvious question…when did you first come to Ibiza and what were your initial thoughts?

“The first time I went to Ibiza was in 1982 – it was very interesting. By accident I ended up in the front of Cafe Del Mar listening to Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre and Brian Eno! People were open minded and San Antonio was very diverse and colorful – full of funny and funky characters!”

This summer sees your Music For Dreams brand take over Mambo towers every Sunday – how similar is the soundtrack to the album is what we can expect from your Sunday sessions? 

“The Sunday sessions will be very open minded playing a mix of classical, soul, new and old electronic, disko, house, reggae, world, – all summing up an eclectic mix I would call balearic – a mix of music hard to define – we will have guests from all over the world!” 

Talk us through the planning for both discs, what was the format for each one ? 

“I set out to make CD 1 more relaxed and CD 2 a mix with beats. I also wanted to do a compilation that would be timeless!” 

Mambo is renowned as being the finest sunset location destination in Ibiza. When did the idea to take over Sundays begin?

“I sat down with Christian from the famous Mambo brothers duo and he is a lover of Balearica and music in general. He knew more or less my whole history including my label Music For Dreams (Music For Dreams has sold over 2 million records and released over 50 albums). We clicked immediately  – and the Sunday session idea was born!” 

Reveal some of the tunes you are lining up for that 9.30pm sunset moment…

“The Sun’s Gone Dim…” by Johan Johansson, “Oh Mio Babbino” by Maria Callas and my own tune “Would U Like To Seduce Me”.

Is there a better sunset in Ibiza?

“Possibly Dan, but not more famous!”

What is it about Ibiza that makes it so special?

“It is the general vibe. The combination of music, sea, sun and the people – there is a special tolerance between all people here! The hippie roots has never left the island!”

Tell us about the line up for the launch last Sunday…

“We had an amazing international line up for the release party including Abe Borgman (Pura Sonica – Peru), Simon Dunmore (Defected), Phil South (Golf Channel – New York), DJ Zak (Hamburg), JaXx (Pura Sonica – Panama) Jean Von Baden (Copenhagen) and Hannah Schneider- doing a one man band live performance – sampling herself, the audience and singing her track from the Cafe Mambo compilation.”

Away from Mambo, where are the clubs, beaches and restaurants you love in Ibiza?

“The list is long but here is a few: the new bar / restaurant “Hidden” in Cala Sa Vicente, man of the moment Solomun at Pacha on a Sunday, restaurant Balafia for their wonderful tomato salad, Sa Trinxa at Ses Salinas on Mondays and Wednesdays, Babylon Beach for moonrise and dub, Wax da Jam on Tuesdays at Las Dalias, sunset Ashram in Cala Comte, Alfredo at We Love Sundays at Space, the king of after parties Sven Vath in Amnesia on a Monday, for quality house I would go for Defected plus Insane at Pacha, for great music Flower Power at Pacha on a Tuesday and Pete Tong’s Le Grand Bazaar at Ushuaia on Fridays looks promising!”

Okay let’s rewind for a moment. You hail of course from Denmark and are acknowledged as being the man responsible for putting house and techno on the Scandinavian map. How does that accolade fit with you?

“I am a person of many colors – I still run my own Coma Club in Copenhagen – (check Comaclub.dk <http://Comaclub.dk>) a dress up club that changes location for every party that we started in 1988! I play very, very, very eclectic and the audience likes that way – we  don’t have many guest DJs as it is hard to book people that plays such a big spectrum of music ! I have also a deep techno record coming out very soon with full vocals – the project is called  Krystal – ‘Get Your Mind Together’.  I think it is record that could appeal to the Sasha/Sven Vath brigade!”

How did you get into dance music first place. How old were you when you started to love these sounds…?

“I grew up in a small village called Hobro. When I was a teenager around 1977 my window to the world was Radio Luxemburg – I used to listen to your father Tony Prince and his Friday import show!” 

What was your first break into the music industry?

“I started DJing in 1979 and got a reputation for playing very diverse and breaking new sounds in my area – soon I became the first Dane to play in the biggest Scandinavian club called Daddy’s. It was 1982 and it was fantastic, I could play all kinda things – New Romantic, Funk, Disco, Rap, Soul, Ska, Dub etc. It was like a Danish version of the Camden Palace/The Mud Club and Blitz.” 

Who were some of your early DJ/producer/artist heroes?

“I loved what happened in America – Tom Moulton, Larry Levan, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaatta, Arthur Baker, François Kevorkian and Shep Pettibone.”

What is the current top 10 you are spinning?

The Foals – Last Night (Solomun mix) 

Daughter  – Get Lucky 

The Kenneth Bager Experience – What’s My Name featuring Sofie Gråbøl (from the TV series The Killing – she actually went into the studio and recorded the song)  

Sunshine Stereo/ Follow The Beat/ Biological Bread/Fat Bottom Pelicans 

Daft Punk – Touch /Loose Yourself To Dance / The Game Of Love

Fransesco Rossi – Paper Aeroplanes 

Nu & Jo Ke – Who Loves The Sun 

Ninetoes – Finder 

Dansson & Marlon Hoffstedt – Shake That 

Peter Visti – Besos ( The Kenneth Bager Exp. Remix) 

Marcella Bella – Nell Aria (Live mix) 

Tell us a little about your beloved Apple Flower Festival…

“The co-owner of Noma and founding father of the new Nordic cuisine movement Claus Meyer took me to his apple orchard on an Island called “Lille ø” (meaning small island). I saw the island and The Apple Flower festival was born! We celebrate the blossoming of the apple trees at the end of May with a 2 day festival where Claus Meyer curates an international line up of chefs and I select the bands and the DJs.” 

And finally, what is the best and worst thing about living in Copenhagen?

“The best:  Great restaurants, plus I have had the lovely opportunity of playing on national radio for four decades playing various styles of new electronic music – these days I also do Radio Sonica in Ibiza every Monday. The worst: the club scene is so small!” 

Kenneth Bager plays every Thursday and Friday from 6pm to sunset in Cafe Mambo!

Music For Dreams at Cafe Mambo starts at Sundays at 1pm. 

www: kennetbager.dk <http://kennetbager.dk>