Massive new album from the Mannheim express
Nick Curly – a name that has defined the image of the global club scene over the last few years like no other. As the driving force behind the so-called “Sound of Mannheim”, Curly was long considered the rising star of the international house scene. That is a status he has long since left behind him. Having arrived at the top of the international DJ elite, the world-famous Ibizan club Space even recently honored him with a residency – a distinction that is otherwise reserved for genre greats such as Carl Cox and Armin van Buuren. With his brand new album ‘Between the Lines’, Nick Curly is now taking the next step in his impressive career. As the title suggests, there is more to it than a mere reflection of his DJ career so far. Rather, on his debut album, the Mannheimer presents himself from a different angle, offering the listener an insight into the man Nick Curly – away from the bright lights of the club circus. We check in.
Words : Dan Prince
Welcome to DMC Nick. You started DJing in your mid teens, can you remember the early artists and tunes that first drew you into the world of electronic music?
“Natürlich kann ich mich noch gut daran erinnern. Ich komme aus Mannheim in Deutschland, das liegt zwischen Stuttgart, das immer etwas mehr von House beeinflusst war und Frankfurt, dass zur damaligen Zeit die Techno/ Tech House Hochburg in Deutschland war, dort gab es damals im Frankfurter Flughafen das Dorian Gray, wo DJ´s wie Taucher, Marc Spoon oder auch Sven Väth spielten. Sven hatte dann seinen Club das Omen, wo wir standing ein und ausgingen, und was mich sicher stark gebrägt hat. Auch in Mannheim hatten wir einen recht bekannten Club das Milk, wo DJ´s wie Groove Klein, Bassface Sascha oder auch mal der ein oder andere bekanntere englische DJ zu Gast waren.”
“Of course I remember clearly. I`m from Mannheim which, geographically speaking, is located between Stuttgart – pretty much influenced by House – and Frankfurt which was the Techno/Tech House stronghold at that time. DJs such as Taucher, Marc Spoon or Sven Väth were playing at Frankfurt`s popular and famous nightclub ‘Dorian Gray’ out at the airport. Sven later took his own club ‘Omen’ which we attended regularly. Without doubt this has shaped and affected my approach to music. As well in Mannheim we had a quite famous club called ‘Milk’ where DJs like Groove Klein, Bassface Sascha and several famous English guest DJs were playing.”
Your music pulls from a lot of different musical elements, who would you say have been your biggest inspirations in your musical life?
“Das ist schwer zu sagen, wie ich schon in der ersten Frage gesagt habe waren wir wenn wir mehr house und vocals hören wollten in der Stuttgarter richtung unterwegs, von daher kann ich auf alle Fälle sagen dass ich House mässig sehr vom Chicago House beeindruckt war/bin, und DJ Sneak mein absoluter Hero war. Die Technoidere seite hat definitive Sven Väth mit seinen Nächten im Omen oder später auch im U60311 gebrägt.”
“That`s difficult to say. As I said in my answer before we always went out around Stuttgart if we wanted to listen to vocals and house – and at that time DJ Sneak was my personal hero. When it comes to Techno, Sven Väth at Omen and, later on, the music from the club U60311 played a major role in my musical development.”
The new album ‘Between The Lines’ is out on your Cecille Records on March 16th. Talk us through this most excellent long player, highlights, the vocalists, how long it took to create…what are you most proud of?
“Also insgesamt habe ich ca 6 monate an dem Album gesessen. Die ideen dafür hatte ich schon lange im Kopf, für mich war jetzt einfach der richtige Zeitpunkt um sie rauszulassen. Stolz bin ich auch dass ich verschiedenen anderen Musikern zusammen arbeiten konnte. z.B haben ich live drums einspielen lassen oder auch hier und da die Bässe mit nem richtigen Bass. Denke wer sich damit etwas auskennt wird den Unterschied hören. Insgesamt wurden wenig vorgefertigte Loops benutzt, viele Instrumente direkt eingespielt. Bei “Piano in the dark, underground und “truth”, habe ich mit dem Kölner Sänger Worthy Davis zusammen gearbeitet, bei “between” konnte ich auf die Mitarbeit von Rebecca May zählen und bei dem letzten Track der CD hat Luca Sportiello mitgewirkt.”
“Altogether it took me 6 months to accomplish the album. The concept behind it has been on my mind for quite a while, Finally, this year became the perfect time to release it for a number of reasons. I had the opportunity on the album to expand a little and I worked with several new musicians. We recorded live drums, Sebastian Flach played the bass in different tracks. Ultimately, I wanted to have a better quality in the sound. I think listeners can hear that at the end. I’m really happy with the vocalists that feature, Worthy Davis, a real Soul singer in my opinion. His voice is on ‘Underground’, ‘Piano In The Dark’ and ‘Truth To Be Told’ then Rebecca is the female voice on “Between’. Luca Sportiello adds a very emotional depth to the final track. All in all only a few pre-assembled loops have been used, many instruments were incorporated directly. ‘Piano In The Dark’, ‘Underground’ and ‘Truth’ are collaborations with the Cologne-based singer Worthy Davis, On ‘Between’, I worked with Rebecca May and Luca Sportiello contributed vocals to the closing track of the CD.”
Massive Timewarp event swinging our way at the end of March. It’s like a who’s who of the electronic world – Coxy, Sven, Hawtin – you must be looking forward to this one. Why are the Timewarp events so special?
“Time Warp is always one of the special events for me, as it´s in my hometown Mannheim, 5 minutes away from my house. Also the line is massive, this year I think they have done the best ever, I don´t know any festival who has this line up for our kind of music on one night.
Who are you looking forward to checking out this year?
“This year I will perform b2b with Mathias Kaden I´m really looking forward to this as he is a good friend of mine and we just played together last week at the Inti Fest in Peru.”
You spent another New Years Day at the BPM Festival in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico – a brilliant way to start the new year. What were the highlights this time around? Sneak rocked I take it…
“Oh ja das war echt ein super start in 2012. Silvester habe ich im Vertigo in Costa Rica gespielt und danach mit DJ Sneak auf dem BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen. Dort war ich jetzt bereits schon zum 3. Mal und muss sagen dass es auf alle Fälle zu einem meiner Jahreshighlights geworden ist.”
“I could not have imagined a better start into 2012. New Year`s Eve I was playing at Vertigo in Costa Rica and then the next day together with DJ Sneak at the BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen. Three times I`ve already been there to play and it definitely became one of my highlights of the whole year. Its a wonderful place to visit and party.”
You have just embarked on a full on World Tour taking in the delights of such places as Peru, Tokyo, Sydney and even Newcastle in the UK for a Shindig masterpiece. Where around the world are you heading that you have not ventured to before, and what are you looking forward to about our north eastern clubbing hospitality in the UK?
“Ja die Tour führt mich echt mindestens einmal um die Welt. Im Moment sitze ich z.B in Cali (Kolumbien), hier war ich zuvor auch noch nie. Ausserdem freue ich mich auf meine Gigs in Chile und Peru nächste Woche oder auch China, Peking, wo ich zuvor noch nie war. Shindig in Newcastle oder generell Engalnd sind Immer gigs die ich gerne spiele, da die Feierkultur in UK doch schon etwas besonderes ist und ich gerne dort spiele.”
“At the moment I’m in Cali (Colombia) where I’ve never been before. During the tour I’m visiting some of my favourite clubs and locations and, to be honest, I have played most of these places before. Part of the reason I never got to release my album before is because my agent has had me touring for the last three years! I’m looking forward to Chile and Peru in the upcoming week, and Beijing – where I haven’t been before. Shindig I have heard great things about, and I’m also playing for the first time at Culture Box in Copenhagen, U-Street in Washington DC, Factory in Barcelona, and Weetamix in Geneva for the first time. There could be a few more also, but the tour has almost 50 dates and I can’t remember everything – I don’t have my diary with me!”
Tell us about Soho in Mannheim and The Loft Club in Ludwigshafen – what makes them so good?
“Oh das Soho mache ich seit längerem nicht mehr. Ich habe nur noch die Residency im Loft Club. Das Loft ist der beste Club bei uns in der Region, in dem wöchentlich DJ Grössen wie Sven Väth, Locodice, Marco Carola oder auch Carl Cox spielen, da ist es schon etwas besonderes einen eigenen Abend zu haben. Ausserdem sehe ich dort meine Freunde aus Mannheim”
“I haven`t played at Soho for a very long time to be honest, I´m only a resident in the Loft club at the moment. The Loft is really appreciated by the locals at home. When you have Sven Väth, Loco Dice, Marco Carola or Carl Cox playing weekly, you can understand why. Therefore it is a real honour to have my own night there. Apart from this I get to see all my friends from Mannheim.”
What is the finest record you have ever played to a dancefloor?
“Ui that’s a difficult question….I have a few masterpieces that I like to play. I would say though that…
Theo Parrish – ‘Falling Up’ (Carl Craig remix) is one of them.”
What new/up and coming producers and DJs that you have spotted on your travels should we be looking out for in 2012?
“Da sind einige junge talentierte Produzenten da draussen. Ich würde jetzt keinen einzelnen nenne, aber ich denke Namen wie z.B Uner, Sante oder auch Steffen Deux sollte man auf alle Fälle im Auge behalten.”
“Out there are lots of young and talented producers. I won`t name any specific ones but it`s worth it to keep an eye on artists such as Uner or Steffen Deux.”
You are very proud of your residency at Space in Ibiza, what have you got planned for us all this Summer?
“Ja klar ich bin super stolz auf diese residency im Space, besonders bei dieser Veranstaltung macht es extra viel Spass, da neben mir die ganzen anderen Acts wie Maya Jane Coles, Seth Troxler oder auch Jamie Jones auch wieder dabei sein warden, eventuell gibt es sogar noch die ein oder andere grössere Überraschung im Line up auf die wir gespannt sein können.”
“Absolutely, I`m very proud to be a resident in Space, especially for this particular event where the newer acts like Maya Jane Coles, Seth Troxler or Jamie Jones are also playing. Possibly there will be a few very big surprises in the line-up. So all I can say is: Stay tuned!”
What was the highlight of Space 2011?
“Mein Highlight im Space war definitive das Kehakum closing set b2b mit Mathias Kaden und das Space closing. Space hatte eine super saison 2011 und die Stimmung war einmalig.”
“My Space highlight this summer was without a doubt the Kehakuma Closing b2b with Mathias Kaden and the Space Closing. Space had a fantastic season in 2011 and the atmosphere was unique.”
What are your thoughts on the state of the music/club industry in Germany at the moment?
“Ok die Musikindustrie ist ein Kapitel für sich. Dass die Vinyl und download Zahlen standing sinken und immer mehr illegal runtergeladen wird ist ja bereits bekannt. Das ist in deutschalnd nicht anders als irgendwo anders. Vielleicht haben wir in Deutschland noch den vorteil ein paar mehr vinyle zu verkaufen, da es doch noch DJ wie z.B Sven Väth oder Ricardo geben die dafür warden und die Fahne hochhalten. Die Clubkultur in Deutschalnd ist im Moment sehr stark auf Berlin konzentriert. Für mich gibt es keine Stadt der Welt wo die Elektronische Scene so eine grosse Rolle spielt wie in Berlin, das ist schon etwas auf das wir stolz sein können. Super Clubs wie das Watergate, oder Berghain um nur 2 zu nennen.”
“Well,the music industry is very complex. It is known for its increase in illegal downloading. In Germany it is is the same case as anywhere else. We possibly have the advantage in Germany to be able to sell a few more vinyls as DJs such as Sven Väth or Ricardo Villalobos stand up for it! At the moment Berlin is the center of the club culture in Germany. For me personally, there is no other city where the electronic music scene plays such a big role as in Berlin, this is something we can be really proud of, just to mention clubs like Watergate or Berghain.”
What’s the best new record you have heard recently?
“That’s the new release from Sante which we release soon on 8Bit Records! Watch out for this!”
It’s your birthday – what 3 DJs do you ask to play and why?
“Also ich würde den Mathias Kaden fragen da er ein guter Freund und ein super Dj ist. Ausserdem würde ich den Glimbse fragen dass er einen live act machen soll. Glimbse live act ist spitze und Chris hätte ich sehr gerne an meinem Geburtstag dabei da er mich immer zum lachen bringt. Als 3 DJ würde ich Steffen Deux einladen, da er mein Bruder und ein super Dj ist.”
“I would ask Mathias Kaden as he is a good friend of mine and a great DJ. Besides I`d ask Glimpse to do his live set because it’s a really strong show (and I would love to have Chris around me on my birthday as he always makes me laugh). My final invite is Steffen Deux – my brother and a super talented DJ.”
And finally, what has the remainder of 2012 got planned for us all via your 8Bit and Cecille labels plus your remixes?
“Wie ich schon sagte im Moment bin ich voll und ganz auf da Album konzentriert. Da im Sommer die Remixe vom Album kommen habe ich mit einigen Artists remix austausch gemacht, das heist es sind sicher noch einige remixe von mir zu erwarten. Ausserdem mixe ich gerade die doppel cd für Kehakuma 2012. Und gegen Ende des Jahres werde ich sicher noch 1-2 Ep veröffentlichen.”
“As I said before, at the moment I`m fully focused on my album. Due to all the upcoming remixes in the summer I exchanged remixes with several artists..so you can be excited about a few new releases. Aside from this I`m working on the mix for the Kehakuma compilation for 2012 and towards the end of the year I’m looking to put out some new material after a short break following the album.”
‘Between The Lines’ is out on Cécille Records 16th March 2012
1. Inside My Head
2. Eastern Curve
3. Piano In The Dark
4. Spinning Plates
5. Glass Ceiling
6. Wrong Hands
7. Hairline
8. Truth To Be Told
9. Between
10. You Don’t Have To Hopp
11. Underground
12. Harlot
13. Wake Me Up
2012 Worldwide Tour Dates
Feb 24th – Club Haze, Beijing
Feb 25th – Womb, Tokyo
March 2nd – The Button Factory, Dublin
March 3rd – Shindig, Newcastle
March 10th – Amnesia, Milan
March 16th – Magenta, Darmstadt
March 17th – Loft, Ludwigshafen
March 23rd – Sugar, Adelaide
March 24th – Kehakuma at The Greenwood, Sydney
March 24th – The Vault, Sydney (late)
March 25th – Revolver, Melbourne
March 30th – Airport, Wuerzberg
March 31st – TimeWarp, Mannheim
April 7th – Goa, Rome
April 20th – Hive, Zurich
April 21st – Klangwunder, Hamburg
April 22nd – Gipsy, Moscow
April 27th – 8 Bit at Reitschule, Bern
April 28th – Factory, Barcelona
April 29th – Rotzooii at Westerunie, Amsterdam
April 30th – Pacha, Mallorcar
May 3rd – Cielo, NYC
May 5th – Footwork, Toronto
May 11th – Weetamix, Geneva
May 16th – Culture Box, Copenhagen
May 19th – Die Rakete, Nurnberg
May 25th – WOO! Naples
May 26th – Divinae Follie, Bari
nick-curly.de/
soundcloud.com/nickcurly
www.time-warp.de/
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