The man behind the brilliant ‘H-3’ Album
You have had a great couple of years with remixes of The Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode and Underworld as well as the HUGE ‘Dios’ tune – but you have been amongst clubland for quite a while…
“Well it’s been a lot of hard work. I have been producing since 1992 and way longer as a DJ, many highs and lows that comes with a career in this business. The last few years and the success it has brought me is just a result I suppose of everything I’ve learnt along the way.”
So ‘H-3’ – your third solo artist album, tell us about it, techno, house and electro all mashed into one long player…
“Yes, all the different elements are important to me, combining different styles and making them my own. Some people ask me why I decided to make “just” a club album. Well, I didn’t need to prove to myself this time. I’m able to do downbeats or experimental stuff which I’ve accomplished before. I wanted to produce what I do best, I DJ three or four times a week playing upfront electronic music and that’s what I wanted to portray with ‘H-3’. A spectrum of tracks for a good club night out, from warm up top peak time tunes and also a slice of early morning beats.”
You are an artist that doesn’t really like the limelight, preferring to let the music do the talking but you still present a great show when playing…true?
“There are so many artists out there and each of them are different. Some like to sit in the studio, turning knobs and hate to be in the public eye, others love the exposure. To be successful I feel you have to combine both. I think that nobody likes to see an introverted artist without charisma on stage because it´s boring and also they aren’t giving the clubber value for money, they go away feeling deflated.”
What do you think of the current state of dance music and clubland?
“Good question. What I like these days is that we are not all connected to the major companies anymore. Electronic music has become more independent and that’s so rewarding. In days gone by, a lot of people did not take their jobs in the music industry seriously enough – going out all night, sitting at their desks like zombies – things have changed. People now take their jobs really seriously. It’s funny. Back in the day people didn’t think club culture would last, well after more than twenty years even my parents can’t say it’s a trend. People all around the world are connected to what we do.”
Did you grow up in a musical home?
“My parents were not into music but I remember that they received every month a disco-sampler called ‘Club Top 13’. I loved the whole collection and listened to all of them…a lot! Back then it was important that the records were originals, not like the cheap cover versions that are around everywhere today. So I was dancing around to the likes of Eruption, Kool And The Gang, Boney M and Frank Zappa! Every month when I knew the next shipment was going to come, I would be sitting on the doorstep waiting for the postman. The next few hours would see me sitting in my bedroom playing the tracks over and over. Later, I got deep into the Streetsounds Electro series – legendary. My musical heroes at that time (still today) were Prince, Arthur Baker and New Order”.
What is the best name of a single on one of your albums you have penned?
“Puh, what a question! I love all the names! I think though ‘Shanghai Spinner’ from the current album H-3. I just find it funny, or is that just me?”
Big gigs coming up, Dekadence in Greece, Sankeys in Manchester, Tresor in Berlin, The Rex in Paris and a Festival in Cluj Napoca which is quickly becoming Romanian’s coolest city. What are the parties you are most looking forward to?
“Yes I have a great Summer, looking forward to so many. It’s great to find new places, new clubs, new experiences. Cluj Napoca fits into all of those brackets and wow, Tetovo in Macedonia is incredible I hear – I don’t know what to expect there but I’m pretty sure it rocks. After that I am off to Brazil playing some festivals in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro – anyone who has been to Rio will know how excited I am about that!”
Growing up in a Northern German city with little musical scene – what was that like?
“I grew up in a little city called Oldenburg – we had a couple of import record stores. Me and my friends shared a love for music and there was always a competition to see who could grab the best 12″‘s…that’s how I got into music.”
How important was the early Hip Hop scene, breakdancing and graffiti to you, artists like Africa Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow?
“Very important, All the way back. I remember watching the film ‘Wild Style’ which really was more of a documentary about graffiti and the first steps of rap music than a movie – that was it for me, I was hooked. The beats were so different it just opened my eyes. I became a B-Boy and then a DJ and then obviously got into the artists you mentioned, plus the more underground stuff like the ‘Funk You’ series and also the brilliant Street Music material.”
So, interesting story behind your track ‘Love Stimulation’…?
“Hmm, yes.’Love Stimulation’ was from my first project Humate which apparently was my biggest seller, but to this day I don’t know the sales. The rights were lost in the UK for a long time and we never saw any real money. A very strange story but I learnt a lot from it. But honestly, without sounding cheesy, sales do not say anything about the heart of the artist and what we are all trying to do – and at the end of the day, your latest track is always the best.”
And finally Oliver, what is next coming our way…
“I am so excited about what people are thinking about ‘H-3’. I invested a lot of time, ideas and sweat in this album. The first single ‘Rikarda’ comes with a fantastic Paul Ritch remix which will coincide with a major tour. Also, Dubfire and myself are working currently on a new track – sounds good so far. The story continues…”
