Producer, traveller and photographer, re:deep releases his debut album, ‘In-between’ on his own imprint, Vordergrundmusik. DMCWORLD has a chat with the German as he discusses the conception of his label, his varied musical soundscape, his inspirations and even travels around the world….
Let’s talk a little about your imprint Vordergrundmusik. How did it start and how far has it come?
I feel like my productions have always been a bit off from the usual. There’s quite some range in my music which makes it hard to connect with one label and call it your home. Therefore I decided to create my own label to give me the freedom to produce and release whatever I feel like. It is a tough task to establish a new label these days, even more if it varies with styles like mine. It is still very small and I hope to grow over time and convince with quality releases.
With your upcoming album ‘In-between’ releasing this month. When did you decide to start it? Was it always set out to be a Long Player, or did it grow into its own project?
It’s always meant to be a long player, which I started back in the beginning of 2016. My first single (as king dk) came out in 2005, since then it’s always been singles and remixes. So it was about time to create a proper long player which allowed me to get deeper into things and express different feelings. I personally prefer albums more than singles these days. I want a physical release in my hands, made with love and passion.
Has an album on your own label always been a dream for you?
The dream was more about an album on vinyl (and CD), the label itself wasn’t that important to me.
Feels good to have the control from start to end though.
The album really moves between emotive deep house to warm melodic techno. What was the reason to create such a wide array of electronic music?
Although there’s a wide range, I think it connects very well and blends into a whole complete in itself, which is the most important part to me. I find it rather boring if one track sounds like the other. It’s like a good dj set, it needs movement and variation.
Were there any featuring musicians with this collection?
Besides the awesome Cello by Raphael Zweifel and my buddy Patrick Lins on the guitar (who’s involved with most of the compositions) there are four vocal songs on the album. ‘Driftwood’ features Jazz and Folk singer Lucid, who I know and have worked with for over 10 years. ‘Soaked’ features Ela, who’s been singing for years in local bands. ‘One’ features singer/songwriter Oh Sleep, who I actually discovered while searching for a particular style, and ‘Wearing lights’, with the lovely japanese composer and singer Cokiyu. It doesn’t have to be the uber big names all the time, there’s so much (unheard) talent out there, and I would rather support and grow with them.
Are there any subtle and distinctive theme that you tried to run through the album?
It’s a mixture of concerns, thoughts, travel expierences and impressions. Every song describes a feeling, from the transcience of life (Ephemeral), our treatment of nature and it’s consequences (Fragile), to the drone war (Game of drones). But also the positive, like the beauty of nature (Paradise Flycatcher & Driftwood), or reaching a (Mountaintop) and enjoy its magical view.
Any recurring bits of tech that you used for the album, specifically around your use of analogue sequencing and synthetisation?
I like the fraternizatin of nature and technology, of tech and instruments. My synthetisation is software based and therefore pretty unspectacular, combined with instruments like Cello, Bass, Guitar and own sound- and field-recordings. And I have this funny guitar/bass like instrument that I used in Soaked, which is made of a cigar box.
You released one of the tracks, ‘One’ as an EP earlier last month and debuted Martin Merz and Matchy & Bott with the remixes. Whats your relationship with them, were they always in mind for the remixes?
Same here, I was interessted in a wide range of styles. My original mix is something in the lines of melancholic electronica and I delivered a relaxing deep house version with the chilled cello clubmix. Matchy and Bott, which live near by and had some neat releases lately were picked for the tech house remix, while the latest Vordergrundmusik addition Martin Merz, who just released his debut album Prisma, was meant for the more trippy dub/techno version.
Who was involved in producing the artwork and why did you capture it like this?
All photos are taken from travels to Iceland and the Seychelles and one from a glass house of a abandoned tree nursery near my home town. The muddy and moody look has been added to simply match with the music.
What’s in store for the rest of 2018, any big summer plans?
On the label front, there’s a Single from Frère with a remix of mine lined up, then a remix EP of my album from some of my current favourite producers and the second album of Martin Merz, hopefully by end of the year.
On a personal side, my wish to finally visit Lofoten in Norway will finally become true in August. I’m really looking forward to it!
Be sure to grab a copy of the vinyl edition of the upcoming album, ‘In-between’ here
