Head honcho at Mjuzieek Records – one of the biggest house labels on the planet
“Hey guys, very honoured to be featured in your magazine! And many thanks for rating my little label as one of the best in the world! To be honest, my family is not musical at all! I discovered my love for the music in general when I was about 7 or 8 years old, when I started to learn to play the drums. By that time I was heavily into Disco Music and R&B, which was crazy, as none of the people I knew shared the same passion with me – except my teacher who I learnt to play the drums with. So he’s probably the one to blame…”
What was the record that changed your life?
“It’s been two actually…at different times! When I was a kid there was a couple of Disco tracks that brought me into the music in the first place – ‘This Time Baby’ by Jackie Moore which has to be the main one! A track that is still a big part of my life as I did a cover version more then 15 years ago, that was very successful all around the globe and just recently I did some new versions of it to bring it back to life! And then, it has to be one of the first House tracks coming outta Chicago, probably Marshall Jefferson – ‘Move Your Body’.”
You were a resident at Es Paradis in Ibiza in the late 80s, how did that incredible job happen?
“I was 17 when I first came to Ibiza for holidays and was smashed to pieces when I visited all those incredible clubs, hearing some of the coolest music I’d heard in any club before. Places like Amnesia (with Alfredo as resident), KU (with Cesar de Melero as resident) and Pacha (with Pippi as resident) opened my mind for new and different music! Though I had been doing other DJs gigs in and around Vienna, this was something completely different. Just for fun I asked the manager of a club called Angels (situated near Pacha, but has now been closed for a long time) if I could come back the year after and work for them as a DJ. He said “yeah sure!” So I went there the year after way before the place was about to open and said to the guy, “well, here I am! When can I start?” The guy’s face was a picture, I think he wet himself laughing at me so much. He was impressed though as he could see I was taking things very seriously. Well he gave me a job in the promotional team with the offer of a chance to play from time to time with his two resident DJs. Later in the season one of the guys quit his job and I had the chance to take over his position. Somehow I did the job really well, so much so that when the boss left at the end of the season to take over the managing position at Es Paradis, he asked me to go with him. I didn’t need to be asked twice and became part of the residents team for the next five years. From a DJs point of view, those were good times. I had to DJ there 7 nights a week sometimes all night on your own. These days, you are just one of thousands of DJs out there…”
What are some of your biggest memories from those years? What are the biggest changes to that white isle since those magical times?
“Well before 1989 clubs like Es Paradis, Amnesia or KU (now Privilege) were all open air and the clubs did put on some amazing themed parties like Roma or Fiesta del Aqua (only once a year and private) in Es Paradis or Brasil and San Fermin etc. in KU! The whole island especially all the locals went to those parties and they were famous all over the world! Those nights were exceptional! Within a year all those clubs had to put a roof on, things had started to change! Firstly international promoters started to invade the island and slowly infiltrated even the biggest clubs with their own parties. These days it’s more or less only big international brands / promoters who are running nights in all the clubs and even bars on the island. So, from a DJs point of view, the biggest change is that back in the days you played 7 nights a week, all night, at YOUR club. These days you are lucky if you play once or at all. Also, the people that came to the island came there willing to spend lots of money, already paying a lot for flights and hotel these days. It probably was 10% of the people that go there now, but they left lots of money there, having lots of fun and a great time without being pushed to any places by “big names” or whatever. There was some sort of daily routine, going to the beaches daytime, then into town in the late evening, doing some shopping, getting some nice food and then starting the nightlife round, ending up having a party in 3 or 4 clubs all night! These days you have parties 24/7 and you don’t even know anymore where to go with clubs and promoters putting on bigger and bigger names to compete with the others, etc.”
How did you take your first steps up the ladder in the music industry world with your own productions?
“During my time in Ibiza I started to bring over a friend from the UK who was working in a record shop in London, who brought like 300 – 400 of the latest vinyls with him every 2 weeks or so, and sold it to one of the local record stores in Ibiza. Our friendship grew and in 1990 I moved from Ibiza to London during the winter months as a lot of gig offers came in during the summer and stayed with that friend. By that time he had already quit his job in that record shop and started to work as an A&R for some bigger labels, and then, at one point, started his own label. I assisted him and slowly got more involved in the business and then did my first remixes for some people I met through him! The first one was a track that was the first ever release for a new label called Positiva (now one of the biggest labels ever…) for a track called “Void” by Exoterix, and the second one was for Noo Tropic, called ‘Noo Reality’ which was the first track for a new label that was called Hi-Life, which was a new House label for Polygram. Few bits and pieces followed but then stopped for a while, with me moving back to Austria! Couple years later I digged deep into it again and started to do my own tracks and label (X-tended Records), and from there, things just started to develop with lots of releases under various aliases. All things went big with my event promotion company, I had to stop again, concentrating on the business, and then it took quite some years until I finally got my things together once again and started off with my own Mjuzieek label two years ago.”
After returning to Austria you decided to start your own event promotions company putting on massive parties which are still going strong today. What was wrong with the state of your home country’s party scene before you started your own nights?
“What party scene Dan? There was none! At least none that I would have rated as even coming close to anything in the UK or Ibiza! I started off in 1994 bringing over Paul Oakenfold, Bomb The Bass and other big names that I knew from Ibiza and the UK and it was a complete disaster! People didn’t know what it was all about, who they were at all! It took me years to build those things up, educating the people to the music and the artists that I brought over! Same for me as a DJ, I was a resident DJ in some of the most famous clubs worldwide and a guest DJ in tonnes of others all over Europe! In Austria I was a nobody and I had to start all over again, though it didn’t take me long to establish myself as one of the best House DJs in the country.”
What have been some of the highlights from these 17 years of craziness at your events?
“Our annual boat parties that we are doing for 8 years now are pretty much the highlight for me every year! We’re putting them on in the summer on the river Danube doing a day cruise from Vienna to Bratislava and return, and then a night cruise in and around Vienna! That’s a total of 16 hours of party madness and we have an average of 500 – 600 people on each of those cruises! We’re also doing them every second year on New Years Eve which is amazing too! Always sold out, with a breathtaking 360° view on the Open Air Deck at midnight from the middle of the Danube, seeing all the fireworks and stuff! But also our White parties and Black parties have been great so far over the years, especially as we put them on in venues that are exceptional, such as Museums, Casinos or Ancient Castles. And there has been also a series of events I did around 8 – 9 years ago called ‘Twisted’ which was the first time I brought over international guests on a weekly base! Many of the guys that have been our guests are now big names in the business like ATFC, Copyright, Audiowhores, and many others.”
Why did you start your own record label Mjuzieek Digital?
“It was probably the same reason why most of the other people start their own label, simply to get my own tracks out! And as most people I thought that this is an easy thing to do. Well, it’s easy to set a label up, you just need some music and it’s not that difficult to find a distributor. But then, if you really wanna be successful with what you do, it needs more then just putting out one of your tracks now and then! It needs a lot of hard and time consuming work and passion, a good taste in music (that you can sell), and a good feeling in discovering new artists and developing them alongside the label. And even then you need lots of luck to really make it! And I think I had and still have all of it!”
What are the label plans party wise for ADE this year?
“We’ll be throwing two parties this year at ADE, one on the Thursday at Club Rain and one on the Friday at 3 Sisters (with free entrance), presenting nearly 20 of our artists including the Audiowhores, Lauer & Canard, Central Avenue & Graham Sahara, Jay C, Dave Doyle, Reza, Nathan Lee, Roger Williams and lots more alongside myself!”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning?
“Well since I started the label, I have decided to play only stuff from the label in my sets, as now I have the possibility to play 3 – 4 hours sets consisting of exclusives only, which makes your sets more special and also easier for you as the chances are that the guys warming up for you to have one of your tracks you’re playing, is probably less than zero!
So my Top 10 is basically made outta releases from my own labels, or actually one ain’t, but is one remix I just did for Alfred Azzetto…”
1. Rhythmic Groove – Don’t Make Me Wait (Pray for More’s in Love with Mjuzieek Remix)
2. Sami Dee – We’re Comin’ From Chicago (Alfred Azzetto Remix)
3. Alfred Azzetto – More Of You (Pray for More’s in Love with Mjuzieek Remix)
4. K-Klass & Reza – Let The Freak (Lauer & Canard feat. Greg Note Remix)
5. Manyus & Soulbeats – Miracle Of Love (Pray for More’s in Love with Mjuzieek Remix)
6. Reza – Que Pasa? (Jerry Ropero & Mary Amado Remix)
7. Jorge Montia – The Preacher (Original Sunday Morning Mix)
8. Soul Avengerz – Music’s Got Me High (Original Soda Mix)
9. Garrett & Ojelay – Jack That! (Original Mix)
10. Bibi pres. Kongas Motel Project – Piano (Original Mix)
Your home town is famous for it’s heuriger – specially licensed wine pubs! What a great idea! Have you ever asked the Heurigensingers to play a house tune on their accordions?!?!
“Hahaha, not really! I don’t even think that they would know what I’m talking about when I asked them! They play very special folk music that has got absolutely nothing to do with what we do! It’s music that will put you in the right mood when you drink a bottle of wine or two and then have sing-a-long…would be funny though to try it!”
“Basically I have 2 – 3 releases a week, one on the new sister label Mjuzieekal Education, and one or two on Mjuzieek itself! So there is a lot of material coming out all the time, and it’s hard to pick some that are even more special then the others. Coming over the next weeks we have the third volume of our very successful “Disco Bombs & Funky Madness” compilation series that will feature 10 exclusive tracks again. Also the Remixes of Reza’s track “Que Pasa?!”, the remixes of Jay C’s track “And The Music Began To Play”, the remixes of mine and Jay C’s track “Jibaro”, tracks and EPs by legendary French producers Sami Dee and Bibi, “Oye Como Va?!” and “Superstition by Jose Sousa, all on Mjuzieek Digital and some hot one – off tracks on Mjuzieekal Education by Cesar de Melero, Rhythmic Groove, KillerBeatz, Funky Trucker and 2 Good Souls! And about 20 others that should be mentioned!!!”
Tell us your Mjuzieek Digital top 5 releases from the last 16 months…
1. Audiowhores – Sometimes (Original & Remixes)
2. Mike Newman & Antoine Cortez – Got Me Now
3. K-Klass & Reza – Let The Freak
4. Pray for More feat. Annette Taylor – This Time Baby 2012
5. Various Artists – Disco Bombs & Funky Madness Vol.1 & 2
What vocalist has been the most pleasure to work with in the studio?
“I have had the chance to work with some outstanding singers in the past who I rate as some of the best singers around if you’re into House music. But three of them are my faves, all of them Gospel trained “Divas”, who are LaTasha Jordan, Annette Taylor and Lee Genesis! I just started working with Miami based singer Ceevox who I will be doing a few new tracks with, and I do like her as much as the three aforementioned, though her musical background is different!”
What are the big clubs you have rocked in 2012?
“To be honest Dan I have had to put back my DJ schedule a bit over the last seven or eight months due to the massive work the label is causing me! I’m doing a monthly label night in one of Austria’s best and most famous clubs – the Babenberger Passage in Vienna at the moment! Also our own big parties at the Casino Baden which is one of the most spectacular venues in the country, and then the odd international night in places like Budapest, Munich, Bratislava, Zurich, etc. when an offer comes in.”
What has been your summer anthem?
“Can’t really choose one only, as there are too many and they are all coming from my own labels! It has to be either Jay C – ‘And The Music Began To Play’ or Reza & K-Klass – ‘Let The Freak’…”
How important to you is the radio show?
“I have started to do a weekly two hour podcast around two months ago now as I thought that this is a very important promotional avenue to present your latest music and also to showcase your artists by giving them the chance to present themselves and the music they do! Apart from that, I’m doing label mixes for so many radio shows worldwide on a nearly weekly base, which again, is so important when you wanna run a label properly! With one show you can reach a hundred or thousand times more people then via all the plays in the clubs, though this is an important side of the promotion too! I’m in the lucky position that I have very strong support from both sides, so things are going really well here. I’m about to develop a new radio show though at the moment, and will hopefully launch that on some international stations in two or three months when the other stuff is starting to develop it’s own life!”
Aside from dance music, what other genres of music do you listen to…?
“I like some chilled easy music to listen to, to come down a bit or to relax in between all the work. But I also like to hear some classical music sometimes. But basically my life is all about House music and the music it has been evolved from…Disco and R&B.”
Explain a typical working day for Roland Bartha…
“Usually I’m up at eight in the morning and then working for the label till midnight and sometimes longer! 7 days a week, no days off! I’m spending most of the time on the computer, doing all correspondence via the various social networks. Usually starting off the day with pushing the label everywhere, gaining new followers and fans, the getting into online promotion, pushing our latest releases everywhere! By that time lots of people already hit me up with questions, demos and other things, so I try to get all these things done till the early / late afternoon, and then getting into scouting, searching for new stuff! In between that I’m doing all the necessary stuff for the next releases, like uploading things to the stores, doing artworks, press texting, promo mail outs, campaigning, and tonnes of other things! And whenever time allows it, I’m working on own tracks and remixes, though this is getting less and less at the moment, due to the very extensive commitment for the label. And then there are the one or two clubs to play at! Total madness as I like to call it…”
Do you think the club life in San Antonio in Ibiza will ever get back on track, it’s going through some tough times at the moment…
“I haven’t been to Ibiza for six or seven years now and I’m kinda scared to go back there after reading all those things about the island and how much it has changed. But even before, I only went there before all the madness started or is finished (early June or late September), to avoid the mass overkill. Ibiza is such a beautiful island and it has more to give and to show than just the clubs and bars. So it’s hard for me to add much to this discussion, as it will never be the same again as it used to be when I was working there at the end of the 80s / beginning of the 90s.”
What are the other record labels you are rating right now?
“I could go for the obvious big ones like Urbana or Copyright, but I also like the new ones that release some great and fresh music – like Undergroovy or Muzicasa for the more percussive and techy side, and Disco Bomb or Rule 5 for the more funky and soulful side!”
What is the biggest lesson you have learnt in your career?
“Never ever give up your biggest dream and be yourself! I’m not the easiest person to deal with as I’m very direct and tell people what I think straight into their face! Over the years this has cost me lots of jobs and probably good business possibilities, but on the other side I can get up in the morning and when i look into the mirror, I know it is still me! And there is one sentence that I have always believed in: if you work really hard and are kind and be yourself, then amazing things will happen! And I’m more then happy that after all those years of hard work, and sometimes hard times financially, it did happen for me!”
And finally, what producers from around the world are you giving high fives to at the moment?
“There are so many great guys out there! But basically all the guys on my labels are huge talents! Producers like Coqui Selection, Jorge Montia, Muzikfabrik, Soul Avengerz, Reza, Mike Newman, Garrett & Ojelay or Lauer & Canard all have made some big impact over the last year and beyond to the scene. And the new breed like Souljackerz, ReWire, Nathan Lee, Gerald Henderson & DJ Haro, Grayson.P, Jay Santi, Nervous Kid, Bigboss, Babysitters, Funky Truckerz, KillerBeatz and so many others are about to explode!”