Relish This
Well we thought we had it good with your three albums on Gomma and your opener on Relish ‘Manhead – , but ‘1923’ also out on Relish in May has powered away with it. You have some amazing guests appearing on the album, must have been a lot of fun to make?
“It was great to work with such amazing people as Dieter Meier from Yello and Steve Mason and all the others. Usually I have the track and then send it to the singers and they send me back the vocals that I mix again. With Dieter we actually recorded it in my studio. I was very excited and the first thing I did was to show him my Yello records! The session went really well and smooth. He’s a very professional musician. Was quick and on the spot. I think I was the one who was a bit nervous.”
Can you talk us through the album, there is such a wide variety of music on there, is this something important to you?
“On this album it was important for me to show some different facets of dance music. Even if it’s not a pure dance album, it’s still dance music orientated. I also wanted to go back again to the Manhead roots. Which were always more Balearic early house inspired. But also some tracks that are maybe more raw and have just drum machines and synths. Kind of do a ‘roots of dance music’. That’s why I have chosen a Northen Soul classic cover as well. Headman and Manhead was always about bringing together different styles together. This album is also a kind of Headman roots. From post punk to electro to house to disco to new wave…”
Going back to your childhood, what sort of artists were you plugged into that made you want to make dance music?
In my childhood I can remember I was dancing loads to pop records and stuff that was playing on the TV. I think when I really started to get the concept of dance music was with hip hop. Early Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Public Enemy and then De la Soul. That opened so much to me. Would still always listen to more guitar based music like The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Then later the whole Madchester thing, Primal Scream and Weatherall, Happy Monday made the concept even clearer. When I was 15 I had some older mates who would always do party’s. When I started going clubbing in Italy at about 17-18 I began to experience more real club music and dance underground. Seeing people that where dressed in a crazy way. I also started going to these so called Afro Radunno places which in the late ’80s early ’90s where a development of the Cosmic scene in Italy and would always have a second room where the DJs would play hard funk like Jimmy Castro Bunch and then drop the Doors ‘Peace Frog’ so I guess that’s how I got my musical education. Italy was also the place where I understood the concept of what a DJ does.”
You are renowned for your love of art; you design all your artwork. So what came first, creating art or being involved in the music world?
“I studied fine arts so art came first but my love of music was always equally important, especially those scenes who combined them both. Like NY downtown scene where Basquiat and Harring came from. But popart in general. So it was clear that music and art go hand in hand. I try to keep doing both although music is more time consuming but with the popupstores im getting back more into art.
What are the big 10 tunes you are playing at the moment
Tape To Tape ‘Trilogy I’
C90s ’10:01′ (Villa remix)
Shit Robot ‘I Got A Feeling’
Ray Mang ‘Bulletproof’
Telnious ‘Hit Me’ (Bottin remix)
Hannulelari ‘Super Monkey’
Factory Floor ‘A Wooden Box’/ ‘Lying’
Headman ‘Fluctuation’ (The Loving – Tim Goldsworthy / Cécile remixes)
Caribou ‘Odessa Dumappella’
Fever Ray ‘Seven ‘ (The Twelves Remix)
Favourite club you’ve ever rocked?
“I think one of the best DJ experiences I had was when I played the Dissonanze festival in Rome. The building is from the Mussolini period and the nice thing was that it was not like a big rave but more like a gigantic club. The crowed was super relaxed and shacked to the music.”
Best and worst thing about living in Zurich and Berlin?
“Berlin: The winter is painful, the summer great!
Zurich: Can become very small after a while you are there – record, book and design stores are amazing. The air is also better in Zurich.”
Tell us about the idea for the pop up shops…
“I just thought that the concept of having a temporary store that you can show some work you have done was much more exciting then to just do an exhibition. I show paintings, prints, some shirts and records. Like the Headman/Relish experience. Again a combination of music and art.”
What one piece of music you have released (your own or a remix) over the years are you most proudest of?
“‘It Rough’
What is your favourite:
Artist
“Basquait, Harring, Warhol, Pollock, Hockney and Yoshimasa Okimatsu”
Fashion Designer
“Raf Simons, Margiela, Dries Van Noten and Undercover.”
Movie
“Antonioni La Notte, ‘Stop Making Sense Talking Heads and Jonathan Demme.”
Book
“The Soul of Man Under Socialism by Oscar Wilde and More Dark than Shark by Eno & Mills.”
DJ
“For an allternative sets Andrew Weatherall. For a Balearic set Phil Mison and for the big room 2manydjs.”
What live show would you have like to have attended going back in years…?
“David Bowie’s ‘stage’ tour in 1978 in Earls Court and Talking Heads ‘Stop Making Sense’ tour.”
If we came back to yours after a club, what sort of tunes/artists would you playing to chill us out?
“Eno, Mobius, Rodelius and Plank.”
And finally what’s coming next from you musically?
“The new album ‘1923’ is coming out this month. The third single from the album ‘Fluctuation’ has some great remixes by Tim Goldsworthy and Cécile. The Swiss and Shout Out Out Out Out is coming in June. I did a few remixes for LeLe on Gomma and a Shout Out Out Out Out remix. I also did a A Certain Ratio remix that will be on their new album. Also working on a few new Relish releases and a possible new project.”
The single ‘Private Show’ is out now, the album ‘1923’ is out May 3rd.
www.headman.org