A vanguard of electronic music
Oliver Huntemann’s truly universal appeal lies in his ability to consistently produce some devastatingly brilliant electronica, illustrated by the fact that he has remixed the likes of Underworld, the Chemical Brothers and Depeche Mode. The longevity of Huntemann’s distinguished career rests upon his ability to consistently progress and develop his sound. Despite this constant evolution, few would argue that Huntemann is synonymous with an honest brand of deep and intricate electronica which is evident on this exciting new release. The precision and skill with which Oliver Huntemann expertly engineers his songs together with his studio wizard and co-producer André Winter is once again apparent on ‘Paranoia’, which maintains the lofty standards already set by previous albums and his musical output. With this latest album, Oliver Huntemann has yet again demonstrated why he is one of the most revered producers in the scene who is unrivalled in his ability to construct deceptively intricate yet powerful songs. Once again Huntemann has delivered a compelling and memorable album which keeps drawing the listener back into its darkest depths again and again.
Dan Prince gets the lowdown…
Oliver, welcome to the DMC world. Raised in Oldenburg in northern Germany, you developed a love for hip hop and it’s culture very early on, how did all this begin for you?
“The initial spark came with the movie Wild Style in 1983. When I saw all these crazy breakdancers, graffiti artists and DJs I immediately fell in love with this culture and wanted to become part of it. I was never really into hip hop but more than into electro funk which turned with its high energy elements to house and techno later on. I always liked the electronic beats more than the rap blabla.“
What artists were you tripping on?
“My heroes have been Newcleus, Afrika Bambataa, the very young Dr. Dre and Juan Atkins’ Cybotron. This real electro has nothing in common with the same named modern electro house, which uses completely different sound structures and vibes. I also followed a lot the DMC World Championships with Chad Jackson and the other backspin role models and I loved Ben Liebrand’s Grandmixes. Very inspiring!“
“My parents never really pushed me into any direction. I decided to study electronic engineering myself and just at some point I realized that this is really not my thing. I have always been into music. Electro funk when I was a teenager and soon all genres of techno and house since the beginning of the 90s. Music just makes the most sense to me, for me and my life. As every other parents, they did not really quite get it back then what I was doing and how I was actually making a living out of parties. They just needed time to understand my music and DJing as a calling. In the beginning, it was not easy for them to understand that their son wants to become an artist or even worse a DJ. My mum still asks me sometimes, with a smile, if everything is fine and that maybe I should think about a serious job. In the end I know they are proud of me and follow all my steps everywhere in the world.“
Before we let the world think you are one of Germany’s coolest ever exports – tell us about your fascination with the Page 3/topless model with 80s icon Samantha Fox? In England builders hung her nude photo in their sheds, you however added her to your MySpace site as soon as possible!
“You never forget your first love Dan. I was young and she just had the best solid two ’arguments’ of the 80s…“
So a new album coming out on Ideal Audio – ‘Paranoia’ – talk us through the album, what are the highlights, tell us about the guest vocalists and how long did it take to create?
“The album took around one year to produce and finish as a product. It is not so easy to find studio time when I travel so much. Not that I am complaining. Working on ’Paranoia’ came really naturally, ideas just floated in. This time I wanted to tell a complete story with the album so that is why I allowed myself to venture into different electronic music styles. There are tech house, pure techno and also electronica tracks on this album. Also, as you mentioned I invited two amazing singers to deliver vocals for two of the tracks. I had the great opportunity to work with Robert Owens who have I been a fan of for ages. Everybody knows the Chichago house legend. In addition I added a touch of Scandinavia to the album through Ane Trolle’s very feminine and impressive voice. You might know her from her previous work with Trentemoeller. All in all, I feel very honored to have worked with both of them. And the last hightlight of the album is the bonus DVD which features videos for every single track of the album. My label – Ideal Audio – and I commissioned young and very creative artists from around the globe who had the absolute freedom to interpret their assigned track whichever way they wanted. We got some amazing results.“
What are the big 10 tunes you are spinning right now?
01 Monday – SCNTST (Boys Noize)
02 Hermanos – Julian Jeweil (Plus8)
03 Mori One – ROD (Mori)
04 Cobra – Sam Paganini (Plus8)
05 Shouts In The Dark (DVS1 Found Mix) – Jon Hester (EDEC)
06 Somebody In My Bed – Quenum (Clapper)
07 Trambolla – Andre Galluzi & Dana Ruh (ARAS)
08 2000 Watt – Brian Sanhaji (Sonata)
09 No House For Old Men – Daniel Dexter (Poker Flat)
10 Nicolas Masseyeff – Airmass (Herzblut)
“I start with an idea in mind but when it comes to the production of dancefloor tracks I need the basics of kick, bassline and a little groove.“
What are the biggest barriers new producers face today?
“Trying to explore too many opportunities at the same time which does not allow them to master a certain technology / technique.“
What new producers do you rate out there you’ve heard this year?
“I just discovered some tracks from a 17 year old guy from Munich called SCNTST. This boy rocks!“
What do you think is your best quality as a producer?
“I think I have a good overview of the dancefloor. Luckily the stuff that excites me also excites the audiences, so I know when and where to push the button, I believe.“
What is the best gig you have ever played at and why?
“Hmm, I do not have one single gig that I love the most above all. I have had many amazing moments behind the decks over the years. I have favorite locations such as Rex in Paris, the Kazantip Festival in Ukraine, D-Edge in Sao Paulo, Harry Klein in Munich and many others. Why I like them so much is not only that they are very nice venues with great sound systems but the audience there is really impressive: warm and reacting to the music – exactly what you need for a great event.“
Which record from dance music history do you wish you had made?
“I always appreciate what other artists do and have done. I am happy when I find superb music to play or to listen to but I do not think – man, I wish I did it myself. I don’t need to. I am happy enough with my own productions although I’m never completely satisfied, which is my motor to continue.“
Not many people know this, but Oliver Huntemann is very good at?
“Being a captain of his sailing boat.“
“Jein – which means yes and no in German. Berlin is a great city and I love going there from time to time. There are many electronic muisc labels, artists and venues there which make it very interesting and very hip. But this does not negate the value of all the other beautiful cities around the world. What I do not like in Berlin is that many clubs promote a very exclusive door policy which is kind of killing it for lots of people. So in a way, Berlin’s hype is detrimental to its own hype. The real trends and underground arts happen in other cities. Have an eye on Sao Paulo, Moscow and Barcelona for example.“
You have remixed and produced some mighty people including The Chemical Brothers, Underworld and also, Depeche Mode who you love. How difficult, after meeting him at Love Parade, was choosing and telling Seth from Mute Records that you would love to take him up on his kind offer, and your choice of Depeche Mode tunes you would like to remix was…‘Everything Counts’?
“Seth asked me to choose one of the older, bigger songs. I was in Ibiza at that time and I needed five days to find out which track would be the best. My girl and I drove around the island and were listening to all the Depeche Mode songs again and again. Finally ’Everything Counts’ seemed the best to me. It is one of my all time favorites and with its industrial sounds it fits perfectly to the tech-beats. Looking back, still a good choice.“
What do you think of the state of the music industry heading into 2012 compared with two decades ago? Do you miss anything about it’s rawness from back then?
“I do not miss the rawness of the music from back then, I love the good sound and the great sound system – this is one thing I can thank technology for. However I sometimes miss the rawness of the parties. Electronic music was younger then and the people that went to the techno parties were actual fans, not random people who just got stuck at a party at some chic club. But all in all I’m still happy how it went. Especially after the circumstances of the big crisis a few years ago. New things bring new opportunities and the electronic music industry mostly learned well from it. I think we are stronger and more independent than ever thanks to the internet.“
Which country from around the world is leading the way at the moment for music/producers?
“I cannot really say which country per se. The US, UK, France, Germany, The Netherlands, just to name a few have their traditions in electronic music. These countries have a very well developed music culture, which of course nurtures the young artists and it comes as no surprise that many of the newcomers in the last years are exactly from these places. What I see is that the party scene is becoming bigger and bigger in South America and in countries from the East such as Russia and Ukraine. Naturally young talents will follow soon.“
What was the most fun you have ever had at a club this year?
“I was spinning a seven hour all night long set at my resident club Baalsaal in Hamburg a couple of weeks ago. A guy came totally enthusiastic came over to me and said “it’s always so amazing when you and Huntemann are playing together…”
It’s your birthday, what 3 DJs do you ask to play for you?
“Lady Gaga, Lady Madonna, Lady Chatterley… “
You are one of our most revered producers in the industry. Are you still enjoying the challenge, the travelling – are you excited every time you step into the studio and DJ booth? What keeps you going?
“Absolutely, I love my job. Every gig you have to test the crowd and the sound system and see what you can do with them. Even when I play at a venue that I have visited many times before I never know what the night will bring. People change, music changes, everything is in a constant flux, so there is no way you can get bored. So yes, change is what keeps me going. I can claim a discovery every weekend.“
And finally, what have you planned for us all in 2012?
“Of course there will be lots of gigs. So you can meet me on the dancefloor somewhere on our planet. I will be promoting my album with a Reactatable live performance until summer 2012. The Reactable is a musical instrument, kind of a light table with a touch screen that enables you to experiment via cubes and modules with sound, change its structure and control its parameters. I do the whole arrangement of the live performance on the Reactable and can also combine my loops, effects and filters any way I want. I knew of the Reactable since a prototype was used at a Björk concert a few years ago and got in touch with the developers in Barcelona last year. The attraction is, of course, the visual aspect of the ReacTable. That’s why we transfer live videos on screens. Additionally I’m standing in the middle of a light cage which supports the whole performance. A big production and a new challenge for me. Different to regular DJ gigs but very interesting and intense. I am also thinking of new artists that I would like to sign on my label – Ideal Audio. We have a very strong series by André Winter planned for the beginning of 2012 and some more hot tracks in the pipeline. Sebrok promised me new stuff too. In addition, I am in touch with some great artists because of my monthly Ideal Podcast. Last but not least, I am also thinking about recording the next installment of the PLAY! Series. Sao Paulo, Paris and New York City have hosted me already and I am thinking of going East this time, somewhere in Asia or even further to Australia. Just stay tuned with my website – www.huntemann.tv – and you can always be up to date“.
Tracklisting…
- 1.Only The Paranoid Survive
- 2.Rotten
- 3.Delirium
- 4.In Times Of Trouble
- 5.Dark Passenger
- 6.Phantom
- 7.They Are (Not) After You
- 8.Hope (feat. Robert Owens)
- 9.Magnet
- 10.Tranquillizer
- 11.Wahnfried (feat. Ane Trolle)
- 12.The End
Paranoia Bonus DVD
- 1.Only The Paranoid Survive (Directed & produced by Xenbel, Hamburg)
- 2.Rotten (Director/Editor/D.O.P.: Seb Rekorder, Brussels)
- 3.In Times Of Trouble (Directed & produced by Hannah Hlavacek, Nürnberg)
- 4.Dark Passenger (Directed by Manuel Nogueira & Luisa Bernardes, Sao Paulo)
- 5.Hope (feat. Robert Owens) (Directed & produced by Xenbel, Hamburg)
- 6.Wahnfried (feat. Ane Trolle) (Idea & directing: Boris Nikolov, Sofia)
- 7.Magnet (Filmed, directed & produced by Sebastian Radlmeier, Berlin)
- 8.Tranquilizer (Directed & produced by Michael Krenzin, Berlin)
- 9.They Are (Not) After You (Directed & produced by Katharine Müller, Kiel)
- 10.Delirium (Directed & produced by Jaime Armengol, London)
- 11.The End (Directed & produced by Wildmotion, Berlin)
- 12.Decks And The City (Directed & produced by Blink and Remove, Munich)
- 13.NYC (Keep On Playin’) (Created by James Laudicina & Sina Taherkhani, New York)
www.huntemann.tv