Plastikman - Richie Hawtin In the Studio

It’s been great to see Richie Hawtin resurrect his Plastikman alter ego – the name which catapulted him into global techno fame in the ‘90s and took the baton from Robert Hood’s minimal foundations to explore the realm of stripped-back electronic music further, elaborating on ‘80s electro and the essence of what techno was all about. Now with legions of millions of new fans since he and Minus became instrumental in forming the new, sexier side of grooving minimal techno, the time is right for him to educate some of these newer recruits in the ways of his highly influential history. 

 

With his ARKIVES box set coming early next year, documenting his body of work as Plastikman, we found ourselves with the opportunity to find out about how his studio set up and methods of producing have evolved over the years. His interviews are rarely anything less than inspiring and thought-provoking, and this rare opportunity to get inside his musical mind is no different. 

 

 

What did you first start making music on way back when? 

I remember Kenny Larkin and I doing some really early tests on an old Boss or Roland drum machine. It was like one piece and we were just playing around with it. I used to try to do drum patterns and try to match beats over the top to try to do something different. Then when we got going, one of the keyboards that I fell in love with and taught me a lot about music was the Chord Wave Station that was the first real keyboard I bought. Around that time everyone was also buying 101 and 303s. It was very basic in the very beginning; I think it was a Boss machine, but I can’t quite remember. 

 

When you started using the name Plastikman, did that coincide with you using new technology and equipment at the time?

Yes and no. Plastikman started in ’93 - it was maybe late ’92 when I started on the ideas of tracks. I spent two or three years becoming quite good with the 909 and the 303, I had quite a lot of tracks with few as Substance Abuse, Fuse, Overkill, Circuit Breaker...I was quite well known for that intense, acid sound. Plastikman was me going into the studio to try and get away from that sound to create something a little bit more subtle and sexy. At that moment I had just got a 606 drum machine and because the 606 and 303 had been made as companion pieces, I thought it would be a wonderful idea just to lock myself away with those two pieces and some others - perhaps a Juno 106, a 101 and probably some type of sequential circuit Pro-1 or 6-track. I would kinda lock myself away with just those things and record as much music possible over a couple of days with that limited instrumentation. 

 

What I remember about the early Plastikman sessions was really tweaking everything with small round knobs and a lot of the drums were coming from the 606 - and the 606 wasn’t modified at that point. It had one mono out and the hi-hats were different little pots, so you had to mix it that way. It was mixing really on the machines. 

 

It’s interesting you use the word ‘sexy’ there. Is that a word you use more with hindsight - you know, in the past decade people say techno’s become sexier and it’s found its groove again - or is this something you actually thought at the time?

I don’t think I would have used the word sexy back in 1993. I may have had a different word, but it was definitely that idea. At that moment, what I was doing and what Plus 8 was doing started to get misunderstood; techno got very hard, aggressive and abrasive and I thought the records coming out with the 303s were starting to bastardise the sound. I was into early Future Records and Chicago acid house. And they were hard and intense but they weren’t abrasive and so the idea of Plastikman was to get to that softer, more liquid sound. Later on Plastikman had some hard tracks like Crack Pot, but the idea was to create a full album as quickly as possible so it was cohesive and like this organic trip that took you from beginning to end effortlessly. 

 

Would you say it was more laborious to make music back then? Or is everything relative?

I think it’s what you allow the technology to offer you. I think music can be just as easy as it was then, but I feel as the computer came in, the possibility of it being more laborious has presented itself. The idea of being able to perfect and change everything draw in your WAV forms and modulation - this is all great, but sometimes you have so many possibilities that you spend so much time that I say you almost draw the life out of the track. So to sit back in those early days, once it was all running and plugged in, it was really easily to go from one track to another. Most of SheetOne was recorded in less than 48 hours. I changed a couple of patches and sounds, playing with different acid lines and trying to capture one song after another as they melted into another - as they were recorded after each other. It was sort of like one song being recorded in different versions over a number of days. I took the best pieces from that and made it into an album. 

Following on from that, do you miss that forced simplicity about the production process from your earlier years? A ‘simpler time’ if you might call it that? Do you miss anything about the way you used to make music back then?

Using simple electronic boxes plugged in with a couple of wires and MIDI cables, usually once everything was all plugged in you could leave that on for months and just press start whenever you wanted. There was no booting up, updates and computer crashes and all these other things that seem to get in the way of making modern day electronic music. I don’t know how many times I’ve had an update that’s crashed everything and strange latency issues that seem to pop up. It was just a matter of plugging things together and pressing start. 

 

Do you think there’s anything to be said for the fact that tech develops so rapidly these days that it doesn’t give a chance for things to get perfected before the next thing comes along?

I think there’s years for us to perfect things. Even back then I noticed as I started DJing, I started a making some money, then I would buy 3 or 4 synths and get this thing modded, and the more I did that, the slower my progress was. I didn’t have time to get myself into the boxes that I had. I think you have to force yourself to just lock yourself down; don’t get any updates or plug-ins and just spend some time really delving into them. Perhaps you’ll never perfect any of them but you need some time to spend with each piece of equipment. It’s why I think Sheet One and Musik as albums worked so well, because over that year I just tried to squeeze out the most of a couple of pieces of equipment. Also when I did the Concept 1 album in 1996, I had all this crazy shit in my studio but I just said to myself – OK, these are the 4 pieces or 5 pieces you can use, you can’t touch all that other stuff for a year. Through this process, I was able to develop a whole new sound and a year-long project quite easily then. But it does take some dedication and will power. 

 

How has your music making set-up evolved since then? Take us through the game changers if there were any?

I think after those albums, we go into the era of Concept 1 and then Consumed andArtifakts, and all those were done in a very similar way. One pass straight to DAT, no multi-tracking. What changed was I was able to afford some higher-end effects: some nice Roland reverbs and Eventides. I try to keep the foundation of Plastikman similar, album to album; there’s always some type of 303 instrumentation in nearly every track, and some Roland sounds, but I try to modify it with the outboard gear or the different patchways for each different album. 

 

The big change was probably in 1998 when I started working on the Dex, EFX & 909 album. I really got into Pro-Tools and became quite a bit of a freak for it and what it could offer you. That type of multi-tracking technology was first used on a whole album, theCloser album, which is very much a digital album. Sometimes that album is even a little bit too digital for me, but I could only grasp…to get to that place with Closer, I was only able to do it using multi-tracking, using voices and using much more subtler effects to give space and dimension. I really needed to have the ability to go back and forward and perfect things, as it was quite a complicated album to put together. Now I’m using a hybrid of Pro-Tools and Ableton Live, outboard and plug-ins and trying to find the right combinations of sound. Especially having worked on Plastikman live, I have really found a digital plug-in tool set that I’m happy with and mimics my studio set from ’93, and bringing that together with some outboard and finding a new digital-analogue hybrid that I hope can be used to further the Plastikman sound. 

 

I was going to ask what plug-ins are you particularly mad about, if you’d care the drop some names…

Well, we did a lot of back-and-forth testing of all the classic drum machine and bassline plug-ins. For us the D16 plug-ins for the 808 and 909 were the best ones out there. But for the 303 bass lines, I wasn’t actually a big fan of the D16s and for that I really liked the Audio Realism. What else? I’m a big fan of – still - the Native Instrument KONTAKT as a sampler - you can do some wonderful things with that, get inside some different samples. Right now I’m just testing a bunch of the Rob Papen plug-ins, and Sound Toys I’m a big fan of as I was using their Ultra Tools in Pro-Tools for a long time. If you’re using Pro-Tools and TDM you can have Eventide effects on every channel, which is incredible! 

 

How you are with making music on-the-go?

I’m terrible. I can’t make music on the go; I’ve been trying for years. I find it hard to focus if I’m in a hotel room or somewhere else. I need to be in a studio with real speakers, somewhere which is dark and isolated to focus my ideas. Saying that, I was on this island 12 months ago, for 2 weeks working on Plastikman live stuff - but that was kind of re-appropriating and working on ideas rather than trying to come up with something brand new. I still have trouble doing that on the laptop, sitting here with a mouse. Even if the view’s inspiring, it’s not very inspiring. I’ve got friends who are great at that - using Ableton on a plane. I don’t know if it’s part of my lifestyle but plane rides are either a place to sleep or catch up on emails; it’s not like I can’t do it, it’s just how I’ve allotted my time. 

 

How does the creative process start for you in the studio, do you usually have an idea in your head or is just a case of experimenting until something comes up?

It’s a bit of both. There are always a lot of ideas floating around, either rhythmical ideas or something I want to try with the effects; there’s a certain panning idea I have or a patch on the modular systems I want to try out. I just experiment as much as possible and leave things to freely go in another direction. There is times when you’re just testing and doodling and something wonderful comes up. The thing I do like to do is - if I go into the studio, I like to finish an idea. I record it and then it’s done, whether that’s one sound or a rhythm, a loop, or a whole track. I don’t like to come back the next day or two weeks later to finish or modify it. For me, recording is being there at the right moment to capture something and allowing it to come out as freely as possible, then do a little bit of editing after. If the bulk of the idea isn’t captured that first moment, I usually just put it away, record it as like a sort of reference point for later on, and if I haven’t got then I move onto the next idea. 

 

What do you think the most important element of a set-up would be?

I think direct access to as many parameters of your musical set-up as possible. What I mean by that is that, if you’re using a lot of outboard, you’ve got knobs and buttons and faders to twiddle; if you’re using a computer, having touch screens and knobs attached to as many parameters as possible. I don’t like to go through pages or have to assign something. I want to be being able to capture it as the inspiration as it comes. I didn’t like all these mid-‘90s work stations where you had to go through pages to get to somewhere. When I’m going into the studio, I try to create a studio set-up for a couple of weeks or months with some hard-coded, hard-connected physical controllers and work with that – that moment when what you’re doing is something interesting. 

 

So an intuitive set-up is important for you?

Yeah, any great track or DJ set or creative moment is when the technology between you and the output disappears and it just becomes about this idea; when the keyboard and the knobs disappear and you just start to feel the sound. The preparation is all about that - being able to capture that moment when it comes. 

 

Are you still learning as a producer and what are you learning exactly?

Yeah, I’m always learning, trying to find the time to teach myself about compression and compressors. I still don’t get my head around them. I’ve never really used any compression on any of my tracks in my life, and when I did I got some weird signal-crossed distortion, so I need to go back to that ‘cos I’m sure it could add new dimensions to what I’m doing. 

 

Who is the most inspiring producer you know in terms of doing something really different and pushing the whole music-making process forward?

I think Ricardo Villalobos has been inspiring for a lot of people; I like his attitude of going into the studio every day, recording and continuing to move forward. Having a good combination of digital and analog and not being afraid to doodle. 

 

I just wanted to talk about your work trying to push electronic music making tech available to a lot of people, like the thing with Burn Studio, for instance.  I wanted to know what your opinion on how the increased availability of technology has affected the quality of the “average” release? 

I think about it, but I’ve heard this argument for 20 years now. I heard it in ’93 and ’94 when tonnes and tonnes of records started to come out because everybody could buy a 303 cheap or something like that. You heard it later when the KORG Electribe series came out, we’re hearing it now again ‘cos you can get Burn Studio or you can download Reason.  So there’s always going to be a lot of people – or more and more people in the future trying their hand at the creative use of technology,  whether that’s good or bad Photoshop usage, or everybody using SLR cameras to make cool videos with different lenses. It’s a lot to sift through, but the gems always seem to rise to the surface. 

 

I suppose the difference is, that barrier to entry which was buying the equipment is disappearing. But I suppose it makes good websites and blogs even more important in being able to help find the good stuff...

It seems as though there’s less barriers, but as one comes down, another one comes up. Like you said, everybody can create music now, but how do they get it to the people? Not everybody can do digital distribution and get their music heard. You have to do other things - promote yourself, maybe learn Flash at the same time, or HTML5 and do a fucking cool website, or get an SLR camera and do a great video that goes and connects to the music you’ve just done. For the people that are creative, it is just allowing even newer forms of creativity, cross-platforms for ideas. I can’t be against people having access to technology that allows them to be creative. I wouldn’t be here without that cheap access of cheap equipment in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. When I was in high school watching my friends play in bands and picking up guitars, the last thing I thought I would be doing was music or DJing or any of this stuff – so I’m a product of that convergence and progression of technology. 

 

 

Classic Techno Tracks – Zeta Reticula – EP 2 (A1)

When DJ UMEK released released the Zeta Reticula EPs on Electrix Records back in 2000 they marked a sea change in where techno was going for many people, the whole series was received with almost universal acclaim and those who made many of the tracks of these heavily electro tinged EPs part of their set read like a who’s who list of techno superstar DJs. In the early naughties you could hear tracks from the Zeta Reticula Eps being played at everything from edgier more experimental house nights right through to freetekno acid raves out in the European countryside.

One of the most outstanding and recognisable tracks on the EPs was the untitled track A1 from EP2. An absolute classic in terms of its production, its structure and its influence on the techno scene at the time. It has a great mix of pounding but still subtle and evolving beats, a strong driving synthesiser line that pushes the track forward dragging the listener inexorably along with it and an interesting use of a minimalistic orchestral track that keeps the ears enjoying the track while never straying into pretentiousness. This track is still capable of making even jaded music fans ears prick up and go “Who the fuck is this? I want this track!”.

Reposted from http://TechnoMusicNews.com

Dave Clarke Techno Mix @ Lowlands 2010

Straight up pumping techno mix from the Baron of Techno Dave Clarke. Great selection of tunes with a no nonsense high energy feel. Try not to dance to this one I dare ya.

http://technomusicnews.com/dave-clarke-techno-mix-lowlands-2010/

Dave Clarke Techno Mix 2010

Interview: Laurent Garnier

Laurent Garnier is the first man of French electronica. Learning his craft up in pre-acid house Manchester at the tender age of 19,  he has continually risen up the ranks ever since. Twenty odd years on, he’s still in demand as a DJ, although nowadays he focuses the majority of his time on production. He’s renowned for his conceptual sets and experimental ethos, putting out track after track combining different elements of the electronic music spectrum; from acid house all the way to Detroit techno.

He’s in town this Friday for the London leg of his Live Booth Sessions tour – gigs that’ll see him accompanied by a live band behind the mixing desk, consisting of Benjamin Rippert and Scan X. He took some time out to talk to me about the days of acid rave, French politics and getting lost in translation.

What was it like being involved in the height of the acid/rave days?

It was great at the time, and I'm very lucky to have been a part of it. We were like a big family, discovering something new together, and we had a lot of fun. I'm not nostalgic for it though – I'm still doing a lot of things I find extremely exciting.

How would you compare the dance music scenes of London, Paris and Manchester? How are they different?

Paris is an amazing city for jazz and live music. For a city so big, the Paris (dance music) scene is small and there is nothing in the suburbs. There are three small clubs that are trendy, and maybe a couple of big parties, but the rest is pretty pathetic.

I witnessed the rave scene in Manchester explode, and the place went from not much compared to London, to absolutely amazing. Overall, England is a real party place and there are great clubs to go to in every city.

Musically, who or what inspires your work?

I listen to everything. For instance, I’m currently recording my radio show, and in just the first hour there’s techno, drum 'n' bass, David Bowie, and salsa. I’m someone who just likes music, full stop. If something makes me feel good, then I like it, if it doesn’t, well then I don’t. Music is pretty much the only thing in the world without rules, where we have the freedom to think for ourselves.

You seem to give your songs interesting titles, such as ‘Crispy Bacon’ and ‘A Bout De Souffle’. Is it to do with the textures they evoke or were you just hungry and stuck in the studio at the time? 

Textures, and funnily enough, I actually meant to call it sizzling bacon, because I thought it literally sounded like something cooking in a pan. It wasn't until six months later when Jeff Mills was remixing it that he pointed out that it didn’t make sense and then I realised. So yeah, I fucked up with the name. People don’t even notice that though, so it still works. 

You famously made reference to the Iraq war a few years ago, an act that has gone down in dance music folklore. Are there any particular issues in politics or culture today that you're passionate about and may include within this Friday's set?

There’s a lot of scandal going on in France, and I like to keep track of it. Politics over there is all becoming show business and entertainment. I mean, the first lady of France is a singer. That’s weird!

Are there any artists that you would make for a dream collaboration? 

There is a young English jazz musician called Malla Chai who I’m in talks with. I love hip hop, especially the Foreign Beggars – I could really do something with them. I’m always talking with Carl Craig, but somehow we’ve never found the time to make something together. I also love PJ Harvey. Just listen to her albums – her voice is just, wow.

So you're back on the road with your Live Booth Sessions. Could you tell us a bit about the concept of L.B.S.? What should we expect from the live shows?

Going back to the 'wheels of steel' after the previous series of live shows made me feel like I was regressing. I’m 44 now, I can’t go back to just playing records on my own. I wanted to still be essentially playing records and making people dance, but also to give them a unique experience – there are things to see as well as music to dance to.

Dave Clarke interview - Q: What if you lie trance? A: "you're wrong"

Classic Dave Clarke interview. Dave takes no prisoners, and never leaves anyone in any doubt what he thinks of their music :)

 

Untitled

Check out this retrospective mix from one of the kings of production technique and the man that many top artists turn to for mastering their tracks Robert Babicz. Some incredible sound design and production chops on these tunes.

 

http://technomusicnews.com/robert-babicz-end-of-ibiza-mix-2010/

Track List:

1 robert babicz – prepare yourself ( babiczstyle)
2 robert babicz – simple feeling ( babiczstyle)
3 robert babicz – remote kiss (babiczstyle)
4 robert babicz – astor ( gui boratto rmx / systematic)
5 robert babicz – warm rain ( babiczstyle)
6 robert babicz – chordy ( gorge rmx / systematic)
7 robert babicz – aural ( treibstoff )
8 robert babicz – boarding ( defrag )
9 denis a – cuba ( robert babicz remix / DAR)
10 robert babicz – the sun ( babiczstyle )
11 robert babicz – the feeeling ( babiczstyle )

Reposted from Techno Music News

Aux 88 Interview

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RHYTHMATIC 3RD ANNIVERSARY – SECRET SHOREDITCH WAREHOUSE Saturday 27th November 10PM – 5:30AM

Upper floor: Rhythmatic
Marco Carola (M-nus) 4hrs
Stathis Lazarides (Rhythmatic, Cavo Paradiso)

Lower floor: Rhythmatic Intimate Sessions
System of Survival (Circo Loco)
Rossko (Cerca Trova, Found)
Wesley Razzy (Rhythmatic)
Rico Novo (Rhythmatic)

Following a hugely successful Summer Greek tour with Dance Music legend, Carl Cox, London’s international party fiends rise once again to fuel the fires of another burning party.

The Rhythmatic atmosphere is once again ready to be swirled up into a blast of a party at an East London warehouse on November 27th, where the
team, true to Rhythmatic form, have upped the ante yet again with Marco Carola staining the newest batch of Rhythmatic flyers.

Rhythmatic hosts Carola’s first appearance outside of London super-club, Fabric in four years, making this an evening not to be missed! Carola is the most wide-spread artist Rhythmatic have ever brought on board, armed with the best line-up they have ever presented and the famed Rhythmatic ambience of treating all that grace as friends over punters, the team have created a powerful, intimate and overall memorable night.

Marco Carola A name tantamount to the ever changing underground sound, he along with other like-minded friends, such as Gaetano Parisio, Random Noize, past Rhythmatic guest Davide Squillace and other Neapolitan clubbers and DJs who were eagerly looking for something new in club music during the 90’s, started the transition towards techno. Hailed now, as Napoli’s first techno producer through his EP ‘Man Train’ which was released on his own Design imprint in 1995, Marco Carola is now firmly established as one of the world’s premier techno DJs. With a vast array of production credits and a whole host of labels under his belt namely Plus 8 and M-Nus, Carola has emerged in the last decade to be one of the globes most influential exponents of quality electronic music.

System of Survival
You will more than likely know the Italian duo best for their ongoing residency with DC10’s legendary Monday morning party, Circo Loco. With a DJ career that spans almost over two decades and has seen them build up a huge reputation through their performances in top clubs, they are one of the first acts to gain a continuing residency with the infamous Ibiza promotion. Over the years, System of Survival have remained committed to their purist notions of what good dance music should be, continuing to create a wall of sound which ignites venues and clubbers around World with sets that can be described as a perfect blend of sounds both old and new. Not just DJ’s the pair put on an enticing show, and when playing together fit like a jigsaw. Whilst one plays a tune, the other cuts in effects, beats, acapella’s and whatever else is going! Making them one of the most interesting techno duos to see play.

Stathis Lazarides
Stathis Lazarides has the musical ethos and mentality of an artist who finds it impossible to compromise with trends. The inability to specify genres when in the studio or the DJ booth, has positioned Lazarides as a true underground soldier to the global house music sound. A true figure of the industry, in the summer you will find him holding the fort that is the legendary Cavo Paradiso Mykonos, where he spends his mid-summer evenings playing alongside Sven Vath, Luciano, Reboot and Matthias Tanzmann to name but a few. Stathis Lazarides is back on UK home soil armed with a new release with fellow Greek Music Man, Alex Celler on the Dutch imprint, Soweso Records; ready to bring more of that international, techno sound to a palatable spread of music and partying.

Sound System – Stealth Array
Stealth Array is a new concept of sound system that provides the highest, studio quality sound at major events. Designed and built by the new British company Flare Audio the system delivers unbelievably clear sound at incredible levels which were previously impossible. The system is a patent pending combination of point source and a horizontal line array, this enables the system to throw studio quality sound to every area of a venue and up to 150 metres away. Officially launched just 3 weeks ago the system is already proving to be a hit amongst the most respected people in the industry.

Join the Rhythmatic facebook page

Reposted from Techno Music News

Ben Klock Interview - Bangin Beats, Berlin & Berghain

Ben Klock owes a lot to Berlin. Were it not for the German capital’s inextricable relationship with electronic music, it is possible that he would not have become one of the key names in contemporary techno. Klock’s reputation after all, has been built on his marathon DJ sets at the city’s notorious Berghain club, where he has been resident since it opened six years ago.

While Klock’s productions on his Klockworks label and his ‘One’ album for Ostgut have allowed him to win recognition for his dense, repetitive grooves, it is his residency that lets him play  everything from classic Chicago house right through to hard as nails industrial techno.

But before there was Berghain, another Berlin institution helped to mould Ben’s musical tastes.
“There are two points I am connected to in Berlin - Berghain and Hardwax,” he says, after a weekend on the road. “I never worked in Hardwax but I know the people there, they always put away stuff for me. There were times when the store was busier, maybe in the 90s, but now a lot of the music is sold online and the image and reputation of the store is bigger than the shop,” he believes.
In many ways, Hardwax is as representative of an alternative voice in techno as Klock himself. Both are at odds with the digital revolution - Klock is still a vinyl DJ - and both place huge importance on the history and context of house and techno.

It’s no surprise that some of the best techno releases and labels of recent years have come from Hardwax’s small but perfectly formed distribution outlet, with the anonymous hand-stamped vinyl releases on Workshop; Wax/Equalized; Marcel Dettmann’s MDR imprint; Klock’s own Klockworks and Horizontal Ground/Frozen Border all offering individualistic interpretations of classic house and techno. Klock agrees.
“There’s a lot of knowledge and history in Hardwax,” he says. “There is too much music that is just functional now, and what I like about the mentality of Hardwax is that they only distribute a small amount of labels. Every time we want to release a record, we have a ‘team meeting’, and I play my latest tracks to the guys there. If we are all not 100% happy with it, we won’t release it. I’d rather just have one release a year that I was really happy with than a lot of average releases.”

Klock’s seamless mixing skills and deep musical knowledge meant that he was a regular DJ at the old Tresor club and at other well-known Berlin clubs like Cookies and WMF. He used to frequent Ostgut, the precursor to Berghain as a punter, and at the time felt it was a venue he would love to play at. Before it reopened, Ellen Allien from Bpitch put him in contact with the venue’s owners. ‘My first gig there was one of the best I played, and when they asked me to become resident, it was one of those moments in life when you know that you were in the right place at the right time,” he laughs.

One of the other new residents was Marcel Dettmann, who used to work in Hardwax. They became friends and together, shaped the grainy, warehouse techno sound, a mixture of Basic Channel depth, late 90s loopy, Lost-style repetition and Planetary Assault Systems edginess  topped off with subtle nods to early Chicago house and techno that Berghain and almost by default, Berlin has become synonymous with.
Fast forward six years and the club is the most hyped in the world - and with good reason. Housed in a former power station, its Gotham City-style concrete architecture, unparalleled sound system and wild, mixed crowd make it the perfect home for a residents’ roster that also includes Len Faki, Norman Nodge, Marcel Fengler, Cassy, Steffi, Prosumer and Tama Sumo. So what does Ben feel makes it so special?
“It’s the full package, the venue is like a techno cathedral,” he says. “It’s a place to really celebrate this kind of music. Sometimes you have clubs that look like a disco and have bad sound systems, but this is a perfect club. It radiates from the owners - they do a really good job and put all their heart into it. They are really professional and this is the most important thing about the club,” Ben adds.
Part of the challenge for the club’s owners is that Berghain’s international reputation means it is danger of becoming a victim of its own success: everyone who comes to Berlin for a weekend of techno wants to go to the club, but not all of them will get in.

“There has to be a good mixture of people from around the world and people who have been coming for years,” Ben feels. “I can understand when you come from miles away just to go to Berghain and you don’t get in it can be a pain in the ass, but the door staff have to do a good job to make sure it doesn’t become too touristy. If I’m playing abroad and people ask me about it, I just say be normal don’t be too drunk, just act yourself - come on guys you have door policies in other clubs too!

The main issue for Ben is to keep doing what he was doing before the club came under the spotlight.
“There is all this hype, but I’m just keeping my feet on the ground, holding onto the original idea for the club and the label too - I’m just trying to control the hype.”
Modest words from a techno DJ who recently remixed Depeche Mode and whose club residency is now appearing in the tabloid press thanks to a visit from Lady Ga Ga.
 He even seems unfazed by the dark room at Berghain, simply saying that “it’s no Sodom and Gomorrah”, but what he does take seriously is the sense of freedom that Berghain brings. “When you get in there, you can leave your everyday life at the door, you feel you have escaped  - I don’t know what people would do without it.”

Despite its notorious image, Ben feels that its reputation is overstated and is adamant that Berghain is still primarily a music club. The ultra-liberal opening hours also provide its residents with the opportunity to play marathon sets, which for anyone who has witnessed Klock or Dettmann in full flight for eight hours, does a lot to dispense with its status as a temple of jaw-clenchingly intense techno purism.
“You can play techno, house, dubstep, or we play a lot of classics alongside some new stuff, records that haven’t come out yet,” he explains. “It’s very boring when people call our music ‘cold, steel, relentless’ (laughs)… personally, I get very bored after two hours of dark, heard techno.”

Klock’s latest venture, the fourth instalment of the Berghain mix series, successfully provides a distilled version of the various twists and turns his sets follow. From the evocative organ sound of Klockworks signing DVS1 to the hypnotic rework of Junior Boys by Marcel Dettmann and the cold bleeps of STL’s ‘Loop 04’, and the eerie, creaky house of Levon Vincent, Jonas Kopp’s reimagining of Basic Channel’s ‘Phylps Track 2’  to the tripped out dubstep of Kevin Gorman’s ‘7am Stepper’, the timeless Chicago house of Tyree’s ‘Nuthin Wrong’ and Klock’s heavy, rolling take on Brendon Moeller’s ‘Dirt’, ‘Berghain 04’ packs a powerful punch.

Despite this, it is far removed from the relentless Sturm und Drang techno that Klock is portrayed as solely championing. The majority of the tracks on the mix – 14 out of 19 - are exclusive, which came about because Ben wanted to differentiate the CD from the glut of free online mixes.
“My aim for the mix was that people could listen to it without getting stressed out and wouldn’t throw it away,” he laughs. “Sometimes I do play much harder, especially for the international gigs, where I am only playing for two to three hours. I spoke to a lot of friends, colleagues and artists I like and there are so many podcasts and live recordings that a mix CD should offer more. I found it interesting to give people new music and I think that people appreciate that too.”

Clearly, Klock didn’t throw the mix together during a few hours in the studio, and he says that the first track that was agreed for the mix, from Martyn, was cleared a long time ago.
Klock adds that he refused a lot of material and said no to a number of established artists who wanted to appear on it, but, polite and humble as ever, says: “I don’t want to do any namedropping.”
While ‘Berghain 04’ offers a 70-minute synopsis of the Klock’s sets at the club, I put it to him that it must be difficult to export the atmosphere and energy of his DJIing at Berghain to other locations. After all, if he’s not performing in an environment where the party goes on for 24 hours and the crowd consists of the wildest freakshow this side of Hieronymus Bosch’s demented paintings, then is there a danger that he won’t perform as well?

“You saw me play in Dublin a few weeks ago,” he says, “and I could only play for two hours, but because the crowd knows it’s only for two hours, they party so hard in that space of time. It is a bit different from playing in Berghain, but it’s a lot of fun, and I get a night’s sleep! Now it’s the other way around  - I’m doing more and more international gigs and this gives me a fresh perspective on the one gig a month I’m playing in Berghain, when I play a longer set.”

It’s time for Klock to get back to the studio. He has a new Klockworks release to finish and a remix project, which he won’t talk about. As we engage in small talk at the end of the interview, I ask what a ‘longer set’ at Berghain constitutes?

“Well, I can play for up to 10 hours, but the longest I’ve ever done was 18 hours back to back with Marcel. When you’re playing for that long you don’t know that you’re hungry or tired, you’re just pushed a long by a special kind of energy.” Door staff permitting, it’s an energy everyone should experience at least once.

Untitled

Ben Klock @ Voices, Propaganda, Moscow 30.07.10. Ben mashes it up with this awesome mix that covers many styles with everything from modern minimalism through old school hardness from DJ Hyperactives Reptilian Tank. Great mix form a master.

http://technomusicnews.com/dj-mixes/ben-klock-techno-mix-from-propaganda-moscow-2010/

Track List

DJ Hyperactive – Music Box
Klockworks – Yoyage One
DJ Bone – We Control The Beat
Shed – My R-Class
DJ T 1000 – Bout To Bang It
Ignacio – Chios
Richie Hawtin – 005
DJ Hyperactive – Wide Open
Ben Klock – Subzero
Sub Space – The Bi-Machine
DVS1 – Running [Klockworks 05]
Green Velvet – I Want To Leave My body
Marcel Dettmann – Plain
Cajmere – Only 4 U (Green Velvet Mix)
DJ Hyperactive – Reptilian Tank
Winx – How’s The Music
Planetary Assault Systems – Surface Noise
Junior Boys – Work (Marcel Dettmann Remix)
Black Jazz Consortium – Blacklight
Lionrock – The Packet Of Peace (The Jeff Mills Deep House Mix)
Martyn Ft. Spaceape – Is This Insanity? (Ben Klock Remix)
DVS1 – Pressure
Kenny Larkin – Glob (Ben Klock Remix 1)
Omar S – A Victim

Brandt Brauer Frick – Acoustic Minimal Album out December 6th

Brandt Brauer Frick are an interesting ensemble who have taken it upon themselves to create a wholly acoustic sound that in a reductive fashion takes on some of symbolic and recognisable stylistic elements of modern minimal electronica and produce a both backward and forward looking result.

The German trio have taken the familiar structures and rhythmic elements of minimal music and at once made them engaging on a performance level but also made an album (‘You Make Me Real’) that will not feel out of place in the music collections of either a progressive classical music fan or that of a progressive electronica listeners.

Brandt Brauer Fricks tracks are heavily rhythm focused and at times extremely mechanical in precision, once could almost believe that the pianos and drums on some of the tracks were sequenced on ableton live, but there is always the core of “aliveness” in the sound that is only achieved by the best electronic producers and is so sadly lacking in so much identikit “by the numbers” techno and electronica out there.

“We had felt for years that most instances of combining techno and classical music lack an authentic approach,” says Paul Frick. “Instead of using only the typical epic orchestra or piano sounds, we love to explore the dirty and percussive sides of those instruments, adapting techniques from composers like John Cage or Helmut Lachenmann: preparing our piano with screws and rubbers, knocking against every single part of an instrument, until we find that one great sound.”

Like their classical and dance music forefathers, Brandt Brauer Frick’s music takes on new dimensions when experienced live. Where many of their peers’ live sets offer little besides an artist staring intently at a laptop, the trio’s performances convey the movement of their music as strongly as the thumping beats do: Frick and Brauer set up complex song structures and play blushing piano chords while Brandt metes out beats on his drum kit.

The group recently expanded their live experience to more fully realize their initial aspirations, recruiting highly skilled instrumentalists for a 10-piece ensemble and training them for the rigors of their tracks. Transcending audiences’ expectations for what sounds should be heard where, the BBF ensemble is majestic to behold whether they’re esconsced in the pristine halls of the Modern Art Museum or the sweaty confines of a club like Berghain.

Their debut album ‘You Make Me Real’ is out on December 6th via !K7 and they are playing live at the ICA London on December 1st.

Reposted from Techno Music News

Funk D'Void Interview

From the mid-‘90s right up to this week, Lars Sandberg’s love of house and techno is inexhaustible. Ahead of his Australian visit, the man talks to inthemix about indulging his dual personalities.

I see you played Panoramabar this month on a Sunday afternoon. What’s the experience like of playing that iconic space?
Nerve-wracking. I prepared for weeks before the gig, dumped my laptop and did a special vinyl/CD-only set. I thought it went well, but it was extremely draining. The place has such a reputation, I was terrified, expecting to be scrutinised by my every move – but I relaxed finally. I hope to go back and perform there soon.

Following the Chymera remix, what’s next on the production/remixing front?
Keeping things nice and hot with my label Outpost, I’m determined to keep up the level of quality – it’s my baby! New EP from myself coming up for #4, and Emmanuel will take the helm for #5. Having your own label really keeps the drive going in the studio. I’m hungry for good music again.

Following your tour, local promoter Soma Corp is touring fellow Glaswegian Vince Watson. You guys have done some pretty incredible remix work for each other in the past. Do you know each other well?

I’ve always been in awe of Vince’s chords and textures; he’s a huge influence on the way I listen to techno. We know each other well since the scene emerged in Glasgow and have mutual respect for each other’s work – and of course I would love to keep up the production work together. We segue well into each other’s musical styles.

I’ve heard you talk in the past about how Barcelona’s electronic music scene can be frustrating. How’s the state of affairs at the moment? How does it compare to Glasgow?
Glasgow will always win for me; it’s where I’m from. I don’t compare the scene in Barcelona with Glasgow’s, they’ve grown from different roots. Local Catalonian Government has always been blinkered with the economic viability from the night-life scene, always hindering its progress. I have distanced myself from it somewhat, but next year I’ll be doing a regular night in Microclub Macarena – 70 people capacity!

Are your techno and deep house sides still split between Funk D’Void and Francois Dubois, or is it now all part of one whole?
I always play a bit of both styles in my performances. More recently I’ve fallen back in love with more edgy grooves – it’s refreshing to bounce back and forth from genres. I’m a sucker for the deepness though. There’s never a linear form to my sets, and they take a lot out of me every time. I can’t wait to get stuck in.

I’ve been following your recent online mixes, Kings Of The Strings and Adoriana. Have platforms like Soundcloud changed the DJing game?
Well it’s a great filter to hear what music I’ve been into. I like putting these mixes up first on Mixcloud’s streaming format, then jump over to Soundcloud so that people can download them if they liked it the first time around. Mixcloud is a great platform for DJs that are not so well-known or are just starting up.

I’m amazed at how many followers I have on Soundcloud, and I love the interaction with other producers on there. It really encourages two-way communication, and also is a good gauge to see how your track is received.

In your recent set as Francois Dubois for The Melbourne Deepcast you included a track from Melbourne producer Tornado Wallace. Are you aware of many other producers or labels from Australia?
Is he from Melbourne? Awesome! I’m a big fan. I like Deepchild also, plus my friend Laurent Dupré does some great deep stuff. I love Michelle Owen’s DJ style and taste in music also.

There’s certainly a trend in house and techno at the moment for revisiting the past. Do you think there’s a danger in that?
Everything’s derivative of something that’s already happened, it’s part of the process – right now the ‘90s flavour is the sound du jour. I have no problem in that because that’s where I’m from! As long as it’s presented in an interesting and usable way, then I’m all for it.

When I last saw you in Sydney, you were not a well man. Any nerves about coming back?
Man, I was sick as a dog; I had brought an intestinal parasite back with me from India and Bali and wanted to die. I’m going to make up for it this time. Watch out.

Reposted from http://www.inthemix.com.au

 

Phil Kieran Interview – Phil talks Skyhook Remixes, Hard Graft and why recession is a good thing

Phil Kieran Interview

In anticipation of the up and coming release of the Skyhook Remixes (the first release on Phil Kierans new label Phil Kieran recordings) we asked the man himself for a quick chat about the upcoming release, his musical origins and future directions.

Phil Kieran

Hi Phil how are you doing? Run ragged with your schedule what with the new label launch and skyhook remxes promo tour?

Im good thanks…Yeah loads on, trying to have enough music ready to go for the next 6 months , just worked on a couple  of remixes and getting all the singles ready for the label, first release is skyhook with remixes from adam beyer & jesper dahlback , green velvet , scuba / scb , ricardo tobar, and the next releases we have , Egbert, Prirter, Lucy, Greenvelvet and a release from Matador .

What would you say your favorite remix of skyhook is? What is it about that mix you particularly like?

Dont mean to sit on the fence but i like them all , they fit different moods, honestly , it was a dream package and some how it all came together, I was able to get some or my favourite artists on there so im delighted .

Most people know you grew up in Belfast, did the city have much of an influence on your initial interest in electronic music? Was there much of a scene in the city when you were starting out?

It was a great place in the way that there was very little going on which meant that people had to be creative, as teenagers we just got on with it all we cared about was getting out to the next night. The music was always good, back then it was mostly the art collage, many nights with David Holmes , Andrew Weatherall and people like that.

Now that both Northern Ireland and the Republic are somewhat better off than they were 15 or 20 years ago (current recession not withstanding) has this made the Irish scene more or less interesting to you?

Honestly , im glad there is a bit of a recession on, people were getting too greedy and obsessed with money , everybody once they got a glass of wine in them would brag about the value of their house, you don’t hear a whimper out of them now. its been proven that in hard times there is more creativity , and when I think back to the start of the 90’s we had hard times but had no idea as all we cared about was searching for the next bit of good music to listen to.

Skyhook Remixes Sampler

Listening to Shh (and the recent CLR podcast mix) it becomes quite obvious that you aren’t simply a techno and house only kind of guy, to my mind there is a lot of eclecticism in your style. I can detect everything from dub and ambient to Electronic Body Music in there. Are there any non dance music favorites you’ve got that you think more people should run out and buy albums by?

Where do you start, I could mention bands that are responsible for so much like My Bloody Valentine or Jesus and Mary Chain etc, obvious things like the Pixies, dépêche Mode and Brian Eno are great source points. Recently I have been lucky enough to be asked to be part of a new project with one of these artists at the moment I cant say anything else all will be revealed in time.

So I have always been into post punk and disco, New York stuff, even jumping across the water to Manchester then you have joy division and new order, I could go on forever into more obscure things but there’s not enough time time or space.

You also created one of the most popular remixes on Nitzer Ebbs Body Rework album a few years back , How did you end up being involved in remixing the classic NE track “Murderous”?

I think the guy Seth who was A&r for novamute was a fan of my stuff and he got me to do a few remixes, I am eternally grateful to him for asking me to do these I even thanked him on my album, he was working at minus for a while and now lives in Berlin, great guy, huge respect !

Regarding your position at Cocoon, your work for Electric Deluxe and International Gigolo and now the launch of your own label, is there a conscious decision to delineate between the other labels and your own or will all your new work be getting the Phil Kieran recordings moniker from now on? Is there to be an intended difference between what you release on on PKR and your other work?

I have a good set of labels that are into my music which you have to be thankful for.  I like working with cocoon they are great guys who love music. I am very exited to be working with my good friend Jochem (Speedy J) giving him music for his Electric Deluxe imprint  I urge you all to go check it out and see what they are doing its very very cool. Hell at gigolo asked me to send him a track and the Love Wish Ep will be released in December. I also like loads of labels out there one of note to talk about would be Snork I really like what they are doing.

My own imprint is here to enable me to work with people I like and give me a regular output for the large amounts of music I am making it’s a really productive time at the moment.

Hot any new artists signed up to PKR that you think will be making waves over the next little while?

I have got a 3 track ep from matador ( dublin )  i think its the best tracks he has done, they just blow up when you play them in the club, im planning to do a release with boxcutter and space dimenssion controler both from belfast and doing really well, closer to the experimental/ dubstep side of things. On a Belfast note keep an eye on Psycatron who are doing really well with stuff on planet e and cocoon coming out soon.

You’re quite prolific, how do you produce so much work, is there a methodology you use? Or is it just old fashioned hard graft?

H.A.R.D. G.R.A.F.T. I tend to go and stay in the south of Ireland without tv and people to distract me this seems to have increased my output, the shelves are full.

Do you find it difficult to produce new tracks while touring? Or do you keep the producer and DJ sides distinct & separate?

It is all a process road testing tracks is important you have to have a link to the dancefloor when creating music although thats not all that the music is about, I like all aspects of it from weird and experimental , songs and club tracks too.

Regarding the production of that unique “Phil Kieran” sound Do you have any secrets you can let us in on? Do you have any favorite studio
kit? (Were partial to the DSI Mopho synth & NI Maschine around here). Do you tend to produce at your own studio or do you find getting away to a pro studio to be more useful to you?

Getting more into my old outboard stuff, thankfully ive kept some, though I have sold many keyboards I really regret like the juno 60 , my fav thing at the moment is a thing called a “ mutator “ it does what it says on the tin tbf, and I love my TL audio valve compressor for distorting things .

Were there any creative alleyways you went down on your journey towards your current sound? How do you break out of any ruts you may find yourself in?

 

I try to not revisit the same ideas as much as I can, its hard to avoid them when you know it works, but to avoid being like so many people who just repeat them selves id rather be original and unsuccessful than successful and feeling like a fraud .

Check out Phil Kierans site for free mixes news etc.

Reposted from Techno Music News 

Acid Techno Using a Small Doepfer Modular System

One for all the synthesis geeks out there, saw this and I had to post it. Some Acid Techno using a small Doepfer system as a kind of 606+303 combo by Daren Ager.

http://www.youtube.com/v/GtWBKgjB-1I?fs=1&hl=en_GB","allowfullscreen":"true"" src="http://technomusicnews.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/media/img/trans.gif" height="385" alt="" width="480" />

Reposted from techno music news

 

Dark Minimal Techno Mix from up and coming Irish DJ Dave Moran

Dave Moran approached the world of Djing aged 18, With his main influences being Techno, Electro and House.He has been collecting Records ever since he touched the decks and has built over a decade an impressive repertoire of music for which he has mastered the art of mixing.

Over the years he has developed his own style,and has had the pleasure to play with such DJs as Phil keiran, Billy Nasty,808 State and other more home-grown talent such as Warren K, Billy Scurry,Liam Dollard and DJ Wool(among others).

More recently a full show was dedicated to Dave on Radio Na life, on a show called “Encore” dedicated to
the discovery and re-discovery of established and upcoming DJs and producers from Ireland and beyond.

His mixes and Tracks can be heard at http://soundcloud.com/DaveMoran

There you can also get a preview of his Track which will be out soon on Eric Powell’s BUSH Records.

Tracklist:

01: War vs. Sleep And Beaner And C.L.A.W.S. – 24000
02: Hollow Mind – Death Steps
03: Scalameriya – Sandstorm
04: Surrealists – I Am A Walking Disaster
05: Joel Mull And Dustin Zahn – Bossa Nossa (Panpot Vocal Edit)
06: Ducerey Ada Nexino – 004 Soup Pt.2 (Splatter Remix)
07: Mikael Jonasson – Water Proof
08: Jumex – Hipocritas
09: Traversable Wormhole – Superluminal (Chris Liebing Remix)
10: Tiari – Headless
11: Max Cooper – Silicon Sleaze
12: Tiari – Onibaba
13: Oblivion – M.A.1
14: Scalameriya – Pyramides

Firelfly October 2010 Featuring Riva Starr & Phil Kieran

Prepare to be amazed and dazzled as the firefly circus rolls into town! Firefly has not one, not two, but three of the worlds finest artists heading to little old Nottingham to rock the Garvey to its foundations…..

Riva Starr Is a name that should be very familiar to anyone with an interest in modern house music. Having shot to the top after a string of head turning releases and remixes on some of the most talked about labels, Riva Starr couldn’t be hotter right now. What’s quite rem…arkable though is how quickly Stefano Miele, aka Riva Starr has been postioned as a one of the world top performers.

Phil Kieran is fresh from smashing Rex Club Paris to bits with his mate scuba this week.  Skyhook is about to drop on Phil Kieran Recordings with Green Velvet, Scuba, Scb, Ricardo Tobar, Adam Beyer and Jesper Dahlback remixes. New Releases coming up on including Snork Enterprises, Electric Deluxe, International DJ Gigolo and of course Cocoon that have just signed a new EP

SCUBA Vs SCB. Paul Rose is one of the most influential figures in the world of electronic music. he’s helped release work from Benga,Shackleton and, of course, Joy Orbison and his RA #1 single of 2009, “Hyph Mngo.” Events-wise, he’s one of the masterminds behind Sub:stance, a night that has brought the likes of Mala, D-Bridge, Scion and Kode9 to Berlin’s Berghain.

So boys and girls, with only just over a week until their first event of their eleventh year, Nottinghams biggest house party – Firefly, is back with a vengeance…..

This is where the firefly season starts boys and girls 

Reposted from Techno Music News

DJ Pins Techno Mix September 2010

We like to support up and coming DJs and producers whenever we can. Italian DJ Pin (Giancarlo Di Chiara) sent us this mix last week and we've had it playing regularly since. A nice mix of smooth minimal and harshness with occasional forays into a more tech house sound.

If you are a quality DJ and would like your work exposed to our readership then email us your best techno or minimal mix and we will have a listen.

Download DJ Pins September Techno Mix

Track List: (83 minutes)
Gary Beck - Consumed (Mark Broom's Bang Bang Remix) 0.00

Octave - Edge Of The Chasm (Audio Injection Remix) 5.55

Spektre - Sixteen Sins (Original Mix)  11.13
M0h - Wake Up 17.54
Audionatica And Fictionizer - Space (Alan Fitzpatrick Remix) 22.54
Sasha Carassi - Paranoid (Original Mix) 28.12
Sessomatto - I Need Somebody (Acappella) 32.10
Traversable Wormhole - Closed Timelike Curve (Marcel Dettmann Remix) 33.50
Slam - Cacophony 39.52
Sasha Carassi - White Sucker 45.09
Loco and Jam - Maximus (Original Mix) 50.47
Dataminions - Pounce (Original Mix) 57.32
Dataminions - Super Cardioid (Dandy & Ugo Remix) 62.06
FLug - Factor AG 70.13
Pfirter - My Estudio 75.13

DJ Pin Bio:

Giancarlo Di Chiara aka DJ Pin was born in Avellino in 1982. His interest for clubs started at an early age: in fact he started to listen to dance music and mix cds with his computer at the age of 12, and at the age of 17 he started to visit most of the best italian house music clubs. He managed to buy a pair of turntables at the age of 20 and, some moths later, he partecipated to a DJ Competitions organized by a famous italian radio station (Radio Ibiza).

The year after, in 2003, he started to play tech-house music in some clubs: only events with top international Djs, including Tony Humphries, Justin Berkmann, Marshall Jefferson, Alex Natale, Eddy Kruger, Lady Babayaga, Ivan Iacobucci, Federica Baby Doll, Takeshi Kurosawa, the Djs of Angels Of Love (Paco'S, Fiore, Simone Cavagnuolo, Lello Romano, Jg Bros), Stefano Noferini, and many others great italian djs. During his brief career he received numerous compliments, also by some of the famous Djs he played with. But all this wasn't enough for him to keep working as a dj: he ended his career in 2005 because of the disappointment he felt towards the environment and his coworkers.

Now, in 2010, he touched his console for the first time in 5 years and decided to keep pursuing his dream, but changing his sound from a pure Tech-House style, which he used to entertain with in the past years, to a mixture of Minimal, Techno and House. Also, he started to produce electronic music, and he stared to be a guest dj for some international radio stations (Digitally Imported, Proton radio, Club And Dance). Also, he have a show mix, named "The Italian Job", streamed every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday by the US web radio EnationFM.

Orginally Posted at Techno Music News

Midas Touch: Murphy Interviews The Egyptian Lover

Some call Greg Broussard, aka The Egyptian Lover, the West Coast Godfather Of Electro. I call him an innovator.

He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Hip Hop's creative tapestry with his singles 'Egypt Egypt', 'Dance' and 'My Beat Goes Boom' comparable in stature to Soul Sonic Force's seminal classic 'Planet Rock' and Man Parrish's anthem 'Hip Hop Be-Bop (Don't Stop)'.

He started making mix tapes of R&B in the late 70s at high school until 'Rappers Delight' came along and changed everything. He had the chance to put a rap on one of these tapes and ended up selling a lot more than usual. That was the beginning of everything.

Three decades later and having released an LP every decade with a new one on the way, The Egyptian Lover has proved that Electro, in its purist form, has never dated and probably never will. He was recently here for a tour with Jimmy Edgar, which by all reports will go down as one of the stand-out nights of the year.

He gracefully gave me some time to answer all the questions I had in my little man bag. So here goes.

First up, how does it feel to be still part of the music industry 30 years later? Does that question make you feel tired at all?

I am loving the music biz today just as much as when I started back in the early 80s. It is so cool to see my new fans dance to my beats all over the world. When you do something that you love to do it is not work so you don't get tired, you just have fun.

As I mentioned, music must be the love of your life to still be here creating sounds today? Can you tell us what music means to you?

Music to me is everything. I love music and love love love to make the party people dance. When I travel all over the world and see people from every race dance to my music, it is intoxicating. I am so blessed to be able to do what I do and have the talent and skill to continue.

Let’s go way back to the late 70s. Tell us about LA at that time. Electro/Rap was obviously creating some ripples in New York. How did you discover it? What were you listening to then? Give us a picture of where you were hanging out?

Music in the late 70s in LA was all R&B (no Rap) until 'Rapper's Delight' came out in 1979 and then everyone loved Rap. I was making mix tapes at the time in High School when I got a request to do my own rap on the tape. I did it and sold so many more tapes. I then always wanted to record a real record. Rapping over every instrumental I could find and selling mix tapes all over LA, Long Beach and the Valley. I started getting a little following and kinda liked it. I used to do pause-button mix tapes with songs like Cameo's 'Shake Your Pants', Michael Henderson's 'Wide Receiver' and pause-button them to make it sound like an edit or a mix. It's how I learned how to alter music.

What was the moment that you needed to get a pair of Technics? Can you remember what they cost you back then?

I never owned a pair of turntables back then. I only had one Sony belt-drive turntable and a tape deck to make my mix tapes. That is how I learned how to cue a record, scratch and developed a light touch. It was only when I joined Uncle Jam's Army (LA Hip Hop crew which included a young Ice-T) that I got a chance to touch a Technics Turntable and it was then when I fell in love with them and learned many new tricks like playing a record backwards.

Did you lock yourself away for days practicing? Where were you getting your records from and can you remember the first 12”s you mixed together?

I never practiced. Many people don't believe that but my friends all know it. I had a true skill to just do it. My only practice was live at Uncle Jam's Army shows in front of thousands of people. My first record mix was probably Tom Tom Club's 'Guinness of Love' with Grandmaster Flash's 'It's Nasty' into One Way's 'Cutie Pie'.

Tell us about your record collection? Have you stopped buying records? Is your collection insured?

Too many records from the late 70s and early 80s to count. In the 90s I slowed down on buying records and bought CDs and now I'm buying iTunes albums, but I still look for 12" vinyl every chance I get. I like the old stuff.

Is there one prized record that you would hate to lose?

I would hate to loose my Prince collection, especially 'Sexy Dancer' (Long Version). It is rare.

Where did The Egyptian Lover tag come from?

When I was young and everyone from the hood had a nickname I decided to be more than just a gangster so I gave myself a name from two people I admired. A young king (King Tut) and a popular actor who was a lover on film (Rudolph Valentino).

Tell us about Uncle Jamms Army and how you became involved in that?

Uncle Jam's Army was LA's number one dance promotion group. They had the best parties in LA and I was also trying to become a dance promoter. But I could not beat Uncle Jam's Army so I joined them. I knew I was a great DJ but I could not pull the crowd like Uncle Jam, so if you can't beat em, join em! With the crowd that Uncle Jam's Army already had, I helped them grow it from 2000 people a dance to 10 000 people at a dance.

What was your impressions of Ice T back then?

Ice T was a cool hustler type of guy. He always wanted to rap on the mic. Uncle Jam was too big for that but when we played at Club Radio he did his thing.

Your early pre-release productions? How did you make music back then? Is there a story behind the purchase of your first piece of music hardware?

My first piece of music hardware was the 808 drum machine. I met Afrika Islam with Ice T at Club Radio and as we talked about music he told me about Afrika Bambaataa and Planet Rock. I asked him what they used to make the beat and he told me a drum machine called the 808. We went to Guitar Center in Hollywood and I bought it on the spot.

How did Freak Beat (his record label) come about?

The name Freak Beat was something I started from a song that had Free Beats on it and I thought it said Freak Beats. That is how I got the idea to make a record label called Freak Beat. The label was with Rodger Clayton from Uncle Jam's Army and myself. I drew the logo up and Rodger loved it, so we went with it.

It obviously morphed into Egyptian Empire Records. Was there a reason behind that?

I started Egyptian Empire Records to have total control over all my productions and releases.

Was ‘Egypt Egypt’ your first release? I don’t think it has dated at all? Is there a story behind the track?

There is a huge story behind that song. When I was in High School I went to a party and was smoking something I thought was weed to impress a girl but it was something else and me and my friends got so HIGH. We left the party and went to my friend's house and started eating up everything until nothing was left so I then decided to walk home. When I got to the front door to leave, Satin opened it up and walked down the street with me. He told me many things and also told me that I was going to be a 'Big Star' and I was going to make a record called 'Beast Beat'. I knew who he was but I pretended not to know. When I got home and reached my front gate he disappeared. I was so scared I went right to sleep and forgot all about that night. A year later I started making beats and I was on my way to the studio to do a song called 'Beast Beats' and my sister and my mother told me not to play with the Devil. That's when it all came back to me about that night when he told me about making this song. Not wanting to sell my soul to the Devil, I changed the song at the last minute in the studio and made it 'Egypt Egypt'. I was not prepared to do this song as I changed the beat up throughout the whole 808 so that none of the beats were left from 'Beast Beats'. I then pulled out old raps and put together the lyrics.

It was my first solo track when I went into the studio. With all my DJ mixing ideas I made a record with all these DJ thoughts and put them all together to make 'Egypt Egypt'. It was a DJ's dream record.

How long did it take you to write the ‘On The Nile’ LP? When was the last time you listened to it and how do you think it holds up?

I made 'On The Nile' pretty fast. Some songs took only minutes to make and others as long as an 8-hour day in the studio. I had a great engineer that taught me a lot and he mixed the record very, very well. It cost a lot but it was very worth it. The song 'Egypt Egypt' still holds its own in the music world.

You had four LPs in the 80s (inclusive of the comp ‘King Of Ecstacy’). Is there a favourite there?

My favorite would be the first album 'On The Nile'. The songs on there are true Egyptian Lover. 'Girls'; 'And My Beat Goes Boom'; 'Egypt Egypt'; 'What Is A DJ If He Can't Scratch'. It's just so LA at the time.

Tell us about your head space in the 90s. I guess Gangsta Rap was going on and there was only two Egyptian Lover studio LPs. Can you talk us through this period and what you were doing?

I took a break in the 90s to enjoy my family and spend some money. I had made so much and never really had time to enjoy it, so enjoy it I did.

The 2000s saw Electro coming back into fashion in a big way with labels like International Gigolo releasing purist 80s-style Electro. What were your thoughts on Electro’s comeback?

I think Electro (old school) was always around just not in the mainstream as other music. But I always had fans and still did shows my whole life. In 2004 when I first went to Europe because of the Internet,  promoters could find me and book me again. I have been going to Europe and all over ever since 2004. I still do shows with old promoters and old friends from back in the day. Many of the old promoters are my friends today.

Obviously there was the Electroclash off-shoot? Your thoughts on that?

I think all dance music is good. If it rocks the dancefloor then do it. It may not be my style but we all have our own.

You decided to release a new LP in 2005 called ‘Platinum Pyramids’? How did that come to being and were you still involved in the scene during the last decade?

'Platinum Pyramids' was an album I made for my Electro Euro fans. I saw how they still loved that style as much as I did, so I did it. I am working on a new Electro/Old School album now called '1984' inspired by the music and scene in 1984.

Is there a reason why you think you are still around today and probably touring more than ever? You must still love it?

I am doing a lot of shows now because I want to see more of the world. I never stopped doing shows in the US. I'm just doing more out of the US. Because of the internet more promoters can reach me. I think with the help of You Tube, Facebook, Myspace and blogs about me, more and more promoters and clubs and festivals are hearing about me and some may have never seen me before so they book me. I really love going all over the world playing music. It means so much more to me now that I am older.

It’s encouraging that younger artists are giving you the recognition you deserve like Jamie Jones, Freestyle, James Pants ect. What are your thoughts on the scene now?

I think dance music no matter what it is and who is doing it is all good. Just make people dance and do your thing. It is so cool to meet these new artists that like my music and want to do things with me. I don't do many collaborations so I must like the artist to do it so everyone I worked with has a style I like. I think with the help of computers, many more people can make music unlike back in the day when you had to buy gear. So good luck to all the creative people out there and make some hits!

Tell us more about the new LP - that would mean you have released an LP a decade for the past 4 decades. How impressive is that?

Yes, '1984' will be coming out in 2011. With songs like 'Do U Wanna Get Down', 'Dance 2 My Beat', 'Belly Dance' 'Vocoder Jam', 'U.F.O.' and many, many more 80s inspired tracks.

You have never lost the love for early-style Electro. Who was your biggest influence in that genre?

I still play early Electro-style Rap Jams - Soul Sonic Force 'Planet Rock'; Grand Master Flash 'Scorpio'; Melle Mell 'Survival'; all Kraftwerk; Jamie Jupiter 'Computer Power'; Newcleus 'Push The Button'. It's my favorite kind of music and that is what I mix during my DJ sets and the style of music I'm producing today for my new album.

Love Live Electro/Old School Rap!

Murphy.

 

Reposted form the spank records blog (http://blog.spankrecords.com.au) by Techno Music News