prueba by designroot

AUSGABE 4___THE

HIJACK ISSUE

CUEMIX NR.04 ///// EDITORIAL

WE HIJACKED FOLLOWING PERSONS WE HIJACKED FOLLOWING PERSONS CUEMIX NUMBER 04

DAN CURTIN PATRICK POLLERWIESEN DIRTY PRINCESS DOORMOUSE ECHO DEPTH FINDERS MODX OLIVER DREWES/CARHARTT DJ FABIO BENJAMIN DIAMOND BELLADONNA KILLZ THINNER NETLABEL RICHARD DEVINE TOUANE MARCO PASSARANI CUEMIX HIJACKED THEM ALL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Herausgeber: Michael Mück Verantwortlich, Redaktion, Interviews: Michael Mück (V.i.S.d.P) Anzeigen und Marketing, Redaktionelle Mitarbeit:Gaby Kochs Layout: Holger Kochs für EinGrafikbüro Übersetzung/Lektorat/Proofread: Max Kageyama, GabyKochs, Sabine Geratz, Web: Stephan Kochs für EinGrafikbüro -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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CUEMIX NR.04 ///// EDITORIAL

HAVE YOU SEEN THESE PEOPLE? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE HIJACK-ISSUE CUEMIX NR.04

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRTY PRINCESS

DAN DOORMOUSE

03.15.2005

01.25.2005

DJ GROOVERIDER

05.23.2005

DJ FABIO

BELLADONNA KILLZ

MARCO TONNI

BENJAMIN DIAMOND

BELLADONNA KILLZ

ECHO DEPTH FINDER

24.05.2005

08.17.2005

04.17.2005

24.05.2005

RICARDO VILLALOBOS

MARCO PASSARANI

DIRTY PRINCESS

RICHARD DEVINE

PATRICK

BELLADONNA

SVEN VÄTH

24.05.2005

06.09.2005

03.15.2005

07.22.2005

06.17.2005

24.05.2005

03.02.2005

MARKUS THINNER

03.07.2005

DAN CURTIN

24.05.2005

DAN CURTIN

04.04.2005

CUEMIX NR.04 ///// EDITORIAL

ATXXTENTION XX

WE DECLARE! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I start to conceive a new title for Als ich anfing mir Gedanken über den the next cuemix magazine it was quite Titel dieser Ausgabe zu machen war mir plain to me that a title like “The sehr schnell klar, dass der Titel „Hijack Hijack Issue” bears the risk that I Issue“ die Gefahr in sich birgt falsch -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------could be totally misconstrued. verstanden zu werden. Also fing ich an So I started to write down a huge text einen langen Text zu verfassen, der -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------to point out my feelings about being erklären sollte, wer hier denn nun wen “hijacked” by music. On the other hand entführt: Der Künstler mit seiner Arbeit? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------being a journalist who “hijacks” artists Auf der anderen Seite kommt man sich als is also one of the aspects of this Journalist sehr oft wie ein Entführer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------title. After all I dropped the text ... vor, also auch ein Argument das Heft so To get to the point Hijack Issue has two zu nennen. Im Endeffekt habe ich den Text -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------meanings: wieder gelöscht. Um es auf den Punkt zu bringen Hijack Issue hat zwei -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Artisits, Musicians, DJs try to hijack Bedeutungen: Künstler, Musiker, DJs wolthe audience! Come on, join me! And len entführen ! Kommt mit mir ! Und der -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------what about the price the audience have Preis, den das Publikum dafür bezahlt? to pay? Just simply to show a reaction. Zeig eine Reaktion. Liebe oder Hass das -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Love or hate the art that the artists Stück des Künstlers. Hör dir aufmerksam perform, but do something. Listen caredie Stücke an, kaufe Platten, CDs, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------fully to tracks again and again, buy schmeiß die Hände in die Luft und records, throw your hands in the air and schreie, hab ein Gefühl, das dir sonst scream, get a feeling no one else can keiner geben kann... give you ... Journalists hijack artists. The deal behind it is quite simple: Journalisten entführen Künstler, und der interview against being present in the Deal ist schnell erklärt. Interview gegen media. That´s it. But you know, sometimes mediale Präsenz. Das war es. Aber manchit’s more than this. You meet an artist mal ist es auch hier anders. Man trifft and suddenly the artist “hijacks” the einen Künstler und auf einmal sind die journalist with his stories, his charme, Rollen vertauscht, der Journalist wit, heart. (Entführer) ist der Entführte, weil der Künstler ihm Geschichten erzählt, So come in and see who’s ”hijacking” who Geschichten mit Herz, Charme oder Witz.. Also hereinspaziert und seht nach, wer m. hier wen entführt. m. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Seite - - - - - - 6- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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INTERVIEW 01

OLIVER DREWES CARHARTT PROFESSION

DATE

DORTMUND//DUISBURG

DETAILS. INFOS

INTERVIEW HIJACKED PERSON 01

OBJECT

X OLIVER DREWES CARHARTT X

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OLIVER DREWES ///// CARHARTT

»MEINE KOLLEGEN, DAS WAREN RICHTIGE ‚JEANSER’, TRAUTEN DEM PRODUKT NICHT. DIE WAREN DER MEINUNG,

DASS DIESE ARBEITERKLAMOTTEN NUR EIN SAISONWITZ SIND, UND DANN WIEDER VOM MARKT VERSCHWINDEN.«

PART I CM____Du b ist seit über zehn Jahren Leute, die später in Europa mit Carhartt Marketingleiter von Carhartt Eu rope. angefangen haben. Jedenfalls bin ich dort Wie bist du in diese Posi tion gekom als Vertreter eingestiegen, und habe eine me-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n? Hast du ein Wirtschaftsstudium kleine Carhartt Kollektion bekommen. abgeschlossen? (Oliver lacht) Wie kam Meine Kollegen, das waren richtige es-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------dazu? ‚Jeanser’, trauten dem Produkt nicht. Die waren der Meinung, dass diese OLIver_____Ne, nicht wirklich, ich -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Arbeiterklamotten nur ein Saisonwitz habe einen kaufmännischen Beruf sind, und dann wieder vom Markt vererlernt, also Verkäufer. Um ehrlich zu-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------sein, ich hatte zu der Zeit über- schwinden. haupt keinen Plan was ich machen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CM____Das heißt, die erste Ko llektion wollte. Also hab ich Verkäufer gelernt, in der Hoffnung da zu arbei- bestand noch aus der originalen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Arbeitskleidun gskollektion aus den USA, ten, wo es Spaß macht. In den Achtzigern war ich auch bei den übli- war also noch kein Lizenzprodu kt? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------chen Verdächtigen im Textilverkauf, Oliver_____Hundert Prozent übernommen aus z.B. bei Benneton. Zu der Zeit gab es Amerika. Damals wollten sie nicht mal mit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------noch keine Streetwear. Nach dem uns reden, aber verkaufen. Es fand gar Zivildienst hab ich dann auf eine kein Austausch statt. Als mein damaliger -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Zeitungsannonce, “Big Star Jeans” Chef die Sachen kaufte, setzten sie ihm sucht Verkäufer, geantwortet. Kennst irgend eine Sekretärin, aber keinen du die noch? Verkäufer vor. Sie ging mit ihm durch das Lager, und er durfte ein paar Teile CM____Ja klar. bestellen. Die ersten beiden Jahre, liefen wider erwarten gut an. Von den Oliver_____Das waren die gleichen Seite 10

Amerikanern wurden wir dann auch besser betreut. Sie merkten, dass die ganze Geschichte einen Hintergrund hatte, und vertrauten meinem Chef auch mehr. Mit zunehmenden Erfolg in den folgenden Jahren wurden sie immer offener, und erlaubten auch, dass eine oder andere Teil, für den europäischen Markt etwas zu verändern, Farbe rein bringen, einfach ein bisschen aufpeppen. Es kam gut an, auch die Amerikaner waren zufrieden. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt fingen wir an, das Ganze strategisch besser aufzubauen. So kam es, dass wir etwa nach sieben Jahren die Lizenzen bekamen, die ersten eigenen Teile unter dem Namen Carhartt zu produzieren. Alles im Rahmen der original Carhartt-Schnitte, nicht irgendwie eine Röhrenhose sondern einen Workwear Schnitt. CM____Also sind alle Schnitte „Originalsc hnitte aus der amerikanischen Workwearkollektion? Oliver_____Die Basics in unsere

Kollektion sind alles noch Originalschnitte. Auch eine Hose wie ich sie hier trage, die gibt’s so als Jeans in Amerika nicht, aber der Schnitt und die drei Nähte nebeneinander, das ist Original, das dürfen wir nicht ändern. Die sind ziemlich Stolz, auf diese drei Nähte. Das unterscheidet das Produkt von anderen, die nur mit zwei Nähten arbeiten. Das wäre als würdest du einem Mercedes den Stern wegnehmen (lachend). Ich glaube mehr Freiheiten kriegen wir von den Amerikanern nicht mehr, wir haben alles ausgereizt. Oliver_____Lizenzunternehmen und Vertrieb. CM____Aber losgelöst von dem amerikanischen Unternehmen? Oliver_____Ja vollkommen losgelöst, aber mit vertraglichen Verpflichtungen gegenüber Carhartt Amerika. Wir müssen Rapporte machen ... Wir schicken unsere Späßchen zu, z.B. diese Puppen hier, so was würden die nie machen. Mittlerweile

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OLIVER DREWES ///// CARHARTT immer mein große Liebe.

PROFESSION

Ich wollte mich aber nie in einem bestehenden Muster einfügen. 1977 mit zwölf Jahren war ich ‚Skater’, während des ersten Skateboardbooms, hab das dann bis Anfang der Achtziger durchgezogen. Dann kamen meine erste Freundin, die Scheidung meiner Eltern, so dass ich irgendwann einfach keinen Bock mehr darauf hatte. Erst kürzlich habe ich noch einen alten Skater- Kumpel in der Düsseldorfer Altstadt getroffen, wir haben uns über die ersten Rampen unterhalten, und wie primitiv das Ganze damals war.

DATE

OBJECT

OLIVER DREWES INTERVIEW PART II wird das akzeptiert, die denken, wir machen einen auf alternative und modische Streetwear, da es kontinuierlich und seriös ist, lassen sie uns machen. Aber die checken uns schon sehr oft aus und spionieren rum, nach dem Motto “was machen die den hier in Europa? Was gefährliches, was böses oder gar was unmoralisches? (lacht)”. CM____Also ist das Stammhaus in Amerika al s konserva tiv einzus tufen (lachend)? Oliver_____Die sind so konservativ, wie, ich überlege gerade einen passenden Vergleich, wie in Deutschland Falke oder Schiesser. Stolze Amerikaner, aber kein bisschen interessiert an Jugend- oder Subkultur. Die sponsern auch ganz andere Sachen als wir, was wir hier in Sachen Sponsoring treiben, ist für die eher abstrakt.

PART III CM____Unterschiede wie Tag und Nacht? Oliver____Ja, aber sie sind trotzdem mit uns einverstanden. CM____Kann das Stamm haus in Amerika euch beeinflussen? Oliver____Ich hab mich nie für die Verträge interessiert, ich habe der Marke eine Seele und Image gegeben. Zu achtzig Prozent können wir selbst bestimmen, etwas Einfluss gibt es schon, ist ja auch irgendwo klar. Carhartt Amerika stimmt sich mit uns auch ab, die planen gerade mit ihren Arbeiterklamotten in Europa Fuß zu fassen. Das Programm soll in den Spezialgeschäften für Arbeitsausstattung verkauft werden, wobei alle Beteiligten wissen, dass die Sachen für den europäischen Markt eigentlich zu teuer sind, aber es geht hier um Prestige. Auch hier werden wir gefragt, ob wir diesen Schritt in Ordnung finden. In diesem Zusammenhang, was viele nicht wissen, wir

dürfen unser Programm auf gar keinen Fall in Amerika verkaufen. Wir werden sehr oft angefragt, aber wir haben uns verpflichtet das nicht zu tun. Wir sponsern ziemliche viele Skateboard Crews oder Bands und wenn die in Amerika unterwegs sind kriegen die Leute immer lange Zähne (lacht). Es ist schon exotisch.. Ich muss immer ein wenig schmunzeln wenn wir ein Paket für Amerika, zum Beispiel für einen DJ denn wir unterstützen, pakken. Ein Ableger einer amerikanischen Marke, die in Amerika nicht erhältlich ist. CM____Warst du als Jugendlicher selbst Skater, oder aus einer, n a nennen wir es mal, in einer kompatiblen Szene? Oliver_____Also Grundsätzlich, war ich als Kind immer Fan von Irgendwas, und seit ich elf bin “Magazinsüchtig”. Manchmal bin ich lieber zu Hause geblieben und habe Magazine gelesen, als mit Freunden rauszugehen. Ja, und Musik war

Dann war ich sehr stark an Musik, besser gesagt Punkrock und Alkohol interessiert. Mit BMX kannte ich mich auch so einigermaßen aus, und habe sehr viel Leute, auch in dieser Szene kennengelernt. Viele der Leute die ich damals kennengelernt habe, arbeiten heute mit uns zusammen oder werden von uns gesponsert. Ein Großteil unseres ‚Netzwerkes’ haben wir über Freunde aufgebaut. Ich habe eine zeitlang in Duisburg in einem Club aufgelegt, ich hatte dort so einen Hip-Hop Abend mit einem Freund zusammen, Acid Jazz und HipHop. Als Carhartt mir dann zum ersten mal unter die Finger kam, dachte ich ‚Moment mal, das hast du doch irgendwo schon mal gesehen’. Bei dem britischer Rapper Derek B., hatte ich zum ersten mal Carhartt gesehen. Später dann auch bei Pete Rock. Das hat mich ziemlich angemacht und ich wusste dann sofort, was ich zu tun hatte. Die konservativen Vertreter, wollten die erste Kollektion in Kaufhäuser bringen, mit Betonmischmaschinen, Arbeiterklamotten als Modegag. Ich bin zu meinem Boss und sagte ihm:” Moment, diese Klamotten sind in Amerika Teil der Subkultur, also dort schon eine ein etablierter Bestandteil der Alternativmode. Eine

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OLIVER DREWES ///// CARHARTT

»ICH WOLLTE EINFACH VERMEIDEN, DASS UNSERE FREUNDSCHAFT UND GUTE ZUSAMMENARBEIT GEFÄHRDET WIRD. ICH UNTERSTÜTZE COMBINATION HEUTE LIEBER AUS DER POSITION VON CARHARTT.« Elite von Leuten trägt die schon, da wird noch was kommen, also las uns das nicht verhunzen, als Modegag, das ist Blödsinn.” Mein Boss war froh, dass ich genauso drauf war wie er. Er ist so ein Quality-Typ, der mag so amerikanische Produkte die alt sind und eine Geschichte haben, und er war froh, dass einer in seinem Team das Ganze nicht in einer Saison verramschen wollte. Also gab er mir die Kollektion und so fing ich an damit zu arbeiten. CM__ __Vom Verkäuf er zum Mark strategen? Als selfma de-man? Oliver_____Ich mach alles was mich interessiert einfach so, aus dem Bauch heraus (lacht). Eigentlich mag ich den Ausspruch “aus dem Bauch heraus” nicht, das klingt so ... egal, ich mache die Dinge so wie ich meinen Alltag gestalte. Meine Hobbys

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sind auch die Hobbys von Carhartt, und die Leute die hier arbeiten haben eine ähnliche Einstellung. Die haben einen ähnlichen Background, Musik, Kunst oder haben mal ein Fanzine produziert. Das ist auch in den anderen Niederlassungen in Eropa so, lieber Sammler, Elektriker als studierte Marketingspezialisten. Die versauen alles, wollen ihre erlernten Strategien anwenden, und machen dann was, was nicht unbedingt mit Ihnen selbst zu tun hat. Ich mag so etwas nicht. Ich meine, eine Firma wie wir, die zwar schon weit verbreitet ist, trotzdem einen kleinen familiären Charakter hat. Wenn man an solchen Leuten verkaufen will, und auch Messages rausschießt, muss der Background 100% glaubwürdig sein, sonst ist es nämlich pures Marketing. Wie die You- Messe, wir schauen mal was die jungen Leute brauchen, worauf die flippen, dann machen wir denen mal was. Ich hab mal was ganz schreckliches gesehen, die Volkswagen Musik-Foundation, da

PROFESSION

DATE

DORTMUND//DUISBURG OBJECT

X OLIVER DREWES CARHARTT X

stand ein Typ im Anzug auf einer Hip-Hop Jam und hat seinen Jungs, wie Ottmar Hitzfeld nach einem Bayern Spiel immer auf die Schulter gehauen. Das geht doch gar nicht, dem glaubt doch keiner. Ich habe auch schon Leute von der Konkurrenz getroffen, die mich einfach nur gelangweilt haben. Marketingsitzungen und Meetings, da hab ich immer nur rumgesessen und mich gelangweilt, fing an zu malen, so wie in der Schule, wenn man nicht interessiert ist. Die Leute waren auch alle älter, so vom Herzen her älter als ich. Ich meinte zum meinem Boss, bitte verschon mich mit diesen Meetings, durfte dann nach dem ich gequengelt habe, immer selbständiger arbeiten. Ja, irgendwann bin ich dann Geschäftsführer geworden. CM____Ich stell mir vor, dass du in deiner Position und auch in der Philosophie Alles machst. Beeinflusst du auch d as Design der Kollektion?

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Oliver_____Ja ich mache Alles. Nächste Woche bin ich in Basel, die nächste Kollektion muss abgeschlossen werden. Ich muss dann vieles absegnen. Viele Ideen in der Kollektion sind von mir, oder hier vom Team. Zum Beispiel interessiere ich mich sehr für Tätowierungen, hab auch nicht mehr so viel Platz für neue (lachend), dadurch habe ich auch Kontakte zu Tätowierern. So entstand die Idee eine limited Edition von Skateboards im Tatoo - design zu entwickeln. Die Kataloge für Carhartt einwickle ich zusammen mit Lutz und Volker. Dann gibt es ja noch das Label, Combination Records, ich war Partner, auch finanzieller Partner von Philipp, bin dann aber ausgestiegen weil es mir zuviel wurde. Außerdem, Philipp ist Musiker und gepflegter “Beatbastler”, während ich eher der “Faust hoch- Typ” bin, so hatten wir manchmal auch vollkommen unterschiedliche Ideen. Ich wollte einfach vermeiden, dass unsere Freundschaft und gute Zusammenarbeit in irgendeiner Weise

OLIVER DREWES ///// CARHARTT

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------gefährdet wird. Ich unterstütze Combination heute lieber aus der Position von Carhartt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tja, und dann gibt es noch andere Sperenzchen, wie diese Figuren hier, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------oder diese Carhartt Modellautos, natürlich meine Lieblingsautos, wie der Samba Bus und der Mustang. Weißt du mein Boss hat genug mit den -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Finanzen zu tun, und wir sind in der Geschäftsführung von Carhartt Europe eben auch nur drei Leute, so muss man sich eben so gut es geht -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------gegenseitig den Rücken frei halten. Am liebsten würde ich die Abteilung hier auch gar nicht Marketingabteilung nennen, sondern zum -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Beispiel Imagebüro, Kreativbüro. Marketing dient ja nur dem Zweck, Leuten egal was, anzudrehen, und ich will ja nur das verkaufen, von -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------dem ich überzeugt bin.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CM____Mir ist aufgefallen das Carhartt sich in all den Jahren mit g ro-

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ßen Werbekampagnen immer sehr zurückgehalten hat, heißt man is t nicht mit Carhartt Werbung zugeschmissen worden. Nur bestimmte Zeitungen und nur bestimmte Events. Teil deiner Phi losophie? Oliver_____Ganz klar, ich platziere die Werbung immer in den Magazinen die ich besonders liebe, gerne lese, und die mich auch immer wieder -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------unterhalten. Im Bereich Skateboard Magazine sag ich ganz ehrlich, schau ich auf die Magazine die gut verkauft werden. Im Skate- Bereich -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------gibt es viel mehr Magazine die nicht nur als Verkaufsmagazine arbeiten, sondern tiefer gehen und von Leuten gemacht werden die wirklich -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------in der Szene sind. “Bordstein” z. B. ist ein Magazin, das muss gefördert werden, die Jungs kriegen von Anderen keine Anzeigen mehr, das -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ist einfach so. Also haben wir mit “Bordstein” so eine klein Liaison angefangen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CM____Als Streetwear Firma musst du auch den Kontakt “zur Strasse” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------halten, das funktioniert meiner Meinung nach nur über junge Leute, oder habt ihr irg endwelche Trendscouts, V- Män ner? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Oliver_____Ich weiß, ich habe zum Glück (lachend) kleine Aussenstellen in der Verwandtschaft. Mein Vater hat nie aufgehört sich fleißig zu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------vermehren, da bin ich schon mal gut versorgt (lachend) und die Familie meiner Frau ist auch ziemlich groß, und die haben wieder Kinder, echte -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fans. Da gibt es zwei Neffen, die sind so um die zwölf Jahre alt, mit denen kann ich mich stundenlang über Musik und Mode austauschen. Und ganz blöd gesagt, ich interessiere mich nicht für “Erwachsenendinge”, meine Dinge sind, Comics, Straßenkunst, Musikmagazine, Musik selber, meine Frau ist genauso drauf. CM____Hast du selbst Kinder? Oliver_____Ich hab eine fünfjährige Carhartt Kindersweat angezogen, ich Amerika geschickt bekommen, und sie Kindergarten. Die Kinder sind heute

Tochter. Die hat heute ihr erstes habe gestern fünf Stück aus war richtig stolz, King vom sowieso schon ganz anders drauf,

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»ICH MACH ALLES WAS MICH INTERESSIERT EINFACH SO, AUS DEM BAUCH HERAUS (LACHT). EIGENTLICH MAG ICH DEN AUSSPRUCH “AUS DEM BAUCH HERAUS” NICHT, DAS KLINGT SO ... EGAL, ICH MACHE DIE DINGE SO WIE ICH MEINEN ALLTAG GESTALTE.« OLIVER DREWES Seite 17

OLIVER DREWES ///// CARHARTT

die reden schon im Kindergarten grübeln. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------über Haarfarben. Ich glaube da waren wir etwas einfacher Außerdem hat mich das vom branchen-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------gestrickt. Erst kürzlich fing sie üblichen Feiern weggeholt. Aber es an Scissor Sisters zu hören, klar -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ist so, dass ich mich nach über die sind bunt, schön und singen zehn Jahren, etwas zurück nehmen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------auch Balladen, das findet sie muss. Neue Leute müssen nach vorne, natürlich total toll. und dieser Prozess führt dazu, dass -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------mir der Beruf wieder viel mehr Spaß C M____Was wa r deine erste Platte? macht, weil ich mich nicht mehr mit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Oliver_____Das war von Mango Jerry Messages, Marketing, Big Business ”In the Summertime” und “She´s a auseinander setzen muss. Es gab -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rainbow” von den Rolling Stones, auch mal eine Zeit da hatte ich die hatte meine Mutter mir eine echte Krise von all diesem -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------geschenkt. Aber meine erste selbst- Kram, dass ich am liebsten alles gekaufte war “Forever and ever” von hingeschmissen hätte, und mich mit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Slik, das war die erste Band von meinem Hund verzogen. Aber eigentMidge Ure. lich kann ich mir nichts anderes vorstellen, vielleicht mit Tieren C M____Viele Leute brauc hen neben arbeiten, aber sonst habe ich in i hrem Beruf einen Ausgleich, füllt der Modebranche ziemlich viel d ich dein Beruf so aus, dass die durchgecheckt, und ich weiß genau, G renzen zwisc hen Arbeit und dass mich bis zu meinem letzten Tag Fr eizeit fließ end sind? sowieso nichts mehr interessiert, Oliver_____Ich versuch es mal so zu da wird nicht mehr viel dazukommen. beantworten, nach zwölf Jahren in dem Geschäft habe ich mich von diesem “Gemenschel” zurückgezogen. Das CM____Carhartt hat sich heißt ich gehe nicht mehr so gerne Szeneübergreifend durchgesetzt , ob in Meetings oder greife in die Punk. Modeaddict, DJ, ja selbst Politik der Firma ein. Ich merke Leute die wand ern gehen, tragen es. selber ich bin zu schüchtern und zu Deine Handschrift? zerfahren, immer wenn ich auf mehOliver_____Hm. Ich denke, bei vierere Menschen treffe hab ich keine len Leuten ist Carhartt gleich Lust mehr und geh dann ein bisschen Amerika, altes Produkt, Quality, weg. Das ist auch über die Jahre das ist dann schon mal charmant. immer mehr gekommen, weil ich immer Viele Leute wollen ja so was haben, gemerkt habe meine eigene Art wie bevor sie Geld ausgeben schauen sie ich Marketing mache erscheint viel- auch auf solche Attribute. Wiederum leicht naiv. Ich habe aber auch viele dieser Leute sind keine Lust mit Leuten darüber zu Individualisten, also Metal-Ding im reden und es immer wieder klarzuKontrast zu einem Rockabilly, oder stellen. Es kickt mich mehr, mich jemand aus der Hot Rod Szene, der drei Stunden mit einer dies auch trägt. Stickerkollektion zu beschäftigen als über ein Marketingpapier zu Das sind alles Produktliebhaber die

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machen keinen Modequatsch mit, die haben schon ihren Stil gefunden. Auf der anderen Seite gibt es sehr viele modescheue Leute die zu keiner Szene gehören wollen, wie z.B. ATA über den wir uns unterhalten haben, oder ein typischer DE:BUG Leser. Da ich selbst auch so bin, habe ich in diese Kunden meine Energie gesetzt. Ich würde gern noch mehr Bandbreite sehen, aber egal ob der Intro Leser oder der typische Spex Leser, der trägt Crahartt mit eine bisschen Second Hand und H&M. Der Qualityaspekt ist wichtig und auch der politisch korrekte Gedanke, aber das ganze nicht zu doll. CM____ Da hat bestimmt auch der Crossover Boom der Neunzi ger Jahre geholfen . Ganz Oliver_____Klar die Leute konnten sich von Szenen freischwimmen. CM____ Zuvor muss test du einer Szene angehören. Ja das war eine schlimme Zeit! Oliver_____Crossover war genau das was meinem Naturell entsprach, vermischen, rebellieren aber nicht schocken, schocken find ich doof. CM____ Du bist in Duisburg geboren, lebst immer n och dort? Oliver_____Ja, ich kann auch nicht weg, weil ich keine Zeit habe eine neue Wohnung zu suchen, auch will ich meine Tochter nicht aus dem gewohnten Umgebung raus holen. Außerdem ist Duisburg billig, und du kommst runter, wenn du dich den ganzen Tag mit dieser Hipness auseinandersetzen musst. Ich liebe Duisburg für dieses Unspektakuläre, hier gibt es nicht mal eine richtige Espressobar, hier geht man zu seiner Kneipe am Zoo trinkt sein König Pilsener isst sein Schnitzel, geht mit seiner Familie ne Runde, und fertig. CM____ Nach dies em Gesprä ch frage ich dich als jemanden der offen sichtlich viel Wert auf freie Entscheidungen legt und intuitiv arbeitet, was is t für dich der wichti gste Lebe nsaspekt? Die bildl ich gespr ochene Lu ft zum atmen? Oliver_____Ich denke Freiheit, ist das wichtigste im Leben, nicht nur auf meinem Beruf bezogen. Ich mag auch Reife nicht, dieses furchtbare Gehabe. Ich bin auch froh dass ich jetzt älter werde, die schlimmste Zeit ist, wenn du dich plötzlich als Erwachsener behaupten und beweisen musst, mehrere Handys haben, ein dickes Auto fahren, saufen, koksen, Machtmensch spielen muss. Jetzt kann ich mich viel mehr geben wie ich bin, als Kind darf man Scheiße bauen, dann kommt diese eklige Alter, dann darf man sonderbar werden. CM____ In mitten einer Hundezucht im Bademantel, Pfeife und einem grauen Schnäutzer? Oliver (lacht).

-------------------------WWW.carhartt.de

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REPORT

MARCO P ASSARANI JU NE 2005 Questions ___BOLD

CM____What’ s behind the artwork and the tit le of your new album »S ul len Lo ok« ?

23.04.2005

ROMA

»WELL »SULLEN LOOK« MEANS MANY THINGS TO ME. OF COURSE, IT MEANS A KIND OF A SAD LOOK AND OF BEING SAD IN A WAY, BUT IT ALSO REPRESENTS SOME FEELINGS I HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.« MARCO PASSARINI

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Marc o___Well »S ullen Look« mea ns many things to me. Of co urse, it means a kind of a sad look and of being sad in a way, but it also represents some feelings I ha d in the last couple of years which included the end of my relationship with my girlfriend. I thought she was the right one and this made me really, really sad and sull en looking« basi cally. But also a few other things didn’t make me happy in the last couple of years - with the work I am doing, for example, all these things which happened with our music. You know we had this license with EMI/Sony and things didn’t really work. It was quite a couple of depressing years in terms of work and on the personal level. I needed something like that to represent basically the state of my feelings; basically that was kind of depressed. The artwork represents this Sullen Look with the smileys without the smile (laughing) and, at the same time, it’s kind of related with the music and how I feel about dance music at the moment. I was luckily involved in the scene since I was very young. So I saw the beginning of the scene and I remember the way the smileys were back in 1989. I think there is something pretty much different at the moment in the clubs. I don’t feel this spontaneous thing anymore. It’s much more rare. So when you look on the cover, there’s just one smiley with a smile and all the others are kind of depressed, because I think the original spirit... it’s not lost but it’s kind of lost in the middle of many other difference levels. I know we are talking about 15

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MARCO PASSARANI - - - -

ous and instinctual side of making music gets lost. This is normal and understandable. At the same time , I tell myself that if I can get five p ercent ba ck from these instinctual and spontaneous feelings, I w ould be the happiest person in t he world because this makes everything more surprising. Today you have techno, minimal you 889software km2 have this and that.Fläche: You have - you can do your broken beats Einwohner: 3.45 Millionen more broken than ever. Even when you are DJing, you have records which are perfectly done in order to make it happen in the club when you put them together - you know what I mean. If it. As I said before, I am looking for this instinctual feeling that’s my aim at the moment. It’s not about tricks, technique or anything like this. Let’s throw away the rules and put our hearts and emotions in.

REPORT

MARCO PASSARAN I JUNE 20 05 Questions___BOLD

CM____Okay, now I u nderstand what you mean and I gu ess many of us share your thoughts and feel ings, but do you have a ny idea what will help to bri ng these missing things back? years and many things have changed but I am missing this spontaneous feeling. I think it’s lost in our way we feel the music. It’s still there but you have to look for it. Before it was very clear and visible everywhere but now you have to dig deep and look for it and that’s mostly the meaning of the artwork.

Marco___Just probably stop thinking about it and just do it. Just being silent for a little while and just throw our emotions outside. It’s something very passionate and it can be different from one person to another person. So basically just to follow our instincts. Stop thinking about everything.

It’s not about being sad because it’s not exciting. It’s about trying to get this feeling again. Techno and in general House music was something new and different and I miss this kind of flavour. I am trying to get this feeling back but in a new way. It’s not about sounds or technique it’s more about attitude.

For example, making music or just creating a beat, you have new software, hardware and all that stuff. Everything is changing so fast. Just get what you need and just do it. Very instinctually and do it just in an easy way. Just use your soul and what’s inside of you. Just being emotional... It’s just what music is all about. It’s about communicating emotions.

CM____ Maybe the reason for the lost fe eling is the fact that one can access lots of inform ation thr ough the Internet. One doesn’t have to live t he music? Marco___No, I mean that’s a normal process. In become more and more dictated by rules because about the music. You know more about how to do more about what’s going on when you do certain normal in every kind of style.

my opinion things you know more it. You know things. This is

I am really happy about when it comes to innovations and changes in old things but at the moment I feel we did mostly everything. We went from silence to noise passing to different kinds of arrangements for electronic, for dance and any kind of music. Of course, everything now has its own rules because we’ve been exploring most of the fields and, of course, the spontane-

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Maybe young musicians help to close this gap because they wan t to express themselves? Hmm, no I guess everyone can help. It has nothing to do with the age. Even young peop le sometim es are just doing things because they think it’ s cool to do it in this way or that way. Just forget ab out hype. I think everyone can h elp to find the PROFESSION

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ROMA////ITALIA OBJECT

X MARCO PASSARANI

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MARCO PASSARANI - - - -

REPORT

MARCO PA SSARANI JUNE 2005 Questions___BO LD

original spirit of music. D on’t forg et older people often can tell m ore sto ries because they have prob ably more experien ces. But at the same ti me young people are more li ke . . . how can I say. . . they have mor e strengt h to spread out t heir words. CM____Yes I agree but I guess sometimes young people are mor e open? Marco___Are you sure? I have the feeling that at the moment that young people are more confused by all this information they have and they get lost between all these things.

CM____Yes but this is a point I a lso stated before.

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Marco___Ha ha, come on let’s find a consensus (laughing). Music does not depend on the age. It must come from the heart and it’s a matter of feelings.

CM____I agree even when I face the fact t hat we both share the same age (Marco begins to l augh). In the last few weeks you toured a lot through Europe and America. Were TH ERE momen ts when you thought, “I got a lot of the emotions back”?

OBJECT

X MARCO PASSARANI

Marco___Sure, you know it’s different when I am DJing. You get a lot of the emotions back that you put in your set. It’s not always like that but I have the feeling that everywhere I go, I found people who share emotions with me. Sometimes it’s easier. Sometimes it’s harder. It depends also where

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MARCO PASSARANI - - - you are - if you are in a club where people are waiting for a person who guides them or if you are in a club where the people are more open to the music. I have the feeling that when I am playing out there, I am always able to establish this feeling with the people. Of course I a m sure it does not work for e veryone. Not every one is compatible with your message. But it happens and I am happy with that. CM____On your album is a kind of cover song fr om Alexan der O’Neil ,

»Cr iticize« . W hat was the reas on to pick up this them e?

Marco___Well it’s not a cover version. We just took some lyrics from the original. But you know there’s no particular reason for that. The original song Criticize is one off my top ten songs ever. Hmm or maybe not top ten, top fifty (we both laughing). I was just messing around with it when I made this track. When I made this track I had this kind of old school Chicago House flavour and then I was just looking for some kind of lyrics for this track and I put the accapella on top of it and it really worked. And then something happened when Orland Oye was in Rome. You know he always visits our studio and he heard the song and said to me, “Let me sing the lyrics,” because I told him before that I couldn’t use the sampled lyrics from the original. We did it and just had a lot of fun! It’s was very spontaneous again. In the beginning I made this track for Pigna, our dancefloor label. But there is no mental reason behind. It’s very instinctual as I said (laughing). CM____And why have you released the album on Peacefrog and not o n your own label? And how did you get signed on Pe acefrog? Marco___Basically since I am the.... sorry I am watching something on TV (laughing)... Die go Maradon na is visiting Naples and he is visiting the goodbye match of one of the players called Cerrada. He is one of the defender of Naples and now there are ninety thousand people in the stadium and they are crying at the moment. That’s why I wa s laughin g.... sor ry man (laughing). Ok back to the question: I run three labels and I also released a lot of records also on international labels but most of them on my own labels. But you know being the one always pushing the others and giving them reasons to go on and telling them like This is good. This is bad and so I need a challenge in a different field and someone who is doing the same things for me as I did for others. I needed to test myself with some other people and I had the feeling that if I am releasing my own rec ord on one of my labe ls it’s kind of fake to me. So I dec ided to try to go somewhere where people kick me i n my ass and t ell me this is good or this is bad. Peacefrog is a very respectable label and they did a very good job in the past few years and I love the things they are doing so it was perfect to come together. The story was that I sent them some promotional stuff. And after a few days they called me and we came together.

REPORT

MARCO PA SSARANI JUNE 2005 Questions___BO LD

were talking about a CD with five tracks on it. So I called them because I’d sent them a CD with eight tracks on it, so maybe we are talking about the wrong CD. But then they told me that they have received a CD from a common friend from scape and he sent them another CD with other Tracks I was not supposed to give them at the beginning (laughing). I just didn’t know that. I was totally confused because Critisize and I House You were not supposed to be released I just did them exclusively for my DJ set! (laughing) You want to listen to it? Just come to my set! ___________________ CM____I have the feeling that you have to tour m ore than ever after your Peacefrog release! Marco___Yes, you know I always DJayed and toured but I have the feeling through the release on Peacefrog my name is more on the map than ever. I think we did good work here at Finalfrontier. I think we worked in a serious way and I am satisfied with that. But Peacefrog is like a Turbo . They pushed the Turbo button. Working with them helped a lot.

LAST SEEN ON www.finalfrontier.it

The funny story is after a few days more I got a message from them and they

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PROFESSION

DATE

X SINGER/ARTIST OBJECT

X BENJAMIN DIXAMOND

»FIRST OF ALL, I AM A MUSICIAN. I AM WRITING SONGS. I TRY TO PASS EMOTIONS IN A SONG AND A STYLE IS JUST SOMETHING YOU MAKE TO EXPRESS SOMETHING. BUT DANCE MUSIC IS MUSIC I LIKE. THE DANCE CULTURE IS VERY LARGE AND HAS HISTORY.«

»MUSIC SOUNDS BETTER WITH YOU« .... I HIJACK BENJAMIN IN COLOGNE. HE S DOING A SHORT TOUR IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE HIS NEW ALBUM »OUT OF MYSELF«. THINKING ABOUT BENJAMIN S CAREER, STARTING AS THE VOICE OF STARDUST, HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM STILL LABELED AS A DANCE SINGER AND HIS SUPERB ECLECTIC LABEL DIAMONDTRAX, THERE IS NO REASON TO ASK WHY HIS NEW ALBUM IS TITLED »OUT OF MYSELF« . CM____ First thin g I noticed when listenening to your new alb um was that it sounds comple tely diffe rent to your last album and to the style of Stardust? Benjamin___When I came into music business it was with Stardust "Music sounds different with you" and for me it was a kind of accident, because I used doing music for a long time, I've been doing music since I was twelve. I was in different kind of bands and played different styles of music. I meet Alan Braxe a very long time ago before he was one of the members of Daft Punk. And then one day we meet again and decided to do a song together and then you know then happened what happened and from this moment I was being labeled as a dance singer which is completely different from that what I am exactly. As I said before I am a musician and a singer since I was twelve and the things I do right now are different to the songs I wrote on my last albums but yeah, this is the kind of music I really

like to do, it's the kind of music which I always like to do. It's very difficult for some people to accept that this music is so different to the things I've done before and they ask themselves why my style has changed so much. But first of all this is part of my eclecticism in music. I like so many styles of music and I like to write different songs. But to be sure it's a big big step to come back with different music than the music I did before and I really hope people are going deep into my new album and accept a different Benjamin Diamond apart from that what they maybe except. (laughing) You know I just like to write my songs that's part of my life what makes me happy. CM____But dance music is a style you like and in which you are still inter ested in?

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BENJAMIN DIAMOND Yes definitely it's a style I really like, but I am not coming from that what people sometimes call the "dance culture". I am not a DJ, I am not a sound engineer and I was not raised in this movement, that's for sure. When I was sixteen I was going out in Paris, which was very boring until 1989 when we went to the gay parties. This was the beginning of the dance culture in France, but this is a part of my of my own culture. There are many dance artists and tracks I like, but I never said to myself this is exactly what I wanted to do forever, first of all I am a musician I am writing songs. I try to pass emotions in a song and a style is just something you make to express something. But dance music is music I like, the dance culture is very large and has a history. But I also listen to music from the sixties or concrete music, but you know, the style doesn't matter really. It's important what you try to express into the music. Even Kraftwerk which you maybe can describe as cold music, when you listen to it you feel there is a soul or something deep behind it. (Benjamin stops for a minute) You know it's nothing against you, but so many people asked me in the last weeks why I am doing now this kind of music which is so different to the things I've done before. It's so difficult to explain a thing like that, I never asked myself, I never went to my studio and told myself "now I produce this or that kind of music because this is the best for my career". For example, when Miles Davis went from Bebop to Free Jazz, some people had problems with it like "this is no music anymore, he changed everything!" CM____I guess you can't take your turnta bles into the gra ve ... Benjamin___(laughing) Yes you understood what I want to express (still laughing). I will repeat this in my next interview when people asking me the same question! CM____You had this huge success to gether Seite 34

with Stardust, has this success affected or changed your life? Benjamin___I think I used to live this success very down to earth and for me that's never changed my point of view and my world and the way doing things, never! It helped me a lot to raise and own a label and to produce different things. Probably some things became easier for me. But it is a mistake to think that this success opened every door for me. And don't forget it was just one song in the ocean of music. If you compare that one song with the history of music it is really nothing. CM____ Is the title of the album "Out of myself " then kind of a personal state ment? Benjamin___In a way I would say "yes". Because it's very important when you have something in your mind, you are with your mind, you are completely into it, which is very intellectual. The way I live my music and the way I compose my music is very strange, it's very close to what the Afro-Americans used to call Soul music in the sixties. Which is something you have inside, so I like to call my music "inside music". And in the meantime music is something very intellectual also and

something very mechanical. You also have to learn and put things together for a proper sound. Dealing with that is sometimes a bit difficult when you are doing the music on your own. So when I made this album I looked from the outside on it and tried to be sure if everything's in the way it should be. But you know I tried to see the album in a different view which is very difficult when you do things all by yourself or try to keep control of things. That's one of the reasons that I called it like that. In the beginning I didn't want to call the album like that and finally I just found out that the title was fitting so well with the way I have done it and the way things happened. It was kind of wining a Rallye cup when I finished it. (laughing) CM____B ut you had people who help ed you to produce the Aalb um or was really everything done by yourself? Benjamin___In the beginning I did everything by myself in my studio, but as I told you when you do everything alone it is like going every

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»I LIKE THIS IDEA THAT PEOPLE FIND THEMSELVES IN FICTION. I THINK THIS IS THE CONCEPT OF POP MUSIC. PEOPLE HEARING A SONG AND THEY GET THE FEELING THIS GUY IS TALKING TO YOU. THIS IS MY LIFE. HE’S TELLING MY STORY AND THAT’S ALSO OBSESSING ME ABOUT WRITING SONGS.« day and watching yourself in the mirror. And for me it was difficult to put on the make-up (laughing). You look into the mirror and see a spot here and a spot there and you paint and paint and paint. And that was the way I did things in the beginning and then some guys I knew and some friends

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from the Group Octett helped me a lot with the producing process, this was very important because they helped me to get a very straight sound. Also to have my musicians in the studio helped me a lot because I don't know how to play drums, I tried to do what I could like playing bass, keyboards and all the voices. You can say I was the engine from the beginning but I found out that I couldn't do everything alone ...

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CM___ _And I guess other people can he lp you when they criticize you. Benjamin___Yes exactly, that also happened and it helped me a lot, and the advice of the others was very important. CM___ _What abo ut the song writing and the cont ent of the songs? Are the songs based on personal experiences or more fict ion? Benjamin___Both, it's mixed and that's why I feel a little bit naked when the album is out. (laughing) But the funny thing is even when a song, a book or movie is fiction you get the feeling that this song,

B.DIAMOND REWARD XXXXXXiikXXXXX XXikkkikikX book or movie is talking about you, but it is not in fact. I like this idea that people find themselves in fiction, I think this is the concept of pop music. People hearing a song and they get the feeling this guy is talking to you, this is my life. He's telling my story and that's also obsessing me about writing songs. It's not a concept album but you know I tried to tell stories ... CM____So any song on the song? Benjamin___Maybe Give me it's very hard to answer by myself, so they all a

album you would s ay this is my most pers onal the grace" or "There's a girl"... but you know this question for me, because I wrote this songs part of my personality.

DETAILS. INFOS

PARIS MAP

CM____Ever thought about writing some s ongs in French? Benjamin___Yes, surely. I write in English and in French and my girlfriend helps me with the English songs, but to answer your question: maybe on the next album you will find some French songs. CM____You also lived for a while in England? Was yo ur girlfr iend the rea son for you to move to Engla nd? Benjamin___Yes, I lived there, but she wasn't actually the reason I moved. I met here there, but it was not really in England, it was in Wales! (laughing) CM____I have the fee ling that music is a e ssential p art of your life, like air. C ould you live without music? Definitely no. I couldn't live without music, it's a big part in my life. You must know I was completely in a self doubt before I finished this album. It helped me a lot to realize to do things all by myself and to trust in myself. I learned so much about myself through this, so you can say through music.(he stops and thinks) But you know, besides my music I also live a normal life, for example I am with friends and talk to them. You know I gave up smoking because I had the fear to lose my voice, it Seitee

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BENJAMIN DIAMOND/////////

sounds like a joke, but I got totally paranoid when I thought about losing it. (laughing) You know, I couldnt imagine to do anything else. XXXXXXXXXXIKKLLMMMMMMYXXXXXXXXXXXKKLLMMMMMMYXXXXXXXXXXXXX CM____I've heard some rumours you wer en' t so happy about y our last album release" Strange Attitude"? Benjamin___Hm, . . . No, it was okay, but you know I was very lonley behind my creation. I mean it's very difficult to find someone you can trust and who's gonna help you, stand behind you and who goes straight in the same direction, people who trust in you. During the production of "Strange Attitude" I had the feeling of being a product. Maybe, a big big maybe, I would accept being a product if I have the feeling that someone stands behind you and understands what you want to express. But to be honest, being a product is not my point of view in artistical creation. I have to say something and express myself through my songs and this is very difficult when you are treated like a product. But don't get me wrong I felt happy with the first one also I made many mistakes with "Strange Attitude", but it was important for me to do it. CM____And how com yo u signed with K7? Benjamin___That's very simple, Marc from Italic here in Cologne is doing the promotion for my label Diamondtrax and he introduced me to K7. CM____If you hadn't signed with K7, would it have been an option to release the album on Diamondtra x? Benjamin___Yes surely, because when I was in the studio I also had the option to release it on an English label and I also thought about release on my own label. Yeah, but K7 was the best thing for me. CM____What happens on Diamondtrax in th e moment? Benjamin___I released an Compilation Album from the D-I-R-T-Y crew here in Paris, at the moment I am producing an album from a band called Hush Puppies, it is a rock band and I think we will release the album in October. I am also working on a Hip Hop Broken Beat project and we are preparing another compilation with "Artist Unreleased". We are also planning a Festival in Paris in January with twelve unknown artists, which is also a big project for us. CM____Do you have y our own definition of success? Benjamin___My definition is quite simple, success is to be free and to be able to do the things you want to do. I am not interested in spending my money in big cars or something like that, you know, I could have done it, but I preferred to put the money from the music to new music. This freedom makes me happy.

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DIRTY PRINCESS

Name

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DIRTY PRINCESS //////// ///////

DIRTY P____You are right. Laughing about ourselves is a good healthy practice.

REPORT

DIRTY PRINCESS APRIL 2005 Questions___BOLD

CM____ What’s th e story of Dirty Princess so far? I know that you also did a lot of visuals in Spain befo re. What was the idea behind starting the group Dirty P rincess ? And what’s the meanin g of Dirty Princess ? I t paints the picture in my mind of a comic by Georges P ichard ab out a sadistic princess ... DIRTY P____The auto critic and the irony. What invokes us with a Dirty Princess is a vision of women in the modern society. In Spain, there is a lot of hypocrisy, and artistic repression. We use our own image for our own profit. CM____ And from where do you k now each other? You and Big Toxi c are from Madrid. But Jasmine was born in Argentina? When and why did you move to Spain? DIRTY P____Big Toxic is a Dirty Princess ideologue. He was doing audiovisual live with Nikky for some years. We were looking for a girl. We asked some friends. Yasmin used to be a girlfriend of DJ Pilas, a friend of ours. He gave us some Yasmin video art. It was about Yasmin completely naked around Madrid during the strike. So, that was definitive. CM____ On your website there are many s tatements and expla nations about Dirty Princess. Some of them see m to me like w ord games “we have hair on ou r tongues. ..” On the other side w hen someo ne visits your website for the f irst time it looks a li ttle bit scary. But when you take a second look it seems to me that you take your message serious but it all is about humour and also fun. Am I co mpletely wr ong?

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CM____Money corrupts. We are corrupted although we don’t have money. Never so m any peopl e had not much - a statement against globalisati on? DIRTY P____Against poverty. The globalisation is a consequence of our own human evolution. That doesn’t mean that humanity is fitting “in a good way”. This evolution, nowadays, from globalisation only has been profiting the ones who have more - in contrast with the others who don’t have nothing. But globalisation is that more people around the world are synchronized and conscious about that. Jugar al R eves “To play the misfortune” is remixed by Roman Flügel. How did it come to this? We met him at Coppelia 101 Madrid at the time Alter Ego came to play. We became friends and afterwards came the remix. XXXXXXXXXXX CM____And also Sven Väth play s your record, aN honour to you? DIRTY P____It’s an honour for us. Big Toxic has been following him since “Electrica Salsa”. CM____I must admit that I didn’t get the w hole mean ing of all your lyrics. Can you explai n it to me? DIRTY P____The lyrics CAME from reflexions about morality and society, about nocturne live stories. Others a dadaist games playing with words with a different meanings. There are some which are a protest (Tampax: Mientras espero que me dejen de joder”). While I’m waiting they stop pissing me off”; but cordially though, and with a happy sense of humour. CM____Nicky, I saw some visu als you’ve made last year at the experi mental club festival. This w as the first time I hea rd about you and I became c urious. I t struck me right away that you used a lot of porn and f etish art pictures besides symbols from other characters.

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DIRTY PRINCESS SPAINXXXXLLX

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DIRTY PRINCESS PROFESSION

DATE

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APRIL 2005 DIRTY PRINCESS SPAINXXXXLLX

Questions___BOLD

What the reason for using pic tures wit h “pornog raphic con tent”. What message is in your video installa tion? I guess using these pic tures just to get attention would be too simpl e… In fact, la Casa Encendida is a building which belonged to a bank controlled by the Catholic Church (Opus Dei). Since we had been playing in Casa Encendida sometimes, the boss didn’t allow us to play any erotic visions of the human. The visuals at Experimenta Festival were about property speculation - the psychosis of the terrorism control in Madrid. The dog shitting on the street next to a grandmother; that street was where the “land burger master” lives in her big palace. . . There were some visuals about women. It’s because we use the body of the woman for showing beauty, and an exited woman is a sign of happiness. CM____ For the visuals you use an Apple Ibook. Which software do you use to create yo ur instal lations? Have you studied art or film? DIRTY P____I’m self-taught. What I really want to do, I’ve been doing. We work with (because Big Toxic does visuals too - in Fact he has been my teacher) Ander Vtrack, Final Cut, and I’m going to start with Shake. But in live, I work meanly with Edirol V8, previously edited at he Studio with many inputs. CM____ Ba ack to Dirty Princess: You perform nearly naked in front of the audience. Why? Is it another way to express y ourself o r a kind of confrontation? You also had the choice to shock people , for example, through a video i nstallation, so whe n did

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»DOING ART IN MADRID IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN DOING IT IN OVIEDO OR SEVILLA, BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE ECONOMIC AIDS TO THOSE SMALL COUNTIES TO PROMOTE THEIR LOCAL ARTISTS. IRONICALLY THE MAJORITY OF THE ARTISTS FROM OVIEDO AND SEVILLA LIVE IN MADRID OR OUT OF SPAIN, SO IT’S ALWAYS EASIER. IN MADRID, Seite

DIRTY PRINCESS ////////

THE COMPETENCE IS HUGE AND ARTISTS’ NONEXISTENCE A RESULT OF CULTURAL/POLTICAL.«

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you decide to perform it by yourselves? DIRTY P____We are not really naked. That is not the important thing. All the songs are synchronized/edited. Mainly we want to use the video for the confrontation of the audience. The video supports the idea that shows that we don’t care about what the audience thinks about us. From the beginning of Dirty Princess, there has been performance because it was thought as a live band. But the performance has been the way to get back to the stage after too many years of laptop shows. CM____Ever get problems with the audie nce when you perform nearly naked? Or e ver get problems with the police? DIRTY P____With the audience, never - with the police once when we placed at Plaza de Callao with Radio National Station 12 in the afternoon . CM____In Vienna, I saw more people with a camera in front of the

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DIRTY PRINCESS ////////

stage than in ot her concer ts. Isn’t there a risk that som e people just come to your conce rts to see two naked gir ls? DIRTY P____We don’t think people buy tickets to make pictures. We usually provoke media people into making pictures and video of their favourite bands. CM____Was this video also on Music TV? ... No pr oblems wi th things like x-rating? Was this video also on Music TV? Jugar al Revés has been on some music TV (MTV Europe, MTV Spain, Telemadrid, Canal + ) without any problems. CM____So nearly the last q uestion a bout the “sex thing”. For me it’ s a very special thing, in my opinion. Spain is a ve ry catholi c country . Friends told me a few years ago that in Spain young girls had big pro blems to get the pill because their parents didn’t allow i t. So they were forced to u se abortio n instead of taking the pill. On the other hand, lots of in novative a rt comes from Spain which is rel ated to sex and how the soci ety handle s it..... .even for example Almudena Grandes in the nineties. Is there a split society in Spain? And do you think just, for example, when you woul d live in Sevilla or O viedo you would get more problems with your art tha n in Madrid? Or do you think things have changed in the l ast few years? Or do yo u give a fuck about cou ntries an d their societal limitations, which would be t he easiest question ... DIRTY P____Spain is a too divided. Since centurias de modernity and the illustration has had opposition in many aspects. Even Spanish flamenco music is just a pre-medieval lament which CAME from tradition. It’s a country which resists to modernization. People from Spain usually are outstanding as a reaction to the general stagnation - for example, Buñuel, Dalí, Ramón y Cajal, Santiago Ferrrer, Valdelomar. There are some small cities with big bands as “Putilatex” from Albacete and “Luxury 54” from Cáceres. So it depends on the health of the city. Sevilla is crap just flamenco and bourgeoisie from traditional style of life.

the sex lyrics are from Yasmin. Nikky about her own philosophy. Anyway, at the moment we are finishing the lyrics. We finished them all together to get more of everybody in it. CM____What about your musical experiences other bands or proje cts you’v e done before Dirty Pr incess? DIRTY P____Yasmin had in Argentina two bands: “Monte the Venus” and “Cherry Me Pai”. Big Toxic had his first industrial band called “Frecuencia Veta” and produced Alaska, La Fura dels Baus, Sexy Sadie, Bunbury... More than 100 remixes for Spanish bands and drum & bass records, “MoneyLand” and “Love&Piss”. CM____I saw that Big toxi c uses a Nord Keyboard on stage? Can you tell me something about your live equipment ? DIRTY P____That’s simple: a Nord Keyboard, an MV8000 Roland Evolver, Waldorf Pulse and Apple Mac . . . CM____Any plans for a comple te album? DIRTY P____DVD of our lives will release this summer. Someday the CD . . . CM____So what’s so special about Jez zebelle Bo nd? DIRTY P____Suze Randall pictures are fantastic. Jezzebelle Bond thing small tits, dark hair, funny and with personality. -----------------------------

LAST SEEN ON www.dirty-princess.com

REPORT

PART II Fortunately, Spain is changing but too slowly. Doing art in Madrid is more difficult than doing it in Oviedo or Sevilla, because there are more economic aids to those small counties to promote their local artists. Ironically the majority of the artists from Oviedo and Sevilla live in Madrid or out of Spain, so it’s always easier. In Madrid, the competence is huge and artists’ non-existence a result of cultural/poltical. CM____Who makes what? Big Toxic mak es the music? Yasmin and Nicky w rite the lyrics? DIRTY P____Big Toxic suggests a point (I mean a theme, subject and afterwards “it came up”). Most political lyrics are from Toxic. Most of

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APRIL 2005 Questions___BOLD

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DAN CURTIN ////////

»YES, THERE ARE MANY TOO MANY DJ AND »DJS« OUT THERE BUT NOW, AS IN THE EARLY 90S, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW GREAT DJS AND THEY ARE DOING FINE. PEOPLE ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR AND RECOGNIZING GOOD MUSIC. THERE IS SATURATION, JUST LIKE IN NET LABELS, BUT ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE!«

CM___What happened to the Metrecs l abel? Can we spot it in interstellar space? Is that what I rea d on the webpage yesterday It’s back! After a hiatus of two years there will be a release in June. CM___What do you think ab out digita l - or net labels - providing songs in mp3 for mat? Is this the alternati ve for the music market? Dan___I think that this is certainly an alternative for the music market. In themselves, internet labels exemplify the underground in its purest form in that an artist can release music directly to the public with no interference. The problem is that since anybody can do it, anybody does do it and the quality suffers. In the same way that the drop in prices of studio equipment in the 80’s allowed people to make music with a small investment, the ease of making music today results in a saturation of the market making it more and more difficult for the gems to shine through, so to speak. I think that the cost of owning and operating a physical studio, and the cost and effort of operating a physical record label acts as a sort of natural filtering device. You have to really want it to produce a record. And when there is money involved people think twice about what they do. So, in the end, net labels are good and bad. We’ll just have to see how this changes the market in the future. CM___What was the reason t hat you left America/Cle veland and moved to Berlin? And why? Dan___Purely for personal reasons that have nothing to do with music. My wife, Sandra, is attending university here in Berlin.

CM___Since when do you liv e in Berlin? Seite

DAN CURTIN

What has changed in Berl in in the last few years? Dan___I’ve lived in Berlin since September 2003. My view of Berlin previous to that was based only on coming here for short DJ trips or for the Love Parade or something so I can’t say with the accuracy of a real Berliner what has changed. In my opinion, the scene has simply expanded, minimal has completely taken over, and everyone is mad for clubbing! CM___Toda y many people call this t own the most relevant city for D Js and electronic musicians . What do you t hink about that statement? Dan___I think that this town is unrivaled for its nightlife. There is nothing else to say. Berlin is simply incredible if you like to party. Every artist and DJ comes through here. If you live here you will have the chance to see your favorite star, for sure. Clubs never close. There is electronic music everywhere at night. There are great record stores too. I don’t think that Berlin is particularly relevant if you produce or spin Detroit

techno, or deep house, or house in general, or UK techno. But if you are into minimal or 80’s influenced Euro techno then this is where you need to be.

PART II CM___O k, enough about Berlin. What is planne d for 2005 - an y new releases or collabora tions? Dan___I have confirmed material coming out on Metamorphic, Starbaby, D1, Tuning Spork, Angelmaker Records, a full length CD and 2x12 on Emoticon/Headspace Recordings, and several re-issues on Metamorphic Digital, the digital download version of Metamorphic. . . CM___Y ou started to produce music at the beginn ing of the nineties. I’ve read tha t you’ve been influenced by hip h op, punk and new wave music. T hese days, do you still have time to li sten to other music besides techno music?

I’ve picked up some CDs by The Sea and Cake too... In the last fifteen y ears DJs became more and more popular. Today it seems to me that every night there is a DJ set in every town and every s econd pers on on earth is a D J. What do you think? Isn ’t there the risk that this evolution will destroy the DJ/Music scene someday? I mean too much of every thing and the people get tired to lis ten to new music... I think that this should have already happened by now and it hasn’t so it probably won’t. Yes, there are many too many DJ and DJs out there but now, as in the early 90s, there are only a few great DJs and they are doing fine. People are still searching for and recognizing good music. There is saturation, just like in net labels, but only the strong survive!

CM___In your opinion what makes a DJ/DJ Set/pro ducer uniq ue in these days?

Dan___Yeah, sure. I’ve been listening to The Cure and Lee Scratch Perry recently. Seite

DAN CURTIN //////// 10

Same as always - talent, skill, innovation, funk, soul, feelings, and innovation. CM_ __Accordin g t o th at q uestion, afte r » the fat and big techno years « w hat do you think about the f uture of techno? For example, Glam Rock d ied after 5 years....

Dan___Techno and House are here to stay. It should have died by now but it hasn’t. People still love to listen and dance. Producers and DJs need to keep making it for their souls. Too many people listen to this as their own music. Many weak labels and distributors have died. And this has been very healthy for the business. The only way the scene will die is if new producers stop injecting fresh blood into the scene.

CM___When I look through your monthly personal charts, there are ma ny diffe rent records and styles. Do yo u still spend a lot of time in record shops? Maybe a silly question: do you spend a lot o f money buying records?

»TECHNO AND HOUSE ARE HERE TO STAY. IT SHOULD HAVE DIED BY NOW BUT IT HASN’T. PEOPLE STILL LOVE TO LISTEN AND DANCE. PRODUCERS AND DJS NEED TO KEEP MAKING IT FOR THEIR SOULS.« Well, records are expensive, that is for sure. I usually buy two or three each week. I don’t need more than that. I like to get to know the records very well and play things that I like often. I will never change my entire set once each month. I have several records in my box that I have played at every gig for years. They are just so great that I can’t stop playing them. Plus, thankfully, I receive promos every week so this helps to supplement my record buying.

Seite

CM___I s there any track you might say , “This is the Soundtrack of my life.” Or does it change periodically? Dan___It does change. But the other day we were at Panorama Bar at 11:00 on a sunny Sunday morning and “It Is What It Is” by Rhythm is Rhythm came on and it was perfect... I’ve mentioned this before but this track or “Can You Feel It” by Mr. Fingers would be the two most influential house/techno tracks for me.

PART III CM___I n an Interview from 1995, I fou nd some questions about your 303 and all that stuff. What happened to your old gear? Do still use som e old equipment? Dan___I still have a hardware based studio to use with my digital stuff. I like them both and use them both. But I don’t have my 303s anymore! Sold them years ago... CM___A nd which type of gear d o you use today for yo ur product ions? Dan___I use Logic Pro 6.4 on a Mac G4 as the center of my studio in addition to Native Instruments Battery 2, Absynth 3, and Kompakt. I have made several tracks recently with Reason 2.5 which I find surprisingly expressive (too bad about the sound quality). Then I also use TR-909, SH-101, MC-202 and stuff like that...

CM___Is music and being a DJ a part of your life yo u’ll never miss? Do you have any interests besides music - cooking, r eading, or whatever? I remember that we talked about BMX bikes when w e first meet in Cologne last yea r. Dan____Ha ha, I used to ride BMX as a teen and in my early 20s and I still follow it a little. But I don’t ride BMX anymore. I’d have to say that making music is more than part of my life. It is what I do and has had a huge impact on my life and it is something that I will never stop even if I do stop doing it as a career. My other big hobby is mountain biking...that is my switch off activity to get away from the music business for some time. I train with mountain biking every day...then I’m not thinking about anything; just reacting and completely separating myself from all things relating to music and business! Seite

DAN CURTIN /////

CM____Are you interested in politics? Perhaps you may a llow me to ask the f ollowing q uestion: The Germa ns discuss ed a lot about the US government, the Iraq war and the US elec tions. From yo ur point of view as an American who lives i n Germany,

PART IV XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Do you thi nk that Germans discuss too much about th ings they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t into? Do the y interfe re too much? Or do you think every discussion (Yes, Germans like to discu ss.) is even better than waiting and doing nothi ng? Dan___I think that it is excellent that Germans discuss as much about the world as possible! And when you are talking about Bush, his war, and the results of his actions you are talking about events that have an impact on everyone on this planet. So everyone has a right to discuss what the US is doing. I find that talking about world politics with Germans is extremely refreshing as Germans are knowledgeable and they have a different perspective than Americans.

WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT BUSH, HIS WAR, AND THE RESULTS OF HIS ACTIONS YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT EVENTS THAT HAVE AN IMPACT ON EVERYONE ON THIS PLANET.

CM___Techno and politics: normally someone who does know so much about techno would say techn o is a very no n-political style of music? Dan___Only in that there are no lyrics, but very political in that the emotions that techno and house evoke inspire people to think differently about the way they view the world. Lets face it, somebody with their hands in the air, smiling, grooving to, and feeling Theo Parrish is not going to bomb anyone! Ever!

DAN CURTIN

PROFESSION

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OBJECT

LAST SEEN ON www.metrecs.com .-------------

DAN CURTIN////BERLIN www.metrecs.com

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POLLERWIESEN______PATRICK

Name ////

KÖLN

POLLER WIESEN PATRICK PROFESSION

DATE

PROMOTER

JUNE 2005

OBJECT

PATRICK www.pollerwiesen.org

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POLLERWIESEN______PATRICK

»ALSO ES HAT NIE EINE POLLER WIESE GEGEBEN, WO ICH SAGEN WÜRDE HEY DIE KANNST DU STREICHEN! ES IST NIE EINE RICHTIG ABGEBROCHEN WORDEN, UND WENN DANN HABEN WIR WO ANDERS WIEDER WEITER GEMACHT

CM___Letztes Jahr feierte Pollerwiesen sein 10 Jä hriges, kannst du mi r etwas zur Geschichte der Pollerwiesen erzählen? Patrick___Ja, angefangen hat alles 1994. Ich war in Indien unterwegs und habe am Ende der Reise den obligatorischen Abstecher nach Goa gemacht. Verweilte dort so in etwa zwei Monte, habe mir alles angeschaut, logischerweise auch die Goa Parties, und wie die so ablaufen. Und dachte mir”, was dort geht muss doch auch bei uns funktionierenî. Ich hatte dann die Idee die Struktur einer Goa Party zu ¸bernehmen, aber andere Musik zu spielen, eben Techno. Zurück in Deutschland, habe ich mit einer Freundin zusammen alle Komponenten besorgt, ein Generator, eine Anlage, eine Bar und logischerweise DJs, und haben dann in Frechen Groﬂkönigsdorf auf einem Grillplatz die erste Party gemacht. Das ganze hat tags¸ber als Daytime Party stattgefunden, da waren auf Anhieb ca. 200 Leute.

Flyern, f¸r jede Party eine andere Krake, (lacht) meine Partnerin konnte sehr gut zeichnen. Damals war es eben noch so, dass wir am Abend zuvor rausgegangen sind, bis morgens durchgemacht haben, und nebenbei unsere Flyer verteilt haben. Auch in guten Boutiquen in der Ehrenstrasse, die gab es da damals noch, und in den anderen in Clubs legten wir aus. CM___Die erste Party war also im schönen Frechen, wie k am es dann zum N amen Pollerwiese? Oder hatte deine Part yreihe damals noch ein en anderen Namen?

Patrick____Als ich anfing nannte wir es schlicht und einfach -Openair-. Bei der dritten Party in Frechen, wir hatten bei den ersten beiden Partys Probleme mit der Lautst rke und der Polizei, stand die Feuerwehr, die Polizei und der B¸rgermeister auf dem Grundst¸ck und teilten uns mit, dass wir den Platz wegen Waldbrandgefahr nicht nutzen dürften. Tja die Anlage war schon da, die ersten Gäste warteten schon, jetzt hatten wir natürlich ein Problem. Da ich schon immer mal in Köln auf den Poller Wiesen eine Party machen wollte, du hast da eine wunderbare CM___Wie habt ihr das damals publik Aussicht auf den Dom, den Fernsehturm und gemacht, das waren ja medientech die Skyline von Köln, sagte ich kurzernisch noch g anz andere Zeiten? hand -Kommt wir packen unsere Sachen und fahren zur Poller Wiese! Wir sind dann Patrick___Von Anfang an war unser alle da hin gefahren und haben eine super Konzept die Mund zu Mund Party gehabt. Die Leute die nach Propaganda, teilweise haben wir auch Königsdorf kamen, für diese hatten wir kleine Flyer gedruckt. Eine Zeit einen Zettel angebracht _Kommt alle zur lang machten wir Kraken auf den Poller Wiese- und sie kamen auch alle.

Seite 62

Seit dem hat die Party den Namen ìPollerwieseî

einen so guten Ruf, das zum Beispiel Sven Väth oder Richie Hawtin, bei uns auflegen.

CM___Die l etzten Jah re habt ihr immer Top Djs für die Pollerwiesen verpflichtet, wie sah das zu Beginn der Veranstal tung aus?

CM___E rstaunlicherweise nehmt ihr ke inen Eintrit t für eure Parties.Patrick___Um ganz ehrlich zu sein, bei den ersten beiden Parties in Frechen haben wir Eintritt genommen, danach haben wir es gelassen. The Key is for free” haben wir uns gesagt.

Patrick___Wir hatten eigentlich immer Namen die up to date waren, Techno ist ja immer auch sehr lokal. Jede Stadt hat seine Local Heroes, da wir früher viel gefeiert haben, in Berlin, Frankfurt, M¸nchen, Hamburg und natürlich Köln, haben wir alle nach und nach auf unsere Party eingeladen. Plank, Paul Cooper etc. die haben alle damals bei uns gespielt. Mit der Zeit hatte man einen größeren Bekanntheitsgrad und konnte z.b. Frank Lorbeer oder Toni Rios einladen. Je mehr von den -großen Namen- bei uns aufgelegt haben, desto größer auch der Bekanntheitsgrad. So haben wir heute

CM___T rägt sich das Ganze denn finanziell? Patrick___Die Party war ja noch nie kommerziell angelegt, es war immer so gedacht, dass wir Spaﬂ beim feiern haben. Die Kosten für Anlage etc. sollte sich durch den Getr nkeverkauf selber tragen. Wir haben auch immer auf überﬂüßiges Sponsoring verzichtet. CM___H abt ihr auch schon draufzahlen müssen?

UND SELBST DIE POLLER WIESEN, BEI DENEN WIR EMPFINDLICHE STRAFEN AN DIE STADT KÖLN ZAHLEN MUSSTEN, EINIGE TAUSEND MARK, ICH WILL KEINE MISSEN.« PATRCIK

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POLLERWIESEN______PATRICK

DER DJ SPIELT EINE GUTE PLATTE UND ALLE SCHREIEN. PROFESSION

DATE

PROMOTER OBJECT

JUNE 2005

PATRICK www.pollerwiesen.org

DIE SCHÖNSTEN MOMENTE SIND FÜR MICH, WENN ICH DIE MASSE SEHE UND ALLE SCHMEISSEN DIE ARME NACH OBEN PATRCIK

Seite 64 Seite 64

POLLERWIESEN______PATRICK te, dass die Leute eine gute Party haben, nicht merken wenn etwas krankt oder kompensiert werden muss, z.B.. die Getr nke gehen aus, oder der Generator fällt aus, was auch schon passiert ist. Wenn dann aber irgendwann der Punkt erreicht ist, dass die Party groovt, freue ich mich wie ein kleiner Junge. Die schönsten Momente sind für mich, wenn ich die Masse sehe und alle schmeiﬂen die Arme nach oben, der DJ spielt eine gute Platte und alle schreien. Das sind für mich richtig schöne Momente, auch wenn ich nicht auf der Tanzfläche stehe und mitmache, kann ich sehr gut nachempfinden was in der Masse abgeht. Wenn die Leute Spaﬂ haben und ich sehe was ich mit meinen Partnern dort kreiere, dann habe ich echte Freude. CM___Gab es schon Poller Wiesen die im w ahrsten S inne des Wortes aber auch im übertragenen Sinne ins Was ser gefall en sind? vielleich t auch Veranstaltu ngen die du aus deinem Gedächtnis streichen möchtest.

PROFESSION

DJ OBJECT

DATE

JUNE 2005

SVEN VÄTH auf den Pollerwiesen

Patrick____(lacht) Wir haben zum Teil jahrelang Raten für Strafzahlungen bei der Stadt Köln gezahlt, und auch sonst schon sehr oft draufgezahlt. CM___Alles nur aus Enthusiasmus? Patrick___Ganz klar, ja. Auf der anderen Seite, hat sich aus der ganzen Geschichte für mich eine Veranstalterlaufbahn entwickelt. In NRW z.b. Buche ich exklusiv Künstler wie Sven Väthì. Ich habe eine gute Reputation durch Open Air Veranstaltungen bekommen die ich produziert habe. Durch meine Zusammenarbeit mit Sven Väth und Treibhaus hat sich der Blaue See entwickelt. Irgendwann war der Punkt erreicht da, ist aus Spaß Arbeit geworden, echte harte Arbeit. Du musst vor der Veranstaltung, während und nach der Veranstaltung arbeiten. Auch die Poller Wiesen sind für mich nicht mehr nur einfach eine Party

Seite 66

Patrick___Ne, es gibt keine, die ich streichen möchte. Es gab aber eine Poller Wiese im Hagel, taubeneiergroﬂe Hagelkörner. Da haben wir mit hundert Leuten unter zwei Bierzelten gestanden, die Musik lief weiter und die Leute haben getanzt und geschrieen vor Freude und Spaß. Es war super! die Polizei kam zu zwei Poller Wiesen und hat sie vorzeitig beendet. Meine Partner, der Eine hatte schon Tr nen in den Augen, der Andere wollte nach Hause, sagte ich Ok auf, zusammen packen, wir fahren wo anders hin. Dann haben wir wo anders aufgebaut und es ging weiter, erst mit einer Monitoranlage und dann haben wir nach und nach immer mehr Boxen aufgestellt, am Schluss haben dann wieder tausend Leute getanzt und Party gemacht. Also es hat nie eine Poller Wiese gegeben, wo ich sagen würde Hey die kannst du streichen! Es ist nie eine richtig abgebrochen worden, und wenn dann haben wir wo anders wieder weiter gemacht, und selbst die Poller Wiesen, bei denen wir empfindliche Strafen an die Stadt Köln zahlen mussten, einige tausend Mark, ich will keine missen.

machen.

PART II

CM___Welche Momente genieﬂt du he ute wäh rend der Veranst altung?

CM___Klingt alles ein biss chen nach den illegalen Ravekultur der Neunziger Jahre. (Patrick lacht). Woher komm t deine musikalisc he Ausric htung und die Faszination für elekt ronische Mu sik und Technik?

Patrick___Morgens, wenn wir ankommen, du bist einer der Ersten, der in Köln schon aufgestanden ist, ist die Wiese noch taufrisch, unsere Helfer kommen, wir haben viel Spaß und frühstücken zusammen. Danach bauen wir die Party auf. Wenn dann alles steht wartet man so ein bis zwei Stunden auf die Gäste. Wenn die so reintröpfeln, bleibt auch die Möglichkeit mit Anderen noch einen Plausch zu halten. Aber ich habe in den letzten Jahren die Erfahrung gemacht, die Leute kommen auch zu dir, weil du der Veranstalter bist, auch wenn dich nicht jeder kennt, energetisch ist alles was da passiert... du hast die Verantwortung dafür, hast ein Empfinden dafür dass es deins ist, hast das Empfinden das du dich darum kümmern musst. Je mehr Leute da sind, umso größer wird der Druck. Ich bin oft sehr stark angespannt, ich möch-

Patrick___Ich kann mich erinnern, dass mir mein Opa einen Kassettenrekorder geschenkt hat, damit habe ich dann von Radio Lieder aufgenommen, Lieder die mich als Kind beeindruckt haben Jean Michel Jarre, oder von Phil Collins -In the Air tonight- das hatte tolle elektronische Effekte, naja bis auf den Gesang (lacht). Ich habe mir damals Kraftwerk aufgenommen, der Kraftwerk-Hype fing ja viel sp ter an. Das war elektronisch und ich fand es einfach geil, wie zB. auch Yello, die machten Musik die mich ansprach. Irgendwann kam diese House Phase 1986-87, das gefiel mir nicht wirklich. Für mich kam der große Einschnitt als von D Mob Acid herauskam. Ab da habe ich mich zu Hause gefühlt, da fing es an, da lief auch in den Clubs Salt and Pepper und so ein Zeug, Inner City Big Fun, sp ter Moby mit Go. Da wusste ich das ist mein Ding, ich fand wie gesagt immer elektronische Musik gut, Gitarrenmusik hat mich immer angewidert, ich weiß auch nicht warum. Ab 1988 habe ich mit allen Konsequenzen die Entwicklung mitgemacht. Hier in Köln gab es das -Nitschinsky(?)- da legte immer der Helmut auf, bis drei Uhr Pop und massenkompatible Musik, und danach Sachen aus England. (Patrick macht eine Pause und denkt nach) . . . dann kam der Spaceclub in Bensberg, sp ter das Warehouse und im Yokoto die Barbarella Parties. Dann das Omen in Frankfurt, dann die klassische Schule, die jeder Raver damals mitgemacht hat, München Babalou, Berlin Tresor, und wie sie alle heiﬂen. CM___Aber du warst schon vor den Pollerwiesen Veranstalter? Seitee 67

POLLERWIESEN______PATRICK

Richtig, woher weiﬂt du das? (lacht) Mit Roland Kasper und Malte Gallik hatte ich einen Abend der hieﬂ Flash and Fog. Damals arbeitete ich in einer Computerfirma ,die war in der Bayenstrasse und war zum Teil auf dem Gelände einer alten Brauerei gelegen, und hatten so eine altes Gewölbe in dem die Fässer gelagert wurden. Auf jeden Fall fragte ich meinen Chef ob ich die Keller für eine Veranstaltung nutzen kann. Dem war alles egal was in den Kellern passierte, und so fing es an, dass wir zu dritt Partys veranstalteten. Flash und Fog, letztendlich das essentielle für eine Technoparty. Die Beiden haben aufgelegt, ich habe Flyer gemacht und verteilt, Getränke besorgt, Abrechnung gemacht, mich um die Finanzen gek¸mmert. Das Ganze war eher eine Musikpromotion, da war nichts zu verdienen, es zählte die Musik und die Party. CM___Du bist heute Veranstalter oder Eventmanager, wie auch immer. wie kam es dazu dass du Sven exklusiv hier in Nordrhein Westfalen vertrittst? Patrick___Wir haben uns 1991 im Spaceclub kennengelernt, ich bin in den Club gekommen während Sven auflegte und er lächelte mich an, wie Sven halt so ist. Später, die beiden Male als ich in Indien war sind wir uns wieder über den Weg gelaufen und haben sehr viel Zeit zusammen verbracht, und auch einschneidende Erlebnisse gehabt. Später als Dreamteam nicht mehr Sven zusammengearbeitete, bin ich nach Frankfurt gefahren und legte mein Konzept vor, ja seit dem, seit 1995 arbeite ich mit Sven zusammen. Aber dieses Jahr werde ich

zum letzten Mal Treibhaus mit veranstalten, ich gebe das ab. Zum einem möchte ich mich mehr auf meine Open-Air Veranstaltungen konzentrieren, und zum Anderen will ich mir den Zeitraum Oktober bis M rz frei halten um wieder verreisen zu können. Der Blaue See ist so entstanden, da ich Sven im Treibhaus als Hauptact hatte und ich im Bereich Open Air durch die Poller Wiesen Erfahrungen sammelte, schlug ich den Leuten vom Treibhaus vor, eine größeres Open Air auf die Beine zu stellen, das Sven und seine Visionen repr sentiert. So kam es zu Treibhaus, Blauer See und Poller Wiesen. CM___Zurück zur Poller Wi ese, wird diese immer eine ÑUmsonstì-Veranstalt ungì blei ben? Patrick___Ja ganz klar, man muss nur folgendes wissen, es gibt zwei Ausnahmen. Wir sind letztes Jahr, was wir diese Jahr sicherlich wieder machen werden, mit der MS Rheinenergie auf den Rhein gegangen und haben auf hoher See gefeiert, logisch dass diese Veranstaltung nicht umsonst sein kann. Die andere Sache ist, letztes Jahr haben wir während der C/O POP ab 13 Uhr Eintritt genommen, du hattest aber die Möglichkeit vor 13 Uhr umsonst auf das Gel nde

zu kommen. So werden wir es sicher auch dieses Jahr wieder halten. Aber wo bekommst du schon für 5 Euro Magda; Ricardo und Richie zusammen? Richie und Ricardo kosten normalerweise schon mindestens 15 Euro Eintritt. Ich denke der Preis ist fair und wie gesagt, vor 13 Uhr zahlst du nichts. CM__ _C/O POP i st ei n gute s Sti chwort, die Poller Wiesen waren gut repr‰sent iert im Rahmen dieser Veranstaltung. Nebenbei bemerkt wurdet ihr auch im Rahme n der Bewerb ung Kölns zur Kulturhauptst adt, in die Bewerbungsunter lagen auf genommen. Wie kam es zum Schul terschluss mit der C/O POP? Patrick___In Köln sagt jeder, seit ich denken kann, es müsste mal jemand die Eier haben was Grosses zu kreieren. Nach dem Weggang der Popkomm haben die Jungs von der C/O POP gesagt, ìOk, wir machen was Grosses, aber wir wollen aber die bestehenden Potentiale nutzenî. So kam es, dass wir angesprochen wurden, wir waren total autark. Es war nicht so, dass die C/O POP die Poller Wiesen veranstaltet hat, wir waren ein Programmteil so wie Wellenbrecher, Monsters of Spex und all die Anderen. Die groﬂartige Leistung der C/O POP Leute war, das Alles unter einen Hut zu bekommen. Die ganze Geschichte muss sich noch etwas einschleifen, letztes Jahr waren es drei Wochen dieses Jahr aufgrund des Papstbesuches nur eine Woche. CM___D ieses Jahr wieder im Rahmen der C/ O POP? Patrick___Ja, dieses Jahr wieder mit Magda, Ricardo Villalobos und Richie Hawtin. CM___We il es so schön w ar? ///// (lacht) Patrick___Genau.

PART II CM___W ar 2004 das Gröﬂte aller Poller Wi esen? Patrick___Ja, unglaublich. Wir hatten das Gefühl, dass was wir machen ist richtig und wird auch akzeptiert. Es kamen Leute die du vor zehn Jahren schon in den Clubs getroffen hast, und es kamen Leute die zu einer völlig neuen Generation gehörten. CM___I st die Afterhour im Bootshaus Bestandteil des Konzeptes? Patrick____Ja, bis vor zwei Jahren herrschte danach ein unheimlicher Verkehr in Köln. Bis zu sieben Clubs boten in der Stadt eine Afterhour an, und die Leute wussten nicht wohin, es herrschte einfach ein riesiges Chaos. Irgendwann traf

POLLERWIESEN PATRICK -----------------------

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POLLERWIESEN______PATRICK ich mal den Nuri vom Bootshaus und wir kamen auf die Idee, das Bootshaus nach der Poller Wiese zu öffnen. Die Leute können zu Fufl dort hin, müssen nicht alkoholisiert Auto fahren, und noch zwei bis drei Stunden feiern. CM___Ich habe vor einer Woch e einen Artikel gelesen in dem de r Tod der elektronischen Musik verk¸ndet wurde, die Revolution hat s ich selbst eingeholt. Was denkst du wi rd dann auch bald die Poller Wiese übe rflüssig? (lacht) Patrick____Dann musste du mit Allem aufhören der Formel Eins, Olympiade, Fuflball Bundesliga und dann hocken wir uns alle in den Keller und nehmen uns einen Strick. Irgendwann ist alles überholt, irgendwann wiederholt sich auch alles wieder. Die elektronische Musik war revolutionär, und wenn du 1988 jemand gesagt hättest Madonna produziert im Jahr 2000 ein Album komplett elektronisch zusammen mit William Orbital, da hättest du mir nen Vogel gezeigt und gesagt _Das hättest du wohl gerne!_. So war es aber dann! Wenn du heute ZDF einschaltest ist die Sportschau mit einem Drum and Bass Track unterlegt. Heute findest du überall elektronische Musik, sie ist sozusagen hoffähig geworden. Aber das ist kein Grund aufzuhören, dann dürfte es auch keinen Rock oder Pop mehr geben, diese Musik hat auch einen Grossteil seiner revolution ren Botschaft verloren. Ich glaube das es immer weiter geht, klar kannst du sagen, hab ich alles schon mal gehört, aber ich denke die Erde dreht sich weiter. Nur weil es keine Loveparade mehr gibt ist Techno nicht tot. Ende offen - und genauso ist es mit den Veranstaltungen. CM___Wie kommt es dass die Leute auf den Poller Wiesen so relaxed sind, und fast immer nett zu einander sind? Patrick____Ich denke es hat damit zu tun, dass wir keine harte Security haben, es gibt keine Z une, es ist umsonst und drauflen. Viele Leute kommen schon sehr lange zu den Poller Wiesen und sehen die Veranstaltung als einen Teil von sich an und ich denke das Ambiente stimmt die Wiese, Natur.... CM____Du hast mir erzählt da ss du gerne verreist, Asien zieht dich off enbar an meisten an? Patrick____Ja, die Leute sind friedlich, die Natur ist schön, das Essen mag ich gerne, es ist einfach sehr schön in Asien.

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CM ___Wann war st du zuletzt dort? Patrick____Ich war Weihnachten in Thailand, wir waren in Phuket als die Welle kam.

CM ___Was ist passiert? Patrick____Es war so, wir sind am 25. Dezember ins Bett und sagten uns, egal was passiert morgen schlafen wir endlich mal aus. Wir hatten die Tage zuvor auch bedingt durch die Weihnachtszeit eine Menge Stress und wollten endlich mal Ruhe haben. Ja, und am Morgen des 26. ten Dezember bin ich im Bett geblieben und meine Freundin ist zum Strand um Yogaübungen zu machen, danach hat sie einen Kaffee getrunken und wollte schwimmen gehen. Hatte aber ihren Bikini vergessen und kam deswegen zurück zu unserem Bungalow, der auf einem Hügel lag, und während sie ihren Bikini rauskramte bebte alles und die Welle kam. Ja danach war ¸berall Panik... denn Rest kennst du ja. ---------------

L AST SEEN ON --- ------------

PROMOTER

JUNE 2005

ww w.pollerwiesen.org

PATRICK www.pollerwiesen.org

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BELLADONNA KILLZ

CM___First time I held you r new album in my hands, I noticed that you numbered the tracks in a stra nge way - without the 1,4 ,9 and the 13. What ´s behind it? Superstition? Bella___All the numbers missing, are the interludes on the album. ;-) CM___Aha, but B elladonnakillz...... What ? Who is it the girl on the sleev e? What´s the meaning of the n ame? Don´t laugh but I am a romantic person. I guess maybe a broken heart is the rea son for the band name and some titles on the album? Bella___The girl on the cover is a girl that I know named Kelly. I thought she had a unique look. And I’ve always found exotisism more intriguing than plain beauty. The name comes from me seeing the word Belladonna in a poetry book called Les Chants de Maldoror by Compte de Leautrement. After more research of what it meant, it turns out it’s poison. But it also means beautiful woman in Italian. I liked the double meaning to it. CM___Bellado nnakillz i s a band or on e per son? I’ve seen y our press photos with three »gu ys«on it . What abo ut the hist ory of Belladonnaki llz? And who makes what/plays which instrument? Where did you meet first? Bella___Belladonnakillz live is 3 people one on laptop, one on guitar, and me on vocals. But in the studio, I do all the elements of the music. CM___When was the project Belladonnakillz founded? And was there a goal when you started Belladonnakill z - I mean a music goal; not just t o become rich and famous? You know in my opinion the album is a very unique mixture between so many music al sty les . S o I g uess you mus t thought ve ry »deep « about what kind of music will come out. Bella___Music? What’s that? No man, it’s all about the riches and fame :P.

. . How would you describe the Belladonna style? Bella___I listened to everything, and I mean, everything. My main influences we’re largely the Beatles and classical music - Chopin and Bach. Those influences taught me about writing melody, and writing songs. But it was raves and all the styles of music associated with them that made me obsessed with electronic music. Nine inch nails and Skinny Puppy definitely were my introduction to electronic music. Actually I’m going to the Nine Inch Nails concert today. I think I’m going to shit my pants. I’m so excited. CM___But the whole thi ng is close to the breakco re« scene, or better it’s rel ated to the peopl e who are close to the break core scene f or example DroptheLim e? Bella___That’s not really up to me to decide. Let the labeling begin. I just met him yesterday actually - cool guy. We talked about German prostitutes. CM___But labeling and a scene is always something to talk about . What can you tell me abou t the scene and the peopl e in Toronto? Bella___The hardcore/breakcore scene in Toronto doesn’t really exist. But the jungle scene here is amazing. CM___I guess you must have a very dar k sense of hum or! For example, in the p ress shots, why d o you wear women’s clothes or the faked pr ess review s? Do you take life and problems not so seriously? Are there some things make you sad or really up set? Bella___I’ve always liked girls’ clothing more than men’s - way more options. No I don’t take life seriously. It’s a joke. What makes me sad and upset is when people do take life seriously.

CM___How important are the lyrics for you? What´s the inspira tion for the lyrics? Bella___They are all from the heart. I simply like to laugh at my situation, instead of crying on my guitar. My inspiration is always poetry. I love poetry and I write quite a bit of it. But when it comes to lyrics, I keep it simple. So CM___So once again I try to pick up the dif - simple infact, that people take it as complete stupidity. That’s what I like. ferent music styles of Bell adonnakillz. I’m putting more thought lyrically now Gabber, Pop, Drum and Bass , Jungle, Punk. .

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than I used to, so expect less sillyness; more clever wit. CM___ Is there any song, that you woul d say, This is my pers onal affa ir of the heart? Bella___Grrly jungle is probably the most personal. CM___ Let’s get technica l: with what kind of ge ar did you produce and record t he album ? And how have you crea ted these deep and clear bass l ines? A special kind of softw are. Any special studio you mastered the album? It sounds so good! Bella___Gee thanx. I wrote half of it in Logic, the other in Cubase. Dude, just take any preset deep bass on any vst synth. Haha, it’s not hard. I did use the yamaha rm1x for some of the drums. It’s my only piece of hardware. The rest is all soft (and silky and smooth sex. Yes.). CM___A ny upcomi ng tours? Maybe a European tour? Bella___We will be in Europe for sure, hopefully next year. I can’t wait to see the hookers. CM___ What can we expect from Belladonna in the near future? Bella___At this moment, I’m writing and recording the 2nd album As If . I plan on releasing it next year. CM ___As I said I guess you have a dark sense of humo r an d yo u » play« with big names of the music industry like the MixRag... But your personal view as musi cians: What´s your d efinition of succe ss? Maybe a yelling crowd? A go od rehear sal or recording session? Fun ... Bella___Success to me is making music for a living. CM___A ny stateme nts you like to add? Bella___Don’t listen to your parents unless they agree with everything you say. www.bel ladonnakillz.com

»MY INSPIRATION IS ALWAYS POETRY. I LOVE POETRY AND I WRITE QUITE A BIT OF IT. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LYRICS, I KEEP IT SIMPLE. SO SIMPLE Simon V INFACT, THAT PEOPLE TAKE IT AS COMPLETE STUPIDITY. THAT’S WHAT I LIKE.« XXXXXIIKLLKLLKXXXXX XXXXXIIKLLKLLKXXXXX

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DJ FABIO

23.04.2005

FRANKFURT »WE FELT IT WAS COOL BECAUSE WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY RESTRICTIONS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. WE JUST KINDA CAME TOGETHER THROUGH LUCK AND WE KEPT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS.« DJ FABIO ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

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DJ FABIO

Name ////

DJ FABIO But back to the facts; I met Fabio, one of the leading DJs in the world of Drum and Bass in Frankfurt during the DJ Culture Tour this spring. I expected a person who would answer my questions in “phrases”, but besides huge patience with my English I met a person who is real down to earth, after being in business for twenty years . . . CM--- W hen you were a child, did you alw ays dream to be a musician or a DJ when you are grown up? DJ FABIO--No, not really. I don’t know what I wanted to do when I was young. I’ve always been into music maybe music production. I was more interested in, yes, maybe being a producer but I didn’t really know anything about it - to go about it. I just didn’t know who to go to and what to do. But I was more interested in the way music is put together than being a musician. Later, I wanted to be a musician. When I was in my twenties it was a great knock playing the bass and the drums. Played the drums at school, you know, but nothing major (laughing) CM--- S o how did you b ecome a DJ? Where a nd when did things get started? DJ FABIO---Basically, a guy I knew was setting up a radio station - a pirate radio station - and he knew that I collected records. I always collected music and stuff. And I used to know a guy called Colin Dayle - a Techno DJ, a very big

DJ, well I mean one of the biggest Techno DJs out there - and he is a good friend of mine. He said to me: Why don’t you do the pirate station stuff? And I was like , »I am not so su re,« bec ause to DJ wasn’t nothing I w anted to do really. To be honest I didn’t want to be a DJ. Anyway I went down to the station with some records and it worked out. And believe or not I really enjoyed my first show and the guy from the station told me that he thought it was really good and that maybe we should do a show every day - the daytime show, from the morning until the afternoon. So I agreed but I wasn’t still so serious about it. So I started to play Funk, Soul, Rare Grooves and early Hip Hop and early House as well. I used to play everything. CM--- Which year d id you start to DJ at this pirate station? DJ FABIO--- 1984-1985. Yeah so that’s who the DJ actually started, being on the radio and then I was happy being booked for clubs. The club thing started to happen for Grooverider and me when Grooverider was playing on the same pirate station. But he wasn’t a friend of mine. I did not really know him. He did the night time show. I did the day time show. The guy that owned the pirate station had a little club and he decided to do a House night. So he chose Groove and me to do this House night, because we were the only two DJs on station who had House music and that’s how we came together. Because he said: Yeah, you could play with Grooverider tonight at my club, and I said, Hmm, ok let’s do it! And we just ended up having a fortune relationship through that. That’s how we started really, Fabio and Grooverider, from this little club and

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AND I WAS LIKE, »I AM NOT SO SURE,« BECAUSE TO DJ WASN’T NOTHING I WANTED TO DO REALLY. TO BE HONEST I DIDN’T WANT TO BE A DJ. DJ FABIO

the pirate station we just kinda started DJing together. Then the House thing started and Acid House happened. That’s it man! It’s just been a roller coaster I was in since I started to spin. CM--- At that st age did you think you w ould get famous as a DJ team? No, never. DJ FABIO--- You know Fabio was just my DJ name for the radio and Grooverider was his DJ name and we never thought it would come to this stage. It was just like fun, playing music on a radio station and it was illegal as well. We felt it was cool because we didn’t have any restrictions and stuff like that. We just kinda came together through luck and we kept a good relationship through all these years. CM--- So today you and Grooveride r are one of the top DJs on B BC ra dio. [BBC made music whi ch was called »alter native« a few years ago acc essible for every one online and now when one misses a show one can l isten to it on the Internet again .] So do y ou think these radio shows on bi g station s are the reason that the pirat e stations died?

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FABIO--- Yeah, I think maybe. Pirate stations aren’t so big anymore because I think that the big radio stations are catering for what the people wanna hear. In the eighties they didn’t. In the eighties you couldn’t hear black music on mainstream radio stations. You couldn’t hear anything that was kind of away from radio music. Anything underground you would not hear on the radio. So that’s why pirate radio was so great because what you heard was underground. But now, as you said, because all the big stations are urban is the thing to be. Even OneExtra, you know, OneExtra is run like a pirate station. That’s the whole emphasis behind it - to get fresh DJs in and build the DJs up from the scratch like they also do on pirate stations. There is no big pirate station anymore, because the mainst ream got ho ld of the underground and people can hear it world wide as wel l. Pirate stations can be heard in just one area. Now you can do the shows worldwide and that’s what was really good for drum and bass. CM--- SHow do you and Grooverider get your radio show on BBC? FABIO--- Yeah, because we were on another station called KissFM and we did our shows there and then our producer from KissFM went to RadioOne (BBC) and produced a show called One in the Jungle which was really a Jungle show with MCs and stuff like that. But they didn’t have a strict format. They had different DJs every week. And well, it just didn’t work and RadioOne was gonna throw away the whole drum

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»BUT YOU CAN’T LISTEN TO EVERYTHING. BUT YOU LISTEN TO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN THE TIME YOU GOT. BUT IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO THAT, BECAUSE IT’S A BIG PART OF YOUR JOB.« DJ FABIO

FABIO--- I started to collect records when I was seven.

FABIO--- Yes I do, but you have to. It’s part of the job. You got to keep your ears to the ground and listen to new things. You know you can miss things. But you can’t listen to everything. But you listen to as much as you can in the time you got. But it’s very important that you do that, because it’s a big part of your job.

CM --- Do you still remember your firs t re cord you ever bought? FABIO--- No I am not sure man. I am not sure which one (laughing). I don’t know and bass thing and he said: Listen if I can get Fabio and Grooverider would you keep a drum and bass show? And they said: Yeah, if you can get them... And he got us and that’s what happened. We went to RadioOne and been there a long time . .. .

CM --- Do you count them? FABIO--- No no. It’s too much. It’s ridiculous man and plus all the CDs and everything. It’s no way to count them man. It’s just crazy.

CM--- SSeven years I gu ess. FABIO--- Yes, coming up seven years, this year in December. So we’ve been there a long time (laughing). It’s been good to us. The radio is very healthy for us. Especially that all over the world a lot of people listen to our shows. That’s great. We get a lot of love for it man. You know what I mean?

CM --- I think you get a lot of promos and st uff every week? FABIO--- I get a lot of CD’s. What we do when we are on AIM as well is instant messenger on the computer, so I can burn CDs down. I mean I was burning CDs now upstairs in my hotel room man. I was getting some CDs from some guys from London. It’s crazy, really crazy what’s going on in new technologies man.

PART II CM--- SYou told me t hat you started very early to collect records?

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CM --- But I guess you spen d a lot of time to listen to new tracks and stuff like that.

CM-- - Ever had the feeling th at you get tired to listen to music? FABIO--- No, no, no, no, I don’t never get tired to listen to music ever. Because there’s so much fresh music and much drum and bass as well. You can listen to like two hundred tunes a week. On AIM I can get something like ninety tunes in a week, CDs and files and stuff. So you can’t get bored man, I mean there’s so much variation as well and it always moves on. So you always kinda looking for the next new thing, you know. You never get bored of it. I never got bore d of it. I neve r met a DJ who got bore d of DJing. Maybe they ge t bored of a certain sound but they don’t get bore d of DJing. DJing is just a buzz so you don’t get bo red of it. That’s why DJs dj. That’s w hy John Peel DJay ed until he died. If you love

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04.23. 2005

DJ FABIO LONDON,XXX HIJACKED IN FRANKFURT, GERMANY

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music, you love DJing. If you love DJing, you’ll never stop doing it. I’ll never stop doing it. I will have to eventually (laughing ), but right now everything is good. You know I am in a hea lthy posit ion so I am not giving up anytime soon. CM--- When I’ve seen yo u and Grooverider on stage I not iced/remarked that y ou don’t communicate or give secret signs to each other, this is ver y interest ing even if you face t he fact that Groove plays the harder tunes and yo u play the soulful tunes. It seems that yo u are both connected in a telepat hic way? FABIO--- Yeah, (laughing) he is a very different person from me as well. He is totally different. He has a different style but we have always done that and it always worked. I don’t know why. It is one of the things which are not really meant to work. If you really look at it I can’t work. But I think we’ve got the same views on DJing and that’s different from a lot of other DJs. We both come from another time when it was more about selecting tunes. Now it is more about mixing and playing. To put them on a show it’s more about that now. For us it was always important to play good, new music. That was always the bottom line to keep on forward moving and playing as new music as we possibly can. So we think the same when we DJ as well. So I think in that kind of way that’s how we connect. I think it is more of the way we think and the way we feel about DJing is very, very similar. But we are coming from the

same place as well. Groove plays a more raw version than I play. He is much more sonic and more electronic than what I do. My sound is more polished, but it comes together really nicely. So we don’t have any signals. When he wants to come in he comes in and when I want to comer over I come over… I mean, it’s DJing man (he starts laughing). We never ever p lanned our set s li ke »when you play this reco rd I p lay this record« - we never done this. We do what we want to do, it just functions. CM--- You told me that you receive a lot of the CDs and that you burn a lot of files. So do you use CDs when you DJ? FABIO--- No, I still use vinyl, not 100 % but 98 %. Tonight I probably played two or three CDs which I got fresh. But I am not a great fan of it. I don’t think a DJ should be taking the easy route man. I think CDs are very easy - don’t think it look right either. You know you walk into a club with a little CD pack. You are getting paid a lot of money for what you do. People want to see what you do. They want to see the record. They want to look at what you are doing. CDs are great for younger people who can’t afford to buy dubplates. Dubplates cost like nineteen Euros. It’s a lot of

NO, I STILL USE VINYL, NOT 100 % BUT 98 %. TONIGHT I PROBABLY PLAYED TWO OR THREE CDS WHICH I GOT FRESH. DJ FABIO

money. So the young guys can’t do it. So I do understand that they use CDs. Carry records around about twenty k ilos is part of your jo b and I don’t want to make it too easy because when you DJ for two hours is not long . You do certainly laugh, but you kn ow it is a ver y easy job. If you kno w what you are doing, it is really, really a ver y easy job. So you c an get complacent. CDs can make you switc h off a little bit and I don’t want get to that stage. If I st art to play CDs I get bored. I would get bor ed of everything. It’s to mechanical to me. CM--- Do you need any special equipment when you DJ ? FABIO--- No, nothing special, when you are going into a club you’ll see what happens. We played on the worst sound systems in the world if you know what I mean. it’s no big thing to me. Off course we trying to get as clean sound as possible. But you have got to go to places where it is not perfect, so you got to be prepared all the time. It does spoil a party if the sound system’s not right. You just see that the crowd don’t react in the same way than they do if the sound system is great. If you ever saw a crowd going crazy, I’ll guarantee you the sound system is good. But I don’t need any special mixers or stuff like that (laughing). CM--- Okay, how goes your label? FABIO--- A new Total Science comes out... we have a few things in the pipeline. Various Artists EPs and a Logistics EP - you know some of the new school guys coming through. But we’ve been slow over the last couple of years. Things have changed – downloads and stuff like that. It is a very uncertain market. So you know you got to take a step back to see what is going on. Vinyl sales are still pretty healthy so you know we are gonna carry on and trying to get some big releases out this year. CM--- Fabio and G rooverider are kind of myths. Do you feel like kind of a tea cher for the scen e when you play new rec ords to the audience? Or, do yo u feel a kind of responsibility for the crowd ? Or do you j ust play the sound you like do the thi ngs you like to do? FABIO--- Yes, I always just did what I like to do because you can’t think about things like that. It is a very generic thing. I just do it and we’ve been doing it a long time now. We’ve been on the radio for twenty years. So it’s just a thing you can do. It’s very natural to us as well not to think about responsibilities. I think back in your mind you know that you have it, but it doesn’t affect your work. You know it’s gre at, the grandson of Art Blakey s ent me an email to Rad ioOne and he wrote me that he was by tota l acciden t on the net and liste ned to Grooverider and me i n Glaston burry and it totally changed his life. He is going to a mixing school now to lear n how to dj. And this is Art Blakey’s grandson man! It flipped me out. It’s craz y because you see, you do change people’s life and you don’t even realize you a re doing it. I am just playing music. But it means more to some people. That’s one of the great things about DJing - Change people’s life with music. And I think that’s the reason why you are still in the game because you still got a passion for it. Special things change some people’s life through music that’s good. (laughing) Art Blakey’s grandson! Unbelievable. DJing is the best job in the world. It’s good man. (laughing) CM--- Besides being a DJ, do have a norm al life? Are you married or som ething like that?

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DJ FABIO----

»BUT YOU CAN’T LISTEN TO EVERYTHING. BUT YOU LISTEN TO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN THE TIME YOU GOT. BUT IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO THAT, BECAUSE IT’S A BIG PART OF YOUR JOB.« DJ FABIO

FABIO--- I am not married but I have a daughter and I’ve got a family. My daughter is three and she loves the fact that I am a DJ. She loves it man. She misses me a lot when I am not home. But she loves it and she is really into music. Her mother is my agent, so you know it’s all good! CM--- Family business! FABIO--- Yeah man keep it in the family, in a musical family you got to try for that one. CM--- What does the word “success ” mean to you - being a famous DJ o r being the father of a dau ghter? Wha t’s your definition of success? FABIO--- I could be successful in my own world, but then there’s a whole world of people.... Fabio points at the waitress. She doesn’t have a clue who I am. They haven’t a clue Points at a couple of business men at the hotel reception. So I am not successful really. I mean the most important thing for me i s being happy doing the things I am doing, I’ve got t o be happy doing this and tha t’s the most important thing in my life and that my daughter is being brought up well is very important for me. She is a little g irl and you know th e world is changing so you want the best for her, you know what I am saying? So that’s why I am doing all this now really for her. I mean it’s not for me no more really. Being comfortable, I don’t want to be rich. I just want to be happy doing what I am doing and travelling - yeah travelling is great. Next we are going to Japan; then to Brazil. Groove is going to Argentina. It’s great because we never saw these things. If we weren’t DJing, we would never be in Frankfurt or Munich, or Tokyo. We wouldn’t have seen these things. It’s great man and you get your hotels paid for (laughing) and nice flights.

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CM--- I witne ssed the same old discussion a few days ago when pe ople talked about the de ath of electronic music. . . FABIO--- Oh, yeah, jou rnalists go t a thing about a nything th at lasts for a little bit of time. They start saying that it is dead. They said drum and bass is dead from 1989, because they got bored writing about it. But you know there’s always good music and good music can’t die and there’s great electronic music out there - great Hip Hop being made, great House being made you just got find it. Maybe the mainstream, as a mainstream thing electronic music got a little bit boring, but underneath there is wonderful electronic music out there and there always will be. What you gonna do? Go back and play guitars? This is electronic music and it’s here to stay and that’s the bottom line man. I mean a thing goes through phases. I think it went through a phase a couple of years ago where people probably were a bit uninspired and every style like hip hop or drum and bass went through this phase. I think House is going through that phase. I think maybe house is not in the way it should or used to be, because they have not changed the format in twenty years and I think now they have to do something about House because it’s too rigid man. But I still have a great passion for House and there’s still great House music being made. But you got to dig deep. But I also love the Neptunes because the rhythm is incredible and I think he’s so talented as well and doing all things with a smile in his face.

able to express ourselves. Hendrix as well - listen to this guy; his guitar could talk; it could scream; it could whisper; anything. Nobody played like Hendrix before and after him or even came close. You hear personality in their music. Anyway listen man got to get a little bit sleep before the set! CM--- Ok then go I won’t stop you! (We both starte d to laugh)

LAST SEEN ON____________________________ ____ www.bbcl.com

He’s having fun and you can hear that in his music, I love it. I love the Roots and a guy called MadLib - really crazy. Anything that’s kind of soulful and inspired. And then I go back to Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley and I also listen a little bit to D’Angelo. You know I got a lot of heroes man. Lennon, he is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Or Beach boys - these guys were crazy - totally sick! It’s really important that you don’t forget the greats of the past. All these Len nons which made us all Seite 89

NAME------TOUANE

Name ////

»TOUANE IS MARCO TONNI FROM RIMINI. I’VE NEVER HEARD AN ARTIST WHO SPEAKS THROUGH SOUNDSCAPES TO THE AUDIENCE LIKE HE DOES. DON’T GET ME WRONG, THERE ARE LYRICS ON HIS ALBUM »AWAKE«, BUT THAT’S NOT ENOUGH, MEXT BIMB IS EXPLODING HE MADE A SONGWRITER ALBUM WITH HIS LABELCHIEF STEWART WALKER . . . CURIOUS, YOU OUGHT TO BE!« CM__Marco you were bor n and raised in Rimi ni, Italy, at present you live in Berlin. What was the reason to l eave Italy and move to Berlin? Music, love or study? Marco___Music, love, and study. I mean, just got my graduation, just quitted a long lasting love story, just wanted to make of music the centre of my life. CM___When I read the press info I fell over o ne sentence which made my curiou s : »I n t he strange cold-w arm family atmo sphere... «. What is mean t with a cold-warm family atmosphere? I g uess I can picture it i n a way that ma ybe that parents love thei r children but often d on’t unders tand them? Marco___Actually, what I meant is the contrast I found between the routine of the everyday life, that I observed once again coming back in my family hometown for 3 months after studying and living alone in Bologna for 6 years, and the realization of the deepness of family boundaries after years of building relationships around the see u around, man! concept.

TOUANE Describtion ////

LOST IN RIMINI

CM____You studied in Bologna six ye ars. The city is ab out 110 km from Rimini. D id you live in Bo logna? And was it inspiring for you to liv e there? I mean, Rimini i s more a place w here peopl e stay to have a good time and to party... and maybe not so inspiring. Marco___That’s the problem. Bologna is one of the most artistically active and stimulated towns in Italy, where students from every corner of Italy and Europe come and experience a different style of life. Music, art, clubs, university. While Rimini is a summer vacation location, that tries to keep his sixties boom still alive in a kind of desperate way. Beside that, a small real-city life that I could define just as provincial. The big difference of this two styles of life, that I faced once again but backwards, was scary and at the same time inspiring. Isolated from the friends community, without playing or just hanging around almost every second day in some bar or club, set me in the mood for focus JUST on making, not talking of music.

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CM__ __What about your »mu sical socializ ation «. W hat kind of music did you grow up with? When did you start to play an

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instrument? And what instrument was your first? Marco___That will be a long answer. I always wanted to make and listen to music. Always loved since my aunts were playing guitar or piano for my entertainment. There were no musicians in our family, but I had these two aunts who loved music and just taught to use my ear for understanding and playing it. I never took music lessons, but when I was 10 I had to choose between having a new bike or a classic guitar. For Christmas, you know. Well, my school friend Diego showed me how to play with one string Smoke on the Water and I wanted a guitar since that day. Hehehe. About listening to music, well I had a new ghetto-blaster that my older brother bought when I was 8, but he did not want me to use it, he feared that I would break it. It was the only music resource we had at home, so I had to use it when he was not around, paying attention that he would not notice anything. I had to remember the original position of the tape I listened to and set it up correctly every time, once I finished to use it!!!

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Anyway, he had this Beach Boys tape, I think was a best of, well I spent something like a whole summer just with that tape. Other tapes that really gave me a lot, from the harmonically point of view and pop sensibility, were Queen. Almost every Italian pop-rock-metal etc. musician used to listen to Queen when he was very young. I bet. I loved all this stuff so much. I was singing all the songs, I mean I did not know any single English word so I just imitated the sound of the voice. That is probably my biggest influence. The second was my Commodore 64 and the melodies of his wonderful games. I still did not try to calculate how much my melodies belong to those obsessively repeated 8 bit songs that entered my mind while playing those games. And with computer I started for the first time to record music. I had soon an Amiga with a tracker sequencer, which sounded amazing (samples, drum patterns, midi, with my home computer! It was 1992!) Then, turned to rock and metal, grunge and during the first university years 60s psychedelia, Syd Barret ¸ber alles. Getting to know perfectly the first 5 records of Led Zeppelin and the first 3 of Pink Floyd was the confirma-

tion I was searching and learning to produce in the right direction. Then I dig for some years jazz, but with particular regard just to the two bigs. Miles and Coltrane. They are still the major source of surprise and inspiration for me. And my only regret that I have not learnt to play a trumpet. Hm. CM___And when did you star t buying elec tronic instruments and becoming interested in experimental and e lectronic music? Marco___Going on with my musical selftaught approach, I met a guy at the high school, Manuel (still one of my best friends) and we started to meet at his place and play with two guitars. Electric guitars. We also had a kind of punk-rock band. But our aim was to make more complicated arrangements, rock and punk and the grunge stuff soon became boring and commercial for us, we discovered electronic music, was the time of trip hop, Massive Attack, Tricky, then drum and bass, and some cool Italian avant-hip hop band. Mainly, Casino Royale, wich made in 1996 the records that changed our lives (CRX). So we bought a 4-track tape, then a sampler (the Akai s-2000) and an old sequencer. Then university came, I discovered

once again the computer and tried to use it for music. I realized that things had changed since the tracker-age of Amiga. Rebirth, Acid and SoundForge started for me the solo age. I started making music. Loads of. I cannot realize how much music I made between 1997 and 2003. Still have to check and remix so many things. CM ___Youve rec orded Awake« in the basem ent of your parents’ house, your dad also repaired bicycles in this room while yo u were recording your songs? Did you get along without words and disturbing each other? Marco____Well our basement was our HQ. We just did different things there, everyone let the other work, because basically everyone of us was deeply into his thoughts and did not care so much of the others occupation. My father tried to understand what I was doing with that music though. He was cool. I think hearing an electronic music track birth is exiting. For 10 minutes. Then the infinite looping and

»I REALIZED THAT THINGS HAD CHANGED SINCE THE TRACKER-AGE OF AMIGA.« TOUANE

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time skippings could drive you crazy, unless you’re not the one who is creating it, or someone that really understands what is going on. He just trusted me. And, the fact of being in two was just the only way not to feel less lonely, I guess.

PART II ----------------------------C M___Yo ur Album »A wake« se ems to me like a concept album, the more I listen to it and the more I rea d the booklet I ask m yself: » Maybe this albu m sh ould be w ritten down a s a bo ok?«. Ple ase tell me something about the thi ngs and story YOU would like to tell us with this album. Marco____Well, I don’t like the idea of telling a story. That’s why I don’t write almost anymore. I wanted to provide elements and suggestions, in order that the listener/reader could imagine a flow of feelings, rather than follow a rational narration.

that music must have a concept, a referential imagery, but I just don’t like the idea that that concept should be a story, nothing has to happen, no story has to be told. There are some other ways to tell who we are and talk about our relations with things around us. CM___By the way are you interested in fiction and books? Marco____I read a lot. I never was so hungry of books as now that I don’t study anymore. Not really a lot of movies, actually. Not so much free time, and books are the kind of fiction I prefer. You can close the book and restart later, set your own rhythm of the entertainment and learning process. Does not work that great doing this with movies. Generally, we always watch them from beginning to end. I studied literature and arts, and honestly I did not feel to reach that much through my graduation, but a still bigger curiosity and interest for culture and history.

CM___Please allow for some typical t opic jumping: Germans always dream of so uthern countries, you live in Ger many, do you miss Italy? What do you think is the biggest difference between life in I taly Music was perfect for providing the sen- and Germany? Do y ou miss Italy? sations I was feeling, it came before Marco___No. Italy is a nice vacation words, which relating to music I keep place for me, that’s it. I could not considering rarely essential. Just, live there anymore at the moment. Not through some words, a frame can be more than two weeks. The reason is: it’s stated, for orienting the listener to the not the place where I could work profeslistening experience. It’s the same sionally with my music. Not yet. Labels function that a sleeve and the artwork are shy, independent music tendencies should have. slow to grow bigger. As I told you before, I grew up with Actually I am a bit tired of reflecting English language songs, and for me at about Italy’s cultural backwardness. Of that time it was just sound, not meacourse, there are people who keep the nings or words. Now, I really believe national musical culture growing, the

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guys at Wide records for example, who manage to distribute only the nicest and always innovative music, some clubs like Maffia, in centre-north Italy, some cities like Bologna, Naples, Rome, Turin, Florence. Just: not a big market, not a mature audience yet. And not so much collaboration between the different organizations that take care of parties and events across the country. Lack of connections between the independent music labels through the cities. CM___Sor ry, back to Awake«. Ther e a re more things wh ich made me curious when I read the (good) press info. When you recorded the a lbum you where surrounded with boxes fill ed with things from the past. Why? As a grown-up, do y ou miss things from yo ur childho od? And you kept the album away from the ears o f your friends. Why? Do y ou think that if you playe d your tracks to some friends they would probably disturb you r working process? How important are f riends for you? In the booklet of Awa ke everyone can read that you m iss a lot of pers ons. Marco____Childhood is the myth, so blurred and magic that has always been a source for inspiration. The child’s sensitivity and his fresh sight on reality are the requirements the artist needs to be sincere. Back in contact with that past was for sure a kind of opening my

soul and my heart, to let feelings grow inside me. CM____Awake is a very personal album. Aren’t y ou afraid that you will b e measu red by this in forthcoming projects? I mean tha t peopl e e xpect t he »Awak e« sound? Marco____No. I always do different kinds of music. I don’t think to use various names. I like to express through sounds in different ways, as you probably know I also release club tracks, and I just finished a pop album with my boss Stewart Walker, that will be released in September 2005. CM____You are inter ested in composing music fo r children. Do you think t heir ears ar e not ye t »pol luted «? Marco____Right. This is a kind of dream for me: teaching our children how to play

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with music. To listen to different kinds of music helps to grow free and open minded. Its so sad that 7 years old guys love so much Britney Spears and wear 50cent t-shirts. I mean, they just have that shit in their ears, from radios and tvs. I think that importance of a various, open minded though complete musical education should be recognized by education oriented institutions, and playing with music should be allowed even to the first classes. Usually taking piano lessons at the conservatory or from a private teacher makes these children hate the music. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to think to a different way for them to approach this world. CM___L ets get technical: What can you tell me about the rec ording-process? Did you record the co mplete albu m at home? What kind of in struments did you use for the sessions? Drummachines, samplers , guitars ... Marco___As I told you before, for many years I did not use a computer for sequencing, but with the last generation softwares like Cubase and Ableton live, which is my last stimulating discovery, I started to taste the freedom of realizing a million times much direct control on my music. Awake was the last big step up to now, when for the first time I dared to set up a kind of library of sounds, themes, ideas and words to build an album. I was not thinking to research in a hi tech way, just used electronic devices pointing not modernity but intensity, deepness. I decided my gui-

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tar, my bass, my sYnth and my 3-4 plugins were what I needed, I just stopped checking out other devices for a while, and said: letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s do it. Was fast, I vomited out 12 songs in 3 months, night and day. Recorded sound In really lo-fi way made it blended with this crazyimprovised studio ambience that is characteristic of all the songs. And I came here in Berlin after that, just did not touch it anymore for almost one year. CM____The album is rel eased on Stewarts Persona Label. How did you meetStewart? And when did you get signed on the label? Marco____I met Stewart some three years ago, he performed at Link club, in Bologna. I was just getting into this minimal techno scene since 15 or 20 months, and his records were those which led me in a new way of conceiving techno. So he was the one I wanted to give my music to. And since then we started to keep in touch, until I came to Berlin where he moved half a year before, and we became friends and started to work together. CM____What is next, will you perform Awake live? Marco___Yes, I already performed a shows in Berlin and Italy, from this album. Although I am also often performing a more dance oriented live-show. My favourite live-set idea is definitely more close to the dancefloor. CM Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also heard something about a project together with Stewart? Marco What can you tell me about it? Will it sound different?

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PART III Exactly. It’s called Bring back the buffalo, it’s a pop band formed by Stewart and me, we sing love and hate songs, the music is sweet, the stylistic boundaries are crossed and merged. The 80s, the psychedelica, the new-wave, the radio song were our start point. It WILL definitely sound different from what we both did before. CM___Maybe the mo st boring question of all: wh at’s the meaning of the na me TOUANE? Marco----Nothing, just a name that friends started to make up, I think from my surname, Tonni.

head and what I remembered of those days which I composed this music. CM----I hate em ail interv iews and sometimes I thi nk journal ists alway s ask the same boring stuff, i s there a question you l ike to be asked? Marco---Well, actually I think I almost told you the story of my life. Nothing more to add right now. CM____Anyway, this question is an affair of the h eart for me: What do you need for a perfect day in your life? Marco___Hm. Easy. Just need to wake up.

------------------LAST SEEN ON www.personarecords.com ............................

CM----Does the tex t in the booklet follow the songs or do the songs fol low the text, what was developed first: text or songs? Or did you write the tex t after the recording session? Marco___As I already told you, the words came after, in order to provide a concrete imaginary for the music. I just tried to provide the images in my Seite 100

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DJXXX DAN AKA DOORMOUSE MIAMI USA

Doormouse_____Dan

»EVERYTHING IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING. YOUR SURROUNDINGS DICTATE YOUR LIFE, YOUR ART AND YOUR PERSON.« CM___You moved from to Calif ornia last year. Is this perh aps respon sible for the change in your sound? Dan____Everything is responsible for everything. Your surroundings dictate your life, your art and your person. CM___ _You made a statement abo ut » major chang es«, you also said that you quit drinking. Did you have a problem with alcohol? When and why did you decide to change habits concerning alcohol consumption? Dan___I drank a lot and I still have an occasional drink. At the time I wrote that statement, I was going through a 4 month sobriety. It was good. I decided that I needed a real break from alcohol after a wedding of a friend of my sister. I did a lot of shit before that night. But the real thing that made me wake up to the fact that I was destroying myself was hanging out of a car going 75 mph on a freeway. When I woke up and understood what I had done, I knew it was time for a break. CM____You wrote the realization that I hav e been wro ng many , m any tim es…« What’s behind that statement, and why have you decided t o print it on yo ur new CD? Sounds a little bit like, »Sorr y. Do y ou regret some thin gs you’ve done in your past?

Dan____The only regret I have is that I can’t do it all again. If I had wanted to say sorry, I would have written sorry. The statement is just a reflection. Everyone is wrong, and everyone is wrong a lot. Sometimes you pick the wrong tooth brush. Sometimes you forget to flush. Sometimes you eat what’s bad for your body. You smoke cigarettes. You invade a foreign country and kill people. You get drunk and act a fool naked. You write a bad poem. You make bad love. All of these things are ‘wrong’. For me it was just a matter of addressing that - stepping back enough to see that I was wrong more than I should be. __________________________________ CM_____ On the artwork a lot of people are shown - your daughter, your paren ts, friends , your wife and pictures of you. Is this collage telling a story? You also colour the puke a nd the beer red? Dan_____The art is by my friend William Flegal (a.k.a. Stunt Rock). I gave him the photos and he did the rest. It tells a story in that they are all photos of people that are important to me. The only thing red is blood. Blood is red.

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CM ____The al bum is released on the Su blight Lab el. Why not on your own label, Ad dict Records? Dan____Addict has always been, and will continue to be, a primarily vinyl record company. Sublight asked me for an album, and I was nearing completion on this project, so they picked it up. They’re great to work with - very nice fellows, although they are Canadian. C M____Are the voice s on »Pa rental Approva l W arning «your par ents? Dan___Yes. CM ____Erwood hates thi s song. Why? And who is Erwood? Dan____Haha John Erwood - the man and the legend; crack chef, electronics genius, master of insanity and king of love/hate. John is a friend I met in Madison, Wisconsin when I was 19. He was working at his video store and offered me a shot of whiskey before I even rented a video. We hung out a lot. He gave me free rentals in exchange for music. He’s the king destructor/constructor. Put him in the woods with a machete and a week and you’ll have yourself a house complete with male models and a microwave. He is addicted to dangerous living and will die from it someday Drug addict, master planner, IQ too high for his own good. He hates this song because he hates everything. Even you.

CM___What about th e productio n of the album. D o you own a sep arate stud io, or do you work at home? An d with what kind of gear do you produce? Dan____I produce in a room in my house very lo-fi set up. But it’s never about the gear. It’s about the mind. ____________________________________ CM___What about th e situation for the track »K aya&Da n Beatbo x F reesty le«, was it recor ded in real time? Or did you sample her? Dan____It was a recording of the two of us having fun one morning. The only thing I did was layer our voices and quantized it, and then sent it to Josh so he could drum. CM____The drums we re played (like on your last tou r) by Joshua Anonymous. From where do you know each ot her? Dan____We met in Madison when we were both quite young. Mutual interests brought us together. Music, pot, chaos, anti-matter rays. CM____He is a maniac on the drums . But before y ou tour or record something, do you have a lot of rehea rsals or is it more like improvisi ng together ? Dan____Performance is almost always improvised. We have tried to rehearse, but live sets always come off better for us improvised. For recording, it works two ways. One, he sends me raw recordings

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Doormouse_____Dan Doormouse_____Dan

DOORMOUSE of him drumming. Two, I send him a track that I feel needs drums and he records the drums over what I have done. CM On the Addict website, you can read the tour diary. I wond ered if you have a fetish/o bsession w ith taking photos of toilets? Dan____Stunt rock takes the pictures and does the tour diary and yes, he has a toilet fetish.

_______________________________ PART II _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ CM____On the end of the diary you come to the conclusion that you’ll wi ll never get professional. Do you think yo u have to? Dan____It’s a joke. Somewhat of a jab at all of the ‘more professional’ record

www.addictrecords.com

companies, performers, etc. We’ve always been about a whole lot of fucking up. There is nothing more boring to me than a guy sitting behind a laptop pressing play on an mp3 and sitting there. On the other hand, I can also give you about 1000 examples of people that think grabbing a microphone and being a spaz makes up for bad music and shitty production. It’s a fine line between crap and crap these days. On one side you have shit, on the other you have shit, in between you have nothing.

She already knows how to use Pro-Tools and can make better tracks than most people I know. CM___As a father of a young girl, are you somet imes scar ed of the way the world is? Dan____The world is a mess. It always has been. We can’t stop breeding and spreading the human disease across the planet. There has always been war - there always will be. People are stupid, ignorant, self important creatures. To think we’ll stop the war! is child’s play. Look at history. Tell me about one period in time when there wasn’t a war going on. Since WW2, the US has been involved in war (whether overt or covert) more than 100 times. It continues for power, for money, for nothing. Yes, Whitney Houston, children are the future, and so is death.

CM____What comes next? Plans fo r a tour a new album? Dan____Always new music coming; always more shows. It’s an endless cycle. I’ll burn out and become a stock trader someday. But until then I sit in front of my computer and get a bad back. CM____Who mastered this album? It’s so well bala nced and clear! Amaz ing… Dan____I do all production, engineering, mastering, etc. on my own for everything. CM_____In a few years , your daughter comes back fro m sc hool »Dad I want to be a DJ/Electronic Artist when I am grown up!« How wo uld you react ? Dan_____She’ll be DJ’ing before she’s 5.

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THINNER LABEL

CM____IHR VERSCHENKT MUSIK IM MP3 FORMAT, COVER, BOOKLET ALLES UMSONST, KEINE ANMELDUNG ALLES FREI ZUGÄNGLICH. WOVON LEBT EUER PROJEKT, EUER LABEL? MARTIN____HM, DIE KNIFFLIGSTE FRAGE ZUERST, DIE WIRD SONST IMMER AM ENDE EINES GESPRÄCHS GESTELLT. VON THINNER LEBT KEINER, THINNER IST KOMPLETT UNKOMMERZIELL. CM____Aber wie finanziert ihr Servermiete bzw. den Traf fic? Martin____Ja wir haben einen Traffic den wir niemals bezahlen könnten, wir haben einen ganz kleinen Server, auf dem die Webseite liegt. Die Musikfiles sind auf einem Server untergebracht der eigentlich noch aus der Demoszene kommt. Also, den Leuten die damals auf Amigas, Ataris Demos mit Trackersoftware programmiert haben. Diese Demos waren sehr kleine Files die man gut mittels Mailboxen austauschen konnte. Diese Szene hat sich bis in die Internetzeit gehalten, und wurde dann allm hlich von den MP3-Labels abgelöst. Der Server von Scene.org kommt eben genau aus dieser Demoszene und hostet einen Grossteil der Netlabels, also kostenlos mit Webspace und Traffic. Im Umkehrschluss würden viele Netlabels die kostenlos ihre Musik anbieten ohne den Server von Scene.org nicht existieren. Nur als Beispiel, wir haben innerhalb der ersten fünf Tage eines Releases 20 Gigabyte Traffic. Wenn Leute durch einen Release auf uns aufmerksam werden, dann ziehen sie sich nicht nur einen Release sondern noch weitere Releases, logischerweise kann also schon eine Person einen groﬂen Traffic erzeugen. Es sind mittlerweile siebzig Releases, so dass schon einiges an Gigabyte zusammen kommt. CM>>> Ist Thinn er eine GmbH od er GBR? Und we r s teckt hin ter Thinn er. Martin____Gar nichts, keine Firmierung oder ähnliches. Thinner setzt sich aus Idealisten zusammen die weltweit verteilt sind. Ich würde sagen Menschen, die aus der Liebe zur Musik angetrieben werden, und sehen wollen, in wie weit man eine solche Idee vorantreiben kann. Head des Labels ist Sebastian aus Mannheim. Wobei initiiert wurde Thinner von Thomas Jaldemark aus Dänemark, der aber heute nicht mehr dabei ist. Er hatte Thinner damals als Trackerlabel aus der Taufe gehoben und betrieben. Eines Tages hat er dann Sebastian im Internet kennengelernt und so wurde aus

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Thinner ein MP3 -Label, das war 2001. In Dortmund sitzt Joerg der sich um Cover- und Flashdesign kümmert, wobei er auch unter dem Namen Digitalverein auf Thinner veröffentlicht. Aus Finnland kommt Nemo Oja, der studiert Informatik und Webdesign, und arbeitet bei Thinner als Webmaster und hat auch die Seite programmiert. In Schweden sitzt Thomas Ekelund, der bearbeite die Cover für Autoplate und veröffentlicht auch Normalmusic. In der Schweiz sitzt Benjamin Fae und kümmert sich um das Mastering der Veröffentlichungen, zusammen mit Roland Feger aus Mannheim. Ich mache die Promokonzepte und habe die Benutzerfreundlichkeit der Webseite mitentwickelt.

__________________________________________ TEIL II CM____Log ischerweise werdet ihr den Künstlern kein Geld für ihr Material bezahlen, aber wie sieht es mit den Rechten für die Tracks aus? Martin____Es ist so, in erster Linie liegt uns viel daran, dass die Sachen eine gewisse Exklusivität haben. Das heiﬂt, dass die Tracks auf keiner anderen Internetseite, auﬂer auf der Seite des jeweiligen Künstlers angeboten werden, mit dem Hinweis, das die Tracks bei Thinner angeboten werden. Hat für den Künstler den angenehmen Nebeneffekt, dass er sich den Traffic spart wenn er verlinkt. Wir haben durch diese Verlinkung wiederum den Effekt dass die Leute auf unsere Seite aufmerksam werden. CM____Ist es denn auch schon pa ssiert das Tracks erst auf Thinner veröffent licht, un d dann noch einmal von einer Pla ttenfirma kommerziell veröffentlic ht wurden? Martin____Das ist in letzter Zeit häufiger vorgekommen, daher auch unser Anspruch an Exklusivität. Es ist ein paar mal vorgekommen, dass Künstler uns gebeten haben Veröffentlichungen aus dem Netz Seite 111

bzw. von der Thinner Webseite zu nehmen, weil sie einen Vertrag mit einem kommerziellen Label eingegangen sind. Das ist natürlich nicht der Sinn der Sache, Thinner ist keine Tauschbörse oder ähnliches, es ist ein vollwertiges Plattenlabel, dass durch die Form des Netlabels auf den kommerziellen Aspekt verzichten kann. Ein Release auf Thinner ist also einem Release auf einem echten Label von der Bedeutung schon gleich zusetzen, also kein Track auf irgendeiner Homepage, sondern ein Track der in einem Gesamtkontext steht. Also, Einbindung in den Releases davor, und den geplanten. Einbindung mit dem Artwork, und eine Einbindung in den Labelsound. Daher stellen wir mit den Künstlern Verträge auf, um diesen Situationen aus dem Weg zu gehen. Erleichtert wird dies durch die Creative Commence CC.

MARTI N

»AUSSERDEM IST DIE HEMMSCHWELLE GRÖSSER WENN JEMAND EINE CD IN EINEN BRIEFUMSCHLAG STECKT, WEIL ER DANN EHER SELEKTIERT AN WEN ER SEINE MUSIK SCHICKT.« Seite 112

Die Creative Commence regelt die Rechtsverhältnisse gerade im Bereich der nichtkommerziellen Veröffentlichungen, so dass beide Seiten auch eine gewisse Sicherheit haben. Der Hörer hat auch die Sicherheit, dass selbst wenn der Track später als CD oder Vinyl veröffentlicht wird, diese immer noch legal als MP3 zu tauschen. Bei Creative Commence haben sich Leute die sich mit Jura u.ä. befasst haben, vornehmlich Laurenz Lessing, Gedanken gemacht, wie man Urheberrechte und Freiheit, also Freiheiten die auch durch das Internet entstehen, vernünftig für alle Seite regeln kann. Es ist zum Beispiel ein weit verbreiteter Trugschluss, dass wenn man Sachen ins Internet stellt, und z.B. kostenlos anbietet somit auch Urheberrechte verwirkt hat.

Das heiﬂt durch CC wird das All Rights reserved in ein Some Rights reserved gewandelt, wenn z.B. ein Track für einen unkommerziellen Film als Soundtrack genutzt wird, ist alles in Ordnung. Wird hingegen mit dem Film und somit dem Soundtrack Geld verdient, muss der Autor des Tracks beteiligt werden. Der Status von Creative Commece ist aber irreversibel. CM___Bekommt Ihre viele Demos zugeschickt, und nach welchen Aspekten wählt ihr aus? Martin____Wir kriegen extrem viel Material zu geschickt. Es ist mittlerweile so, dass wir auf der Webseite eine Art Demopolice veröffentlichen mussten. Dazu zählt, dass wir keine Tracks akzeptieren, die wir mittels Email zugeschickt bekommen, einfach weil keiner von uns die Zeit hat die Sachen runterzuladen, und dann anzuhören. Es gibt auch viele Sachen die einfach nicht passen, z.B. Hip Hop Sachen die zum Teil einen guten Sound haben, aber einfach nicht zum Sound des Labels passen. Ausserdem ist die Hemmschwelle größer wenn jemand eine CD in einen Briefumschlag steckt, weil er dann eher selektiert und sich Gedanken macht an wen er seine Musik schickt, als eine Massenemail an fünfzig Netlabels zu verschicken. CM____Wie definierst du den Labelsound?

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Martin____Es sind ja grundsätzlich zwei Label, Thinner und Autoplate. Der Sound von Thinner ist ganz klar, früher haben wir gesagt, Dub beeinflusste elektronische Musik, heute würde ich den Rahmen weiter stecken von Ambient Dub und endet bei Tech-Dub. Ich würde sagen elektronisch, warm und organisch. Tracks für Clubs und zu Hause. Es ist in gewissen Fällen auch tanzbar. Bei Autoplate geht es um ruhigere Musik und akustischere Musik. Da geht es um akustische Instrumente, um Field Recording um akustische Experimente und eine gewisse Ästhetik. CM__ _Wie viel e Leute sind an dem Ent scheidungsprozess einer Veröffentlichung beteiligt? Martin___In der Regel ist es so, das Sebastian entscheidet, wenn er sich nicht ganz sicher ist, sich noch mit Joerg, Benjamin und mit mir abstimmt. Aber im Endeffekt entscheidet schon Sebastian.

bleibende Qualit t, sprich Labelsound abzuliefern. Ich denke das hat uns auch in der Anfangszeit sehr von anderen Netlabeln unterschieden, wir sind einer Linie, und unserem Konzept treu geblieben. Ein klarer Faden der durch unseres VerÖffentlichungen geht. CM____Es werden bei euch alle Tra cks noch einmal gemastert, bekommt Ihr Rough Mixes oder was geschieht damit? Martin____Gute Frage, wir bekommen sehr oft Emails von Leuten die von MP3 und Klang nicht so vie Ahnung haben und fragen, Gibt’s das auch in CD QualitÄt? Meinen Release auf Autopate hatte ich Roland Fiege als Wav Datei zum Mastern geschickt, und es klang als MP3 hinterher noch besser als die Wav Datei. Beim Mix kann man mehr kaputt machen, als wenn man MP3 benutzt. Hier kommt es einzig und allein auf das Handling an. Ein gut gemastertes MP3 hat die QualitÄten, die man normalerweise einer CD zuspricht. Das Mastering muss mit Hinblick auf das Endprodukt MP3 abgestimmt sein, dann kann man den Track durchaus auch auf einer Clubanlage spielen, ohne dass jemand einen Unterschied bemerken wird.

CM__ _Ist Thin ner auch schon eine Art Sprungbrett für Kü nstler? Martin____Durchaus, schon einer der ersten Veröffentlichungen wurde später auf Source gesignt. Künstler von der ersten Compilation sind letztendlich auf Minus und Kanzleramt gelandet. Vielleicht ist Thinner Veröffentlichung nicht der ausschlaggebende Punkt fÜr die weitere Karriere der K¸nstler, aber ich denke auch nicht ganz unbeteiligt (lacht). Auf jeden fall zeigt es, dass Sebastian ein ganz gutes HÄndchen bei der Auswahl der K¸nstler hat.

THINNER NETLABEL MARTIN CM__ _Ihr biet et auch die Playlist Files fÜr T raktor an , gibt es einen besondere n Kontakt (lachend) zu Native Instruments? Martin___Der Kontakt war naheliegend, da Native sich drauf spezialisiert hat eine Software anzubieten mit der MP3’s aufgelegt werden. CM__ _Gibt es besondere Ziele, die ihr mit eur en Netlab el noch erreichen wollt? Martin___(lachend) Im Prinzip sind wir so glÜcklich wie die Geschichte lauft, wir haben ohne Promoeinsatz Besucherzahlen von 30000 im Monat. Ein Release hat ziemlich schnell seine 3000 bis 5000 Downloads, ein Release hat es schon Über 10000 gebracht, so dass wir weit Über dem liegen was ein normaler Vinylrelease erzielen wÜrde. FÜr uns also ein Riesenerfolg.

FINALE FRAGE//////// _____________________________________________________________________ CM___Diabol ische Frag e zum Abschluss kaufst du noch V inyl? Martin___Ich hab nicht mal mehr einen Plattenspieler.... (lacht) _____________________________________________________________________

»Ein gut gemastertes MP3 hat die Qualitäten, die man normalerweise einer CD zuspricht. Das Mastering muss mit Hinblick auf das Endprodukt MP3 abgestimmt sein, dann kann man den Track durchaus auch auf einer Clubanlage spielen, ohne dass jemand einen Unterschied bemerken wird.«

CM__ _Meinst d u der Erfolg begr¸ndet sich auf die Mˆgli chkeit le gal koste nlos he runter zu l aden, oder hat sich die Q ualit‰t des Labels herumgespr ochen? Martin____Ich denke es gibt mehrere Punkte, der erste Punkt ist, dass die Webseite sehr funktional ist, die Leute kÖnneN sich sehr einfach darauf orientieren. Der zweite Punkt ist sicherlich, dass wir versuchen eine gleich-

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MODX--- -PARIS JUNE 2 005 Questions___BOLD

CM___Vincent, on your curren t single, » The Quest «, i s a also re mix by P aul Murphy. How did this colla boration h appen? And have you ever met Paul face to fac e? From where do you know him and hi s label, Afro Art? Vincent___For years I’ve been keeping up with Afro Art Records’ releases and I know Paul Murphy’s career as a DJ. I respect what he’s done and the way he sees Club Culture. Our collaboration started in a very simple way: emails first, then I sent him 5 tracks for him to pick one to remix. He chose THE QUEST, which is a track quite different from my other productions at that time – a year and a half ago. I met him for the first time after the release of our vinyl, last March, in London. We both are very happy about this release. It’s not necessarily an easy product to release in vinyl format as THE QUEST is not a DJ Pleaser; but Paul as much as me could wrote our own quest through this record and that’s what really matters to us. CM____“The Quest” isn’t your first release since you already re leased an alb um calle d, »I Am An Ang el«. Is it still available or what’s th e story about this album? I can’t find it... Vincent____I would define the album Demons and Saints as a heteroclite mix of different compositions rather than as a genuine album. Seite 118

By mid-2003, I felt the need to put all my productions together even though they were very eclectic. I needed to know what people think about my music. With the Ice & Spice staff we decided to release this collection of instrumental tracks for promotional purposes. 10 out of the 13 tracks were played a thousand times on several French and Belgium radios. From that moment on, my name became familiar and I received some very interesting and supporting feedbacks. This encouraged me with my work and gave me the strength to go on and go even further each time. Then came “THE QUEST”.

»OUR COLLABORATION STARTED IN A VERY SIMPLE WAY: EMAILS FIRST, THEN I SENT HIM 5 TRACKS FOR HIM TO PICK ONE TO REMIX. HE CHOSE THE QUEST, WHICH IS A TRACK QUITE DIFFERENT FROM MY OTHER PRODUCTIONS AT THAT TIME – A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. I MET HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE RELEASE OF OUR VINYL, LAST MARCH, IN LONDON.«

_______________________________ CM____What can you tell me about the tra ck »The Qu est«. Wh at’s beh ind it? What about the mes sage and the vocals on it? W hen did you record that t rack? Vincent_____I recorded this track in February 2004. ‘Revolution is a Flower’ is about conflicts between those who have the power and those who don’t. Don’t misunderstand me: I’m not calling for a revolution! It’s just that the flower shows how fragile things are. What I mean is that a revolution can be due to nothing really - just a little detail. To be more specific the flower here is a carnation. It comes from this story of an old lady who was selling dried carnations on the pavement; just the way many old ladies used to do in Portugal. As the army was sent on the street by Salazar, one of the gunmen pointed his Seite 118

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MODX--- -PARIS JUNE 2 005 Questions___BOLD gun at her and her reaction was to insert a carnation in the gun. From that moment on, the army started fighting with the people and no longer against it. There is this very interesting quotation from the French poet Georges Moustaki, To those who lost their belief in reaching an ideal, tell them that a red carnation has bloomed in Portugal. So the track is a metaphor for this, the fact that sometimes something as serious as a revolution can come sort of out of the blue. To me this track is a Quest in itself. When I wrote it I decided to forget every pre-existing format, every musical categorisation. I chose to follow my own idea through to its logical conclusion; follow what I had in mind through to what I deeply wanted to listen to and especially concerning rhythms as well as blending different musical styles. I wanted to create and listen to a rhythm that I had never heard anywhere before except in Jazz or free Jazz, for example. Most importantly I wanted to surprise myself. Indeed this track leaves up to each person the opportunity to understand it their own way and this is due to its uncategorizable nature. Each person hears in “The Quest” what they want to hear. To me being able to listen to the same track 10 or 20 times and always hearing something different each time is essential. This would be an accurate definition of my music. C M____W ho made the vi deo for »Th e Quest« ? Wa s it filmed in Paris? Is there a story

be hind the video...like a grey city ge ts more colours through good music? Vincent___The video was directed by Neurotika - a VJ crew of Paris. There is no suggested storyline in this video. The idea is to respect the track’s intention to leave up to each person the freedom of understanding it the way they want.

Everyone had a different interpretation of this track. Some even thought that the record was skipping at first, but after listening to it several times they understood that it was meant this way: they let themselves be taken away by the unexpected. CM____ What’s th e reason why you released “The Quest” on vinyl and as am mP3 but not on CD? Vincent____The reason why is very simple. TOPPLERS only distributes/exports vinyl and they were the only ones to want to take the risk to release this record.

The video was filmed in various locations in Paris. But we specifically picked locations that wouldn’t be instantly recognizable. We wanted an urban, industrial look to the video that would make people think of big cities in general, not one specific city. To talk a bit more about the meaning of ‘Revolution is a Flower’, the goldfish in the video is reminiscent of the flower: seeing a goldfish in a rear-view mirror can happen just like it happened to see a flower in a gun. It just comes out of the blue, it is due to nothing. Revolution obeys the same process, or rather the same nonprocess. That is that it can be caused by something as meaningless as a Camel in a rear-view mirror.

CM___W hat’s you r day-job ? I heard that you als o create music for advertisements? Can you live from that? Vincent____At the moment, I can’t live just off my records. My day job is music creation for image and advertising. I’ve been working in sound design for 4 years. I have learnt a lot and am still learning a lot. I have to make short production but nonetheless efficient; my music has to seduce a specific target. It is a good exercise. Everyday I create a lot of different music, in different styles. This way I can experience doing very different music from what I like. This is also the reason why, when I compose for myself within Ice & Spice, I feel free to do whatever I want. I have no boundary - no artistic restriction.

CM ____You ea rned a lot of po sitive re actions an d good reviews for “The Qu est”. How do you feel abo ut it - an in spiration f or more tracks? Vincent____This record received a warm welcome from the press. Once again it’s good to receive support and also to see that people saw in The Quest something new and surprising in a positive way.

We’ve always wanted to make music that would be different, to release a music that would go beyond all different styles of music, without demagogy and no compromises. We want to remain independent from the mass music industry that lowers the quality of music. Obviously we have to be able to live and put up the money for the releases, the gigs and club events... but we try hard to preserve our artistic integrity. It almost is a political fight sometimes or at least looks like it is one We are determined to make music progress above all, to offer new stuff. It’s not very easy but we believe in it.

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PART II

CM____ Ice & Spice Records is y our own label. When was it founded? And what was your goal when you started this label; just to put out your own track s? Any plans for signing other artists? What about Emma Prodidge? Vincent___I co-founded Ice & Spice in 2003 with 2 of my closest friends, Zina Ayad and Alexandre Teinturier.

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concerning the choices we have to make and the directions to take. Our relation is a good commercial and artistic relation but it also is trustworthy. It is rare and precious in this industry. You’re right so far we’ve only released MOD X’s music but we do listen to everything we receive. We also are preparing releases that include other artists that we discovered and think they deserve to be better known. CM____ Last nigh t I saw your set in the L’étage here in Paris . It was an a mazing set, very eclectic with two drummers and two laptops. Did you do many rehearsals for this set? And what can you tell me about the other three people who performed with you? Do you use Ableton Live for your p erformance? And how do you sync the two laptops? Vincent____I heard back nice feedbacks from this gig. This set gives a hint of what the Live set that I’m preparing, at the moment, will be like... this live set will be with 2 musicians - a bass player and a drummer. The gig you were at enabled me to test things; put percussions and DJing together with a new and astonishing software called Traktor DJ studio. The new live set that I am working on will be made up of my compositions only and will be a cross between live and DJing, with all the energy of a live band. I’ve been a musician for 10 years and I’ve often had the opportunity to perform as a back side musician. I’ve been on stage lots of times. This is a drug you cannot forget once you’ve had it. This is why I would love to play and perform my tracks on stage with musicians rather than play them in my DJ sets. Besides my compositions were more meant to be performed rather than DJ’ed.

PROFESSION

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MODX----PARIS JUNE 2005

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CM_ ___There was also a »Fad o« track played in your set. Is that a link /reference to your roots? Do y ou like Fado music? Do you liste n to it sometimes? You are from Portugal. Do you have relatives in Portugal ? Do you think »th e roo ts or the an cestry« of an art ist can inf luence his music? Vincent____Fado means Fate. This is the essence of Portugal and its history of the past 5 centuries that express themselves through this deep and powerful music. I like it. It inspires me and is definitely part of my influences. My origins are Portuguese and I’ve been surrounded by Fado since I was born. Today Fado is still renewed by new artists. Fado is alive and blends in nicely with other musical genres. By the way I can suggest to anyone interested to get a compilation from REDHOT.org Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon . Those mixes are Fado and other kindsof Portuguese music with other tunes Magnifique!

Qu estions___BOLD

CM But the way of your live performance is completely different to the sound of The Quest . Are you a person who likes to experiment a lot?

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MODX-- --PARIS JUNE 2005 Questions___BOLD Vincent____Indeed I like to experiment. Most of the time, I create my music from experimentation with rhythm and harmonies. Every single time, what I aim at creating are “broken moments”, moments of breaks – therefore I think we can all this experimentation. However I think that my music could also be called pop music, experimental pop music. I experiment from simple structures and formulas which everyone is used to hearing; my goal is to keep in touch with the audience by using elements they are familiar with and that their ear easily recognizes: I then add to these familiar elements some unusual rhythms or melodies that have nothing to do with the rest of the track and this is the best way to destabilize them. I am not inventing anything with this experimentation, I only suggest stuffs. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CM______What about your working process? How do you start a new Track - in your head, on paper or on the computer? Vincent____Each track, whether instrumental or vocal, is first of all in my head. I build them in my head and then I use the computer as a tool to achieve what’s in my head. Computers offer lots of possibilities that also enable me to add some unpredictable elements into my music. Other times I can also write music on a sheet of paper, but the computer help me create at the same time as I think of the tunes and this is why I like it better today. There are so many other stuffs left for me to create and discover through pc-assisted composition that I think I have lots of work ahead of me before getting fed up of it – if this could ever even happen. CM_____Do you use samples in your Tracks? And I a m also curious about your studio. What ki nd of gear and software do you use in your studio? Vincent____I use almost no samples. I work with CUBASE SX2 on a PC

I EXPERIMENT FROM SIMPLE STRUCTURES AND FORMULAS WHICH EVERYONE IS USED TO HEARING; MY GOAL IS TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE AUDIENCE BY USING ELEMENTS THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH AND THAT THEIR EAR EASILY RECOGNIZES: I THEN ADD TO THESE FAMILIAR ELEMENTS SOME UNUSUAL RHYTHMS OR MELODIES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REST OF THE TRACK AND THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DESTABILIZE THEM. I AM NOT INVENTING ANYTHING WITH THIS EXPERIMENTATION, I ONLY SUGGEST STUFFS. MODX

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with an audio interface - RME Hammerfall. I create rhythms from real drum sounds that I organise. All the rest is pure creation thanks to virtual synthesizers or virtual sampler like KONTAKT. I hardly ever use midi. I record guitars, bass, keyboard, percussions, vocals or any other instrument that I can play or that other musician I work with can play. CM____ _It seems to me that you like jazz music. When we dr ove to the ca fé y ou turned on a »jazz radi o s tati on« ? Vincent_____Jazz is the music that has been inspiring everything I do for years. Many things have been in Jazz first. I feel that all the actual music stems from Jazz. Everything’s in it. CM____ Any other musician or styles which influenced you? Please tell me your personal ‘All-time TopTen’? Vincent____My All Time TOP ten albums: 1/ DARK MAGUS / Miles Davis 2/ RISC vs REWARD / Photek 3/ ELETTER / Akosh S Unit 4/ RUNNING FROM DEMONS / Radiohead 5/ TIMELESS / John Abercrombrie 6/ SEXTANT / Herbie Hancock 7/ LOVE POWER PEACE / James Brown 8/ OLE COLTRANE / John Coltrane 9/ PSYENCEFICTION/ Unkle 10/ EXODUS / Bob Marley and the Wailers

.........::::.....:: TOP TEN TOP TEN 1/ DARK MAGUS / Miles Davis 2/ RISC vs REWARD / Photek 3/ ELETTER / Akosh S Unit 4/ RUNNING FROM DEMONS / Radiohead 5/ TIMELESS / John Abercrombrie 6/ SEXTANT / Herbie Hancock 7/ LOVE POWER PEACE / James Brown 8/ OLE COLTRANE / John Coltrane 9/ PSYENCEFICTION/ Unkle 10/ EXODUS / Bob Marley and the Wailers

CM____ On the Ice & Spi ce Records’ webpag e, I’ve read that you star ted to put out t racks in 2000. What about your musical background. What was your first instrument? And

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when did you start to make music with electronic instruments? Vincent_____I started music at 7 when I took piano lessons. I started working on computers in 2001, on Protools LE on a Mac. CM____As you’ve mentioned before, you also create music for advertisements. What’s the main difference between creating music for advertisements and producing your own tracks? Are you more limi ted when you create a t rack for a company? Vincent____The difference between commissioned music and my own music is very simple: artistic freedom. CM____Wha t is your opinion concerning the elections for th e Europea n Constit ution today? How do y ou feel about it? I am in favour of gathering nations and people, economically as well as culturally. I think it’s too bad France said “no” but I don’t want to judge them on this. I think the French “no” is based on reasons such as a lack of knowledge and understanding of European institutions, their power and role. I think European institutions are working towards becoming a competitor to the USA and placing the financial aspect of society front and center. This has pros and cons. It might be due to those drawbacks that French people said no – these drawbacks have been widely used and exploited by some political parties.

MODX

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PART III ------------------------------------------------------------------CM____What makes you happy? I mean a s a m usicia n and as »Vin cent« ? Vincent____As a musician I am merely happy to do what I am doing in spite of all the difficulties of this job. I am happy to see that people like my music and I am also happy to be able to express myself through it. As a person I am happy to have the people I have around me. So since I rarely have the opportunity to say it, I would like to express my big love to Zina, Mahé, Dorothée, Okin, WJ, Aurélien, Da Tinx and my family.

REPORT

MODX wwww.iceandspicerecords.com

MO DX----PA RIS JUN E 2005 Questions ___BOLD

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EDF CM_ ____You both live in Novosibirsk in Russia. Is your album »The city of dol ls«, or be tter say y our m usic, influenced by the vibe of the city Novosi birsk? Do n’t get me wrong, it w ould be too simple if y ou read city of dolls and the first thing yo u ask is about the city the artist lives in. I mean it in the way of how a lands cape or a feeling, that a city gives you, can influence the work of an artist ... Environment is very inf luential f or any artist that sho uld sound Wrong____E quite banal, you’re right. To tell ab out the place we found ourselves at, or es pecia lly abou t s ome »fe eling« o r »vibe« , well, it w ould be a lon g story . Let us just mention some crucial facts. Novosibirsk is one of the most populated cities in Siberia, it’s more than 1.5 million people. It’s one of the most significant worlds scientific centers. On the other hand we get good education but cannot find the proper job, as science and hi-technological manufactures used to be mainly funded by the government, and are mostly closed now. A lot of people have to move to some better place. Ones who left find themselves isolated Novosibirsk is far from any points of large-scale business activity, intensive cultural networks and so on. We don’t see the situation will change soon, it’s not a complain, it’s a fact.

DJs ECHO DEPTH FINDER #NOWOS IBIRSK

CM____ I heard that in Novosibirsk there is the largest theatre in the world. What about the cultural life in the city? Is there space for subcultu res and electr onic musi c? Or is your music kin d of exotic in Novosibirsk?

ECHO DEPTH FINDERS

Wrong Hmm, I am not that much into theatre but I wouldnt say the biggest . Culture is not funded as well. Businessmen who were brought up in post-soviet mess are usually too shortsighted to invest in culture. They prefer some other opportunities to make easier money. And the State doesn’t care obviously. It sounds weird, but foreign organizations and funds do more for the culture than the native ones. Nevertheless we’ve got some groups of artists working on a world level even under poor conditions. Theatres, academic music, we’ve got somebody to be proud of, true. So it’s a wonder for their colleagues coming from abroad. Electronic music is played in some night club, dance music like techno, house and drumnbass. But for me, there is no such thing as Novosibirsk Electronic Scene. The interested audience is almost lacking, so the cultural pattern is absent, partly due to the lack of the interested investors. We don’t have the place to perform, for instance. Seite 132

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PART II CM____ And before EDF... What about your musical roots? Any other so lo projec ts or collaborations before EDF? How did you get in touch with electro nic music and Hip-Hop music? To be honest, I know NOTHING about electronic music in Russia.

»I UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELINGS. SOMETIMES THIS SOUND MAKES ME WANNA JUMP FROM THE BRIDGE.« D1 Agree. Have to note that there are some electronic projects indeed. Stylistically close to club dance music, house or trance. They come and go as there is no intention behind them but to copy something Western. CM____How did you get to know each other? And w hen did you started to produce music together? Wrong___We shared the same interests, and some common friends, logically we met. It was about 5 years ago. Nikolay was techno-DJ. I was a graffiti-writer and a b-boy. Nikolay initiated the idea of our collaboration two years ago, it was a promising experiment, so I agreed even not having any appropriate experience. CM__ _What is the mean ing of the name »Ech o D epth Finder s«? Wrong____The sense is in some special aesthetic found in these three words as they stand together I guess 8)

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D1____My first musical experiments were in rock. I am a drummer and I used to play in different garage bands. Short time before I had finally lost the interest in rock music I used to play death-metal. It was evil and fast. After that time I performed as a DJ for a long time, mainly playing detroit techno. My first electronic project was minimal techno 8bit . I was not into hip hop that time. I was into random synthesis, analogue reverberators and techno rhythm. After we split I understood I want something completely new. Don’t know how I came to hip-hop, I just felt like it. I spent long hours in front of the laptop trying to compromise between the knowledge and skills I’ve already had and the desirable results of my new work and passion. Wrong___I was listening to different music ever since I remember. I used to study piano ... but I never was a musician and still I don’t think I am. Hope EDF will change it someday. 8) Concerning the Russian electronic scene all names that are important for me are already signed abroad. So if you still don’t know them, I don’t think I will open you a brand new world.

CM__ __Your debut Albu m » The City of Doll s« c omes out on the German labe l Meteosound end of May. How did you get signed on Meteosound? D1____2004 was a Year of Germany in Russia. Thanks to Goethe Institute Russian electronic music fans have got the opportunity to hear to many interesting projects performing live on stage. Who could imagine we would see Rechenzentrum or Tarwater. My crew as well as some other projects was included into the festival program. I took part in Teichmann bros Siberian tour, for instance. So we got closer after that unforgettable trip and before they departure back home we’ve exchanged our promo CDs. There were some EDF tracks on my promo that was given to Andy Teichmann. After some time passed we got the prop from Mr. Daniel Meteo Peters. The album was ready for publishing and we found the proposed conditions fit. So we agreed, that’s the story. CM____Perso nally, I would describe your music as a mixtur e of minimal techno/elec tronic mus ic and hip-hop (yes, I know the press say post hip-hop), but the feeling I h ad after listening to th e album is two-fold: fractional warm sounds we expect from minimal/hip-hop music; and after all, when you listen carefully to the lyrics and t he sounds, you feel a little bit lost in a big, big w orld. (Maybe like these huge var iations of tem peratures between summer and winter you have in Novosibirsk). Is this feeling I got part of the concep t of »C ity of Dol ls« or am I com pletel y wrong? D1____Michael, I understand your feelings. Sometimes this sound makes me wanna jump from the bridge. Wrong____I am sorry to dis appoint yo u, man, if you exp ect some smart answer this time ...

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Plainly speaking, we are not that much in c onception when we are working with the sound. We just do it as we like it, without concentrating on stylization or making s ome speci al concep tual moves . It’s good when music speaks f or itself. CM___Co uld you explain to me the conce pt o f » City of Dolls«, is it all about stereotypes and a globa lized worl d? Wrong____I am not sure one should focus on concrete matters (like globalization) listening to this album and thinking it over. It was a scary fairytale-feeling to share with you the story that touched us, some paranoid images about non-probable future. Based on reality, these stereotypes shown as hyperbolized, that makes it a totally unreal story, split from any concrete context. This conception , as you call it is just a form, a media to express what we wanted. If you get some concrete associations, some special feeling, memories, thoughts, that’s good, that is part of the planned effect. But they are all yours, we didn’t mean them. CM____This leads me to the next question: Would you describe yourself a pes simists or opti mists? D1____I think I am optimist. Sometimes it’s no good for me as there is tim e to stop acti ng and take it a s it is.

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Wrong____I think there is ult imate just ice for all. So would you call me optimist? CM_____ The first single is »On the Air «. Any special story be hind it? Why is itthe first outtake fro m your album?

ECHO DEPTH FINDERS

Wrong____There was no special story behind it. CM____Always the same technical question, but I am curios about this s tuff: With what k ind of gear/hardwa re did you produce and record th e album? What kind of hard and software? From Russia? D1____First I have to shout out for the N.I. crew for the Reaktor. Smart prog, they are talented people. Good to know there are some Russians collaborating with them. I mean LazyFish & Solar X. EDF sound is assembled on the computer base. Above the laptop I have a Boss SP 202 phrase sampler, cassette tape-recorder and Russian Le reverberator, enough for me. I often take the sampler with me to make some music in field conditions . You can make some original sound, even drumming on the empty tree trunk, you know. Haven’t got that superwow sound lab and rich bunch of wicked equipment. But I know for sure what I can create using what I already have. CM____And how do you perform the album live?

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D1____We can’t perform some effects that were created in the studio. But we can create something else, Anton called that digital turntablism . CM____Anton writes the lyric s. What about the writing process? Do yo u have a concept w hen you start to write down the lyrics? Or do you write about the things you see when you watch tv or walk in the streets? Wrong_____Have to confess that time I didn’t need to look for the source of inspiration. That was actually one of the reasons I intended to be involved into this experiment, the reason for me to start rapping as I never used to do it and never thought this will be the thing I will be original in but I HAD TO SAY something. So I concentrated to understand how to express it thoroughly, and we’ve discussed it with Nikolay. We came up with the idea of the album, and the idea of freestyling over the techno-like hip-hop. One more thing, as I already said I try to avoid concrete context, I try to avoid mentioning the real names, titles, trends, places. I try to put my concrete feelings about it in metaphors, in some abstract way. I guess, that will help to perceive and to understand it better. I don’t think I am only one who is tired of people constantly trying to make me to be involved in their personal worlds. Don’t think my personality is significant enough to do the same. I try to show my world but I show it with the sides that are close to anybody, make them think it over once again. So I don’t take these rhymes straight out of eating MY breakfast, reading MY books, walking MY streets, etc. PART III ::::::::::::::::::::::: CM____What comes f irst: the lyrics and then the mu sic or first the music and then the lyrics? Wrong____You should understand this album was a debute for our small collabo. We are quite different, so it wasn’t easy to produce some brilliant technology of the creation-process. Good thing is that we are closer to this after two years of work. 8) We usuall y work each by himself. I put some rhymes down, D compo ses the music. When we worke d on »C ity...« we tried to work in bot h wa ys: sometimes the music was the starting point, sometimes some t ext or idea of the trac k was. So when we met we talked things over, trying to u nderstand each othe r and to find some common point th at will result in a tr ack. Obvi ously, in some cases the image of the final pro duct was incomplet e, so we had negotiations that led to some version, but fo r both of us the track wasn’t finished.

Wrong____What is so special about Kazakhstan? I am not a political activist. D1____I’ve got a friend from Kazakhstan, some of my relatives live not far from the place some nuclear blasts took place. Yuri Gagarin launched his spaceship from Kazakhstan. Perhaps that’s all I know about this country. 8) If you look for some covered meaning in our music, you’d better look on its social-philosophic side. I don’t think there is any political message. Wrong____You can start the revolution, we won’t mind. CM____In May you will per form in Germany at Marke B Festi val in Berlin, any other plans for tou ring Europe ? Wrong___You guys still have some time to invite us. CM____Other countries you like to tou r and visit? Wrong___Japan. CM____What makes you happy and sati sfied? Mu sic, frien ds, famil y? D1____I am happy to make music, it’s very important to me. Wrong___Good people. CM___For me it i s very hard to imagine living in such a big c ountry as Russia. How does it feel to have a cap ital city so far away and to have so many tim e zones and different people in one country? (Maybe a stupid question but I am curious about that f eeling) D1 It’s unable to grasp all the diversity , so you have to stay local and isolated Siberian. Moscow is so far that for some of us it is just a multime dia myth, as Lenin used to be ...

LAST SEEN ON ____________________________________________ ________________________www.meteosound.net__

CM____Would you de scribe you r music as political? Are you i nterested in poli tics? Kaza khstan, f or example , isn’t so far away...

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FIRST THING I ASKED MYSELF WHEN I HELD YOUR ALBUM CAUTELLA IN MY HANDS WAS: »WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS EXCELLENT ARTWORK?« DID YOU DO IT YOURSELF? AND HOW WERE THESE PICTURES MADE? THEY LOOK SO REAL, LIKE PHOTOGRAPHS. A SPECIAL TECHNIQUE?

Richa____Well, the artwork was created and conceived by two close friends of mine from Santa Fe New Mexico (Brian and Noah). They are a design team called Keepadding. (http://www.keepadding.com). I met them on our last schematic tour coming through Denver Colorado. I would have to say they are doing some of the most elegant intriguing works I have seen. And I thought they would be a perfect collaboration in where our two worlds meet graphically and sonically. The art was mostly created in Photoshop, and they have really crafted the fine art of creating these alien landscapes of infinite details and depth unlike anything I have seen, which is what I wanted in terms of the audio and visual presentation of this release. CM____On your website one finds als o art and even architectural drawing. Are these things y ou create besides music? Richard____Yes, I love all forms of visual art whether it be graphic design, print, 3D imaging or architecture. I was originally an art major, and received a BFA in fine arts in Graphic Communications and Media, so I have had some formal training in this area. I love to work in both mediums because they are one and the same for me. CM____Is there a connection between this ex cellent A rtwork an d your music? I mean i s the Cautella artwork telling a story of the tracks? Richard____Well, this project was interesting because I had the music completed before the artwork was done. I then sent Keep Adding my release in the early stages of the release, and let listen and experience tracks and music so they could mock up some ideas on what would be appropriate for the release. They both came up with some ideas, and we went back and forth until we got something that was going to work. They had some really great ideas, about the visual content and what pictured when listening to Cautella. They described images of demonic alien insect creatures and highly define mechanical structures, which directly related to my pieces. CM____Can you explain what the wor d Cautell a means and what’s the concept behind th e album?

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WELL, THIS PROJECT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE I HAD THE MUSIC COMPLETED BEFORE THE ARTWORK WAS DONE. I THEN SENT KEEP ADDING MY RELEASE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE RELEASE, AND LET LISTEN AND EXPERIENCE TRACKS AND MUSIC SO THEY COULD MOCK UP SOME IDEAS ON WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE RELEASE.

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Richard_____Well the word Cautella derives from a insect classification of moth that is from the Cadra Cautella previously known as the Ephesita Cautella Almond Moth. It is part of the Pyralidae family. And is quite unusual in look and structure. I was really drawn by its uniqueness, as I had many insect references on this record. CM____When I listened to Cautella I found a lot of sounds that seem to have been sampled from natural sounds. A m I right? What kind of sounds did you u se for Cautella? And where do you sample them? Richard____Yes, there where quite a few sounds taken from outside sources, and found sounds, and quite a large amount of heavily computer processed sounds. I have been trying to experiment with a combination of acoustic sounds and synthetically generated sounds to create a more visceral environment with my music. I usually sample sounds from everyday objects, and spaces. It could be a broken piano, or huge garbage disposal machine. CM___Do you always ta ke a recorder with you wh en you travel? Richard____I always bring my Mini Disc recorder and Sony portable microphone, as I am constantly trying to capture new interesting sounds and textures. And you never know when that situation will come up. IT is an essential item that I always have on me.

CM___Maybe the mos t boring question but I am curio us: Can you tell me a little bi t about your musical journey? When did yo u start to create music and when did you start doing el ectronic m usic? Who got you in t ouch with electronic mus ic? Richard_____Well, I think it started around the age of 8 or 9 after my mother had made me take piano lesson1s which I hated at first, as I was not interested in music at an early age, but quickly grew an appreciation for it as I discovered new artists and music through experimentation and musical theory. I would say Eric Satie, and Bach where very important influences for me, as they had such an interesting approach to writing music. I began looking into other forms of music at that time. Experimenting with Punk, hip-hop, avant-garde, electronic, and noise. It was an interesting time for me as I was really open to anything new and different. It really diversified my tastes for music, and help me mature in my own musical productions. I started to create electronic music at age 15 when I started buying all these early drum machines and analogue synthesizers. It was the works of Aphex Twin and Morton Subotnick that truly brought me in touch with the electronic music scene. I knew I wanted to fuse the elements of electro acoustic music with a unique blend of beats and textures. CM____Have you stud ied art or music at a university? Richard____I have never studied music at the college level. The only training I have had was classical piano lessons early on. My other studies where concentrated in Graphic Design and web programming. CM____I r ead you are an admirer of Stockh ausen and John Cage, have you ever had the chance to see them performin g live? Ever met one o f these amazing p ersons? Ha ve they influenced your work? Richard____I have always had a fond liking to these composers. I remember hearing Stockhausen when I was 19 years old. I just graduated from high school, and got the Kontakt Record and was totally blown away by the sounds and textures. I would always play that record for my friends and they would all think I was crazy. I always loved there approach and the concepts behind the music. John Cage taught me a lot about music composition, and taking the more aleatoric approach to musical composing, I have studied his works for a number of years. I actually have only seen Stockhausen play live in Spain at the Sonar Festival one year. It was amazing performance of the Hymen pieces. It was a two hour performance and I had the great pleasure of meeting him in person, and speaking with him after the show. I would have to say it was one of the highlights for me =) CM_____Back to Cau tella. An y plans to perform it l ive? And if so with which kind of gear do yo u perform live? Richard____I have actually been performing some of the tracks of Cautella within the past year. I always try to play new tracks and try new things in my live shows. Lately I have been incorporating more drum machines and analogue boxes back in the setup. I have been recently using the TB-303

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Devilfish mod, and Elektron Machine drum with my computer setup lately for added manipulations. I usually perform with two computers and two Midi controllers. CM_____8- There is a remix on the album done by F unkstˆrung and on »Matvec Interior« you worked with Otto von Schira ch. H ow di d the se co llaborations come up? How did you get t o know each other? Have you pick ed the track which should be rem ixed or was it the dec ision of Funkstˆrun g to remix one of the 13 songs? Richard____Well, I have been long time friends of Funkstorung and Otto Von Schirach. I thought it might be cool to do a collaboration with some close friends of mine on this release to add something a little different. I basically just traded mixes on this releases with them. They basically asked me to remix them, and in return I asked them to do the same for me. So it was a trade of creative remixing on each others behalf, and it turned out really well in the end. I basically gave them the material and track to remix. In the track with Otto, we just went back and forth and tried to come up with something totally new and off the wall. CM_____Cautella is your fourth album. Ho w long have you worked on it? Were all tracks ma de exclus ively for the album? Or is there any track that slept on t he Harddi sk/Tape b efore? Or do you start each albu m with a new concept and new songs? Richard_____Well, Cautella was more of a transition album for me. I had worked on some of these tracks in 2004, and some this year. So I would say it1s a little of both. All of the tracks where created exclusively for this album. I wanted this album to be more aggressive and angular but at the same time, have some accessible material. I also experimented with new sound applications and hardware to come up with new sounds and moods. CM____In which mood do you start creating and recording new trac ks? Richard_____Well. It usually starts out by me just programming and manipulating sounds. I love to create new sounds within the virtual computing environment. I also sometimes draw out diagrams and patterns, which sometimes trigger off certain moods and emotions. I usually try to invoke alien strange emotions and moods in the music. I never focus on normal human emotions and feelings. I tend to lean more on the unknown and bizarre. I like horrifying high tech sounds and moods. Kind of like the music from intelligent alien beings in atime far into the future. CM______And what about the writ ing proce ss, for example: Do you sit in a cafe and sudd enly you have an idea, do you write it down o n a sheet of paper or d o you keep it in your head? Richard______I would say it1s a combination of all those things. I sometimes come up with things on my laptop on the road or in the studio. Sometimes I will just be in my car listening to music, and get a crazy idea after hearing a specific sound or sequence, and it might trigger off something new. I always keep my Powerbook and Mini Disc on me in case I need to record some-

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thing. I consider them my pencil and paper for ideas. CM_____On your website there are pictu res of your studio. Th is leads to a c ouple of questions :-): Do you still use the Akai samplers for your work? Whic h platform do you use for the recordings? Software Synthesizers? Am I right you use an Eventide machine? Is it an Ovrille or a DSP 7000/7500? Can you tell me a little bit about your expe riences wi th the Eventide machine? ---------- ----- - -- -- - -- -- - -- - -- -- -- - - - - -- - - - -- ----- --PART II

Richard____I actually donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use my Akai samplers anymore. I have since sold those pieces of gear since those photos where taking. I am now completely software based, using software samplers like Battery and Kontakt 2 for my sample management and manipulation. I have 9 computers here at the studio, running Windows and Macintosh Tiger. I have always been a cross platform user. I use a wide assortment of Software and hardware synthesizers. I really like the Native Instruments applications, like Reaktor and Absynth. I also use Max, Supercollider, Kyma, and CDP. I have been getting into the Roland V-synth, Hartmann Neuron, and Nord G2 quite a bit lately. I also just acquired the Elektron Mono machine and Virus TI, which are awesome. I also use the Eventide effects pro-

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cessors. I love the shear depth and quality of these machines. I have been a eventide user for many years now. I currently own and still use the H3000DS/E, DSP7500, and Orville. I am planning to upgrade my Orville to the H8000A this year. I have always loved the intelligent pitch shifting and reverbs in these machines. CM_____Besides the studio gear I saw two turntables with final scr atch maybe this is the answer for a qu estion I ask ed before. Do you also wo rk as a DJ? Richard______Yeah, I was DJ for a number of years back in High School and college. I have 4 turntables now running Final Scratch 2, and Traktor 2.6. I love mixing and manipulation new music as I constantly buy and seek out new stuff.

CM_____You also build your o wn synthe sizers. Where do y ou get the interface diagrams, the devices and cir cuit boards? Do you etc h the circuit boards by yourself? Is th ere any resource for self made synths on the internet? Richard____Well, I would have to thank my good friend Tim Adams on this. He is my synthesizer tech and creator of most of my custom build synths. He has built me a number of incredible boxes over the years. He would come up with all the custom discrete circuit designs, and then make them into real world machines. He is a true genius who has built some really interesting pieces for me over the years.

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WELL, I HAVE JUST FINISHED UP WORKING ON SOME NEW TRACKS WITH MIKE PATTON OF (FAITH NO MORE/MR. BUNGLE) FOR HIS NEW UPCOMING ALBUM ON IPECAC CALLED PEEPING TOM. I AM IN THE MIST OF ALSO FINISHING UP A ANOTHER ALBUM FOR GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL WITH COLLABORATIONS WITH TELEFON TELEVIV AND SECTOR-9. I JUST ALSO REMIXED GLEN VELEZ AND KERO. AND I AM WORKING ON A 5.1 SURROUND DVD THAT IS SLATED FOR FALL OF 2006. STAY TUNED FOR THAT=) PROFESSION

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CM------Wa s the Korg MS 2 0 one of your first Synths? I love it.. ..... (( it was my first one)) Richard Yes, this was the MS-20. I love the MS-20 and some of the early Korg analogue synths. They have a real dirty old school sound that I love. CM_____Do you still collaborate with Native Instruments? Any other technical collaborations? Richard____Yes, I still work with Native Instruments on a number of sound design projects. I have just recently completed sound design for Kontakt 2 and Reaktor 5. I also work with many other companies doing sound design at the moment. Everyone from Korg, Roland, Clavia, Alesis and to hartmann. I love programming new sounds for various hardware and software companies. CM_____(Ho pefully) T he last technical question, on one of the pictures you can see a keyboard with a touch screen. What is th is? Richard______Ahh yes, this is the Openlabs Neko64 synth computer workstation. Take a look at the future of musical computing. http://www.openlabs.com/

day in Richardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s live? Richard_____Ahh, I get in the morning, grab some cereal then work in the studio all and night. Every day of my life=) CM_____Do you own a TV? Are you someti mes scared by the things going on on this planet? Are you interested in politics? Richard_____Hum, I never watch TV or get involved with politics. I live in the woods of north Georgia far away from everything in the world. I would rather stay here and not get involved with all that mess. I prefer the simple living with just the surrounding of trees and mountains. CM>___ __The last record yo u bo ught? Richard_____Hum, last few records I bought where the Coil DVD box set, Nurse with Wound, Halfer Trio, Trevor Whishart, Sarggoso1s Works of the Beast Vol 3, and SND CM______Statements you like to ad d ? Richard . . . eat more acid=)

CM_____Can you tell me so mething ab out your next musical plans? Richard_______Well, I have just finished up working on some new tracks with Mike Patton of (Faith No More/Mr. Bungle) for his new upcoming album on Ipecac called Peeping Tom. I am in the mist of also finishing up a another album for Ghostly International with collaborations with Telefon Televiv and Sector-9. I just also remixed Glen Velez and Kero. And I am working on a 5.1 surround DVD that is slated for Fall of 2006. Stay tuned for that=) CM______Ho w would you describe a pe rfect

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