6 minute read
Charlotte De Witte: Making Waves in the Techno Game
If Dave Clarke is the Baron of techno, then Charlotte de Witte is definitely the Queen. Riding the cusp of a wave of fresh talent roaring through the techno scene, she’s made many famous fans – Chris Liebing and Richie Hawtin, to name but a few. Yesterday she played the Mainstage right after Carl Cox, and in November she’ll be hosting her own KNTXT XXL night at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp. Make no mistake about it: Charlotte’s career is going as fast and as hard as her powerful beats.
You’ve released two EPs this year already, compared to last year’s four. Does that mean there’s more to come?
“I have one more track coming out later this year on a compilation album, but that’s about it. I really need to get back into the studio. I’ve played so many shows that I haven’t really had the time to fire up my laptop and produce. I’ve underestimated my schedule a bit, I’m afraid. It’s been a wild ride. I pretty much haven’t been home at all in May. I bought a new laptop to try and create some things on tour, but mostly touring gets you so tired that in between shows, you can’t get your brain to function on a level high enough to write new tracks. You just want to get to bed and empty-headedly watch some series on Netflix. I’ve made some new loops, but that’s about it. It’s a lesson I’m taking with me for my next tour (laughs).”
Doesn’t visiting all those cities all around the world inspire you to write new material?
“It definitely does, as they all have their distinct vibe and feel, which gets creativity flowing. But given that it’s just me by myself on tour most of the time, I tend to take the last flight to my destination, have a quick bite, try to sleep a couple of hours before the show and two hours after, and then it’s on to the next one. The time I’m spending in those cities is so limited, I rarely have the opportunity to really soak up the city’s atmosphere.”
Do you feel like you’ve evolved as a producer over the last two years?
“Yeah, absolutely. Especially on the last EP, which was recorded exactly a year ago. I feel that that one is more profound, in a way, than what I’ve done before. It’s not conceived with the idea that people need to dance to it as much. I basically just wanted to do whatever the hell I wanted. And if there’s more tracks on the EP, you have the room to elaborate and tell different stories throughout.”
Was the idea that people needed to dance to your music the main thought on the EPs that came before?
“I guess subconsciously, it definitely was. Hung up between different ways to do things, I would always choose the danceable option. The tracks I’ve done recently can be danced to as well, obviously, but you might need a little more time to really get into them.”
Melancholia seems to be a big part of your music, as well as the trademark voices you blend in there. Are those the main ingredients?
“I love working with those voices. First of all, because they’re so easy to work with. I’ve never learned to play an instrument. I can play some piano, but it took me a while to get to a level that was just a tiny bit better than abominable. Those voices create a hook in your track which keeps it very plain and stripped, which I truly love. And that probably makes it so melancholic, because it’s everything but chaotic music, it’s pure. I find it to be much more interesting to lose yourself in a few elements, rather than overflooding your music with all sorts of sounds.”
How do you feel when someone like Richie Hawtin or Chris Liebing plays your tracks?
“That’s simply crazy, every single time. At Awakenings, a couple of weeks ago, Chris Liebing played the same stage I did. I stood there watching him from the backstage as he played three or four songs of mine. I crawled behind him to hug his leg with excitement, thanking him for doing so. The biggest compliment you can get as a techno producer is having your tracks played by one of those big shots. It really honours me to have them supporting me like that. I mean – I’m still a little new to the scene, I’m young, and therefore there’s obstacles to take. You need to keep on proving yourself as you grow. The fact that guys like Chris and Richie have my back is just wild. Techno is a scene where you need to pay your dues in order to get where you want to be - and rightfully so. But when Chris plays my tracks, posts them online and tags me, I feel as if it’s his way of saying ‘she’s new, she’s young, but she’s definitely OK. We’ve got your back’.”
Do you think they get inspired themselves, having someone younger pushing them to their limits?
“I believe so. Chris Liebing has been in the scene for over 25 years. I think he finds it interesting that there’s new talent out there ready to join him on the barricades for techno. I think it would be rather foolish to do otherwise, to ignore the fact that me and many others are catching up to the scene. In the end, we’re all doing this for the same reasons, coming from that same deeply felt love for techno music.”
Did the scene change since you started playing techno?
“It got bigger. I’ve been DJ’ing for over eight years now, starting out with electro before moving on to techno somewhat over five years ago. Back then I still lived in Ghent, and there were some techno parties, but not to the present extent. Nowadays techno is all around. I mean: there’s a techno act playing the Mainstage of Tomorrowland, who would’ve thought that a couple of years ago?”
Techno’s success in Belgium is partially to your merit, as there has never been a bigger Belgian techno name than Charlotte de Witte. This means that you’re bringing in people from other scenes, of course, because they know your name but aren’t necessarily educated in techno. Do you notice the difference between those audiences?
“At the shows I’ve played at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels or at Rock Werchter Festival: yes, there is a difference between the vibe I get there and the one I would get in a sweaty nightclub or at Awakenings or Time Warp. When you’re playing those shows you know you’re part of something bigger than just techno, and that’s fine. Studio Brussel, the radio station where I hosted my own show for years, played a huge role in how people got to know me, especially in Belgium. You’ll see a different audience at Rock Werchter than you do at an all-nighter at Fuse in Brussels. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was just as crazy, you simply adjust your set a little bit with some more hooks, and then blow the roof right off with a Belgian trance classic at the end!”
Your own concept KNTXT started off at Fuse. How did that come about?
“I think we did the first one almost four years ago. I’d played there before, and the guys contacted me asking to host my own night. Needless to say, I dove right in! Since then it’s been pretty much all that I do in Belgium. Well, there’s a little something else coming up later this year…
You’ll be hosting KNTXT in the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, pretty much the biggest venue in Belgium. There have been drum ’n bass parties and EDM events there, but never a full-blown techno night. What can people expect?
“We were like: let’s just f*cking do this and slay! Bigger, better, bolder. Soon, we’ll release the third headliner next to Len Faki and myself, but I can already tell you that we have a line-up that will blow your mind. And productionwise, we’re gonna go all the way. It will be in the spirit of techno, so no confetti, no multi-coloured lights, but rather sober and with an industrial touch to things. It will blast your goddamn head right off!”
