The Pondering Blonde

BPM Mag: Cocoon Ibiza comes to South Africa

Last year Cocoon celebrated 10 years of wrapping clubbers in its twisted little game of deviant House and Techno at Ibiza’s clubbing powerhouse; Amnesia. Cocoon founder, and by all means; leading mad-hatter Sven Vath, took his kingdom across the monumental decade line in style with an all out wicked-carnival themed summer season on the island. There were traffic jams, all-night queues snaking around the venue- this party is the one ultimate must-do when making a trek to The White Isle. In fact; clubbers to the island notoriously plan their vacation around squeezing in two Monday nights at Cocoon!

The inside spectacle doesn’t disappoint; black sequinned dancers- beautiful girls, boys and girlyboys- on podiums and gyrating against the walls above the main floor, a 10 foot Robocop shooting lasers and pyrotechnics from within the crowd, and way up front; The Ringleader, Sven, in a black fedora casually pounding out the slickest beats from the more-then-massive sound system, to a sea of never-been-this-up-for-it clubbers.

His line-up for the season was as usual, a who’s who of Minimal Techno on Planet Earth: Ricardo Villalobos, Loco Dice, Luciano, Richie Hawtin, Nick Curly, Martin Buttrich, Mathais Kaden, Josh Wink, DJ sneak and Tiefschwartz among them. The legend of Cocoon not only lives on strong in 2010, but the brand and ultimate symbol of nightlife disturbia comes to avenge South Africa for the first time this June, with lady of the label, Dinky, headlining. The tour will bring the freshest house and techno to both Johannesburg and Cape Town and forge new ground in SA’s growing Techno-club culture.

THE LEGEND OF VATH

Sven Vath was an intrinsic part of the house scene’s development in Germany, bringing American disco and jacking Chicago house to the curious ears of Frankfurt, where he first bled his passion and initiated his meteoric rise up the electronic chain. Papa Sven fell into his role as the decidedly demonic ringleader and set about creating his platform, a Cocoon themed web, for he and his young muso friends to launch themselves. The Cocoon night in Ibiza, the original Cocoon club in his hometown and Cocoon Recordings have become a world-wide statement in electronic music hotness!

SVEN ON IBIZA: Cocoon is a feeling, it is club culture, event culture is how I see it, for more than 20 years now I was always into creating platforms or networks where people come together to create something. There is no place like Ibiza and thanks to Cocoon; Ibiza is still very interesting when it comes to music. I think with our line-ups we’ve inspired other promoters and the island to evolve music wise in a very positive way, so I guess it is more than ever the true capital of electronic dance music!

DINKYLAND

Female dj’s of the world unite! Joining the ranks of talented lady dj’s and producers, alongside Magda, Anja Schnider, Ellen Allien and Shinedoe is Dinky- and she’s not as sweet as she sounds! Dinky is her very own powerhouse- an original gadget girl, electronic composer and a leader in the second wave of greats to come out of Chile. Dinky’s early years in club culture were spent raving it up with Luciano and Ricardo Villalobos, who set her on a path of techno-laced music loving.

Dubbed ‘The Techno Princess’, she initially followed a career in contemporary dance to New York City before finding herself dj’ing around the city and landing fingers-first in music production. Dinky is now based in Berlin, dating Matthew Styles- both are signed to Crosstown Rebels and often play together- and churning out inspired artist albums and EP’s for labels like Vakant, Traum and Wagon Repair. Her own productions portray her unique ethereal essence, a delving divergence from her driving dj and live sets; but both fuse her compassion for music with soul. Here’s to ladies that love techno!

ON HOW SHE FOUND ELECTRONIC MUSIC: Modern electronic music came to me when I was only 12 years old. My sister was going out with Dandy Jack [of Perlon fame] and living in Berlin at that time. At a family dinner he gave me a CD and I got instantly hooked on this music. It seemed so futuristic for me, compared to what we had in Chile at that time. Thanks to both him and my sister, I would always receive goodies – music from Kraftwerk, DAF, and house tapes from Doctor Motte. And then later on, things like the early Plastikman CD. I was really lucky!

ON HOW SHE STARTED PRODUCING: I guess it came when I was 21 or 22, and I moved to New York. At that time it was really difficult to DJ because the police were really tough. There were no clubs, there were places shutting down, so if I was going to get into music I really wanted to produce. I asked for some advice from people; for example Dandy Jack convinced me to buy a MPC 2000. So I bought that at a very young age and I started to learn that and sampling; it’s a very basic thing!

BPM Mag: Interview with Dinky

Dinky is an electronic diamond. From humble beginnings, dancing to Techno with Ricardo Villalobos and Luciano in Chile;  penetrating New York’s underground with her esoteric essence; to discovering her production fingers, moving to Berlin and finding love with Crosstown Rebels star, Matthew Styles, Dinky is the epitome of living the dream. Joining the ranks of Anja Schneider and Magda in the female powerhouse with releases on the best electronic labels, it’s no surprise she quickly blossomed into her role as the youngest female resident for Cocoon. Ahead of her visit to South Africa in June, we visited Dinkyland to find out more!

Where did your fascination with electronic music start?

Modern electronic music came to me when I was only 12 years old. My sister was going out with Dandy Jack [of Perlon fame] and living in Berlin at that time. At a family dinner he gave me a CD and I got instantly hooked on this music. It seemed so futuristic for me, compared to what we had in Chile at that time. Thanks to both him and my sister, I would always receive goodies – music from Kraftwerk, DAF, and house tapes from Doctor Motte. And then later on, things like the early Plastikman CD. I was really lucky!

How did you get into producing?

I guess it came when I was 21 or 22, and I moved to New York. At that time it was really difficult to DJ because the police were really tough. There were no clubs, there were places shutting down, so if I was going to get into music I really wanted to produce. I asked for some advice from people; for example Dandy Jack convinced me to buy a MPC 2000. So I bought that at a very young age and I started to learn that and sampling; it’s a very basic thing!

You’ve lived in Chile, New York and now Berlin; you restlessness has prevented each from ‘claiming’ you to a certain scene or genre of music; how have all 3 influenced your character and music over the years?

I lived long enough on each country to find myself very influenced by the music of each . I was born and raised in Chile and lived there until my late teens , so I feel mostly influenced by my Chilean roots than anything. In New York I found House and some techno, so I have a big influence from that city as well , I was in body and soul every single Sunday dancing to house music. And finally in Berlin where I moved in 2003, I got very much influenced by German electronic dance music specially in Panorama Bar and Berghain where I have a residency.

You originally went to New York to study contemporary dance- have you always had an interest in dancing itself, and how did this lead you to electronic music?

I started to dance when I was around 10 years old , before that I was doing rhythmic gymnastics.  I was very flexible and musical as a child and me and my family thought it was a good idea to start with dance. Dance did not lead to electronic music at all, they didn’t have much to do with each other for me back then but I used some electronic music for choreography .

You’re first record was released on Traum, and you’ve since released on some of the best labels in electronic music- Wagon Repair, Cocoon, Crosstown Rebels- a world first for any female producer, what made you want to make music?

I studied piano when I was a little girl so I always felt like composing songs or scores , I would read music or invent my own scores in the piano when I was little so I guess it was just somehow natural for me to start making music.

As a self-confessed gadget girl- what are your favourite new toys at the moment?

My acoustic guitar! Actually, I haven’t invested much in the studio this year because I have already at the moment all I need so I’m enjoying playing classic guitar mostly.

When producing, your music has been described as a beautifully intricate and layered work of art- a very evident aural expression. Do you have a strong visual tangent that goes with the sounds you create?

Yes I do ,Im very into esoterics and art , I actually also paint and I’m quite extreme when it comes to how my house looks in terms of decoration and space. I’m very visual. I also see sound as colours , I think that has a name in psychology but I don’t remember now..

You’re also an instrumentalist- you play the piano, guitar and strings- how important is being able to play proper instruments for you to ‘compose’ quality music electronically?

I think it’s somehow good for someone to know or to have the ear to play music , to makes music in tune or out of tune on purpose. I think when you start reading and recognizing music from an early age it never goes away (unless you never had the ear) but I also think there is no rules and maybe someone who does not know anything about harmony or pitch can be more free than someone who  is subject to his or her knowledge and academic rules.

Who are some of your favourite producers at moment/ who’ve influenced you?

I really like Tensnake at the moment because I’m a huge fan of Disco music and his tracks are very different but with the disco roots.

Being resident for Sven Vath’s Cocoon party in Ibiza- some would say there are not many dj dreams bigger than that- how does it feel to have your talent recognised on this level and to become part of the Cocoon family?

I could not believe it when it happened in 2004 but I had my fears and some people were a bit… ehm… jealous.  I was also much younger so it was all quite over-whelming , a mixture of excitement and fear at the same time! Now that I finally joined the agency and I am older it feels really natural because I been in contact with them for so many years and know them well … but yes it definitely felt huge back then and I was a bit unsure of everything.

You’re first night as Cocoon, how was that? / Which has been your favourite night at Cocoon and who did you play alongside that night?

It was with Miss Kitten, it was great , really great! I did the warn up and enjoyed it very much  and even though it was around 2004, I think that was my favourite night.

Tell us a bit about the Cocoon club concept and why it has the reputation and following it has…

I guess is very modern and artistic but with a great concept of marketing as well.  Sven supports music that normally would not get exposed because it’s very underground and sometimes experimental , so he uses his popularity and brand to expose very avant-garde artists like dj’s, musicians, dancers and designers. It’s a very visual and complete experience!

Dinky tours South Africa with Ibiza’s Cocoon Night in June.

Pulse Radio Interview with Luna City Express

On the back of year which saw Luna City Express launch their artist album and generally rock dancefloors across Europe into a state with their infectious house sound, Marco Resmann; one half of LCE, stream rolls into Australia this week to give the club kids down under a bit of a techno tickle. Here he is on house and techno finally making friends, his record label, Upon You’s first album release and being nicknamed ‘the silent wizard’ –Careful, that could catch on!

Tell us a bit about your label [Upon You] with Marcus and Hawks, what is the concept behind the name and the sound vision?

Upon You is a personal platform for our own music as well as befriended producers and exiting newcomers. The idea behind the name is that we’re taking care of the music and the rest is up to the audience, the DJs and the users. “It depends upon you. Said and done.”  We started the label in February 2007 with my ‘VUT & VAT’ EP. Since then we’re releasing almost every month. Last year we released a straight digital platform, available in all important stores worldwide.

Furthermore we launched a physical sub-label called Upon You Sweet & Sour Series. You could superficially call the Upon You profile Tech-House but with every release a new nuance of ambitious and functional club sound is being absorbed. You will find some Deep House Tunes as well as Techno tunes in our label repertoire. Basically the Upon You label-sound depends always on the sound of each single artist.    

As Luna City Express, yourself and Norman have a unique and refreshingly housey sound, and your solo sets have a funky techno vibe-do you enjoy playing up a variety of sounds?

My heart never stops beating for House Music but I’ve always had a small affinity for Techno too. You can hear it in my productions and DJ sets as well. Regarding my DJ sets it depends on the club, the crowd and of course the playtime. On one hand I love to open a night with slow and deep tracks and on the other hand I really like to play funky Techno or prime time tunes. Everything inbetween is possible.

I’m always open-minded and discover new sounds. Projects like Pan-Pot or Phage & Daniel Dreier introduced me into the world of minimal techno 5 years ago. Daniel was the one who lead me (and influenced) me the most to this typical Berlin after hour sound. But when I’m playing my sets or do my productions, I never forget my roots.

Over the last 2 years, the techno/house sound has lightened up, become quite tribal, quirky and generally a lot more fun, did you know this ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ was coming?

To tell you the truth, no! But I’m glad about this development. Of course nowadays the pressure is much stronger, it seems like almost everyone is producing House tunes at the moment, even producers which had never been into House. The good aspect is that everything fuses together, the gap between Techno and House is not that big anymore. I’m feeling very comfortable with playing Techno and House in one DJ set. As Luna City Express we’re playing House Music since Norman moved to Berlin in 2000. House Music and Berlin weren’t the best couple, but we’ve had enough DJs and crowd, who were keeping House alive.

Luna City Express seems to have a lot of fun with their music; how do you and Norman come together in production? Is one of you is the creative crazy, and which one more sensible and controlled?

Working in the studio is for us like cooking a meal, also with the ambition to create maybe something new, or to break out. We collect many ingredients and put them into all our pots. To be honest, we never have a certain recipe. We both are always sharing creativity in our kitchen, which is more than essential to get a good result.

You’re almost right with your second question. One of us is crazier than the other who is more sensible and controlled. A couple of years ago we had a vocalist in the studio and this guy had called Norman the comedian and me the silent wizard. I think that statement answers your question best. Generally I’m taking care of all that technical stuff and create the base. We do the final arrangement together, which is always like a back-to-back session.

Which has been your favourite Luna City Express release?

Our album ‘Hello From Planet Earth’ on Moon Harbour!

‘Hello From Planet Earth’ your recent debut album was a great success, can you tell us about how the album came together?

Oh thanks for the compliment! The whole process started with a big listening session to figure some suitable tracks out. We took some I had originally produced for my own album and produced the rest step by step. The idea for the album was to collaborate with musicians and we invited therefore 2 vocalists, a saxophonist and a pianist. The results were very satisfying! Altogether we’ve spent less than one year on the album-production. Matthias Tanzmann was satisfied with each finished track and in the end we didn’t have to make any big compromises.

Are there any plans yet for the next album yet?

Yes we’re really motivated to do a Trip Hop / Down Beat album.

You’ve been involved with Mobilee’s Pan-Pot, how did you add to this project musically, and how has it been watching them and their sound evolve?

First of all I’ve never played a DJ set as Pan-Pot. We did the first releases together in my studio. It was similar to the Luna City Express production process. I was the head of Engineering and have always created the musically base. The project became quickly successful and Thomas and Tassilo were improving their knowledge and producing skills. I was proud to see how they get more and more DJ gigs and how they grew up musically.

Pan-Pot as well as Phage & Daniel Dreier and Luna City Express became effective at the same time. It wasn’t possible for me to keep all 3 projects on the same level. I really needed to put some projects on hold to focus on my own career, but I never even thought about giving up Luna City Express.

Do you still indulge your love of Trip Hop in production? Are you taking any inspiration from the whole dubstep invasion?

If I’ve got some time I do produce Trip Hop or Down Beats. But since I’m running my own label I barely have time for some experiences. I’m not really into that whole Dubstep thing. Even though it’s catching a growing audience. But of course I’ve noticed releases like Ricardo’s remix for Shackleton or the recent hit of Joy Orbison. Maybe I’ll grapple the whole Dubstep thing soon!

Moon Harbour is a label known for its fresh, innovative take on electronic music, what’s it like being part of developing this reputation for many years?

We’re proud to be a part of the Moon Harbour Family. Particularly as we’re using the perfect project name, which wasn’t on purpose! We’re releasing on Moon Harbour since 5 years and we know that we always sound a bit different compared to the other releases.

Tell us about Marco Resmann. As a solo artist – you seem to have a more experimental take on house, what inspires your track releases?

About the Marco Resmann releases…of course it wouldn’t make sense to make the same sound as LCE but I wouldn’t say that I have a more experimental take on house on my own productions. I still haven’t found my own ‘sound’ and sure, on one hand I’m still searching but on the other hand, honestly – I don’t want my sound to be determined.

What are you up to musically during 2010, and any other tours after Australia?

The next special project will be the first Upon You CD release. We’re planning a double CD. On the one hand we have one with exclusive tracks from our core group of artists and from a few guests, on the other hand I will do a mix CD with edits and cuts from the Upon You back stock catalogue. The Luna City Express album-remixes are coming out soon as well. Artists like Martinez, Mathias Kaden, Catz n Dogz and Reboot did some nice interpretations of some of the album-tracks. And of course I’d love to release my own LP sooner or later. That’s my biggest challenge at the moment!

I just came back from a small US tour. I played in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. 2 years ago I toured with Luna City Express trough Brazil. The feedback from there was just amazing. So I’m really up for Middle/South America tour. I’ve got already a few requests from Argentina, Columbia and also from Puerto Rico. Let’s see if it will work out…

If Luna City Express was a game, how would you play it?

Ha ha nice question. I’m not really into the recent games, except FIFA soccer. But I’ve been a big fan of the adventure games in the early 90’s like Indiana Jones or Monkey Island. I’d see Luna City Express as an adventure game. Norman and me as the protagonists, preparing the space shuttle or rather the express to the moon, arranging the crew and the party crowd, flying to the moon and building a space basis. Destination or rather the showdown is the ultimate party on the moon!

Pulse Radio Interview with Jay Haze aka Fuckpony

Jay Haze. You know; the ‘controversial and outspoken American-in-Berlin dj and producer, most famed for that interview- oh how society loves a pariah! My call to Jay one sunny September afternoon is possibly better timed than the interview he did a mere 36 hours after his entire studio went up in flames; capturing the essence of Jay Haze on a very dark day in 2008.

Sitting on a couch at Handle With Care, his record manufacturer in Berlin- ‘a good, sunny day in the city’, he had me know; Jay was in a good mood and had all the time in the world to repeat the now iconic tale about that weekend. Far from being a ‘retribution’ piece; our conversation just became ‘the one that went deep enough’ and as it turns out, there’s a very light side to being Jay Haze.

We’re only a few minutes into our phone conversation when Jay gives me his now jaded account of the day of the fire. ‘I’m walking up to my apartment and see fire trucks and police all over the place, something’s seriously burning. I’m wondering what’s going on, and as I get closer, I realise it’s my studio. They’re blasting water everywhere and I’m told I won’t be able to go inside it for a couple of days. I’m due to leave for a gig at Fabric in London in a few hours- and everything’s gone.’

‘What am I gona do, sit at home and cry about it? So I get on the plane and flew to London without my records, nothing, to do this gig. I meet up with Ricardo (Villalobos) – we’ve been friends for like 11 years- and he just knew. He was like ‘Come, let’s play.’ After my set we went to room 3 and played together. We played for hours, jamming for just hours…’ It was one of the most amazing nights of my life.’

No doubt, time has made the incident burn a whole lots less, made Jay romanticise it even, but that’s because indeed, if anyone knows, he does; everything happens for a reason. Whatever the purpose of Jay’s ‘Fire Hazardous’ day, he’s figured it out and made peace with it; he’s moved on. On the now infamous interview he did for Resident Advisor where he slagged off M-nus and their ‘boring’ parties and spoke brazenly about an abusive family life, being homeless and selling drugs, he says. ‘They caught me on a bad day, what can I say?’

Jay Haze is a man who thinks deeply and speaks off the cuff. A fire ripping through his studio is only the cherry on top of a story that defines how far he has come. All the way from a coal mining town in Philadelphia, USA, in fact. Dubbed ‘Philly’s Lost Son’ – whether affectionately or not I can’t say- but Jay’s story wins him a mentalist medal of honour,  because he hasn’t let it define him, he’s only told it like it is and persevered in reaction to it.

So, who really is Jay Haze, aka reverent producer, Fuckpony? The man behind the Turningspork and Contexterrior Record Labels- and credited with discovering the fresh talents of Troy Pierce and Samim- contrary to reputation, isn’t fussed about ‘hype’ and being a scene personality. Haze is most notably an artist. When it comes to music, Jay indulges a creative spirit and makes what he feels. ‘Some days I wake up and I want to make Hip Hop, the next day I might think of something and go, yeah, there’s a groove there- and come out with a soulful Chicago house track.’

Haze was influenced by all sorts of music growing up; ‘Prince, Bob Marley, Al Green, The Police and Talking Heads. ‘Oh, and my favourite track of all time is probably Family Affair by Sly and The Family Stone! Philadelphia has a really rich music culture. There was a real ‘live’ element in the 60’s and 70’s lots of soul, reggae- I grew up with that. In the 90’s House parties started, and it was hard for people to get at first, there’s a big black culture in Philly, and at first everyone said House was white, gay people’s music.’

An instrumentalist, Jay plays the Bass Violin and the Piano, and his tracks are renowned for long instrumental breaks and piano riffs. His ethos is ‘functional yet artful dance music’. ‘Music for me is and always has been an expression. I don’t want to be put into a box- oh he makes this or he makes that- I just make it if I feel it.’

His refreshing perspective towards music as an art form saw him release his triple album, Love and Beyond, for free on his website last year. ‘Music is about connecting people, it’s for sharing. It’s not about the money, I made this music and worked so hard on it, I wanted everyone to be able to hear it. I don’t want to worry about sales and credit cards, I don’t care about wealth. That’s something I’ve always stuck by.’

Which brings us to Jay’s humanitarian efforts; the global movement DJ’s for DRC, which rally’s dj’s, performers and even party people around the world to donate money to relief groups in the Democratic of Congo. ‘It’s a small effort really, but I believe if we come together and all offer a little bit we can have a profound impact and make big changes. The plan is to get as many dj’s and performers in the electronic music scene to donate half their fee from one gig, from September to the end of the year.’

Some of the biggest artists like Tiefschwartz, Loco Dice and Luke Solomon have done their part. ‘The situation in the DRC is one to spend a little time and reflect on, that country is affected in every way- child slavery, sexual abuse on women, starvation, water poisoning… it’s so sad!’ Jay plans to travel to DRC himself in 2010 to actively see his efforts are put to good use. ‘I’ve been homeless. A lot of people don’t understand that… But when you get out of a hole like that, and you actually get something, you want nothing more than to help other people.’

Jay’s new Fuckpony album Let the Love Flow; a really sexy melodic love affair, playing homage to his house head, is out in late October. ‘It’s not like anything I’ve done before. I played the piano and programmed the whole album with a great feeling and vibration. It was a naturally flowing album that was pure feeling and emotion.’ You’ve got to give it to the guy for being one of the most genuinely hard working guys in the business. It’s all about the bigger picture; spreading good energy and letting the love flow- nothing dark about that.

Excuse The Mess Interview with Ralf Kollmann

Where did your musical journey begin and how did you find dance music and the techno sound?
Little Ralf loved to listen to the radio. I discovered special shows that aired Maxi and Instrumental Versions once a week and recorded everything with my father’s old tape machine. I was inspired by his record collection, even though I didn´t understand what this music was about. He had this Krautrock stuff, Kraftwerk of course and some other early experimental synthesizer bands in his collection. I made my first steps in the disco arena when the first techno and house wave developed in the clubs in Germany and other cities, in the early 90’s.

I got my early club lessons in Sven Väth´s legendary Omen Club in Frankfurt. I remember a very special night when Richie Hawtin, Daniel Bell and Speedy J all played together, it blew my mind. I realized then that this was a new movement and a whole new lifestyle for a young generation was created. Wow! Just realized that this was 17 years ago… I started as a passionate Raver and became a passionate Maker- being proud of mobilee and our artists playing a little role in the global techno circus.

Tell us about growing up in Germany and watching the development and evolution of dance music scene- from the front row as it were.
I wouldn´t say that I sat in the front row, cause before Germany was hit hard by electronic dance music there was a house movement in Chicago and Detroit, later the Acid House hype in the UK developing from Manchester… When I discovered clubbing it took a few years before techno became mainstream by the help of Love Parade and Mayday. The Sponsors and Media in Germany followed up with Top 10 Chart Positions- I think it was similar to the huge success of Prodigy and Underworld in the UK. That boosted the original Techno underground in the mainstream market and some vibes got lost of course.

When everybody was used to seeing Techno beats and Euro Dance on Music TV, a new underground developed, around 2000- and that inspired me a lot to dive back into the music thing again; celebrating it, enjoying it, feeling it and finally, starting the label in 2005 with Anja Schneider. It’s great that people who inspired me as a little raver are now colleagues and friends. And I still like to rave of course!

Why is everybody obsessed with Berlin right now?
Berlin is one of the most liberal cities in the world. When it comes to clubbing; Panorama Bar and Bar 25 are known all over the world in reference to Berlin’s Nightlife. Compared to other metropolitan cities, it’s affordable to live here without having three jobs. It’s quite relaxed and the city is a huge creative space. There’s a big density of international Labels, DJ´s and Producers who’ve decided to make Berlin their home. The Sound is defined by international activists who discovered Berlin as an inspiring city to live, make music, go out and have fun- it’s the undisputed epicentre of techno music and it will probably not change in the near future.

You’ve played in many cities around the world, recently playing in New York, Miami, Amsterdam and Dubai, tell us about your travels…
It’s always a pleasure to travel and discover other cities, countries and meet enthusiastic and passionate people. Especially the music we are playing and enjoying ourselves; it seems to connect very special people all over the world. The vibe is similar everywhere… if I am playing in a small wooden hut at a beach or at 5 star hotel club resort in Dubai, the people are interested in the music we are doing.

Barcelona is amazing during Sonar Festival, San Francisco and Los Angeles are my favourite party towns in the US. I have a lot of fun playing in London and also Ekaterinburg in Russia. I must say, it’s a luxury that in Berlin we have the opportunity to party for 24 hours- sometimes it’s sad when the party stops at 3 or 4am, when it was just about to get nasty! But every trip has something unique, and it’s great to if you have residencies all over the world where you make friends and know what to expect when you are coming again.
I’m really looking forward to coming to South Africa for the first time in my life and being the first mobilee dude there!

You’ve been nurturing the mobilee label going on 5 years now, how does it feel to have created this yourself and been part of an international music movement?
Anja Schneider and me started it as a side project five years ago and within a short time it accidently became a full time job for both of us. Every mobilee artists is playing an important role and transporting our vision with every gig and every release. After five years we are more than proud that we created an established platform for talented artists who play all over the world. We started the label at a time when the music market changed completely and that taught us to be flexible and go our own way all the time. It’s important to leave the well-worn path sometimes and try something new and take risks. And we still see ourselves at the beginning with what we started and have ideas and visions for the next years to come.

Mobilee is 5 years old in 2010, what can you reveal the label plans to do to celebrate?
We are just developing the activities for next year. The 5 years anniversary is playing an important role next year and will be the main theme in 2010. We are doing a world tour on five continents in 5 cities each. We will release a very special anniversary compilation featuring exclusive, never-before-heard material from every artist on our roster. This is one celebration you aren’t going to want to miss. We call it “mobilee 5² tour” and it will be showtime! Hope we can make stop in South Africa again next year!

Mobilee is recognised for being on the cutting edge of modern music marketing techniques, tell us about the thought processes behind that…
We are living and acting in a high tech environment. We grew up with internet technology and social networks. It helped us to become popular worldwide without spending multi million dollar budgets in marketing so it’s obvious that we are trying to be on the top with modern music marketing techniques. We just launched a mobilee touch mix application for the I-Phone. The update with 5 new tracks and even unreleased music is available in a few days. We are trying to create a lot of visual content for our artists and exclusive content like mixes and behind the scenes features for our social networks.

It’s very important to keep an eye on what is going on out there. You should always be prepared for sudden changes and embrace new technologies and opportunities. You can cry about how difficult it is to sell music because of illegal downloads, or you can spend this energy finding new ways of distributing your music and using the creative potential of your artists and staff to develop new ventures

Mobilee is also known for its familia vibe amongst artists on the roster, how important is this kind of energy to running a successful label?
That’s part of our label philosophy. We wanted to establish strong and long lasting relationships with our artists from the beginning on. Nowadays you need a strong platform and a strong brand if you want to be recognized as an artist. We are joined forces, building up a strong visual and musical identity, we produce our own event ideas for Sonar

Festival, Winter Music Conference or Amsterdam Dance Event and give our artist as much creative freedom as possible. I think that’s part of our unique standing. We are musically versatile. The mobilee sound is created and defined by our artists and not dictated from above. The personal relationship to our artists is very important. If the personal chemistry is not right we cant achieve something together. We would never release music from someone we don´t like personally, even if it’s the biggest hit we have ever heard in our life.

How would you describe the sound of the label and how has it developed over the years?
It’s essentially just what Anja and I like musically, and this can often vary. We started listening to house and techno a while ago – and we’ve been passionate ravers since the early 90s – so the Mobilee sound is very versatile and primarily defined by our main artists. For us, the most important thing is to release music that makes people dance. Club music is made for the dancefloor – especially 12” releases. When you get down to brass tacks, the whole industry is based on nothing more than moving people’s asses every weekend!

Art on the Rhode

Robin Rhode  is one of my favourite artists, a South African; born and artfully skilled in Johannesburg, he now lives in Berlin, Germany. First came across his Who Saw Who exhibit displayed next door to Andy Warhol’s lifetime collection at The Hayward Gallery in London and google his name every now and then to see what he’s been up to. He’s into live conceptual installations; mixing street and performance art with photography and film, simulating movement with coal and chalk, filming and cutting it to represent his vision. His stuff reminds me of a Banksy-meets-Andy Warhol vibe with his social commentary in urban settings and Pop Art style representation.  Most of his work is photographed and seems to get jammed into this gallery in New York. Fancy! http://www.perryrubenstein.com/artists/robin-rhode/ and some wiki wiki info can be found here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Rhode

Excuse The Mess Interview with Pan-Pot

What’s all this about Pan-Pot? Has someone cooked up a crazy concoction and made a bloody mess? Well- almost! Pan-Pot is Tassilo Ippenberger and Thomas Benedix, a darkly provocative Techno duo from Berlin. The boys are signed to mobilee Records and churn out chunky Techno hotcakes by the dozen and get sound support from some of the world’s best! Ahead of their gig at Excuse The Mess in London this weekend, we pulled them aside for a little Q & A before things got too messy…

So Techno London has been up in much anticipated arms with the news of a Pan-Pot sound excursion; seems they haven’t been our side in a while! So when was their last L-town gig and how does the UK scene differ to the European circuit they frequent each weekend? ‘We last played at The End for Clandestino Party with Miss Jools last year- it was for our album tour. The sound system was amazing and the party a total freakout!’

Good to hear they got some last Ending action…  ‘Yes, we love the UK; it’s definitely time to get back for some London madness. The UK has a long and important history in Techno, as some of the European cities do, and there’s endless music to educate and challenge you as a dj. And as we’ve experienced at our gigs, there’s always some clown in front of the crowd, which is great- the crowds are always enthusiastic!’

What are their thoughts on the UK being criticised recently by European artists for not being as open-minded as it was before? ‘In general the EDM scene has been growing a lot over the past few years- so many different styles have been created and we’re facing the fact that, having such a huge variety of electronic music, it’s just natural that people get picky. As soon as you have the choice, you start deciding on a certain taste and define it. It’s not just a UK thing- it’s a Europe phenomenon too.’

Speaking of phenomenon’s- Berlin has become a hub for cutting edge electronic music, what’s it like living in this constant environment? ‘The exchange of music, thoughts and ideas is huge.  Sometimes you have to find a way to escape the party and music thing. If not you’ll get crazy…’ No doubt- so where does one go to escape the techno talk- what else is happening outside EDM in Berlin? ‘Berlin offers so many things to distract from techno- there’s lots of cultural and sporty offers… The most important is probably to have enough friends who are not involved in what you do- and we’re both lucky to have enough of them!’

Okay, Pan-Pot musically- there’s a really sexy, sinister and atmospheric sound to Pan-Pot productions- some really interesting vocals too- how does it all come together? ‘There’s no ‘usual’ way we do a track. For sure, we start with a basic loop, but we’re both involved from the beginning and always switch roles. Then it just takes between two days and two weeks of fighting till we come to a satisfying end!’

Their last EP was released on London label, True to Form in summer last year, and a bunch of hot remixes since- what’s hot and Pan-Pot still to come in 2009? ‘We recently finished the next EP for Mobilee which is a two track vinyl and two exclusive digital tracks. It gets released towards the end of July; there’s some remix work to do following that and we’re also both working on some solo stuff with friends and partners.’

So how did Pan-Pot come about- how did they find each other in Technoland and merge music ambition? ‘We met at the audio engineering school and quickly discovered that we have the same idea about techno.  Electronic music; djing and producing, was important to both of us already- the fact that we were the only Techno heads there just tightened our decision to go the Pan-Pot way.’

What about the name Pan-Pot? They described it in their biography as the technical flip-flopping of a switch, but sure they get asked ‘Which one’s Pan and which one’s Pot?’ all the time and with the lookalike imagery; is this a marketing bonus for Pan-Pot? ‘Yes we get that a lot- never thought about it as a marketing aspect, but as you say it- we’ll have to improve on it! This ‘who is pan and who is pot’ question has developed into one of the worst ones we know! Every weekend several times- and then in combination with the ‘you look like twin brothers’ statement… Thanks, NEXT!’

Pan-Pot take London by storm this Friday in a naughty little mobilee Showcase with Excuse The Mess at Alhambra Warehouse in Shoreditch. Also headlining are mobilee man, Ralf Kollmann and The Fix. The audio goods will be delivered from 10pm- you’ll want to be front and centre for this one!

Pulse Radio Interview with Anja Schneider

Anja’s Schneider originally moved to Berlin chasing a career in radio but jumped on the switch when she found herself spending much time behind the decks in clubs in between shows on Fritz radio. Anja took her bubbly lease on life and intrinsic ear for techno to the dancefloor, and entered the production scene in 2004 undeterred by the male-dominated scene; setting a precedent in female artists being taken seriously in the music making business. Nicknamed the Techno Queen of Berlin, Anja’s string of incredible productions and record label, mobilee, with fellow dj Ralf Kollmann, have her spawning an unsubtle sound-force in the electronic dance music industry.

Having recently celebrated mobilee’s 50^th release; a slick collaboration with undercover man of the moment, Lee Van Dowski, I ask about her next release and who we can look forward to her working with in the near future. ‘Parrell Williams!’ She jokes- at least, I think she’s joking, then adds, ‘No seriously, no plans as yet.’ Fine, she’s not giving anything away here, but recently did reveal there would be an artist album and compilation mix on mobilee later in 2009. Hmm…! I squeeze for more about music juice; what’s she liking and loving at the moment? ‘I think the Mannheim sound being pioneered by people such as Johnny D is quite interesting; I’m also a big fan of newer talents like Seth Troxler and Jamie Jones.’

Their newest projects- artists signed to the mobilee roster; And.id, Dan Curtain and Hector are all worthy sound waves in the industry, what made her listen up? ‘And.id is a primarily live musician who brings this unique live component into his productions.  Dan Curtin is a veteran and a legend. His extensive knowledge of electronic music is really beneficial to mobilee—his combination of the old school tradition with new sounds has created a more “intellectual” version of techno.  Hector, on the other hand, is a young, upcoming talent with a huge heart for house music.’

Add to that mobilee’s forward thinking style of management and it goes without saying that these are boys to watch. ‘We really try to get the best out of every artist by helping them to develop their unique qualities and skills alongside the development of our label’s unique sound.  We are really committed to sticking with our artists along the way and helping them progress as producers and DJs.’ It’s this attitude and ethos that has elevated mobilee in 5 short years to become one of the most watched labels in the industry.

The recent launch of Exercise One’s first artist album on mobilee was a huge success. The duo have launch gigs around the world and have mobilee’s solid support in campaigning the albums exposure. The album release party at Rechenzentrum was a great moment for Anja. When asked about her last favourite in-the-music moment, she tells me this was it. ‘There was so much energy and excitement in the crowd that I had this really special moment where I came to the realization that “this is why I do this.”  That energy has carried over into all my gigs that have happened since then!’

As a touring artist you experience and see many different things in foreign the countries you travel to; one of Anja’s most interesting moments behind the decks was a really big party she played in the Dominican Republic, ‘People started showing up with their parents, grandparents and kids and starting dancing Merengue (a style of Latin American dance) to my music!’ She says, ‘It was really cool, not only because it actually worked with the grooves, but also because it was really neat to see the way in which music and dancing can unite multiple generations!’

Going back to Germany, it’s widely known some of the best night’s and events are taking place right at home, meaning Anja doesn’t have to do too much travelling to get her gigs worth, so where’s the hottest place to party in Berlin? ‘The best parties are always in Berghain and Panorama Bar, but this has a lot more to do with the atmosphere and the club in general than the lineup. And Mobilee parties are also good from time to time!’ If you’re chasing the European sunshine this summer you can get a fix of Anja and the crew at Sonar or later in the season when mobile goes on tour to Ibiza. But first she comes to you, with all intents and purposes to blow you away with her love for sound.

Anja Schneider jets into Australia for the We Love Sounds Festival which begins this weekend. She hit the stage for the second round at the Hordern Pavilion on June 6th.

Excuse The Mess Interview with Mymy

Mymy formed in 2003 during Berlin’s rebirth as an Electronic Music Mecca.  Originally a collective of 4 aspiring artists, moved by the creative music juices flowing around them at the time, they began experimenting in production. Over the past seven years, Lee Jones and Nick Hoppner, have become highly regarded as the Mymy duo, and their divergent approach to making music has earned them an eclectic and truly hedonistic following- and a string of unique gigs across the globe.

The Mymy cog began to turn when the likes of Richie, Ricardo and Luciano were playing all over Berlin, at classic parties like Beat Street and Bar 25. Long before the term ‘minimal’ became a cliché; the sounds were new and fresh, and the guys found themselves being blown away by the aural assault that met them on their nights on the town.  They got stuck in and it was a good two years of playing with the knobs in studio before they felt their sound was ready to be published and released.

Lee and Nick have merged their skills, and appreciation for different sounds to come up with Mymy’s affecting quality. Lee, the composer and instrumentalist, originally from Essex, England, has an impressive bank of incredible music from his work as Hefner, incorporating his own riffs on guitar and keyboard melodies into their music. “I’m a musician and composer first and foremost, rather than a technician or producer.”

Mymy’s approach to making music is to make art before entertainment- or not to bother at all and it’s this philosophy to make original, honest and personal music that gives their productions an artesian flair that only really well produced music carries and endures. “We knew that this creative approach would be our secret weapon- we couldn’t compete with producers who’ve been using Ableton since version 1.0, building their own synths and filters, and collecting vinyl since they were 12 years old!”

Nick and Lee feel the music itself is the reason to be in it. “We also had to think in terms of concepts and emotions- not plug-ins. We want our tracks to be objects of beauty, rather than technically perfect floor-fillers.” As artists, they find aspects of the industry appalling- the generic production of musicians and their contrived commercialism among it, no doubt- but their experiences with clubs and music that holds the spirit they believe in, gives them the stimulus to carry on.

Mymy originally threw it all into the pot when it came to making sounds, but these days they find their headspace a little more controlled and like to plan a little direction before jumping in. The guys enjoyed a productive past winter, with Nick releasing a new 12” on Ostgut Ton and a remix for David Durango on Meerestief. Lee completed a remix for Marc Romboy on Systematic, as well remixes for Hypercolour, Tartelet, Further Project, and a Felix da Housecat ft Miss Kitten remix on Get Physical. Together, Mymy remixes of Adam Freeland and Ruthit on Four:Twenty are coming soon and they’ve begun working on the second MyMy artist album.

Although exhausting, the duo feel really blessed travelling around the world to showcase their music. With the hype around the original Minimal pioneers having somewhat subdued in the German capital, Mymy is reveling in the new peak of potential they and their friends have now, to really forge their own sound and make their own mark on electronic music- both in Germany and beyond. This summer sees them travel to Japan at the end of July, and headlining an exclusive gig with Excuse The Mess at Corsica Studio’s in early May- possibly the only opportunities to see them live in the UK this summer!

Join Excuse The Mess as they kick-start summer with an Underground German Invasion in the Big Smoke. Excuse The Mess presents Mymy LIVE with support from Ralf Kollmann (Mobilee) and Matthew Styles (Crosstown Rebels) at Corsica Studio’s on 2^nd May 2009. £12 tickets available from Ticketweb and Clubtickets, and £15 at the door on the night.