Interview : Tiefschwarz

Watergate 09 mixed by Tiefscwharz


As they are releasing Watergate 09 which they are mixing, Tiefschwarz kindly answered our questions. (Re)discover this Berlin-based famous duet who delivers one of the best album of this end of year !

Hi, It's really cool to have you back on tracks ! First can you tell us what you've done since your last album, Chocolate, was released in 2010 ?

We’ve been concentrating mostly on developing the structure of our label Souvenir which is based here in Berlin. Straight after releasing the album we went on an extensive tour, and besides the usual DJ madness, we were doing a live show which was a great new experience for us.

How do you manage to be in charge of this new compilation of the famous Berlin-based Club Watergate?

We’ve been playing at Watergate regularly for many years now, and we were talking about an addition to the mix series for two years but were busy with the album. We’re really happy it came together now.


How would you describe this Club? How do you feel when you're playing there ?

Besides the perfect size of the club and its two varied floors, its also the sensational location with a perfect view of the Spree and Oberbaumbrücke just in front. I think it’s also the team behind it which makes it very easy to love everything about Watergate.

And what do you think about this format, as you are more used to release album, it's only your second compilation (after Fabric 29 in 2007) ? Is it a way of doing music you like? Maybe is it closer to a live/dj set performance ?

Well, it’s not our second mix, there have been several others but anyway we love them because it always gives us as artists to really dig deep into our musical box. To be part of the Watergate mix series is an honour as we’re one in a line of many fantastic artists who we respect a lot.


Then, what about the tracks you choose on this compilation ? How did you manage to choose those 20 tracks ? Are there only tracks you've already played in live or you'd like to ?

Of course, most of these tracks we often include in our sets, that’s why we chose them!

And finally, what are your next projects ? Are you working on a new album ? And when could we hope to see you in Paris ?

Well, you can see us at Showcase on the 19th November! We’ve started to produce layouts for the new album and if everything goes well, we hope to release it sometime in 2012.


On the behalf of our visitors, we wanted to thank you again for answering our question, and wish you a great success with this cool compilation !

Thank you too !

To illustrate this interview here is the track from Tiefschwarz listed on the Watergate 9 compilation :



And a wide range of tracks they have just uploaded on their soundcloud account !

Latest tracks by Tiefschwarz

Tracklist de Watergate 09 mixed by Tiefschwarz :
01. When Saints Go Machine - Fall Forever (Nicolas Jaar Remix)
02. John Roberts - Lesser
03. Deadbeat - House of Vampires
04. Julio Bashmore feat. Javeon McCarthy - Father Father
05. Matias Aguayo - So In Love
06. Frankie Knuckles - Baby Wants To Ride
07. MK - Burning (Jay Haze Edit)
08. Alton M - I Like Havin' You
09. Ron & Chez D - Untitled
10. DJ Assassin - A Face Amongst the Crowd (Chris Simmonds Intellidred Remix)
11. Kevin Saunderson - The Groove That Won't Stop
12. Latin House Crew - Should Have Never Been
13. Gemini - Where Do I Go (1997 Mix)
14. Manuel Tur feat. Holly Backler - Most of This Moment (Isolée Remix)
15. Afro Celt Soundsystem - Release (Masters At Work Remix)
16. Major Mal'fun'ctions - Mysterious Moments (4-W.D. Motherland Mix)
17. G Strings - Images
18. Tiefschwarz feat. Mama - Corporate Butcher
19. Marc Ashken - Freaky Naughty
20. Romanthony - Rumpshaker

Le myspace de Tiefschwarz
Le site officiel du Watergate

Mondkopf - Day of anger black CDR

Alors que son nouvel album Rising Doom est prévu pour le moi de mai, Mondkopf nous offre un premier aperçu de ce qui nous attend, avec un CDR exclusif Day of Anger. Pour l'occasion, Mondkopf a répondu à nos questions, et nous présente ce projet !

Salut Mondkopf, tu t'apprêtes à sortir Day of Danger CDR, peux-tu nous expliquer la genèse de ce projet à quelques mois de la sortie d'un nouvel album ? Et pour le format, comment t'es venue l'idée d'utiliser un tel support (avec le fanzine) ? Ca a un vrai sens musical pour toi ?

Déjà l'idée était de sortir un maxi avant l'album, ce qui se fait d'habitude, mais vu qu'on a décidé de mettre tout l'argent dans l'album pour avoir un bel objet, on n'avait plus rien pour ce maxi. On a alors pensé au CDR mais comme c'était pas très sexy, on a du réfléchir pour rendre ça plus fun.
Mon ami Jules Estèves qui s'occupe du graphisme de mon album fait de son côté un fanzine nommé The Excuse, dans lequel il demande à plusieurs personnes ce que leur évoquent une image une semaine avant l'impression du fanzine, puis il récolte toutes les idées et les rassemble, le met en forme et l'imprime. Je trouvais le concept cool alors j'ai décidé de faire un numéro spécial autour du titre de mon album, Rising Doom, et on a demandé à des gens proches, qui ont contribué à l'album de près ou de loin ce que leur évoquait le titre.
Voilà, je voulais quelque chose de spontané à l'heure où tout se fait avec beaucoup d'arrières pensées marketing !

La musique que tu proposes dans ce projet, est très mélodique (à l'image de l'intro du morceau Day of anger), quelles ont été tes inspirations ?

J'attache toujours beaucoup d'importance aux mélodies ! Par exemple les mélodies répétitives de Philip Glass, celles enfantines et sombres à la fois d'Aphex Twin ou bien les mélodies épiques qui arrachent le coeur chez Slowdive, sont toutes gravées dans mon inconscient, et quand je compose tout ça se mélange sûrement en moi.

Tu souhaitais montrer une facette plus "musicale" de l'electro, tout en conservant ta "patte" sombre et rugueuse ?

En fait je n'essaie de rien montrer du tout. Quand j'écoute de la musique, je ressens des choses inexplicables, j'essaie juste que la mienne puisse créer la même chose…
Je ne prévois rien quand je compose, je laisse libre cours à mon imagination, c'est le moment ou je laisse des choses enfouies se libérer, et souvent celles que je retiens ne sont pas forcément très drôles…

Et pour finir, peux-tu nous parler de tes projets à venir : la release party qui aura lieu au point FMR, qu'y prévois-tu : un Dj set ou un live ? Quelques mots des autres DJ du line-up ? Et peux-tu aussi nous dire quelques mots sur ton futur album Rising Doom, à quoi doit-on s'attendre au niveau musical ?

Pour les soirées In Paradisum, qui je l'espère seront régulières, je laisse l'honneur du live à des groupes que j'aime, j'y ferai donc des DJ set !
Pour la première il y aura Oneohtrix Point Never, un musicien électronique qui me plait dans son côté Tangerine Dream, cette invention de paysage sonore un peu cosmiques et aventureux. Il y aura aussi son groupe Games où l'on peut sentir une influence beaucoup plus 80s, et enfin CFCF.

En attendant de découvrir tout ça, voici un premier aperçu de ce qui nous attends.

Mondkopf - Day of anger trailer :



Tracklist de Day of Anger :
1. Day of anger
2. Eastern Revolt feat. Oomiaq
3. New-York
4. Euphoria

La release party aura lieu le 15 avril au point FMR.

La release est disponible ici

Le site officiel de Mondkopf

Interview : Jennifer Cardini

A l'occasion de la sortie de la compilation Rexperience #2 dont elle prend les commandes, Tendances F&Y a eu la chance de rencontrer Jennifer Cardini. Elle nous parle de la compilation, nous dévoile sa vision de la musique électronique, nous explique son attachement au Rex et nous parle de ses projets.
Une interview exclusive, en toute décontraction !


Interview de Jennifer Cardini, par Tendances F&Y :

Jennifer Cardini interviewée par Tendances F&Y from Tendances FY on Vimeo.

La compilation Rexperience #2 mixed by Jennifer Cardini est disponible depuis le 7 février.



Tracklist :
01. Ben Frost - Ó God Protect Me
02. John Roberts - Pruned
03. Superpitcher - Give Me My Heart Back
04. Etienne Jaumet - Entropy
05. Matthew Dear - Little People (Black City)
06. Remote - Scinax
07. Rebolledo & Daniel Maloso - Venganza Y Seducción
08. TJ Kong & Nuno Dos Santos - Where Were You feat. Robert Owens
09. Oscar G. - Chunky Buddah
10. Broker/Dealer - Soft Sell
11. Roman IV - Lucy
12. Ian Simmonds - The Esel (Dave Aju Remix)
13. Virgo - Take Me Higher
14. I:Cube - Operation Hypnosis
15. Matias Aguayo - I Was In Love feat. Aza Zander
16. Pom Pom – Pom Pom 16
17. Jacob Korn - Mirrorflip
18. Alva Noto & Blixa Bargeld – One


Le site officiel de Jennifer Cardini
Suivez jennifer Cardini sur son fil twitter
Ou rejoignez sa FanPage Facebook

Interview : Lucy

Hi Lucy, first of all, can you introduce yourself briefly?

I’m Lucy aka Luca Mortellaro. I’m originally from Italy, but lived in Paris for many years before making my way to Berlin. It was in Berlin that I launched the label Stroboscopic Artefacts, in September 2009.

Why did you chose this name "Lucy"? What does it mean ?

Well before I was making music full time, I was really into writing, novels in particular. As an author the very last novel that I wrote was written under the pseudonym “Lucy” and when I came to release my first EP I chose to continue using this artist name. It was a way for me to use that same frame of mind that I use when writing, when making music. 

Part of the attraction of the name “Lucy” is the fact that it was given to the first Australopithecus Afarensis skeleton which was discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia. There’s something totally intriguing about the very first human who emerged from the evolutionary chain.

And about your music, how would you define it ?

I am actually really happy not to be able to define my music. I feel that if I am, at some point, able to define precisely what I’m doing, that would be the signal that I should stop making music.

What are you main musical influences?

Let’s start at the 60s-70s, I love psychedelic rock, Pink Floyd’s LPs will never leave my record player. From the 70s I’m also really into Jamaican roots reggae and dub. Not to forget Krautrock from the 70s right into the 80s. So we’re at the 90s, well most of the UK’s IDM productions are influences, especially what Warp records put out. Not forgetting the Bristol based trip-hop scene. From the 2000s I love Icelandic postrock. And of course, there’s no need to explain that I’m deeply influenced by rarefied ambient music and industrial techno. I’ll stop here, but I could go on for another 6 pages...

Now, can you speak about your upcoming album Wordplay for Working Bees ? (why this title, your influences, what's your message on it, what kind of music you are playing inside, ...)

The title of the album is in some ways self explanatory, and inside the album artwork I have written my message to the Working Bees – I’m using this worker bee image in the way that Herbert Marcuse used the “one dimensional man”. But of course, the message, the wordplay you have to discover it yourself. 

Regarding my influences, I am really happy to see how the techno scene is moving in a really innovative direction. For example, the use of field recording is becoming a key part of production. Field recording were my main instrument, I built the album around the palate of sounds that Berlin gave me. Using field recordings is a delicious and delicate influence that’s entering into straight and deep techno. 

What my music is, what this album means, is utterly up to the listener to decide. In cognitive science the most accepted and at the same time most innovative approach is Noam Chomsky’s “generative grammar”. One of the main points of this theory is to see the human brain as an assembly of empty cells that during a lifetime become filled with structured knowledge and definitions of things through everyday perception. Part of this assignment of structured knowledge happens almost automatically. But part of this assignment --for me the most interesting part-- is utterly subjective. Talking about music, and particularly the album, I am excited to see which brain cell gets activated when stimulated by the sounds. I’m equally excited to hear what language people use to describe it and how listeners receive it. 

I like to leave things open, not to feel that I have completed the project. I wanted to approach this album as an open process where the first half of the album was my responsibility, and the second half was the responsibility of the listener to add their interpretation. In this way, asking me what kind of music the album contains is not really a question I can answer.

Is it important for you to release an album ? What's the main difference between an album and EPs ?

For me an album versus an EP is the difference between eating an orange and drinking orange juice. On an EP you really need to concentrate the concept that you are exploring in a very limited physical length and structural breadth. But an album gives space to explore concepts in their fullness and also in their minutiae within the album’s hyper-structure. This understanding of the album format was one of the main points for starting the album series on Stroboscopic Artefacts. 

You're based in Berlin like a lots of electronic music producers, how do you explain that Germany is one of the most famous place for electronic music in Europe ?

Firstly there is really strong history of electronic music in Germany: Stockhausen; Kraftwerk; the whole Krautrock movement for instance. And secondly there’s the Berlin factor. This is still one of the most economically accessible capital cities in Europe, something that attracts artists from the whole world to live in the. The Hauptstadt brims with a mood of spontaneity and creativity, people have the feeling that if they come here with a project they can actually realise it. There’s an openness here that’s unique. 

I think there’s also a significant correlation between the fact that Germany has always been a European leader in terms of developing new technologies. Berlin is where major developments have happened, for example in terms of Ableton and Native Instruments. It’s not really a surprise that this is a world destination for electronic music as it’s not only the producers and DJs and sound designers who live here, it’s also the people developing the electronic music tools of the future.  

And what about playing in clubs ? Do you prefer playing live or DJ sets ?

At the moment I’m really into DJs sets, I feel really excited about orchestrating a set architecture that is longer than what a live set allows for.  

And about your label : have you ever released any albums on it ? What kind of music would you publish on it? Why the name?

“Wordplay For Working Bees” is the first foray into the extended format on Stroboscopic Artefacts. As for the label’s name and concept here’s our story and we’re sticking to it:
Stroboscopic Artefacts showcases adventures into electronic music from artists across the world. The label, as the name suggests, acts like a strobe light illuminating pioneering club sounds with each release. Stroboscopic Artefacts borrows the curiosity of a scientist to search the underground scene for the freshest and deepest techno.

Then, could you please talk a little bit about your upcoming projects (your first album will be out, but otherwise, do you have any plan for a live, a tour, or maybe some other projects for your label) ?

The Stroboscopic Artefacts showcases are continuing, following on from our recent Berghain party. We’re bringing the SA soundscape next to Butan club, then Corsica Studios in London and later to Detached in Leeds. The parties are gaining a really unique atmosphere and I can’t wait to see how this will spread to more cities in 2011.

For my own dates as Lucy, I’m playing worldwide this year, my tour starts in Amsterdam on 26th February and continues to Cyprus, Germany, the UK, Denmark, Switzerland and this autumn I will be heading to Australia. 

With regards to SA watch out for the next 12”s and a new wave of the Monad Series this summer. Not to mention us putting the cherry on the top of the Sampler Series, with an exceptional remix edition. Regarding my own productions, my collaboration with Xhin has just been released on CLR, and I have remixes forthcoming on Peter Van Hoesen’s Time To Express label, Curle records, Prologue and Gynoid.

Finally, when will we see you in Paris :) ?

There’s nothing planned as of yet, but I’d love to return to the city where I actually had my first releases.

Thanks Lucy for those answers !

Thank you too

(Soon in French)

To illustrate this interview, let's discover a teaser of Lucy's upcoming album Wordplay for Working Bees :

Lucy . Wordplay For Working Bees . Oblivious Artefacts Teaser from Oblivious Artefacts on Vimeo.

The official website of Lucy's label Stroboscopic Artefacts

Interview : Efdemin

His second album Chicago released in 2010, was recognized as one of the best of the year. Since then, Efdemin has been celebrated as a talented artist. Last week he was taking part of Jennifer Cardini's "Correspondant" party at Rex Club Paris, and answered our questions. Let's discover our 2010 favorite DJ !

Hi Phillip, first of all, can you introduce yourself briefly ?

My name is Phillip Sollmann. I am a german producer and DJ of electronic dance and sometimes abstract music.
I live in Berlin since five years, after Hamburg and Vienna. Some might know me as EFDEMIN, others may have heard of the label I mainly release for which is called DIAL (based in Hamburg)

Why did you chose this name Efdemin ? What does that mean ?

I picked this name a long time ago - around 1995 but never really used it until 1999. But I don´t remember where it came from and what it could mean... :-)

And about your music, how would you define it ? 

It´s hard to describe my own style espcecially because my music covers quite a broad range from deeper techno to melancholic house and more abstract minimal textures. Most of my dance based tracks contain a narrative element and a kind of yearning inside.

My music isn´t too much focussed on functionality but on creating a unique mood. I don´t follow a formula I once developped. Every track is a new challenge and broadens my repertoire. Some people find it confussing -  sorry!

What are you main musical influences ? 

Detroit, Chicago, New York, Frankfurt, Berlin. Well too many to mention. Besides Techno itself, there are many important influences in my music from different sources and other times - a cosmos of music that has followed me for a long time and influenced my drifting and melancholic approach to producing electronic dance music. Be it the otherworldly music of chicago-based Sun Ra, minimalistic jazz/world-music-studies of don cherry, the enterprising tape music of basil kirchin or the microtonal instruments of Harry Partch to name a few of the influences that layed the groundwork leading up to the production of this album. 

Now, can you speak a little bit about your last new album Chicago ? (why this title, your influences, what's your message on it, what kind of music you are playing inside, ...)

Chicago is my second Album for Dial Records and I composed it exactly one year ago when it was snowing outside and cold for months in berlin. I did some kind of cocooning to prepare the writing process. Listening to a lot of music other then techno. it became a kind of subtle, abstract flow through the duration of one hour. The Music refers to many influences from other fields and times.

Is this a “chicago-house” record? No! But the windy city was the starting point to blow the cosmos with such abstract music developed in a thousand directions.

Arts, literature, architecture, jazz, american folkmusic, hip hop - CHICAGO seemed to be the source of reference for so many important movements crossing my work. Finally CHICAGO is the title for an album rich in flavors and full of directions into contemporary dance music.

Is it important for you to release an album ? What's the main difference between an album and EPs ?

It is a very different approach that leads to different music. For the production of Chicago I took a break from travelling and Djing for more than 4 months and so I got into a special state of mind that lead to a bunch of tracks all connected to each other.

You're based in Berlin like a lots of electronic music producers, how do you explain that Germany is one of the most famous place for electronic music in Europe ?

It has a lot to do with the liberal politics in Berlin, I guess. Although Berlin lost much of it´s freedom and crazyness over the last years it is still a very open minded and a quite cheap place in europe. But it´s damn cold in the winter....

And what about playing in club ? Do you prefer playing live or DJ set ?

I never play "live" myself. It´s so much more fun to play others peoples music then your own compositions over and over again. Every night is unique - every set is totally different. I love playing vinyl records and so I don´t get bored!"

Finally, when would we see you in Paris :) ? 

You can find me behind the turntables of the great REX CLUB in Paris tomorrow night from 2.-4:30 "warming up" for the gifted Jennifer Cardini who invited me (which makes me very proud btw). Come Along Parisien Dancers!

Thanks a lot for those answers and see you in Paris !

Thank you too !

To illustrate this interview, let's remind two of his album's best tracks.

Efdemin - Shoeshine :



Efdemin - There Will Be Singing :

Efdemin, There Will Be Singing (Chicago) from jutojo on Vimeo.

Le myspace de Efdemin

Interview : Wildtek

Wildtek is a German based DJ which is planning to have his first album out, after many EP out those last years. Before discovering his new production, he answered Tendances FY's questions. Let's discover him !

Hi Dimitri, first of all, can you introduce yourself briefly ?

Hi Florian, as said my name is Dimitri 'Pike', also know under the name 'Wildtek'. I'm DJ, producer, remixer, I also run a weekly radio show and when possible, events. I devote all my time, energy and love to sound in all it's aspects.

And about your music, how would you define it ?

Techno. I try to put in my productions many things I couldn't or don't want to talk about with words. Ideas, concepts, internal conflicts or expectations are all hiding somewhere behind sounds, tracks structures and drums.

What are you main musical influences ?

At top of all Detroit and Berlin techno but it would be very reductive to limit my influences this way and I find inspiration or influences in hip hop (huge fan of Wu- tang Clan), classical music, rock and pop music or in more obscure categories like darkwave/coldwave, since recently punk or even movie soundtracks.

Can you speak a little about your last track Microfunk Live ?

Microfunk is not my latest production but the latest I offered as a gift online. I'm a lover of Native Instruments Reaktor and sometimes, some 'ensembles' allows you to produce maybe not a complete live act but short suite of tracks following a mood/feeling or a concept due to the very complex structure of used instruments.

Microfunk is a project made from a very strange sampler that works on a random basis, you couldn't produce two times the same sound/melody with it. I played with this ensemble a few hours and found something funky but still very minimal and felt the need to record it and then decided to offer it to those who follow what I do through Internet.

You're based in Germany like other minimal/electronic producers, how do you explain that Germany is the most important country of minimal music ?

Right, I'm now a Berlin based musician since a relative short time but my relation with the city started in 2003 when I played the Tresor club and joined the Frequency Berlin DJ team. Since 2008, I started to go there more and more and finally decided to live there. I also have very great friends in Cologne, Hamburg or Dresden. There I can tell you that Germany is a country where electronic music is alive.

It's not only Berlin like many peoples seems to think but definitely all Germany. I think German peoples supported electronic music since the very beginning and it's good to remember that Kraftwerk, pioneers of the genre are from Germany. Detroit techno has been supported by Dimitri Hegemann and Tresor label/club since 1991 ! A bit later, big clubs all over Germany was as well supporting this music, add to this big events like Mayday... Electronic music, minimal or not is definitely part of the German modern culture. They took it not like a trend but like an evolution of what was available before and helped it to be alive and evolving at many levels.

Also, from what I know, they didn't suffered of repression like us in France. Remember the 90's... Press classifying us as gays (nothing on my side against gay peoples)under drugs pushing buttons and claiming 'we make music', stopping any efforts to organize rave party's with CRS and police / administration limitative requirements for any events.

Violence against ravers, disinformation and many attempts to reduce the techno culture as something only for peoples on the edge of the society.

Many countries like Belgium, Netherlands and Germany had it hard at first to believe how bad it was going in France.

I remember times where just saying you're a french DJ / producer was like a joke because France was just not existing on the worldwide electronic music map. We have to give a lot of respect to Laurent Garnier, Eric Morand, the F Communications label and many lesser know peoples for fighting and wining a minimum international reconnaissance for French musicians. I think about Technopol, Out Soon France, Coda, Trax, etc...

The 'more open' position of Germany authorities regarding this emerging culture certainly helped artists to develop a more professional approach of events, production, business around music. So far that events like Love Parade showed to the world how one million peoples can party in the streets without major troubles (except this past summer disaster and I'm very sad for all those peoples who was basically there to party and died or have been injured in such a catastrophe).

But in this case the music and artists are no way under responsibility.

What about your upcoming projects ? Any EP or 12" planned ? Or maybe a new album ?

Well, my last 12" was produced on the Detroit Techno Militia label right before the summer and has been extremely well received by many techno DJ's. Anthony Shake Shakir, Alan Oldham, DJ 1315 aka The Butcher, Claus Bachor, they play it and they all said me how they appreciated my track 'Death Announced'...

This comfort me in a dream I have, starting my own vinyl label. But at the same time, I'm still a bit cold about this project. If I see it from a passionate musician point of view... I press a vinyl after replying this interview.

But a label is a business, you need to make it 'reliable'. Many past experiences learned me that it's not possible to work only with passion. If I'm artistically ready to manage a label, I'm actually not totally sure on the financial aspect.

I would need to play more in renowned clubs and/or festivals to make it 'reliable'. I'm not anymore a young talent but I'm not already an established artist so patience and hard work will be the key for me I think.

Next projects are on the table, a couple of excellent labels asked me for material and I'm working on it. I'm sometimes a bit long but I want to provides my very best, not just 'something'.

Now, I have to explain something. My move to Berlin has been a cultural and artistic shock for me. I shared time with peoples from very different social levels and very various culture / education origins. A concrete example ? I had profound discussions with some squatters / punks / anarchists and on the other hand with managers of big mainstream TV channels or marketing experts from medical products companies...

All of these discussions and moments deeply convinced me in my ideas or at some points helped me to think another way. I didn't fundamentally changed my visions but I found alternatives perspectives and possibilities.

I had to put this on some music, some tracks. So, I recorded what I would call an album, the very first I ever writed. The project will come under the name 'Reverse Thinking'. Reverse because I had to go reverse in my established ideas coming 'I guess' from my education to understand the real meaning of what we was talking about. Thinking because these discussions and meetings made me think, a lot. Something has changed inside me and my music is going to reflect it more and more.

I don't want this project to go in hands of a label that is not mine because it's the most intimate tracks I ever writed. So, I'm going to put them out on my digital label 'Wildtek Virtual' that was on hold since a while.

And what about playing in club ? Do you prefer playing live or DJ set ?

I'm actually looking for a place where I could re-start my party originally started in Belgium called 'In Space With...' I hope it will end up as a great regular event in a cool place. I fight for, believe me.

There is so much great DJ's and Live PA's around me I would like to help being better know, so much artists I respect and I would like them to play at my events, so much others who helped me at one point or another and my wish is to give them a good 'thank you'... I'll don't stay there sitting and waiting, I'll make it happen one way or another.

Another project is actually at work with one of my best friend and great DJ in Belgium about a tour but I can't really talk about it right now since it's a bit of a surprise. But, we're going to be on the road for a 3 months period in territories we never had the chance to visit before and we're quite excited about it.

Regarding playing live or DJ... Let me tell you that I'm a pure vinyl DJ even if I use digital techniques regularly these days. I worked on a live PA but I don't know, I don't feel it. With vinyls, I can better interact with the dancefloor. I can do things that even the latest Macbook Pro will be never able to let me do. Also, on a very personal opinion, I would feel pretentious playing only my own music during a live PA despite I love to hear others playing their own... Paradox !

And do the live influence your music ?

Of course ! I'm very impressed by few live performers actually. The Black Dog from UK who manage to play techno and ambient or 'electronica' with maestria, Substance (DJ Pete) from Berlin who is a guy I play productions from in nearly all of my sets, I love his music. His live performances are simple (Mac + MIDI controller) but so good musically talking. Monolake who constantly defy the laws of multimedia performances, Shed also from Berlin who produce so incredible tracks, again from Berlin guys like Regis and Function, Ancient Methods, Redshape, my deepest dream on this side would be to see/hear Autechre from Warp... I just love them.

I also had the opportunity to enjoy some pure punk concerts these last weeks and I can't explain how much energy was coming out of the scene, it was a surprise to me as I've never been into punk music before... It's changing :-)

Who know ? Maybe I'll shave my head and keep only a few pink hairs on it... Just kidding. But yes, I've been recently impressed by few punk bands from Sweden and Germany who offer this music something new and fresh and confirms the famous sentence 'Punks Not Dead' !

On my side, at the best, if a club / festival let me do it, here is the set up I would use :

2/3 technics, my loved EFX 500, computer + 2 MIDI controllers, drum machine, maybe one special synthesizer and the luxe would be a VJ who know well what / how I play... And I would love to work with a classical trained musician for a very special idea I wish to develop. This way I could do a melting pot of Live / DJ performance in which I would feel confident.

Finally, when would we see you in Paris ?

I absolutely don't know but I can only hope 'as soon as possible'...

Paris has always been a bit like a legendary city for me. The Rex club, the Batofar, the Tolbiac bridge, Laurent Garnier, Manu Le Malin, Guillaume La Tortue, so much references that helped me to forge my passion. I even discovered about Frederic Djaaleb (Jeff Mills manager) on a radio show called 'Max Radio Libre' on Fun Radio... It was a daily nighttime radio show and 'Max' had many guests like Frederic and there was even, for a few months, the 'without concessions' show by Laurent Garnier on Friday evenings...

I don't have a booking agent and work almost alone. So, it's difficult to find contacts there. But if this interview can help me to be heard :

" I'm open to any propositions " Ah Ah Ah !

Thanks a lot for those answers and see you in Paris !

Thanks a lot for offering me to be read/heard. So, Paris, noted, at work on it ;-)

To illustrate this interview, let's discover an exclusive track To take away from his upcoming first album Reverse Thinking.



Le myspace de Wildtek

Interview : Seph

Argentinian DJ and producer Seph is soon to release his first album Alquimia. Few weeks before the outing, he answered our questions. Let's discover this talented musician !

Hi Sebastian, could you introduce yourself ?

Hi, Im a technocomposer (producer?) and live act called Seph, from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Why did you chose this pseudo Seph ?

There was already a few "Sebs" in the techno scene so I needed something different as an alias. Plus I already knew that I was going to have a number of projects so I needed to have a dedicated name for it.

Back then, and still today, I was a huge fan of the game Final Fantasy VII, in which theres an obscure character called Sephiroth. Since people already called me Seb, I just changed the letters to Seph, which made sense because the music I make (at least lately more than ever) is mysterious and kind of gamey...

How could you define your music ?

Mmmh, deep glitchy teenage techno is the best way to define it... Mysterious as Ive said before...Its techno music with a bit of IDM, but I really dont like genre tags like these. I like "space and bass"...

What are you main musical (and artistic) influences ?

I've been influenced by all sorts of music. I have huge respect for artists and bands like Bjork, Alva Noto, Ricardo Villalobos, Monolake, Plaid, Boards of Canada, Radiohead. Im pretty boring and predictable actually :).

Do you think your music has changed since your beginning ?

It definately has! The other day I was listening to my first eps and its amazing how with dedication one can keep optimizing the sound track by track. Those first releases sound really weird although there are some cool sound design ideas that Id love to have now!

Can you talk about your upcoming first album Alquimia (why this title, inspiration, what kind of music on it, ...)

I've been working on this for two years, coming back to it many times after getting fed up of it. The problem was that there was too many different kinds of things I wanted to put in, music-wise. I wanted to have a techno record which you would be able to listen at home or in the car, and it was difficult to balance it from all ends. My obsessions sometimes make me work real slow.

Alquimia is one of the main tracks of the record, and I also used it to name the album. I called it this way (it's Alchemy in spanish) for a few reasons.

The music from the album has a bit of an experimental attitude, an IDM-ish side, and of course 4/4 techno and weird beats. So its a mixture of things, a mix of potions and aleatoric substances, transmuted into fantasy songs which you can think and dance to.

The main goal of the alquemists of the past was to transmute materials or matter into gold or medicine, but its not the gold part which Im in interested in. Its more about the fusion, the transformation of one state to another, the changes.

The songs from the album also have an occult side to them, a fictional and maybe even mystic end to them (some ideas and sounds are kind of shaman-ish) which is analogue to the ancient alquemist practices. Constructing and deconstructing is what happens in some of the tracks, all because of my nerdy obsessions with sound making.

There is also another thing which pushed me to name it Alquimia, which is the fact that the alquemists also had a closed and difficult to decipher language for their practices, and the album is made from dream-like imperfect visions, which you have to follow to the end in order to get the main idea.

Naming is difficult for me actually...if it was up to me they wouldnt even have names!

Since your beginning, you have often released EPs but it's only your first album. Why did you chose to take so many time to release an album ?

As I said before, it took me a long time to have something I could be happy with...Plus, everybody knows this, Im a videogame addict, and this is a problem sometimes, ha!

In the middle I was also touring quite a bit, around 3 times a year, also working on remixes and other projects. Right now Im also finishing other works, much more experimental and with more collaborations. Details to follow soon..

According to you what are the differences between an EP and an album ? Which one do you prefer ?

Album is great because you can work out a full and complete concept. On the other hand, because it has less tracks an EP can more easily be more solid, but people will pay more attention to an album.

The problem is that there are many artists today who are releasing albums as a collection of tracks with no real central idea or focused approach, which in turn works against them. Its all commercial thinking - which Im always struggling with.

And what about live, do you like it ?

Live is great but it also bores me sometimes. If Ive made enough new loops and tracks for it to be fun, then Im also going to do a cool set, or at least Im going to be enthusiastic with it...It gets dull playing your own tracks all of the time, and specially if you ve done it for five years already. :D

Don't get me wrong though, I have a blast moving knobs and faders to make people dance. Plus, when you play your music live, its when it really comes to life. In an ideal world we wouldn't have to sequence and release tracks, music could just exist as a result of the synergy between the performer and the spectator, at that specific time and space. And not only that, ideally I would also play everything actually live, with all the synths and effects (hard or software) opened and ready to be freaked on the go.

Then, do you plan to have a special live when your album will be out ?

My live act always has old and new material, and there is a bunch of tracks from the album in it right now.

And to conclude, when could we hope to see you in Paris ?

Hopefully in my album upcoming european tour in October-November! Ive only been once to Paris and it was cool, Id love to go back with more time and check out a bit more the people and the city!


Before the outing of his album, let's discover his last live recorded at Aula Magna this summer :

Seph - Live @ Aula Magna (August 2010) by Harry Klein Booking

The album Alquimia is to be released in october.

Le myspace de Seph

Interview : Swin Deorin

Swin Deorin is a UK-based DJ and producer. He is used to make electronic and almost experimental music. His tracks are complex and finely-worked always in a frenetic atmosphere. Tendances F&Y interviewed him few weeks ago. Let's discover him !

Hi Cameron, first of all, can you introduce yourself briefly ?

I am Cameron Thomson. The brain cell behind the jitter that is Swin Deorin.

Why did you chose this pseudo "Swin Deorin" ?

I like making words and Swin Deorin was a song title i was working on and i was changing projects at the time as i felt Silent Snow had ran its course.

And about your music, how would you define it ?

Its a mash between styles. I like to make noise, breakcore, dubstep, chip and random experimental sounds.

What are you main musical influences ?

Surealism games like Automatism, everyday life. I listen to alot of underground artists and alot of popular music, so i tend to take everything and try and pull out my inner demons in the music.

Now, can you speak a little bite about your production Trinth (why this title, influence, what kind of music, ...) ?

Trinth is a word I made that means; pushing extremity with echos. I am really surreal at heart. My Myspace also lists newer releases after Trinth so check them out!

You made a lot of MP3 productions for the moment, what about an EP or an album ? Is it one of your upcoming project ?

I have alot of unreleased tracks that are put into albums and EPs (30 at 28th july 2010). It is rather hard to find a netlabel that will release as much as that.
With Silent Snow i flooded myself with releasing album after album, with Swin Deorin i am making but not releasing.

All your last productions are based on at least 6 tracks, does that mean that you prefer the album format than the EP format ?

I do what feels natural. I have one that is backlogged that is only 2 tracks but is about 30 mins long. I like making EPs but albums have their own feel as i like to collect songs and fit them together in a good order.

And according to you what are the main differences between the two kind of productions ?

Eps are of course shorter and the songs - in my eyes - are demos for a larger album. If i did an Ep then an album I may include tracks from that Ep on the album or it'd be purely to see what i can do meaning I'd play about on the Ep with sound and effects and tighten the production on the album with more songs.

And what about playing in club ? Do you prefer playing live or DJ set ?

I've only played live once and it was half live and half DJ set as I was mixing effects to a pre-made selection of sounds and mixing a few peoples songs into it.

Does the live influence your creations ?

It does entirely.

Finally, when would we see you in Paris :) ?

When I have a passport and the money to travel!!! I'd love to play a few clubs and see the electronic scene go at it full tilt live!

Thanks a lot for those answers and see you in Paris !

Thank you too

(French version soon)

To illustrate this interview let's discover his last track Trouyt. The music is rough and the beat is frenetic but the track is utterly heady !

Swin Deorin - Trouyt :



Le myspace de Swin Deorin.

Interview : Franco Cangelli

Few weeks after the release of an EP based on some remixes of his famous track "Raw Emotion", the belgian DJ and producer Franco Cangelli answered some of Tendances F&Y questions :

Hi Franco, could you introduce yourself ?

Well, I’m a dj and producer from Gent, Belgium. I run my own label called Mowar and recorded for other labels such as Persistencebit, Seventh Sign… Check discogs for my full discography. Other than that, I’m hopeless romantic and a misunderstood weirdo.

How could you define your music ?

That depends on my mood and state of mind. Sometimes it’s stripped and basic, sometimes it’s warm and emotional and sometimes it’s dark and dubbed. I try not to get stuck on a particular approach as I get bored rather quickly.
My Raw Emotion EP on Persistencebit for instance and the upcoming my Electronic Soul EP (hopefully in September), show a more melodic side of me, while other releases such as the Paper Cut EP on my label Mowar are more stripped and dubby. I can’t deny there’s a clear influence from Detroit, but somehow I like to think I developed my own sound.

What are you main musical (and artistic) influences ?

My childhood influences would be early 80’s electrofunk and I guess some pop music from those days. Then around 1986-87 there was New Beat in Belgium and the first Chicago house records that started to pop up everywhere. But the sound that blew my mind was the soulful techno sounds coming from Detroit.
But I have to admit that I have a bit of split personality there, because I’m equally drawn to the darkness and experimentalism of Aphex Twin and Autechre. I would also have to say that I used to be a bit of a literature nerd, especially the horror classics by Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft… So I’m sure that somehow influenced me as well.

Could you talk about your last production Raw Emotion which is part of a remix EP (inspiration, title, ...) ?

Well the Raw Emotion EP was released on the Italian label Persistincebit as part of the Texture Series. It’s definitely a trip into the more emotional and melodic side of me. It’s not the dancefloor bomb everyone is waiting for, but then again I didn’t really have the dancefloor in mind.
Now the same people behind the Persistencebit and Yore have launched new label called Self Defence on which this remix EP was released. My track Raw Emotion got remixed by two techno heavyweights Russ Gabriel and Dan Curtin. I’m very happy with the result. It’s a fine remix project.

We noticed you had released a lot of EPs but no album for the moment, why this choice ?

Well initially it’s better to release a few EP’s and make a name for yourself so you can let people discover what you’re about musically. So an album project is on my mind, but I need some time to make it happen. I don’t want to make a bunch of tracks and just call it an album

Do you plan to make an album soon ?

Maybe next year, who knows, right now I don’t have the right state of mind.

According to you, what are the differences between an EP and an album ?

An EP is just a couple of tracks on a record. It can be very consistent and special, but it doesn’t fully reflect the artist’s perspective.
An album is where an artist goes all the way and shows what he’s truly made of, so not just a bunch of dancefloor tracks, but a more personal and challenging project. Also, an album should only be listened to as a whole and not just a couple of tracks here and there. Unfortunately, most people who buy digital fail to understand this and just buy the dancefloor tracks and overlook the deeper and personal tracks on an album.
Ideally an album shouldn’t even be sold online, but only on a physical format so the listener is forced to listen to all of it. That’s my view on this.

And what about live, do you like it ?

Yeah sure. I just don’t think that a live performance means triggering loops. Maybe I have a more traditional view on what live is. Someone who plays keys is live, someone who plays bass is live, but someone who’s playing loops from a laptop is not live for me, sorry. That doesn’t mean a laptop performance is boring. It can be mind-blowing. But live to me means that I see people playing music.

Then, do you prefer live or DJ set ?

I don’t see myself as a live performer. Every time my music gets released I can hardly listen to it because I already heard it a million times in the studio. So playing my own stuff every time would really bore the shit out of me haha. I prefer the flexibility of dj-ing and sharing the music you love with the dancefloor.

And does the music in club influence your creations ?

Of course. Although I’m not going to imitate a certain style of music just because it’s popular or can get me gigs. I don’t think that’s the way to do it.

And to conclude, when could we hope to see you in Paris ?

Last time I went to Paris was on a school trip many years ago. I guess I need to get out more… The only time I played in France was in Lille at the Paysages Electroniques festival a couple of years ago. But at the moment I have no upcoming gigs in France. Hopefully in the near future…

Thanks a lot for those answers !

Thank you too !

(French version soon)

To illustrate this interview, let's (re)discover his last production Raw Emotion :



and the remix of Russ Gabriel remix :



You can even listen to Dan Curtin's remix here

Le myspace de Franco Cangelli

Interview : Killahertz

Killahertz is a young Russian producer of electronic music. He has been proposing hypnotic and minimal music for few years and kindly answered Tendances F&Y's questions. Let's discover this talented musician.

Hi Egor, first of all, can you introduce yourself?

Hi, mi name is Egor, I live in Moscow and record knob tweaks for some time.

Why did you chose this pseudo "Killahertz" ?

There was no any special meaning in taking this name. Nowadays I use KHZ more often because my friends call me this way. I think the real name in techno should be unknown and artist should stay anonymous.

And about your music, how would you define it ?

The more I try to define it the more I fail, but I want to believe that it has techno flavor with hypnosis inside.

What are you main musical influences ?

It's all began with industrial music and metal. I am staying a metalhead and still listen to music of Ministry, NiN, Mastodon and many many more.

Now, can you speak about your last track Morgenstern ?

I wanted to make a tune with one drum machine only and there is no message in it except my condition that morning. It was recorded live without any mastering and EQ-ing.

Do you plan any EP or album in the next few months ?

I don't record my music right now and want to take a time to rest and clear my head. I started to help my friends out with mixing and pre-mastering at my bedroom studio. I do some additional sound production for my friends now and happy with it for now, plans never come true in my case)

And what about playing in club ? Do you prefer playing live or DJ set ?

I'm not a Dj so the only way to play is live performance. It may vary from laptop set to complete hardware setup or both.

Does the live influence your music ?

I hope not, but sometimes it's important to know what will an event be in order not to miss-jump with mood.

Finally, when would we see you in Paris :) ?

When someone will want to bring me to place ;)

Thanks a lot for those answers and see you in Paris !

Thank you, feel more, think less, and take care!

To illustrate this interview let's re-introduce his last track Morgenstern which is published here and discover an other of his live-recorded track Thrust



Le myspace de Killahertz

Interview : White Zone

White Zone is a German producer who offer a complex and spare electronic music. Tendances F&Y interviewed him, trying to know him better and understand his influences and musical tastes.

Hi Ralf, first of all, can you introduce yourself briefly ?

My name is Ralf Neumann, I am a bassplayer, electronic musician and DJ based in the Ruhr area in Germany.

Why did you chose this pseudo "White Zone" ?

I picked White Zone because of my fascination for the white colour. As I needed a second word...voila...White Zone sounded good to me...

And about your music, how would you define it ?

Hypnotic rhythmical electronic constructions spiced with bleeps and field recordings with a lot of love for the detail....

What are your main musical influences ?

To much to mention here, during the last weeks I listened to a lot of stuff from SUPERFLU, I am shure this will have some impact on my next tracks.

Now, can you speak a little bite about your new EP Cerebellum ?

Well its out since 1st of July, the tiltle came up while reading something about the human brain which is, if you ask me, a really fascinating part of the body.
For choosing Cerebellum as title I can say I liked the word and how it looks in the written form.
Cerebellum contains 6 tracks showing most of the spectrum of my music, from Deep Dark Techno, housy tunes, more minimal stuff and ambient influences as well.
There is no message in my music, tap your foot, bang your head or even dance to it...

Is it your first EP ? What's the main difference between an album and EPs ?

No, I released an 2 track EP on monoKraK and also one track as part of a sampler on Subversive Media last year. Usually EPs contain fewer tracks than albums, mostly 2 to 4 tracks.

You're based in Germany like a lots of electronic music producers, how do you explain that Germany is one of the most famous place for electronic music in Europe ?

Maybe its because of Berlin, the so called capitol city of electronic music with its extended nightlife. You can find a very big network of record labels, clubs, Djs, producers, it´s a cross-fertilization.

And what about playing in clubs ? Do you prefer playing live or a DJ set ?

Playing DJ sets is great and always will be, especially when it comes to back-2-back sets.
Playing live is a totally different thing, its more complex, you can be very flexible but you have to be much more concentrated. What I love about playing live is the freedom for improvisation which feels, as a musician, very natural for me.

Do you plan to have a special live after your new EP is out ?

No, I am focussing on production for the moment and new tracks are on the way.

Finally, when would we see you in Paris :) ?

Whenever you call me....

Thanks a lot for those answers and see you in Paris!

Thank you too

(French version soon)

To illustrate this interview let's discover one of his track Demand for equality released a year ago and offering an hypnotic electronic music :

Interview : Mary Velo

Mary Velo is a Canadian DJ, now based in Berlin. Producting techno and minimal music she is getting familiar in the electronic environment and is for sure a Dj to follow. Tendances F&Y met her for an exclusive interview, let's discover her !

Hi Mary, first of all, can you introduce yourself briefly?

I’m a tech house DJ and producer, originally from Canada but moved to Berlin almost 2 years ago. I’m also organizing a techno/deep House event called “SYSTEM SOUNDS”, and working at whatpeopleplay.com.

And about your music, how would you define it?

I think my productions vary in sound. I’ve done some tracks that are deep, moody, heavy and I also got a release called “song for sailors” which sounds completely different from my other productions. I don’t like to stick to 1 type of sound, I think that can make you very boring. I always try to produce tracks that have something catchy or have some sort of element that stands out, like a loop or vocal or even just one sound.

What are you main musical influences?

There are a few things that influence me. It usually has to do with my mood. I feel more influenced to produce tracks when I am feeling sad and angry or weird, haha. However I also get very influenced when I'm at a party and the DJ is playing a set which is giving me some sort of feeling.

Now, can you speak a little bite about your last production Krankhaft?

I’ve been getting into some deep hose/techno tracks recently. I wanted to make something really deep for my next release. It will include a BCR Boys remix as well. I discovered BCR Boys when their release “Delete” came out on Synewave records. I charted it a few months ago and then we talked and thought it would be sweet to work on a track together. The release date for the Krankhaft release is beginning of August 2010 on Backwater Community Recordings.

And what about an album? Do you plan to release one in the next months?

I do prefer EP’s to be honest, but I think doing an album is something I will be doing in the near future.

And what about playing in club?

I’ve DJ’d and visited other countries in Europe and I would say that Germany is definitely the place for electronic producers. I thinks it’s because Berlin is a city full of artists and has some of the best clubs and parties in the world (for me personally). It’s surrounded by some of the worlds best DJ’S and producers.

Finally, when would we see you in Paris :) ?

I DJ’d in Paris at Nouveau Casino last September. Paris was great! I would love to come back soon.

Thanks a lot for those answers and see you in Paris!

Thank you too

(French version soon)

To illustrate this interview, let's discover her last production Hgb

Hgb by Mary Velo

Le myspace de Mary Velo

Interview - Kritzkom

Bonjour Marine, peux-tu te présenter rapidement ?

Je viens de Nantes, j'ai étudié aux Beaux Arts de Bordeaux, puis le graphisme à l'école des Gobelins à Paris, puis je suis partie à Bucarest avant de m'installer à Berlin. Je suis graphiste indépendante et dj / productrice, mais je fais aussi de la photo et de la video.

J'ai commencé à expérimenter la musique il y a assez longtemps, mais ça s'est concrétiser quand j'ai commencé à faire des bandes sons pour mes vidéos aux beaux arts. Puis mes premiers lives ont suivis à Bucarest, ainsi que les premiers dj set en public.

Pourquoi ce pseudo de Kritzkom ?

Un mélange de kritzeln (gribouiller) et komisch (étrange) en allemand, deux mots découverts la premiere fois que je suis venue à Berlin en 2005.

Comment définirais-tu ta musique ?

Un peu comme mon pseudo, étrange, enfin plus vraiment maintenant. J'ai fais beaucoup de morceaux plus expérimentaux en passant par plusieurs styles de musique electro, 8 bit... Je fais maintenant des morceaux de plus en plus techno et de plus en plus minimal.

Quelles sont tes principales influences ?

Les premières dj française Sextoy, Jennifer Cardini et Chloé restent toujours mes premières références. Maintenant je suis influencée par tout ce que j'écoute, beaucoup de minimal mais aussi de l'electro déjantée. J'aime ne pas avoir de règles et travailler au feeling.

Pourquoi avoir choisi de t'installer à Berlin ?

La première fois que je suis venue, au bout de quelques jours j'ai voulu habiter à Berlin, j'ai fait quelques détours mais 2 ans après j'y étais. C'est une ville ou on se sent libre, ou on peut profiter de la vie sans stress et où il se passe toujours tellement de choses culturellement.

Et comment expliques-tu que Berlin soit la capitale de la minimale ?

C'est la ville base de nombreux artistes, c'est déjà un point. Mais les clubs dans les friches et les hangars créent une ambiance qui se prête très bien à la minimale. J'imagine que l'ambiance générale de la ville influence ou attire un style de musique.

Tu as fait quelques soirées, tu aimes les live ?

Oui je fais beaucoup plus de dj set, un peu partout à Berlin ou en Europe, assez peu en France.

D'ailleurs, tu es plus live ou DJ set en réalité ?

Je mixe principalement et surtout en duo avec Miruna sous le nom Stereonucleose, avec qui j'ai sorti un Split EP sur un label viennois Comfortzone. Mais avant de mixer régulièrement quand j'étais à Bucarest je faisais plutôt des lives. J'ai maintenant un nouveau live très différent avec des machines et mon laptop, plus techno aussi, je l'ai testé il y a peu à Berlin, et je compte le développer.

Et la musique en club influence-t-elle tes créations ?

Oui toujours, quand je danse c'est que j'aime la musique. Dans ces moments je pense souvent à comment le morceau est construit et à ce qui me plaît ou me fais danser. Je décortique les sons et forcément ça m'influence.

Et pour finir, on te voit quand à Paris :) ?

Dans l'idéal en juillet, ou à l'automne, je cherche justement des dates, live ou dj set en France, où j'ai quasiment jamais joué.

Pour l'occasion on vous fait découvrir Krems l'une de ses tracks assez représentative de sa musique actuelle :



Le myspace de Kritzkom

Interview : Patrick Arbez

Patrick Arbez is a German DJ and Producer of techno music, currently working on his first album and his new live. Tendances F&Y meets him for an interview and an exclusive remix. Let's discover him !

Hi Patrick, first of all, can you introduce yourself briefly ?

Hi, I´m Patrick Arbez from Berlin. 30 Years old, Dj since 1995 and Producer since 2004

And about your music, how would you define it ?

Asskickin, Fresh Tunes

What are you main musical influences ?

The biggest Influence is Vitalic. It's just unbelievable what this man brings out of his machines. His tracks are unique and have a high recognition value. And who has ever heard Vitalic live knows what I mean.

But nowadays, I also like the music of Ascion and Andy Kohlmann.

You're based in Berlin like a lots of minimal producers, how do you explain that Berlin is the capital of minimal music ?

Most of the Dj's in Berlin play minimal but I believe it is soon over. Three years ago everybody was playing minimal, now we find again melody and other elements in the music.

But I think berlin is the capital of minimal music because here are many labels at home (Minus, Subdup and many more)

On your agenda, you have many live planned in Berlin and in few festivals, but are you used to move in Europe ? What about Paris ?

It is a dream to play International and anywhere other than in Berlin. And especially in Paris. I could just leave and connect with a visit to one of the live performances by Vitalic :)

Then, do you like playing music in live ?

I'm currently working on my first liveact. That's a big dream to play in future only live !

And do you prefer playing live or having DJ set ?

For the Moment I play only Dj Sets. In 2011 I will start my Liveact and then I will only play live !

Finally, what's your favourite place for a live ?

The best Places are Party´s wehre the Peoples are screaming, and dancing on the music :)

And do you plann to have a first album soon ?

Yes, it will come in 2011

Thanks a lot for those answers and see you in Paris !

Thank you too best regards from Berlin

(French version soon)

Discover his exclusive remix here

Le myspace de Patrick Arbez

Interview : Shunsuke Akimoto

Shunsuke Akimoto is a young Japanese DJ/Producer. After few lives and productions posted on the internet, he released his first EP Momotaro few days ago. For this occasion, Tendances F&Y asked him few questions to know him better.

Hi Shunsuke, first of all can you introduce yourself briefly ?

Hello, I am shunsuke akimoto.I live in Japan.My birthday is Halloween.

And about your music, how would you define it ? And what are you main musical influences ?

Open air and nice spooky sound. Main musical influences is I think Japanese nursery rhyme.

You're based in Japan like some famous Japanese DJ (Shinishi Osawa, Nakion, ...), how do you explain that Japan is famous for his electro/techno music ?

People here like new technology, computer, robots, ... Then even the music is technologic that's why electronic music is famous here in Japan. And even if we are influenced by westerner music (Detroy, Berlin, ...) we try to express our specifity through our music.

Do you like playing music in live in clubs ?

Yes of course. It's very important for me to play in live and to see people enjoying my music. Dune,Rooty,Bullet's : these places are very comfortable and here we can meet various interesting people.

And finally what's your favorite place for a live ?

Kyoto definitely !

Thanks a lot for your answer. And we really hope to hear you in Paris one day !

Thanks you too !

(French version soon)

To illustrate this interview, let's discover the eponymous track from his last EP Momotaro :



Le myspace de Shunsuke Akimoto

Interview : dOP

Le trio Parisien dOP s'apprête à prendre les commandes de la prochaine compilation Watergate 6ème du nom (après Sébo K et Ellen Allien !). Présenté comme un exemple de ce qu'ils font niveau musique, l'album regroupera plein de compositions maisons ou de featuring. De quoi avoir un aperçu de leur premier album ? En tout cas c'est l'occasion pour Tendances F&Y de les interviewer !

Salut dOP, alors première question pourquoi ce nom de groupe ?

Et pourquoi pas ?

Et plus généralement, pouvez-vous vous présenter ?

Initialement mené par le guitariste Roman Campos Oriola, le groupe connaît un petit succès au milieu des années 1990, puis devient l’un des groupes underground Parisien les plus populaires de la scène psychédélique.

Cependant, le comportement instable de Barrett conduit les autres membres à le remplacer par Damien Vandesande, un ami d’enfance de Clement Zemtsov.

Après le départ de ce dernier, le chanteur Jonathan Illel devient progressivement depressif, composant la majorité des chansons et signant toutes les paroles à partir de 1992 et jusqu’à sa convertion au boudhisme en 1995.

Parlons musique maintenant, comment définiriez-vous votre musique ?

C'est de la kusturichouse avec pas mal d'influences de Quentin Tarrantino et Stanley Kubrick.

Dans la même lignée, quelles sont vos principales influences musicales ?

Les sitcoms, la tragédie grecque, les fromages et évidemment les voyages...

Sinon vous avez joué fin janvier dans le fameux club Berlinois Watergate et quand on regarde votre agenda de tournée on voit que vous ne mixez pas en France, comment cela se fait-il ? La France boude-t-elle votre musique ou est-ce un choix de votre part ?

Ce n'est pas un choix de notre part… Mais je pense que cela commence a changer, la reconnaissance extérieure se propage ici.

D'ailleurs, niveau soirées vous préférez plutôt les performances live ou vous êtes plutôt DJ set ?

Nous sommes un groupe live !

Et votre meilleur souvenir de soirée ? (Dans quel club ?)

C'était au marrakesh dans la ville de nagasaki. Un club illégal de 150 places. Mais ce qui s'est passé ce soir la restera gravé a tout jamais. Je pense que personnes n'en parlera.

La scène vous influence-t-elle et vous "aide"-t-elle niveau création ? Ca vous inspire ?

C'est le point G !

Sinon, pour revenir à votre actualité, vous prenez les commande de la prochaine compilation Watergate 06. Pourquoi une telle compilation sachant que Berlin est plutôt associée à la minimale, que vous succédez à Sebo K et Ellen Allien et que vous vous décrivez plus comme producteurs d'house/expérimentale/accoustique (cf. myspace) ?

Notre musique est aussi bien inspirée par Berlin que Londres, ou San Francisco et Brigitte Bardot. Aujourd'hui Berlin est une ville internationale, et elle représente aussi bien la minimale, la house et le dancehall.

D'ailleurs, sur la compilation Watergate 06 que vous prenez en main, il y a beaucoup de morceaux de votre cru (que ce soit remix, featuring, productions). Pourquoi ce choix alors que sur les précédentes compil' les artistes proposaient peu de productions "maison" ?

Nous ne sommes pas dj, nous pensons ne rien apporter a mixer tel des djs des morceaux sur un cd. Ce que nous savons faire c'est composer de la musique originale !

Mais sur le disque, il y a beaucoup de collaborations. Certains morceaux sont produit par des amis et des artistes que nous respectons beaucoup tel que Seuil, Mathias Kaden, Daniele Papini, Cat. & Dogz, Noze, Enliven Deep Acoustic, Aquarius Heaven, Tiefschwartz and Wareika. Pour nous la musique se fait à plusieurs, partagée et élaborée ensemble !

De plus Watergate nous donnait la chance de réaliser pour la première fois un projet comme ça !

Et pour finir, on vous voit quand à Paris ?

Je pense que la prochaine date sera en septembre a la Terrassa, et puis fin octobre pour la release party de notre album au Rex avec Sety et Seth Troxler. Sinon nous serons sur la route tout l'été. Nous ne repassons que très peu a Paris, pour faire des machines et signer des papiers...

Encore merci pour cette interview et à très bientôt avec la compil' Watergate 06 !

Merci !

La compilation Watergate 06 sortira le 7 juin.

Le myspace de dOP

Interview : Sebastian Wilck

Sebastian Wilck discovered techno music in Berlin as he was 14, by spending a lot of time in the famous musical store HardWax in Kreuzberg. Now resident at the Watergate Club, Tendances F&Y had a short interview of him few days ago. Let's (re)discover him !

Hi Sebastian, first of all can you introduce yourself briefly ?

Sebastian Wilck, Berlin, Started DJing at 14... 12 years ago !

And about your music, how would you define it ? And what are you main musical influences ?

Actually it's quite easy... I like short looped chords and simple beat structures. The most important is a good bassline. A good bassline is 80% of a good track for me.

My main unfluence is for sure drum and bass as I used to play drum and bass for years. Actually, some years ago I was part of the famous german drum and bass crew hard:eddged from berlin with my old alias DJ SCAMP.

Already in this period minimal sound was always my choice. The old photek stuff for example or hidden agenda. Of course the berlin enviroment and especially watergate club was important for the development of my style of music as well.

At watergate you have the perfect audience, perfect soundsystem and simply a great environment. You can play really minimal stuff for hours and the crowd likes it a lot.

Also I've been facinated by the whole final scratch and laptop DJing since the beginning. I started using them with final scratch 2 and I will never miss it again. I think the way of playing with it is a major part of my style too.

You're based in Berlin like a lots of minimal producers, how do you explain that Berlin is the capital of minimal music ?

Well it is a really good question. I think one of the main reasons is the way of partying in berlin. Clubs don´t have any closing times. That means you can dance for hours and hours. Then you need some kind of quiet looped music to do that. If the music is too hard or freaky you will get crazy after a short period whereas with minimal sound you go dance, go to the bar, sit around and talk and go back to the dancefloor and its still the same as it was when you left the floor.

On your agenda, you have many live planned in Germany. But are you used to move in Europe ? And when could we see you in Paris :) ?

Since I started my watergate club tour this year there will be some dates outside from germany as well of course. I'm sure to meet you in paris on day as well ;)

And finally what's your favorite place for a live ?

Of course it's my homeclub watergate for me. But there are other nice places, for instance I played at goa club in Rome few weeks ago and it was great. Nice club !

Thanks a lot for your answer. And we really hope to hear you in Paris one day !

Thanks you too !

(French version soon)