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Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
I’m based in Berlin and the scene here is one of my favorites worldwide. Besides our history as one of the capitals of electronic music we still have an outstanding and unique club scene. The city offers plenty of great record stores and numerous important music companies are based here too.
You have a new 4-tracker EP called “Day & Night” coming out on Upon.You Records label on December 14th, where and when did you record?
I have recorded it over the year in my studio in Berlin.
Your studio has been located in Berlin at Holtzmarkt, please describe the setting and atmosphere:
I moved here in October 2017 and planned + built the studio in cooperation with a professional acoustic company from Berlin. I just wanted it to be perfect, after always having sound issues in my old studio. It’s quite comfy and much more organized than the previous one. I have a lot of analogue gear in the room as well as my minimized record collection. I love to come here as often as possible.
What programs/equipment did you use to demo ideas and also record?
Here’s a list of programs and equipment that I use the most in my studio.
Hardware: Programs:
Korg Mono/Poly Ableton Live 9 Suite
Roland Juno 106 UAD-2 (pretty much all Plug-Ins)
Moog Voyager Soundtoys 5
Elektron Analog Heat uh-e Diva & Repro-1
Roland Space Echo Native Instruments Komplete
Roland SH-101 Spectrasonics Omnisphere
Roland TR-8 Celemony Melodyne
Tegeler Audio Creme Fabfilter Pro Q
What influenced the sound and songwriting for the EP?
My new studio probably has influenced me the most. It is just another level of working. I’m much more productive and confident here. Furthermore every single experience I make has somehow an influence on me. Recently my kids inspire me a lot. Playing or listening to other people’s music influences me too as well as traveling.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
At the moment I am listening to the recent albums from Nils Frahm and Nu Guinea.
How did you first start playing music?
I was 12 years old when the Berlin Wall came down, so I missed these very special years between ‘89 and ‘92 when the music scenes of east and west Berlin hit each other and something new emerged. When I started to discover this new music, legend clubs like Tresor, E-Werk or Bunker already existed, the first hype was over and Techno and events like the Love Parade became more commercial. For me it was still something completely new and the whole Techno virus got me anyway. 1994 I’ve started to buy vinyl and my story began.
You’ve been in the music industry for a long time, how have things changed since you started and where do you see the music industry going?
The biggest change is obviously the way of how people consume music nowadays. Streaming is the big thing now. In my case as a DJ it’s the way of how we deejay and from a producer’s perspective definitely the way of how we work in the studio these days. I really can’t tell what’s gonna happen in the future. Fingers crossed that the value of music won’t disappear completely. Listening to music became too cheap in my opinion. The process of writing, composing and producing music is completely underrated and not adequately paid these days.
You will be touring in china in the first week of December – 2018, what do you have planned for these shows?
It’s gonna be my first time ever in China, so I really can’t say what to expect. But I’m super excited and will do my thing as I always do and will be flexible within my range of styles.
Following China you will be hitting Bangkok, Sydney and Melbourne afterwards, what do you most enjoy about touring and what do you find most challenging?
I love to travel and discover new cultures, enjoying foreign cuisine and meeting new people. The most challenging is definitely to be away from home and my family.
What do you have planned for 2019?
I will start 2019 with less touring and more studio time.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
My favorite food is Thai, Lebanese and Italian. My favorite place to hang out is either my couch or my studio and definitely my parents in law’s terrace in Tuscany.
