Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
I`m based in Berlin. Mhm, what can I say.. I mean its huge…
How did you first start playing music?
When I was six years old, I wanted to be a drummer. So I grabbed cooking spoons and all cooking pots and let off steam. I always wanted to have a real drum set, but that wasn’t financially feasible for my mother. But she had noticed that I had a very good sense of tact and so she sent me to drum lessons. The teacher at the time was a strange guy. Somehow a mixture of conservative rocker and bourgeois jazzer – I found him rather uncool and when he started to teach me notes in the second lesson, the fun was already over. I just wanted to play the beats that came to mind… I had a very strong will of my own quite early on.
What programs/instruments do you use live and to record?
Until about 2 years ago I worked purely with hardware and it was more a jam than a real producing. My setup at that time consisted of a Micro Korg XL, two Kaoss Pads, a Mackie 16 channel mixer and a SM 58. At that time I used to beatbox regularly and produced all percussive sounds with my mouth. Today it looks quite different. The central point is the computer on which Logic runs. I mainly work with plug-ins. But I still have my Kaoss pads and the Micro Korg – and recently I got the Subsequent 37 from Moog.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Right now I hear a lot of Radiohead and Djrum probably because of the cold season.
Who or what influences your sound and songwriting?
When I was a child, my mom’s record cabinet was the most important thing to me. Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Keith Jarret, Moby, Air, Kruder and Dorfmeister and many other pioneers were represented in it. When I was 12-13 years old and was looking for new artists myself, I found mostly American rap on my shelf. Artists like Dilated Peoples, Afu- Ra, Jedi Mind Tricks, M.O.P, Cypress Hill, Jurassic 5, The Roots and what they are all called. German rap was actually only present later. But things like Kreuzfeld Jakob, Stieber Twins, Absolute Beginner, Team Eimsbush etc. are an integral part of my youth.
How do you usually go about writing music?
I don’t really have a plan when I start making music. Most of the time I start jamming and watch what happens. Recently I try to play the melody or groove I have in my head and it works surprisingly well. I don’t lose the focus so much and can hold on to the first idea which is often really the best one. It’s also kind of satisfying to let the thoughts sound.
Please tell us about how you came to work with ursl:
In fact, I had finished my EP for a while. But I didn’t know exactly which label would fit. I had known URSL for a while, but strangely enough it wasn’t on my screen when it came to my own music – even though I had seen many of those released on the label at the Garbicz or at the Fusion festival and had celebrated most of all. Anyway, a buddy of mine made me aware of URSL again. And promptly it worked out. I think they just happened to have their mails open when I sent this 😉 Fortunately a positive answer came very quickly.
What is important to you when making music?
The most important thing for me is always to express a clear feeling, that can be a certain sound or a melody. Functionality in the physical sense is only second. I always find it disappointing how often Djs are tempted to play the proven functional track at an early stage. For many, the arms sticking out into the air are simply too tempting. The environment plays another important role for me. I recently put my workplace by the window. Now I can look into the trees during production, which I find very inspiring.
What have you been working on in 2018 and what do you have planned for 2019?
At the moment I’m working on many different tracks in parallel. Let’s see what will come out of it – I think it will be the next EP. Next year I definitely want to venture into the DJ booth again. I recently played again for the first time in a long time. And it gives me great pleasure to send people on their journey.
Please tell us about your interest of food and cooking:
At the age of eleven, my Italian stepfather, who is an excellent chef, was a member of our family. When he joined our family, I was just happy to get some delicious food on the table and didn’t really want to learn how to make the perfect risotto. But since he also makes music himself, he was able to show parallels between music and cooking in an entertaining way. At the beginning, of course, my typical anti teacher attitude came to light. -But little by little I understood what he meant by that that every ingredient and every spice in its quantity, timing, duration is crucial for a good arrangement and mix.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
I’m always very curious about food or probably more aptly put, I’m pretty greedy. I could spend hours in market halls and go from stand to stand. Berlin already offers a great variety. However, I regularly ask myself how the gastronomy can survive here. The prices were cut close, the leases are getting higher and the competition is huge! I think that’s a pity because I regularly notice that one good restaurant after another is closing. It bothers me totally. There should finally be a rethink regarding the quality and appreciation of food. We should not perceive ourselves as running garbage cans ;)!
https://soundcloud.com/jurekriegler
https://www.beatport.com/release/offshore/2437315