Hello peeps, we are ending this year and, as we said previously, we thought Cio D’or album “Die Faser” was the most valuable of 2009! So we wanted to know more about it and for that we had to engage with Miss Cio D’or for the proper interview. Here it is:

Mnmland: Hi Cio D’or First up, let us congratulate you for your excellent album on Prologue. We’ve already said in our feedback that it was one of the best albums of the year; can you describe it to our readers?

Cio D’or: Thank you***! Music and fabric have perplexing similarity. Both are sensual and emotional. A “Faser” in German means a single String, like a single sound in music, that’s the basic material that is the origin of any fabric. The analogy here is the track structure, which is then made into a piece by adding dramaturgy and structure. The coloring of the material then finally creates the mood of the piece. That’s very similar in music, it’s created from single notes and tones, which in their unique combination with other sounds ( woven in with other facets ) becomes its on form. Arranging a track is analog to designing a piece of fabric in that sense. This album is impression, emotion & vision, closely connected to a small part of my life between 2008 and 2009.

Mnmland: In Die Faser you show two sides completely different in you, one more subtle and passionate that we can listen in tracks like “Angora” or “Seide” and the other one completely directed to rough underground deep feelings like in “Brokat” or “Pailletten”. The question is, will we be able to listen this both sides in your sets? We sure hope to.

In my sets & mixes I love to start with an ambient or experimental track. At my gig in Tokyo @ Mariananight/Warehouse 705 a DJ named Craig/C_Olvrin, was playing 1 hour of amazing, only Ambient &tripped Music, so it was just perfect and easy for me to start ambient & looping “blubbs&bleeps”&other trippy sounds up to more powerful Techno. I just played 125bpm – the Crowd was dancing all the time and recognized betwhile building up the set more the “powerparts” in my Set. Techno can work in a sensitive way, too! But it depends of course also how much open-minded a crowd is! So..yes, you can hear both or also more sides in my sets.

Mnmland: How long did it take you to create this album?

I was working a long time on some melodies (for Goldbrokat) or sounds (Pailletten/Brokat/Organza/Mohair) before I started the mainly creation of my album. I spent 3 month every day from the morning 10 o’clock until the night. Good food, some friends or running into a wood were the only activities on the side. At the end of producing, I was working ca 4 weeks on “fine mixdowns” after my friend Emanuel Geller heard it with his “golden Masterears”! After the music was done, it took also a longer time to find the perfect Label for my Ideas how to present the Idea (with Remixes, Vinyl& Ambienttracks) & Prologue understand luckily this vision. Also to combine and to talk to the Remixers, Promoter Pullproxy Team and about the Visuals for the Videos from VJ Heiligenblut (Goldbrokat), Mo / Aiko Okamoto (Seide/Tränensalz) and Ateate (Wildseide) took a while and not to forget the Graphics from Jun Frogosa and all the Website Work from Wolf/Wolfgang Pöhler. Altogether this “Album work” it is a very long process like ca. 6-8 month!

Mnmland: Do you consider this your best installment till this date? And do you feel totally satisfied with it?

For me it feels like a time document &… when I stop to create a track: that means: it’s finished…for this little story and time only, but I am never finished , always in progress and never satisfied. I am not looking to long to what I did yesterday without forgetting the past. I have already some new ideas & wishes in my mind, but it’s quietly growing until I will find the perfect time to start a new creating time. A track is like a small story, an Album a little book & the whole work at the end of the days like a serial of life. I can’t say, what was my best track until today, because every track, that I did have a special feeling for a special moment.

Mnmland: “Goldbrokat” or “Cotton” are fabulous grooves that will have a tremendous effect in the dancefloors. But what are your favorite tracks of the album? What were the ones that gave you the most pleasure to produce?

My personal favorites are in this moment Pailletten, Goldbrokat, Mohair & Organza, because I was working very excited on these sounds. But I created every track with all my being! The ambient tracks I loved to do, too….because I was very interested to give emotions only & to create sounds for my visual minds and visions, too.

Mnmland: We’ve read that you are used to sample everything… can you tell us a little bit more about that process, and give us one or two examples of where you used those samples in this album?

Well…sometimes on journeys I am very inspirited from sounds around me, so I sample them & for some tracks I used them. I started with an MPC 2000 it is one of the optimal machine for samples! It was a shame in Japan:I heard that many interesting sounds around me, but I didn’t had enough space to bring my micro & minidisk to the trip. My Album is primarily made of sounds i developed myself, and melodies i performed,and recorded. On top, in some tracks i’m using synth samples to add depth and space to the music, for example in “Zellulose Wind, Goldbrokat, Mohair (2Samples by Gabriel Ananda), Brokat or Cotton.

Mnmland: You started doing music pretty young in a Jazz Band. What got you into techno then?

It’s a longer process I went more & more into electronic music for my own dance_choreographies. Classical & electronic Music gave me the optimum for inspiration for this kind of Graham Modern Dance Techniques. Also I was more interested to create a whole creation of a track than just to learn one instrument. I learned a bit of guitar, piano, flute, kalimba, kongas, but to hear just one instrument all the time bored me after a while. For this I adore Jimi Hendrix or Miles Davis!

Mnmland: What would you prefer, Playing for 50.000 people that would swallow anything you would give them, or playing for 100 people that would absolutely murder you for the mistakes you (could) make during a set? (We are not taking any sides here)

I love to play for open minded people & on a great soundsystem! I can be the same glad with lots or less people, it depends of the people.

Mnmland: What artists, producers & labels are inspiring you at the moment?

I am inspired mainly from sounds. But also this inspiration can change from time to time! It depends what I am looking for! & I am nearly sure, that I will forget to list many artists or sounds (also from the past), that I love! But exactly in this second I think about:

Sir Simon Rattle Film musicians

Xhin (Stroboscopic Artefacts), I love especially his Experiments & I am looping some sounds for my Set.

Milton Bradley (Do not resist the Beat/Prologue) did a Remix for my Organza Track (will be released in February on Prologue) & there are some Sounds inside, that it´s the future for me.

All Sounds from Artists on Prologue (Giorgio Gigli, Donato Dozzy, Dino Sabatini&Modern Heads, Milton Bradley, Obtane, Claudio PRC, Iori, Juho Kahilainen, Samuli Kemppi)

All Artists on Sandwell District Monolake on Monolake Sleeparchive (nearly all Tracks&Remixes) Zzz

Former Plasticman & Richie Hawtin Records

Some Troy Pierce Records BVDUB (nearly all tracks)

Basic Channel

Some Tracks from Jichael Mackson

Hubble

Mike Parker

Nuel

Pendle Coven

Xyramat

Kevin Gormann

Echospace&_cord

Jens Zimmermann

Modern Love

Son. Sine

Mnmland: We take you as a quite mysterious person! Who are you outside the music? In what do you like to spend your time?

For the outside of music isn´t that much time, but in these times I love to be very private within: Silence, diving and snorkeling, running in unknown forests, brilliant dinners, friends, colors & forms, architecture, nature, films & documentations and Design, reading, writing.

Mnmland: Some quick questions now… What are the places you enjoy playing the most?

All venues with a good soundsystem, an open minded crowd, sympathic Organizers, interesting rooms and beautiful Visuals (like Heiligenblut or Mo) were amazing & it´s always a cooperation between the crowd, all surroundings & me, if the night is great for all of us! This year I remember some very special moments also @: “Mariananight/Warehouse 705” in Tokyo/Japan “The Office” in Stockholm/Sweden “G” in Okinawa/Japan “Klickklackklub/Artheater” in Cologne/Germany “Fusionfestival” in Lärz/Germany

Mnmland: Analog or Digital?

I played 10 years Vinyl only& switched to Tractor Scratch Pro at New Year 2008/2009 @ Klickklackklub/Artheater Cologne. I was very nervous, but it´s working very well and I found many features, that makes sense to me. I was always dreaming to play the best moments of a track only (some tracks are perfectly allaround for me of course,) & for these ones, that I just like a part of … I just loop that favorite part! But I will love forever the haptic feeling with vinyl, too! For producing I was dreaming always from a analogue Studio: all in one…and I started with the MPC 2000! To this time I am working on a computer with Sequencer Programms. At the End I love the best Technic but less as possible, because to much Programms and equipment could keep you away from creating & ideas.

Mnmland: Favorite record of all time?

In this moment: Plasticman _ Consumed

Thanks a lot for the interview, minimaland.com wishes good luck to you and your productions. Bye

Read More about “Cio D’or – Die Faser”, our album of the year, here!

“I like hypnotic techno, it gives
people this sense of endlessness,
this infinity that trance doesn’t achieve.”

You could compare GusGus´s (Daníel Ágúst, Veiran and President Bongo) 6th studio album with a whale. An animal that spends most of it´s time under the surface, but when it comes up above sea-level, it usually surfaces with a magnificent speciality – much like the latest GusGus creation. Therefore, you should not glean over this work; every moment of it is laid out with painstaking and elaborate candour. 24/7 is a wet dream…

The spine of the music is original, created in the “intestines” of GusGus. “On the Job” is the working man´s phrenetic song to the unbroken animal called love. The opus “Thin Ice´” describes the bloated donkey dancing on ice. And in “Add This Song” the listener is encouraged to add that particular song to his collection.
The GusGus analogue sound environment has never been better, and Daniel Agust´s vocals take the reigns again and thus opens the group’s variability to new heights. As on previous occasions GusGus performs a song written by Jimi Tenor, the fantastic “Take me Baby” where Jimi Tenor is a guest singer. “Hateful” is a pretty family-type song that GusGus and Aaron-Carl composed together while being on different sides of the Atlantic.

GUSGUS are easily one of the most well known acts in electronic music today with over 5 million albums sold in their illustrious career. Don’t call it a comeback but their signing to KOMPAKT marks a crucial step forward for the band and dare we say their most impressive recordings to date. It also marks the return of Daníel Ágúst as a full member for the first time since the 4AD years. 24/7 is a overwhelming, multifarious, interwoven and braided musical atmosphere where the listener has to surrender to the music and adhere to the conditions that the music demands. For fifty-six minutes.

We’ve interviewed one of the producers – Veiran – to get to know more about them and the upcoming release:

Mnmland: First up, let us congratulate you for the magnificent album you’ve produced. Minimaland listened it and it sounds very good. Kompakt said it sounded like a “wet dream”… How would you describe it to our readers?

Veiran: “Well, the new album might be described as some mixture of Gusgus from the past, the doepfer modularsynth, minimal techno, oldstyle Reggie dub and live performance. But that mixture did not come intentionally. Last two albums, Attention and Forever where girlfull preparties featuring Earth as our main singer and lyric writer. When she left for other projects in late 2007 it was time to go to some new party, take swift turn that is. Daniel Ágúst, our former main singer from the nineties, had sung one track on each of these albums, Desire on Attention and Moss on Forever. We approached him to do the next album with us and he agreed. I also had updated my small Doepfer collection (www.doepfer.com) by almost purcasing all the modules thay have avaliable, and also creating one doepfer live unit that included some secred unheard tricks. With those two elements it we where destined to go deeper than on the two prior albums. After feew turns in the studio we had drafted couple of tracks but stranded on the arrangement. It was getting close to the gigs off the summer 2008, so I had no option but to add the unfinished tracks in the live set and just “figure it out” on the road. In that process I added the Boss chorus echo pedal and small kaoss pad, hence the dub style. The first gig at UAF worked great with all the tracks just brilliant. That summer we played with the tracks live at numerous gigs. In the fall it was obvious that this album had to be recorded live. This was not a studio project. We went with the live rig deep north west into Iceland, to Flateyri, and recorded the album live at Tankurinn.”

Mnmland: Are you totally satisfied with the album?

“Yes, I am satisfied with the album. It captures the vibes off gusgus as it is now and also reflects the direction i wanted to take down to dubland.”

Mnmland: What were your thoughts when recording this cd!?

“There was strict dress code in the studio and the hairdo had to be perfect. So preparing the day the focus was on looking slick. During the day we spent more time cooking than recording. The plot was to create special vibe and togetherness as the recording was basically running the liveset couple of times.”

Mnmland: So can we expect this to be something played by Gus Gus around gigs, or is it something to be appreciated with some kind of different mood?

“We have been playing all the songs on the album from the spring of 2008, and i’ll guess we’ll will play them a couple of times more until we figure out what to do on our next album after 24/7. There are not a lot of old tracks in the set. We have Lust and Moss from Forever, and that is about it, but with all these tracks thrown in the gig is almost two hours.”

Mnmland: We must confess that we follow you from the beginning and it really is a surprise to see such many changes on your productions… can you explain to our readers the main differences between your typical music ten years ago and the nowadays productions?

“Gusgus started out as a collaboration of people with totally different background in music. Me and Buckmaster where in a band called T-World that did kind of ambient driven house music. We we where mixed into the Gusgus project different people had different songs in different genres that needed to be produced as a whole for the Album later called “Polydistortion”. Buckmaster was all about loops at that time so the production was more or less loop based at that time. I think that we were even liked with triphop by some critics. The second album, “This is Normal”, was more the same but further down the pop song road. After the album the band was getting tired as people wanted to go different ways with the project. I was getting tired of this loop based pop stuff and as me, Buckmaster and President Bongo ended with the brand it was time to to something new. While in the makover we released “Gusgus vs Tworld” in 2000 that included some of the Tworlds production from 93 to 95. My love of music started with synth and drum machine driven disco, like Hi-Nrg and Italo disco. Lime and Bobby Orlando were my heros so when reinventing the Gusgus sound in 2002 that was the basics and drum loops were banned. Earth was the new singer and Attention was the album. “Forever” in 2006 was then further down that path but now changes are on the agenda once again.”

Mnmland: Which album/event do you consider to be your biggest achievement up to date?

“24/7″ “is the best album so far but “Forever” will always be close to my heart. All albums contain great tracks though. Purple, Believe, Starlovers, David, Call of the wild, Don’t hide what you feel, Hold you, Need in me and Moss to name a few. As the live set is really fluent all gigs have there charm. Few gigs stand out though. Köln in 1999 at the Palladium and the live set at Viva same year i thing stand out from the past. Melt in 2006 and 2008, the gigs and Benicassim 2001 and 2008 and many more from the first makeover and from the new setup many have been great, Pragh at Roxy for example and last weekend in Köln.”

Mnmland: It’s hard to talk about great influences to some guys that have been producing for 15 years but do you have them? Who are/were they?

“Like i said, Lime, Bobby Orlando, Sylvester, Patrick Cowley and then Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, Ultravox. From the dance scene abstract grooves and deep melodies does the trick for me independent of genres. Carl Craig and Stephan Bodzin i can name for example but many more have done great things”

Mnmland: The fact that you are a trio makes it easier to produce? What are the strongest points of each one of you?

“Me the mind, Daniel the heart and Bongo the will.”

Mnmland: After 15 years, what keeps you going? Do you still get excited when you are producing a new album?

“Making music is always exciting, especially when you don’t have a deadline and none to please but yourself.”

Mnmland: Where do you find all the inspiration? Is it the beautiful landscapes of Iceland?

“Silence, the Doepfer and love of life.”

Mnmland: How would you characterize your sets/live acts? What kind of party vibe do you usually create while spinning?

“The President takes care of the spinning, but drive the arrangements in the live set. The live set is all about luring the listener in with patience and then tearing his soul apart.”

Mnmland: Analog or Digital Technology?

“I have once used softsynth in a track. My Doepfer did not like that. I stick to analog.”

Minimaland: Analog it is! The electronic scene has been in a huge development over the last few years, therefore more demanding in terms of music know-how and software/hardware! How do you stand yourself in this process? How have you been adapting?

“I cant say that i have adapted. Got my Juno 2 in 1986 and it was my only polyphonic synth on all the prior albums. It is responsible for the strings in Purple, Anthem and Call of The wild, Organ in Ladyshave, Piano in Call of the wild and Moss, and synth in Need in Me and David to name some examples. I got my Juno 106 few years back but i’m first using it on the new album. The Monophonic synths i all got in the years 1992 and 1993, the SH-101, CS-30 and the ARP-2600. The Doepfer i first got 1999 and that started me doing most of me drum sounds. I have been adding more Doepver modules to the rig every year. Knowing your gear and getting deep into it is the key to making music, not buying all the latest stuff and patches, that is for producers and i don’t consider me as such.”

Mnmland: Some short questions: Favorite record of all time? Favorite tracks of the moment? Favorite festival?

“Non-stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell. Track at the moment is October – Invitation, Favorite festival are Melt and Benecassim.”

Mnmland: To end this, where do you see yourselves in 15 years?

“Hopefully having a relaxed time enjoying live and teaching my kids on the Doepfer.”

Mnmland: Thanks Veiran for the Interview, we wish you all the best for this and further albums.

———24/7———
Artist: Gus Gus
Release Date: 14.09.2009
Label: Kompakt
Catalog: Kompakt CD #073

- – - Tracklist – - – -
01. Thin Ice
02. Hateful
03. On the job
04. Take me baby (feat. Jimi Tenor)
05. Bremen Cowboy
06. Add this song

buy it here

Freak ‘n Chic begin their 2009 album assault with the much-hyped Anthony Collins and his debut long-player “Doubts & Shouts” in March.
Collins has developed a formidable reputation through his oldschool/new school take on house music and releases on Get Physical, Liebe*Detail, Bang Bang and Freak ‘n Chic have seen support from just about every jock worth their salt.
“Doubts & Shouts” looks set to further that reputation with 10 new tracks which manage to sum up Collins’ dancefloor credentials while equally appealing to a home listening environment.
The Paris based producer has a style balanced between US percussive, almost afro-beat grooves and traditionally European production techniques and melodies which perhaps betrays his upbringing in both New York and the South of France.
Either way, a strong theme runs throughout ‘Doubts & Shouts’ in the form of a combination of unfaltering grooves, atmosphere and frankly astonishing mode production techniques which manage to stand out yet remain subtle at the same time.
Anthony Collins “Doubts & Shouts” is everything a good dance music artist album should be and is released on the ever-brilliant Freak ‘n Chic in March 2009.

We interviewed Anthony to know more about his perspectives on this upcoming release:

Minimaland.com: Hi Anthony! First up, let me congratulate you for the magnificent album you’ve produced. Minimaland listened it and it sounds very very good. How would you describe it to our readers?

A.Collins: Soundly speaking it is a mixture between organic and acoustic elements built around a modern beat

Minimaland.com: Are you happy with the final work?

A.Collins: Yes i am very happy and proud of it, for me the most important is done.

Minimaland.com: Do you consider this your greatest achievement up to date?

A.Collins: In the music concerns, yes by far !

Minimaland.com: Will you “Doubt” it or will you “Shout” it in your sets?

A.Collins: Hooo i will shout for sure! No time for doubts when performing

Minimaland.com: “Prism” and “Substance” are marvelous grooves. They will be very appreciated, by different crowds. But what are your favorite tracks of the album? What were the ones that gave you the most pleasure to produce?

A.Collins: Hmm really hard to pin down favorites.. if i have to choose my top 2 would certainly be : fragile, about faith and tango bizarre. Understand none was more fun than another to produce, but when i finished fragile i knew i found the perfect intro for my album and it was a great sensation!

Minimaland.com: Who are/were your main influences?

A.Collins: Speaking music in general, I’ve always been inluenced by jazzy soundings , soul music, motown period. Concerning electronic music, for sure people like Ricardo villalobos, luciano, the whole perlon or cadenza crew etc.. inspired me! As well as classic house DJs like Kerri chandler, Todd Terry, Theo Parrish to name but a few

Minimaland.com: Tell me a few electronic records which convinced you to try it for yourself.

A.Collins: Its not really particular records that made me want to try it for myself , but it felt more like a logical process after i had been djing for a couple of years

Minimaland.com: Who are some of the current artists that you like?

A.Collins: Tolga Fidan who, by the way, helped me to produce this album and Seuil. Both are close friends and I have to confess they are rocking it !

Minimaland.com: You have been presenting top productions for three years now. Where do you usually find inspiration to create music?

A.Collins: I like a lot listening to music, freash or older tracks among them the promos i receive, the research i do and obviously the old stuff from my own collection! Ideas always seem to pop up at some point

Minimaland.com: In what clubs did you enjoyed playing the most?

A.Collins: I have to say spinning @ Goa in madrid last year was one of my best gig, but also goa in rome, as well as at the underground in ibiza…

Minimaland.com: Electronic only at club or at home also?

A.Collins: At home also ! but of course more chilled down , deep downtempo stuff

Minimaland.com: Do you still use any hardware in your studio, or are you fully digital?

A.Collins: Well I’ve never had any hardware.. Then we could say I am all digital.. for the moment.. cause i am planning some investments very soon

Minimaland.com: How often to you perform live as opposed to DJ sets?

A.Collins: I am only djing.. i love it so much !!!

Minimaland.com: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

A.Collins: hopefully still on a world Tour and making music

Minimaland.com: Does music ever gets separated from you?

A.Collins: Not a day without music , it’s in me..

It’s in us also. Minimaland wishes you the greatest success! Your album is real fresh air in the electronic world. Keep it up.
Cheers

.

Anthony Collins – Doubts and Shouts

Label: Freak N Chic
Release Date: March 2009

—– ———………………………………———–Tracklisting —–

1. Fragile
2. Blossom
3. Mondays
4. Lost In Lights
5. Mist
6. Prism
7. About Faith
8. Eau Trouble
9. Tango Bizarre
10. Substance
.

Usefull links: http://www.myspace.com/collinsvibe | http://www.freaknchic.com/

Yesterday was released the second mixed Cd of the Watergate Sessions. After having Onur Oezer in their first session it was time to invite Mr. Sascha Funke to develop a genuine DJ mix. It was recorded at the Watergate Club on a warm August night using records of various ages. Any and all cracklings and sounds from the needle touching down come from the use of vinyl records, are deliberate and desired, and are an integral part of the sound of this authentic DJ mix. Sascha Funke is an honest-to-goodness Berliner and he played a significant role in molding and forming the techno scene in this city. After releasing his long-awaited second album ‘Mango’ on his own label Bpitch Records early in 2008, his DJ Mix for the Watergate Club in Berlin is now his second achievement for the year. In addition to current tracks and remixes from his own album, the mix is interlaced with carefully chosen jewels and rarities from years past. One of the best mixed cd’s of the year!

It was with great satisfaction that we interviewed Sascha Funke directly to the minimaland.com readers:

Minimaland.com: First up the traditional question: How did you get interested in making electronic music?

Sascha: At the beginning of the 90´s Berlin was already a big spot in the techno scene. So it was quite easy to get in touch with the music. I was listening every week to Marushas radio show, and she explained where are the good clubs and where you get the records. So she was teaching me in a way:)

Minimaland.com: You are easily one of the top artists in the Berlin scene, you have been producing music since the 90… How does a guy maintains such a high-level of production for almost a decade now!? What’s the secret? Devotion? Passion?

Sascha: Thanks for the compliment. I don´t know, maybe i released never something i don´t feel safe with it. less quantity more quality. and over the years i always tried to do something new. try to reinvent myself, in the studio i´m quite often bored, if i work with the same sounds all the time, and devotion passion, i think everyone has to make it with this.

Minimaland.com: You had quite a year. You released your second album, you had a couple of excellent Ep’s and now you’re releasing this mixed Cd on Watergate. What’s left?

Sascha: Maybe a vacation? no, to be honest i had an excellent year and i´ll continue playing until new years eve. i´m still fit for the next parties. and slowly i´m starting again to produce some new tracks for a single on Bpitch.

Minimaland.com: Your album “Mango” has received good critics around the globe! Do you consider this your biggest project so far related to production?

Sascha: Definitely, yes. i never worked so hard for something before in my life. and i moved to a quiet place in the south of France to produce with more concentration then in the crazy city of Berlin. for my next album i´ll do it again.

Minimaland.com: It cannot be easy to do such good productions for so long as you’ve been. Where do you usually find inspiration to create music?

Sascha: In many ways. especially for mango i was inspired by the wonderful nature of the province and the way to life there. Everything was more relaxed. but as a DJ of course the main inspiration comes from the music. in clubs where i play, in records i´m listening to. And at least from the history of pop music, i am lucky to grow up in a time when pop music had so many interesting styles and sounds.

Minimaland.com: The electronic scene has been in a huge development  over the last few years, therefore more demanding in terms of music know-how and software/hardware! How do you stand yourself in this process? How have you been adapting?

Sascha: I try to follow:) i´m not that big nerd who is always hiding for the newest plug in. i have my set up and i know how to use it, the rest comes from the feeling. for mango i ask my fellow fritz Zander (one part of Zander Vt of Bpitch) to make a final mix. he did a great job. i think i´ll continuing these kind of way. the “sound” of a record is getting more and more important with all that technological options.

Minimaland.com: Mango is definitely one of the most talked tracks of the year, it’s an unique original production but it was also already remixed by some great producers! What did you liked the most in Superpitcher, Tobia Thomas and Dj Koze’s re-works?

Sascha: It depends. Both are very different and as a DJ i can play it considering the moment of the night. That´s why i am so happy with both results. Beside that, they had to do it. Cause, last summer, we all together, created the word “mango” in our new boys language. So it was the final chapter of our private mango story. Mango means something is very beautifunl and unique and that´s it.

Minimaland.com: Now let’s talk a bit about this DJ Mix for the Watergate club. What were your thoughts when recording this cd!?

Sascha: Let´s do a mix which is not full of the newest and hippest minimal tracks. Try to do something timeless, which shows the people your own character not only as a DJ. Some tracks can definitely telling a story. moments in clubs i had and i took these moments home, now to recreate them again on Cd. I think this is for me the sence of a mix cd.

Minimaland.com: Watergate has a great name in the electronic nowadays scene. Do you consider this album a great achievement in your career?

Sascha: Oh ja. I was proud that they asked me. I play there now for a long long time. Had perfect parties. The whole staff was always very gentle to me. It´s a nice way to say “thank you” to this club.

Minimaland.com: Choosing 14 tracks to put in a mix for one of the best clubs in Berlin cannot be easy! How was the process of selection?

Sascha: Some old and new pearls who were following me in my dj case for a long time. I had 6 or 7 more, but there are just 74 minutes on a cd. So i had to kick some out of the selection, but i prefer only 14 tracks then let´s say 22. With the respect to track i pick, I don´t want destroy them. Some of them need more than 3 minutes to express themselves. I hate these “22 tracks mix cd´s”

Minimaland.com: Are you happy with how it’s turned out?

Sascha: Of course. And we do a special release party. I could win Dj koze to play with me all night long, it´s not so easy to get him. He´s playing in Berlin every year just for one time. I also like the packaging a lot. the cover is genius. The cock is great. They asked me for some other animals, but when i saw the cock i fall in love with him:) i hope they press some t-shirts as well.

Minimaland.com: So can we expect this to be something played by Sascha Funke around club gigs, or is it something to be appreciated with some kind of different mood?

Sascha: Some tracks I still play almost every night. But this is something I wanted to show and explain with the Cd. Every night is different and so the cd has many different moods in it.

Minimaland.com: I read that you’ve used only vinyl in this record. Do you prefer it over digital or you don’t make any exclusions?

Sascha: As a DJ in Berlin it’s still so easy to get the best vinyl. As long as i can get it, i´ll not leaving it. I play a few cd´s from unreleased tracks but if as soon as they are available on vinyl i buy it. That´s why on the mix is one track played from Cd. The Sten track was not out on vinyl in that moment.

Minimaland.com: What artists, producers & labels are inspiring you at the moment?

Sascha: I like some names they always doing quality, like Matthias Kaden or Koze or the whole Dial label. and of course i also like these labels around Oslo, but in my mix they are just apart. I try to connect them with older records or outstanding tracks like “Township funk” by Dj Mojuba. This is the spice for me. Surprise!

Minimaland.com: Name your top 3 albums of all time that suddenly pop in your head!

Sasha: Roxy Music – Avalon
Love inc. – Life´s a gas
Pet Shop Boys – Introspective

Minimaland.com: Who are you outside the music? What do you like to do? How do you spend your free time?

Sascha: I spend a lot of time with watching football. That’s my main passion beside the music. And i spend a lot of time just with friends, having dinner drinking wine. yes i´d say i´m a quite communicative person. I need the team around me.
like a football player:)

Minimaland.com: Wishing you the best, hope we can meet again in the future! Thanks for all (the interview and your delicate productions)

Cheers

Watergate 02

Artist: Sascha Funke
Release Date: 13/10/2008
Label: Watergate

01 – Nathan Fake – You Are Here (Four Tet Remix) (Border Community)
02 – Ellen Allien – Alles Sehen (Miss Kittin Remix) (Bpitch Control)
03 – Maus & Stolle – Taxi (Klang Elektronik)
04 – Zander VT – Get Down (Bpitch Control)
05 – Minilogue & KAB – That’s A Nice Way To Give Me Feedback
(Wighnomy Brothers Quintenzirkel Remikks) (Audiobahn)
06 – Dave Aju – Crazy Place (Circus Company)
07 – Sten – More Stash (Dial)
08 – Modal – Boy – Girl Boy Girl (Sounds)
09 – The Mole – Smiling And Running (Wagon Repair)
10 – Sascha Funke – Mango (Tobias Thomas & Superpitcher Como Mango Remix) (Bpitch Control)
11 – DJ Koze – I Want To Sleep (IRR)
12 – Closer Musik – Giganten (Kompakt)
13 – Patrice Scott – Visions Of Mantada (Aesthetic Audio)
14 – Milch – Housefrau (Acid Jesus« Purer Sex Remix) (Ladomat 2000)

Usefull links: http://www.tailored-communication.com/saschafunke/

Watergate Club

In recent years Lost Souls have established themselves as one of the dominant forces on the London club scene, holding regular parties at Public Life as well as outstanding one off events across the capital. Now head honcho Antony di Francesco takes the brand to the next stage with the launch of the Lost Souls label. Techno and dubstep provide the foundations of this new imprint that looks to fuse these two scenes with the help of some the the most exciting producers and remixes out there.
The debut release comes from German duo Misc. an act who have released consistently outstanding music on labels such as Kompakt, Resopal & Klang Elektonik. When not in the studio they are key players on Europe’s live techno scene with an act that has been building an every increasing level of support for the sound of Misc.
The ‘Chemosphere EP’ is built around two original recordings, ‘Chemosphere’ and ‘Hooked’ with remixes from Bristol dubstep don Headhunter and techno wunderkind Perc.
Opening cut ‘Chemosphere’ is an intense percussive techno workout with a relentless bassline, swirling fx and spastik-esque snare rolls. A heads down piece of warehouse wizardry that ticks all the right boxes and pushes every button correctly!
Next up is Headhunter’s reworking of the opening track. An intro of dubby delayed electronic stabs leads smoothly into broken beats and a pulsing bassline. Spaced out dubstep with a techno twist, this is bound to please both camps in equal measure.
Next is Misc.’s ‘Hooked’, their own take on the sound of dubstep. This is a high tempo, dark tinged affair that draws you in from the opening bars. Simple vocals chops and metallic stabs sit over the skittering percussion and rumbling bottom end to create a atmosphere ladened cut.
The penultimate track sees Perc set about rebuilding ‘Hooked’ into a tough techno monster. This is a no holds barred version that goes straight for the jugular and is reminiscent of classic R&S. A standout remix from one of the UK’s top techno talents.
To round things off there is a digital exclusive in the form of ‘.TXT’ a spaced out dubstep track that takes on a distinctly ambient sound.
A great package from a great act and a debut from a label that you can be sure will be making waves over the coming months and years.
We interviewed Misc. about their perspectives for this upcoming release…. a minimaland.com exclusive. Enjoy!

Minimaland.com – Hi guys, how are you!? Tell us a bit about this new work released on the newcomer Lost Soul.

Misc. – Hi there! This release shows the whole of what we mean by the name of MISC.! With this record we go from techno to dubstep-like music and back. It is great that Lost Souls is open to this concept of putting our MISC.- music into another genre-frame. The great remixes of the techno-/ dubstep- artists vice versa the original-tracks is also part of the concept of crossing the genre-borders.

Minimaland.com – “Hooked” and “.Txt” are completely different from what you normally produce. How was it to create this dubstep tracks?

Misc. – Lots of fun! It was great to work on something different than techno again. We used to produce and release Drum& Bass in earlier years with our outsfit monophace (which probably didn´t quite make it to the UK). So we do have experience in producing break-beat-music. For us it was a bit like going back in time, but with the latest production-technique on board!

Minimaland.com – Where do you usually find inspiration to create music?

Misc. – Everywhere! No, that’s actually really hard to say. We do, whatever we feel like and do not question it THAT much. What we do not do is copying off other people claiming it´ s ours, that´ s for sure. We go the hard way of finding out for ourselves. Even if we feel after some time it´ s total shit. It´ s everything in the process of making music, releasing it and the perception of our music by other people that comes back to us and inspires us to go on and maybe do something original.

Minimaland.com – Who are/were your main musical influences?

Misc. – We first started working on Drum&Bass like the early “No U-Turn” and such. But at the same time we listened to the Techno by people like Wolfgang Voigt or Richie Hawtin, because in the small student town we lived at that time, nobody would even care about different genres. To anybody else, all was weird electronic music, he!
The mixture of these two antipodes (with a little oldschool Hip-hop added) could be called our foundation, if you like.

Minimaland.com – The fact that you are a duo makes it easier to produce?

Misc. – Easier and harder. Harder, because there´ s often fights about nearly every detail in a track. This goes as far as microseconds of decay for a snare… oh my. On the other hand it´ s a lot easier because you get to decide faster and you´ re not on your own. Sometimes one us would be insecure about a detail. Then, most of the times, the other one would be able to take a decision. So there´ s less of these nerd-gets-lost-in-opportunities- and-never-finishes-the-track situations…

Minimaland.com – Your music is very eclectic. You have one of the most considered acts in the world. How do you manage to hold on to your roots, staying out of the so called “new trends” of techno/minimal and at the same time being so successful?

Misc. – We don´ t have any master-plan to achieve this. That are just our personalities. We are basically not able to act any different from where we started years ago. We like to do our music, that´ s it.

Minimaland.com – It was already in August 2005 that you released your last album! When can we expect a new one from you guys?

Misc. – We don´ t have any plans to produce a new misc. album soon. The time is not right right now…

Minimaland.com – Can you give us some tips for this year: Artist, Label or anything to music related

Misc. – Artist: Benga; Label: PERC TRAX  and we suggest www.dubstepforum.com not really a label, but great music is on there for FREE!

Minimaland.com – Favourite music at the moment?

Misc. – Anything that´ s not your typical Berlin-minimal- afterhour- ketamin sound, apart from Volksmusik, of course.

Minimaland.com – What Is harder? To produce a music or to remix a great original one?

Misc. – There´s no real difference. Could be hard in both cases. Maybe the more we like the original the easier a remix becomes. But even that is not always true. Sometimes a bad or weird original- track turns out really great (for us).

Minimaland.com – Vinyl or Cd?

Misc. – Both is fine. We´ re not categorical at all. Although we still do like the idea of proper releases. These may be 12”es or albums that are really thought through by the artist and not just collections of tools. Today this is obviously getting less and less important because everyone just downloads single tracks as files. It´ s all like a big remix nowadays!

Minimaland.com – Where do you like to play the most?

Misc. – Wherever! Really. When there is good response from an audience (and a good PA, maybe… thank you! ) we´ re all good! We had good parties almost everywhere. Sometimes places we have never been, are more exciting beforehand, but then we return to Berlin or London and it´ s great again, too… One will never now before…

Minimaland.com – What Will the Future Bring From You?

Misc. – We want to be able to produce more crazy music for the world, if the world wants us to. And we can only hope to be able to continue this life we´ re living and loving for a long long time!!

Minimaland.com – Thank you for this nice interview guys, wish you the best for the future, keep up doing some unique techno music, here in minimaland you are one of our favourites… cheers!

Usefull links: http://www.myspace.com/lostsoulsmusiclondon

Rls date: 10.09.2008

LS#001
a1 – Chemosphere
a2 – Chemosphere (Headhunter remix)
b1 - Hooked
b2 - Hooked (Perc remix)

Already supported by djs like Adam Beyer, Barem, Paco Osuna, Joachim, Xpansul, Someone Else, Jorge Savoretti, John Selway, Chloe and Polder, among others.

After having Luciano in their decks, the Fabric series continue to surprise us! In their 42nd edition, that will be out in the middle of September, they invited Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedermann to mix it! The duo from Karlsruhe started their musical career on Sonar Kollektiv and soon they became one of the most successful act of the entire electronic movement. The hit “rej” is the best example of it.

On ‘fabric 42,’ Âme creates a great soundtrack to the last days of summer.

It was with great satisfaction that we interviewed Amê directly to the minimaland.com readers.

Minimaland.com: Hello Frank and Kristian ! Fabric has a great name on the electronic nowadays scene. Do you consider this album a great achievement on your careers as a duo?

Frank: Of course, I think It is a nice opportunity to do a fabric mix cd and when fabric offered it, we were proud, we accepted the offer, and yeah, we did a mix cd for them.

Kristian: Yeah, of course.

Minimaland.com: So, tell us a little bit more about this new work , what can the readers of the Minimaland.com expect from this first release on fabric?

Frank: Definitely a more electronic techno orientated mix cd than we normally do, because was more a tribute to fabric club, with musics popular there and that we played there. Maybe people expected a more housier cd, but I would say it’s more techno orientated than we normally do.

Minimaland.com: Now talking a little bit more about this compilation, what kind of criteria did you used when making the selection of the musics? …with so many good things appearing everyday, this could be a difficult process… and the question is: What kind of aspects do you consider important when making a selection of fourteen musics?

Frank: we went to our record collection from ten/fifteen years before till now and we choose like forty / fifty tracks that should be on there, which are not so well known and weren’t on every compilation in the last ten years, so we had like forty tracks at the end, and then the listening department from fabric said ok, we got like twenty six tracks ready for the compilation and out of that, we choose the eighteen tracks which fit together, I’ll say. But I realize that the problem in these days, with internet, file-sharing… People are really educated, so they know everything and to find a special selection for a mix cd is really hard. We always try to keep an eye on what’s going on, so I hope we are a little bit further ….than the rest!

Minimaland.com: So can we expect this to be something played by the Âme duo around club gigs, or is it something to be appreciated with some kind of different mood?

Frank: Yeah, it depends you know, if we play in bigger clubs we’ll definitely play more like that, and if we play in smaller clubs, we’ll play more housy. It always depends on the venue and the party, I would say, the crowd.

Minimaland.com: Changing a little our way now… Your productions are acclaimed under nowadays electronic clubbing scene. What’s it like to hear some of the biggest DJ’s in the world playing your musics?

Frank: That’s a nice feeling! (laughs). You know, after all this years you get used to it a bit, but still I’m happy when I watch somebody like last…. It was Los Monegros (www.monegrosfestival.com) like four weeks before?

Kristian: Three or four weeks

Frank: Three or four weeks before when Laurent Garnier opened his set with a track from us, I was really happy! I felt proud at this moment!

Minimaland.com: Oh yeah, at Los Monegros desert festival?

Frank: Yeah, we’ve played at Monegros and after we finished our set, I watched Laurent playing, because is a good friend and he released a record in our label, then He opened with a new record from us and then it was like… A great moment!

Minimaland.com: What producers and DJ’s do you admire and draw influences from?

Kristian – Too many, maybe! There so many.. We are listening to Luciano or some Romanian Guys, like Buda, and we deeply like some older stuff from Chicago, Detroit… also we are always listening to completely different music like more experimental stuff and also out of the electronic context like Terry Riley! And it all comes together in our music! We try to live in our music!

Minimaland.com: And how did you started to feel the appealing of today’s electronic world? Some producers say that’s like the calling to be a priest!

Frank – I started listening techno music fifteen… ohh! Longer (laughs) eighteen years ago and I always follow the music so it’s nothing really new.. The first big boom was in the beginning of the 90’s and I was more a raver but now we are behind the scenes, and in front of the scene, actually.. so it changed for me but it still the same music I’m listening now. Maybe it’s a little more developed than fifteen years ago but it still has the same feeling. And if you watch the scene, the main “keepers” are still the same

Minimaland.com – Yeah! and off course you can see that evolution cause one of yourselves has a record store isn’t that true?

Frank – Yes!

Minimaland.com: Speaking on appealing… do you feel the vinyl appeal? Cause with today’s uprising of playing and producing methods, with new hardware and software appearing on the streets everyday, easing producers and dj’s performances, do u still prefer analog over digital when mixing?

Kristian: The thing is that we always produce our music in a very analog way, you know..with not so much pluggins. So we love Vinyl, we love to play with vinyl, and we really don’t want to to use our computers on stage (laughs).

Frank: …hmmm .. the computers and the new technology are not the enemy, you know? Well, we don’t like it, so we don’t use FinalScratch, Serato and things like these… but it’s not the “enemy”!

Minimaland.com: And producing?

Frank: Hmm… I think it’s more the combination. We are not afraid of the new technologies, so we combine both. The good side from analog technology and digital technology

Kristian – I guess it’s more trying when you’re doing.. you know, sometimes we are sitting in the studio doing stuff a few weeks, and it could be that we follow the first idea that we have with two tracks to compete more with each other, and suddenly it’s filled around.. and so we just let it out. Not such a construction thing, but in a certain way more spontaneously.

Minimaland.com: You have released tracks on labels such as Sonar Kollektiv, Defected, Innervisions and now appears this mix on fabric.. What have you been up to in the studio lately? Anything we should keep our ears pricked for in the future?

Kristian – On this fabric there’s a new track from us that we did with Henrik Schwarz and Dixon called D.P.O.M.B. and it’s already out now on Innervisions. We have also an Ep to be released till the end of the year on Innervisions also… And with Dixon and Henrik we are also working on a completely different compilation for Another label !

Minimaland.com: In what club did you enjoyed most the pleasure of mixing to a great crowd? Size matters?

Kristian: Humm… in terms of smaller sizes then yes, because I think mostly the club are not that huge – including fabric – are better to play, you’re more near to the audience but sometimes it’s also cool to play on really huge sets where we have 3000 or 4000 people watching us, but it depends you know.

Minimaland.com:A small thing seems more a familiar thing off course?

Kristian: Exactly

Minimaland.com: Do you think nowadays electronic is reaching the non-return point where it can’t re-invent again? Or something more is appearing?

Frank – Cool!.. That’s a good question! (Laughs). I think that if you look back there will be always a development, the development it’s not part of a new philosophy, but there was always a slightly development in music. It’s a special scene and I think it’s open to new stuff and new technology so it will go on the next 10, 15 years…

Kristian – You just have to look around on what’s happening in the technology. It’s a constant evolution, ten years ago we had only like 4 or 5 samples to use but now we have a huge quality library.

Minimaland.com: And do you think the genre that now we call minimal (that’s now dividing in new sub-genres) has a word to say on that?

Frank –I think People like to find like a name for something. It was always there and it will be always there. For me it’s house music and techno music divided in different subgenres or whatever.

Minimaland.com: Some quick questions now: Best clubbing city? Best Gig? Favorite music of all times? First electronic favourite music? Electronic only at club or at home also?

Clubbing city: Tokyo, London, Berlin and I know you’re living in Barcelona (laughs) but I especially like Madrid.

Best gig – They are too many, quite a lot and remarkable gigs.

Favourite music – Frank: For me it’s Riders on the Storm from the Doors.

Kristian: Miles Davis – Bitches Brew.

Minimaland.com:Electronic only at club or at home also?

Kristian – More at clubs

Frank – You know, I have a record shop and I have to play at the weekends so I’m listening most of the times at home not electronic music. Because I’m surrounded with electronic music all the time so you have to listen something else at some point.

Minimaland.com: …Something to say to the minimaland.com and its readers?

Frank – Hmm…. Just follow your passion!!!

Thanks a lot for the interview, minimaland.com wishes good luck to you and your productions. Hope to see each other again, on the minimal land, it’s a good sign! Thanks. Bye

Useful links: http://www.fabriclondon.com/

Tadeo  is one of the techno kings in Madrid. His career has been influenced by various branches of electronic music, especially by Detroit techno and Christian Vogel, Neil Landstrum, Plastikman and Jeff Mills productions. In his first stage, he created together with Dj Slick the collective Domestic Techno, carrying out parties in several basements of their city. Throughout time he has tested almost every single style inside electronic and dance music. After a large period of techno investigation and development, Tadeo runs his actual art collective Javha (www.javha.com) oriented to all kinds of art expressions, and Cyclical Tracks, a conceptual techno-dub label. In this second stage, he purifies his technique and studies with care the connection with the audience, trying to make this connection the principal resource of his sets.
Currently he is working with labels like Apnea Records, Cmyk Music and his  own Cyclical Tracks. He has also collaborated with great reworks in Bpitch Control, Boxer Recordings and Mikrowave, between others. His tracks are normally played by the best Djs in the world and, at this point, Tadeo is a sure value as a  producer in the scene. He is highly supported here by us and our readers and for that reason we wanted to know more about this producer and he kindly gave us this an interview where he talks a bit about everything concerning to his life:

Hi Tadeo,
How long did you begin your career?

I started eleven or twelve years ago.

Did you listened to electronic music before you started producing it?

Yes, of course, but not the techno music, first was Vangelis and others like that.

Tell me a few electronic records which conviced you to try it for yourself.

Spastik by Plastikman
Humana by Jeff Mills
Albino by Dj Hell

Where do you usually find inspiration to create music?

I’m a very big fan of cosmology and I have a lot of pictures and books of galaxies, nebulas, stars… that is my inspiration.

Who are/where your main musical influences?

Ur, Axis, M-Plant, Dancemania, Trax, Basic Channel and M.

What software do you use to produce? Any hardware?

Logic Pro, Native instruments and Arturia Synths. Rolands Sh-101, Tb-303, Tr-808 & 909, Evolver and Machinedrum.

Name your five all time non-electronic releases.

Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet
Herbie Hancock – Headhunter
Puccini – Tosca
Massive Attack – Blue Lines
Brad Mehidau – Elegiac Cycle

Whare are you working on right now and what will the future bring from you?

I’m working hard in a new singles series, techno for the body and the mind… and for the year’s end I have save and finished my debut album named “Contacto”.

What do you think of the minimal scene this days?

Hard question, because I don’t like that scene. Is true that i play a lot of minimal tracks, but i don’t follow that fashion minimal style. Sincerely I prefer to take a little of all scenes. About the future minimal… don’t have a clue.

What are your tips for this year? Artist? Label?

Artist – Mara Trax
Label – Scion Versions

Favorite music at the moment?

Nsi – Non Standard Institute. A duo formed by Tobias Freund & Max Loberbauer.

Who would you invite to your perfect party?

Mam, Dad, Bro…. hahaha. With good friends i’ll be satisfied.

Where did you like to play the most?

In Tokyo at Womb! club. Greatest place

Who are you outside the music? What do you like to do? How do you spend your free time?

It’s difficult to disconnect from music, and i don’t have a lot of free-time, bit i like to read books, study a little and also practice mountain-bike.

What can we expect from you over the next year’s time?

A lot of techno music, and funny dj sets. I hope!! Thank you very much.

Thank you Tadeo for accepting our invitation and kindly answer our questions!
Also thanks to Jose from Apnea Recordings for putting us up with Tadeo.
Cheers.

Some usefull links:
http://www.cyclicaltracks.com/
http://www.myspace.com/cyclicaltracks
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Tadeo