Page 23 - Zone Magazine Issue 014

How do you like the club scene in London nowadays?
Yeah it’s cool, but it’s not what it was. Berlin is much more how it should be for me at the moment. London used to have those vibes and I am sure it will return to its heyday. At the moment it seems like its very money orientated dominated by big brands and massive events with huge DJs, smaller nights with a more niche sound have kind of dropped off the radar but you still have plenty of people flying the flag London is a big city so will always have multiple scenes at once. In Berlin you have lots of clubs with smaller dance floors and a very unique feel it caters for more left field and underground sounds and is less about super star DJs and more about people who love music and live from their art.
How important are tools and equipment in shaping your personal mix and sound signature?
Sometimes a piece of equipment has such a unique sound it can’t help but shape your sound and this is especially true for hardware. A good example of this is the Volca bass and the track on my E.P for Lauter Unfug “Volca Jam” is a unique sound that I feel I could only have achieved with that bit of kit the sequencer, the filters and oscillators work together to make something very different from a Roland 303 but still has an acid sound.
Which impulses/inspiration do you get by the city you are living in?
I live in London and I love city life, it’s very real and has some kind of decaying beauty. London is a very fast city lots of hustle and bustle it’s also very cosmopolitan so a nice mix of cultures make it a very stimulating place. Sometimes though it’s also nice to connect with nature and you don’t get much of a chance to do that in London.
Let’s go back in time - Where did you have your greatest or most intensive performance?
For me it was the first time I performed at a big club. I built up a lot of nervousness and fear in my mind and even more so as in a new place like this I always make sure I am performing new music. So to have that fear and anxiety turn into adrenalin and fun when I see people enjoying themselves on the dance floor and liking my music It was a big release for me. But for me performances are very intense when the party is good a
lot of improvisation and concentration are involved. I have been doing this for long time I have a lot more confidence I care a lot about each performance, so still get nervous before every show!
What are the fundamentals of your EP ‘Happy Ending’ released on Lauter Unfug?
The E.P is created live in my studio with various bits of hardware and software, its arranged on the fly and the result of tweaking analog synths , FXs and controllers in real time. I met Pierre Lauter Unfug when I had a gig at Tresor in Berlin, he liked my live show which was flattering and we got chatting he then invited me to play at a club he was running in Luxembourg and from then we have remained friends and work together on my bookings and management. I really like the way the label works and the music they put out so its great working with them.
Why did you decide to make a live studio EP instead of a normal studio EP?
I have been performing live for over 10 years now and have released a couple of live albums on the Zoo Projects label and later on my Label cubism they were continuous mixes and not DJ friendly so i was trying to rework the live stuff but it never had the same energy. so with Machine Jams on my label Cubism I decided to go into the studio with Justin Drake with a live set and edit out tracks so it’s all live he just tops and tails them makes them DJ friendly and then masters them. I release these live jams and was blown away by the support the album went on to be one of Carl Cox’s favourite of the year he played 6 of the tracks for 6 months at Everyone of his Space Final Season gigs, BBC Radio 1 essential mix, Hyte Berlin and loads of his festival gigs also he was putting 2 tracks a week on his Global show. The press loved the album Mixmag came to see my live show at Basing house and gave it a great review and DJ mag highly praised the album. From then on I decided I wanted to release live jams more than studio tracks since then the Live Jams have been getting a lot of attention with Kevin Saunderson and Darren Emerson signing them to KMS and Detone and B Traits playing a track on BBC Radio 1and Vonda 7 playing a track from the Lauter Unfug release on Sasha’s radio show.
What are the problems and benefits of releasing music these days?
I mean sales are really bad but also because we are dealing with digital files its easier to send them to the DJs. If you are doing something that is not that orthodox then sales are slow but constant. I still sell 1000’s of records just a lot slower than when I started releasing stuff.
What do you think about social media and being present on so many channels nowadays?
I like it as a live act it gives me a chance to show people what I do in ways that where not possible before.
How do you prepare your live sets?
For me it’s just about focusing on individual ideas, grooves and beats on different pieces of equipment for example writing melodies on the Electron Analog Four or beats on the Analog Rytm after a while I start playing these together and working out what fits. Then it’s just about having fun jamming and put it all together .
Where do you see yourself in the world of electronic music in a few years?
I have been doing this for many years so hope i will still be doing what I love in many years to come. I don't like to follow trends too much and have always loved the gradual evolution of techno and house over time. So I hope I can continue to tour, release music I love as I grow older. I see many DJs in their 40’s, 50’s and even 60’s touring so there is a lot of hope for my future I am 38 now so still a long way to go!
What is on your roadmap for the upcoming weeks?
So far I have releases scheduled on Kevin Saunderson’s KMS record, Jamie Jones & Lee Foss’s new label Emerald City, Darren Emerson’s (Underworld) Detone, Monique Musique and my Own Cubism Label and Tour Dates across the UK, Montreal, Belgium, Luxembourg and Berlin all TBA.
Connect: https://sayteklive.com Pics By Jason R
Lauter Unfug + Pierre Bellion
Words ByJordan Parrish
Joseph
ESSENTIALDANCEMUSIC 23