Maayan Nidam speaks to Samara Moss ahead of her debut appearance at Rhythmatic on the 2nd March

Q. You’re known for your eclectic, sometimes unusual and diverse sound. What is your inspiration in the studio? Do you develop tracks in a certain way?

A. I rewire my studio every 6-12 months so my way of working out a track changes all the time. It keeps things interesting and fresh for me, and so you get batches of tracks that use different instruments and different structures.

Q. What about under your different guises, such as Miss Fitz, do you create a track with each alter ego in mind or do you assign tracks to the one that fits when you’ve finished?

A. I don’t release anymore as Miss Fitz, but for sure when I work as Laverne Radix , for example, I would sit to work as Laverne. It has to start with an intention and since Laverne’s sound is so specific, I can’t just write something and tape ‘Laverne’ over it. A few times though there are leaks from project to project, something like leftovers.

Q. Do you think it has anything to do with your moving around? Tel Aviv, New York, Amsterdam, Berlin etc, do you incorporate these different cultures /experiences in your music?

A.The changes and differences between project to project has more to do with moving inside myself. Altering a state of mind and opening doors to different kinds of experiences and expressions that one ego might not allow, or feel comfortable with.

Q. Is your listening music very different from the music you make? What genres of music you really love? What’s your chill out music and your weekend music?

A.The club music I play is based on very fat beats which is not something I’ve ever been good at producing. My productions are more conceptual and at times also heady. It’s been inspired by the music that I play and also the music I listen to at home ,or in general outside of clubs , which varies between different times and genres. Most of it is very mellow and sweet and a lot of it has some weirdness to it, even when it’s 80′s pop.

I have a tendency to pick records that raise a lot of question marks in my head and I’m kind of hoping to do the same for the people that listen to the records I release, and have them ask questions like ‘did that just happen?’.

Q. Music has taken a big dive into retro classics, with lots of DJs pulling those 80s and 90s tracks out the bag. Are there any retro classics that always get you dancing?

A.It’s funny you see it that way. From my experience I can tell you that many Ds including yours truly, didn’t really take these classics out of the bag. They rotate of course, but there’s just so much good music released back in the day that it would be a shame to not combine it in the sets together with newer records.

Personally, I’m a big fan of Big Shot records. A lot of the house-songs released on it are irresistible.

Maayan Nidam @ BLOOP XMAS MATINÉ 2012

Q.You spend a lot of time making music, playing music, listening to music…What are the others things that you cherish? Are there other things you have that connection with creatively / emotionally?

A.I have a lot of energy and it’s sometimes really difficult for me to concentrate on music, so I do a lot of sports. I swim a lot and cycle too. I also have to take time to be alone and relax, meditate or even just read a book in a very quiet room. All of that helps me at the end to bring out exactly what I have in my head or at least get very close.

Q. What are your favourite kinds of spaces to play in? Are there certain crowds / cities that seem to really get your music / sets?

A.I like changing and playing one night to a small underground club full of DJs, the next night to a rave full of kids, then sometimes a festival on the beach and so on. It shakes things up. The only two things that I will always love more are day-time parties and outdoor spaces. There’s so much more energy in parties like that. I would love to see the day (or evening) where night clubs start working at 7-8pm and if you’re over 30, I’m sure you agree with me.

Maayan Nidam – Live @ Robot Heart, Burning Man 2012 by Livesets.At on Mixcloud

Q. We next see you at Rhythmatic on 2nd March in London, are you looking forward to playing alongside San Proper? Do you know him well through Perlon or will this be one of your first meetings?

A.I know San from Amsterdam. I go there often and I love the clubs there, so of course we bump into each other there or in Berlin. We played in fuse together last year and it was a lot of fun. He’s a unique character that makes great records and I’m sure we’ll have a special night with him.

Q. Do you still have a good relationship with Perlon? Do you see yourself releasing on the label again?

A.Just a few months ago we made a release as Mara Trax on Perlon. Of course, I keep in mind to do some future releases and meanwhile, play the ‘Get Perlonized’ night in Panorama Bar from time to time. The next one will be with Weraika in April.

Q. What have we got to look forward to from Maayan Nidam?

A.Two new collaboration projects. One together with Alex Picone, called The Kicks, and the second one, which is made mostly for live shows, called The Waves. Iit’s a collaboration of Cesar Merveille and me.

Interview by Samara Moss

Maayan Nidam will be playing alonside San Proper on the 2nd March @ Rhythmatic

Full details please click here

Thomas Melchior talks to Rhythmatic

Thomas Melchior speaks to Samara Moss ahead of his appearance at Rhythmatic with Fumiya Tanaka this Saturday.

Q. Hi Thomas! How are you? Have you had a busy year?
A. Hello. More or less the beginning was pretty quite and then it gradually got busy…

Q. What have been some of the highlights?
A. Japan as always and Brazil was nice too as it includes visiting family there.

Q. Tell us about your beginnings…as a composer, and your time in a five-piece band?
A.I played piano when I was a kid and later studied composition and made experimental music at school- When I finished school I formed an experimental jazz band with some old school mates, I was singing and playing keys and looked after the programming and recording-

Q. You moved around a lot as a youngster – Germany, to USA, Spain and then England. Do
you think these countries have influenced your musical taste and style?
A. Of course… England the most I guess. The mix of melancholy, soul, and funk

Thomas Melchior @ Club Midi – 24.02.2012

Q.Tell us about your own label Earworm. How did that get started? What sort of music were you putting out at that time?
A. it was mainly unusual electronic music, from Prince style to Captain Beefheart to weird jazz. Some on cassette compilations some on vinyl…as long as it was weird… altogether not very successful

Q. How did you move into the underground electronic music scene?.
A. I always had an affinity for electronic music… Kraftwerk,the residents, Yellow, cabaret Voltaire so I always felt electronic music was my natural home. When acid house established itself as a musical force I finally found my vocation

Q. You’ve had many different pseudonyms, who have been your favourite? All, I guess Would you say London and New York are two cities that mean a lot to you musically and personally?
A. Yes, big time. Two cities where music is truly multi-cultural, radical and free
In terms of other artists.

Q. Who have been big influences in your career?
A. Herbie Hancock, Brian Wilson, Brian Eno, lee perry, Aphex Twin, Chez’n'Trent, Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Basic Channel

Q. Tell us a bit about your own label Aspect Music?
A. i started the label in 2000 and only did three releases realizing the world wasn’t ‘ready’ as I didn’t sell any records 12 years later and I want to have another go at running it. I’ve got a lot of releases lined up for the new year…The current release FAMILY OF LOVE is out now

Q. Do you enjoy working with Perlon?
A. Yes…very much. Zip is a great person to work with

Q. Are you looking forward to the Perlon takeover of Rhythmatic? What can we expect?
A. Some shit hot music

Q. What else can we look forward to from Thomas Melchior?
A. As I said…in the coming year there will be some great releases on my label and some cool remixes too

interview by Samara Moss

Websites
Thomas Melchior RA
Thomas Melchior Discography
Thomas Melchior Facebook fan page

Thomas Melchior will be playing at Rhythmatic this Saturday for more info please click here

Samara Moss caught up with Premiesku ahead of their UK debut at Rhythmatic

Hi guys!

Q. So, how did Premiesku come about? When did the three of you decide to get together?

A. We had been thinking about it for a long time. We wanted to create a real live project and here it is.

Q. Tell us a bit about the project? Where did the name come from and what is the aim?

A. It’s a techno project, live and studio. We have a Romanian flavored name, we played with some words, actually it’s not a real work, but it has Romanian character. Our aim is to make people dance.

Q. What makes Premiesku different from other DJ collaborations?

A. First of all it’s an analog live project, which is a little bit different we think.

Q. Explain the analogue aspect to the project? How does this work?

A. We were sure that we wanted to skip a setup that revolves around a computer and Ableton live. We considered that it’s nice to present our live concept relatively similar to our studio setup and basically really close to our way of creating the music. It’s true that it’s more difficult to install everything and it also needs a lot of attention during the sound check, but in the end it makes sense. So with the help of a very good friend, we designed three consoles which fit perfectly into our live act.

Q. Do you work well together as a trio? Do you each fulfil different roles…e.g. is one more organised, is one more creative, is one more technical etc?

A. We are all the time together in the studio, we have a nice vibe and each one of us is doing his own thing, more or less described in the question

Q. How long was your debut album ‘Indirect’ been in the making?

A. It took a couple of months, the exact time we don’t really know.

Premiesku Live @ Amnesia Ibiza Cocoon party 02.07.2012

Q. What can we expect from the album?

A. Right now the album it’s out on the web with some snippets, so everybody can hear a little bit of it. At some point it’s more experimental and deep, we wanted to create a “no rules” album.
Of course you’ll find some groovy tracks as well.

Q. Are you looking forward to the album launch at Rhythmatic? I understand you have already played as a group at huge events such as Richie Hawtin’s ENTER this summer, what made you decide Rhythmatic was the best fit for the album launch?

A. We are really looking forward to the launch party. We love Rhythmatic, we played for them before as Livio & Roby and we had an amazing time.
We totally believe it’s the right place to launch our album.

Q. How has the analogue set up been received so far? What kind of reactions have you had and did you get when you revealed the set up at Time Warp Lab in March?

A. Of course everybody is curious, we have good reactions from the people.
The Timewarp lab it’s a really fine place and was an interesting experience, we didn’t expect much, but we were totally surprised to see the audience getting involved. We had the opportunity to present our stuff and worked out.

Q. What else is in store from Premieksu this year and going into 2013?

A. For the moment the album and of course the live act. But we always like to prepare new stuff so let’s see

Interview by Samara Moss
Follow @samara_moss

Their new album “Indirect” is dropping on Desolat Music Group next week and we have a little teaser exclusively for you guys:

Premieksu will be playing at Rhythmatic on the 22nd September

RA event
Facebook event

Premiesku links
RA
Facebook Fan Page
Twitter

DJ Three speaks to Rhythmatic ahead of his rare appearance in the UK by Samara Moss

Q. Hi Chris, how are you? How has the start of summer been for you?

A. The Spring into Summer transition has been amazing. Symbiosis Gathering during annular solar eclipse, Movement 2012 in the D, amazing stops in NYC, Miami, Los Angeles and the 10 year Anniversary of Snatch the residency I do in Tampa, Florida which is the city where I came up in the 90′s…. and summer’s just barely begun! Bring on London!!

Q.What were your influences as a DJ growing up? How did you get into DJing in the first place?

A.The rollerskating rink and b-boy culture — freestyle and proper electro was the first time i witnessed DJing. As i got older the alternative side of things like Wax Trax-era industrial music which shares Chicago DNA with house music. When things started to bleed together musically during your Summer Of Love in ’88 underground dance clubs in Florida here were playing Master C& J on Trax Records in-between alternative stuff like Skinny Puppy and sampledelic hip-hop like Public Enemy. By ’92 .. as rave culture started to blossom in Florida.. having been magnetically drawn to the DJ booth from all my tastes that whole time it finally lead to me trying to figure that out myself. Crazy though, as my first night on two decks and mixer was in a club in front of 300 people!

Q. So, tell us a bit about the rise of DJ Three in the early 90s. When did people really start to take notice of you as a DJ?

A.It was just super exciting being at the beginning of a cultural movement like punk rock before it. Rave culture was terra-forming before our eyes and we are all just making it up as we went along, really. No thinking about what PR plan before you even made the record type of thing going on back then. There were no rules yet, and i know you can ask anyone from Richie Hawtin to Doc Martin — I don’t think any of us then thought we would still be doing this at all let alone like it is now twenty years down the line. I guess i started to travel out of Florida in ’94 and that’s when you start to think things are clicking for yourself. You’re reputation amongst the people is solely what made it happen then. There was no internet to self-promote. It wasn’t a career choice like now as much as something you just did — like being a skateboarder or a punk rocker — you were a raver! I was just really fortunate to have people respond how they did! And I never looked back…

Q. Tell us about your record label Hallucination Limited, started in 2003. What was the idea and drive behind this? What is the relationship with Hallucination Recordings?

A.Down in Tampa, Florida I had been involved with Monk and David Christophere… founders of Hallucination Recordings and Rabbit In The Moon. We threw Florida’s first proper warehouse rave in December 1991. Monk and Dave started Rabbit In The Moon and the label. Records by Rabbit In The Moon, Dynamix II, Second Hand Satellites and the Hazed record we licensed to Plus 8 — it was a special label for sure. After ten years it stopped around 2002 and they parted ways. From there I wanted to carry on the ethos of the label in my own vision so i started Hallucination Limited.

Q. How do you go about finding artists you want to sign?

A.Serendipity.

Q. One label achievement to note was the featuring of 5 tracks from your catalogue on Cassy’s Circo Loco mix CD for Mixmag last year. You must have been really pleased? Why do you think so many tracks were selected?

A. Yeah, that was exciting for sure. The thing with Hallucination was always to release timeless music and a lot of labels say that, but we’ve really been fortunate I think. The catalog doesn’t have any casualties in the wake of stylistic trends and things always come back to proper house and techno anyway. So, to have Cassy put five tracks on a CD themed “The Sound Of Circo Loco / DC 10 Terrace” and on the cover of Mixmag no less…. that’s super dope.

Q. Do you like that you are sort of classed as an ambassador for the American underground sound? Why do you think this is?

A.To hear any commentary like that…. I mean … it’s amazing to earn the respect of your peers. That’s success to me. As to why I think it is I don’t know. I think maybe … a lot of cats moved to Berlin or wherever in the last 10 years, but i made a conscious decision to stay in the States so that alone has people looking at you as an “American DJ” i think. I surely wanted be an American DJ that cats in other countries respected enough to bring over just like the US dj’s i looked up to were. For me I still look at Doc Martin, Derrick May, Josh Wink. They do it their way and have never slipped or compromised. Danny Tenaglia.

Q. You’re known for genre-bending and your tour dates often show diversity on your audience. Where do you tend to find your most receptive audiences? And which part of your sound do more people go for?

A.I think Tokyo is one of the best places to play…. such an open minded crowd willing to follow you and accepting of challenging moments. I feel the most freedom there i think. Berlin is a very comfortable place to play. London is as well, but i maybe get more nervous there cause there’s so much to do people can have a short attention span. You gotta be sharp with a London dance floor! New York and most definitely San Francisco in America. I can’t say enough about San Francisco! As far as music goes if I can get to the right place there is simply no dance floor moment better than a proper house vibe with all the elements working… sound, space, people. I have yet to see or feel anything better, but dance floor magic is simply when a DJ can make any sound his own for that moment, and I’m always chasing that in some way.

Q. You’re UK visits are few and far between. Are you looking forward to your imminent visit to play at London event, Rhythmatic?

A.Yeah!! I feel a special connection with London. Even as Berlin came to disco glory in the last decade London’s still the mecca in my eyes. While I’m usually there just once a year I’ve been really fortunate that for ten years or so its mostly been at Fabric… and they were the first to host me…. as well as Mr C’s excellent Superfreq events and some amazing smaller parties like Slowpoke and of course the wonderful Kubicle events. Really looking forward to Rhythmatic as it looks to be super deep but, still ready to party … can’t wait!!

Q. What else have you got coming up for the rest of 2012? Is there anything you are particularly excited about?

A.To be honest I can’t see past the excitement of summertime in Europe. OH… except for the idea that when I get back to America after this tour I go to Burning Man!!

Three at Sup3rfr3q Warehouse – Dallas USA

DJ Three will be playing for Rhythmatic on the 7th July @ TBA location
For more info click here

UK writer Hannah Briley’s on Three at last years Fabric 12th Birthday

“DJ Three followed and instantly became my Room 3 highlight. …I was struck by his smooth yet arresting mixing technique and accomplished track selection which included Engels’ “To The Music” remix that has been happily spiraling in my head ever since… ….A true dj’s dj, Three had punters and fellow artists climbing up the Room 3 walls”

Visionquest’s Lee Curtiss names Three as his favorite DJ for Resident Advisor,click here for more info

Hallucination Limited
DJ Three RA
DJ Three Facebook fan page
DJ Three Soundcloud
follow DJ Three on Twitter @ThreeOFC

TC STUDIO INTERVIEW
Introducing TC Studio….

Artists:
Matei Tilbure
Traian Chereches

Place:Romania, Bucharest

Labels:
All Inn Records (Romania)
Strictly Chosen (Germany)
Archipel Recordings (Canada)

Releases:
Archipel :http://www.discogs.com/TC-Studio-Autoportret/release/3479911
Strictly Chosen: http://www.discogs.com/TC-Studio-Travel-EP/release/3399021
All Inn http://www.juno.co.uk/products/454187-01.htm

We chat to TC Studio prior to their upcoming London performance….
Once a far fetched clubbing destination, in the recent years there is no doubt that Romania has firmly put itself on the map of electonic dance music both at home and abroad. Since the success of the likes of Arpiar however there has emerged a new wave of the so called “romanian” sound” represented by home labels such as All Inn Records. Today we have a pleasure of chatting to one of their recent signings –TC Studio.

?ULT.Beat – Zvezda w. Tulbure (TC Studio) & Hubble @ Facktura, Odessa

Rhythmatic: Hi guys! How are you today? Here at Rhythmatic we are really enjoying your latest Waste EP release! With your previous productions on Canadian Archipel and German Stritcly Chosen, how do you feel your style has evolved for this first All Inn Records release?

TC Studio: We are glad you guys like it! To be honest, we dont consider our style has necessarily evolved. We are just exploring different areas; not trying to stay in the same place.

R: This is good to hear! You are well known for both your DJ sets as well as your productions. How has being producers influenced your DJ style and vice versa?

TC: We have a small comnuity of followers but we dont consider ourselves to be „well known” as such. On one side Traian focuses more on productions while Matei on Djing; TC Studio is a common ground where we jam ideas, producing both separately and individually, yet always arriving at a common creative ground. Matei has influenced Traian by introducing him to various genres,while Traian has shared a more artistical approach of thought.

R: This is interesting to know. We are also very impressed with your audio visual productions up to date. Do you think that you will continue with such projects like the exhibition that Traian did and how do art and music combine and enhance each other in your work?

TC: One speaks where the other remains in silence. You can’t define expression except through its own medium; visual through painting,sculpture, video while sound through music, noise.

R. In terms of the music, do you feel that there has emerged a distinct Romanian sound in the recent years and how would you describe it?

TC: This is an interesting idea but we believe that description lies in the listener.

R. Well we can’t wait to experience your take on that one;) So far, you have graced the venues of various European cities in the last year, how do you feel the crowd differs from one place to another?

Traian Chereches (TC Studio) – Travel (Original Mix – 2012)

TC: Matei has gigged the most, considering a „good crowd” to be an open crowd; when you have to play music just to entertain then the mood is no longer exciting; but when you find a certain crowd where you can share a personal relationship through the music, mixing becomes a privilege.

R. So, are you looking forward to playing to London crowd at your upcoming All Inn Records Showcase with Rhythmatic and what should we expect for this gig?

TC: We are looking forward to London, we’ll see what goes down.

R:It was great chatting to you guys and we are looking forward to welcoming you in London!

TC: Like wise.

TC Studio websites

TC studio Facebook page
TC Studio RA page
TC studio soundcloud

Interview by Maria Pn

Simone De La Fuente catches up with Boris Werner ahead of his debut appearance at Rhythmatic on the 14th April in which he talks Amsterdam, being a bad boy, illegal raves and playing for Loco Dice’s Under 300 tour.

Q. On 14 April, you play for Rhythmatic. What was your first time playing in London like?
A. The first time I don’t remember that well, I think it was around 2007, 2008.. I played at the Egg. Afterwards we went to this after party and never got out so we missed our plane back, haha

Q.You are often described as a ‘bad boy’. What’s the naughtiest thing you’ve ever done?
A. Hehe, well I was and I guess I stil am?!! Sometimes I can do very crazy things in early mornings. Two years ago i was at Sunwaves, Romania. After a while we decided to go to a party next door. The moment I got searched I realized I had a lot of weed in my pockets… Within a second, 10 cops were around me screaming I had to empty my pockets. Luckily I could throw away some other stuff – otherwise I would have been in more shit! Finally I had to pay around 200 Euro’s and got away with it. My excuse was that I was from Amsterdam and forgot all about it.

Q.It’s well known that you love an illegal rave. Have there been any run ins with the police at any of the illegal parties you’ve played or been at?
A. I think it was around 2002 when we threw this rave at Afrika Vrieshuis, which was, at the time, a popular spot to throw illegal raves. The moment I put on my first record, the cops burst in and stopped the party. After that I always had the idea that whenever I popped up at a rave the police were already waiting outside to spoil the evening!

Q.Was there any one track or party that made you want to be a DJ?
A. It was a party at a friend’s place during the millennium. Standing behind some turntables and messing around I realised that this was something I wanted to learn. Not long after that I bought my first belt drive, turntables and would neglect my homework!

Q.Based in Amsterdam, you have contributed heavily to the scene there. What’s the best thing about living in Amsterdam?
A. I guess the feeling that you live in a big city. Well compared to London, Paris or even Berlin, it’s just a little village actually.. And we always had a lot of freedom to do whatever we wanted to do, although recently that is changing a little bit unfortunately. My guess is that in about 10 years there won’t be any coffee shops left whilst in the USA, more and more states are going to legalize weed. It is kind of like the world is upside down.

Q.Do you have any plans to relocate? Would you leave Amsterdam?
A. I think I’m good here in Amsterdam and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the Netherlands. Around 2007, Lauhaus and me were thinking of moving to Berlin, but luckily we didn’t, otherwise we would have missed a lot…

Q.Loco Dice selected you as representative of the sound of Amsterdam for his Under 300 tour. How did you feel to be asked?
A. Quite honored of course. Knowing Dice for a few years now, it was good to see that he thought of me the moment he knew he would include Amsterdam in the tour.

Q.The Under 300 tour put a lot of focus and importance on the resident DJ. You’ll be playing alongside three of our residents in April. In your opinion, what makes a good resident DJ?
A. A good resident has to warm up most of the time and when he does it’s really important to start up slowly and let the people get into the groove. The biggest mistake he can make in my opinion is playing too much for themselves and playing peak time tracks when there are a few people on the dance floor.

Q. What is your favourite thing to do outside of music?
A. Sleeping and playing soccer

Q. And finally. Since you share a first name with the Mayor Of London, Boris Johnson, we want to know what you would change about London if you were Mayor?
A. Good question, haha.. I guess I would extend the closing times of pubs so people wouldn’t drink like their lives depended on it. What I see is that because the pubs close so early, people tend to drink a lot in a short period of time. It doesn’t make sense to me

Boris Werner Facebook Fan page

Boris Werner is playing for Rhythmatic on the 14th April alongside, Alex Celler, Stathis Lazarides, Archie Hamilton and Ceri plus a special guest TBA

Words by Simone De La Fuente
follow Simone on Twitter @simonedlf
Speaking Sounds

Hello Lads!

You’ve been promoting for quite a few years now – can you tell us how you got into doing this particular line of work?

Long story short, it goes back to my Uni times while I was studying in Newcastle, after going out for almost 4 years I got to know almost everyone up there and at our last year at Uni, I (Kiri) decided to throw a leaving party to thank all my friends who have been there for me at the old Foundation. Surprisingly my event was a complete sold out and I realised that I probably have the skills to get into it. Then, after working for a few years as an Engineer, I woke up one day and said that’s it, i don’t want to do this anymore so I formed a company called Magpie events with a good friend of mine… that’s how we started this journey.

Seeing as you are not just brothers but twins to boot – are there many arguments?!

Believe or not we don’t have that many arguments, even after being together and working very close for so many years… of course having the odd one here and there, but always constructive ones hehehe

Rhythmatic seems to have grown immensely as a brand in the last couple of years – why do you think this is?

We at Rhythmatic are very passionate about throwing a good party; we always keep pushing our brand and try to be innovative with our line ups, production and venue locations.

For anyone who hasn’t been – what would you say the musical style is like at your events?

We call it house music across the board and we always choose the Djs based on the quality of music.

And would you say you have a loyal crowd that follows each event?

We have to say that it took us quite a while to have a loyal crowd of Rhythmatic followers but we enjoyed the journey no matter how hard it was and it gives us great pleasure to say now that we see familiar faces all the time when we throw a party

What sets Rhythmatic apart from other nights in London do you think?

Friendliness of the crowd is a strong point in my opinion, people who come along to our nights are there for the atmosphere and production in our events and of course the quality of the music our artists and guests bring on the table each time.

You also team up and host the London parties for Barcelona’s Hideout imprint (run by Davide Squillace and Luca Bacchetti), Matthias Tanzmann’s Moon Harbour label, and also Mykonos’ club Cavo Paradiso – this has seen some incredible line ups being brought to the capital – how did this come about?

Well with the Cavo Paradiso is because our business partner and DJ, Stathis Lazarides, has a very close relationship with the club it was only natural to bring the brand to London. We booked Davide and Matthias, as part of the annual soirée with Cavo Paradiso in 2010 and they had a great time and also was their very first ever B2B 4 hours set in London and one of the most memorable events, people still talking about it and the year after we approached them and we asked them if we could host their label parties, and they both said yes.

I hear you will be doing more “intimate” parties and the large scale ones will be every few months this year – do you think this works better for your crowd?

It’s not what works better or not, the reason that we have come up with the Rhythmatic Intimate Sessions, is because we like to get close and personal with our crowd and also the Intimate Sessions will be booking some cool, but not so commercial names, rest assure you that this year we have enough projects (big and small) for everyone’s appetite. Maybe, you should come on the 4th Feb with Priku to see for yourself)

Minus’ Marco Carola was quoted as saying that your party was “his favourite of 2010” how did this feel to you guys at the time?

No real words to describe it, we were told by a friend of ours and we couldn’t believe it, it’s always good when you get remarks and feedback from people about your night like the one Marco said, we are so happy when the day after our projects you get texts and comments on facebook saying that people had a great time, when you run then events you don’t always get the time to enjoy them, and money don’t always bring happiness, great feedback do and that’s why we still do it.

Who has been your favourite booking?

We don’t really have a specific booking that stands out, all our guests and parties had something special to give, and either because of the music our guests played or because of the great vibe has been created because of our guests.

If you could book anyone dead or alive who would that be?

Kiri: Jimmy Hendrix, Kostas: Bob Marley

Last year saw you bringing the likes of Davide Squillace, Luca Bacchetti, Rhadoo, Petre Inspirescu, Matthias Tanzmann, Damian Schwartz and Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts to London to name but a few… What else do you have up your sleeves in 2012?

Unfortunately, you will have to wait for this, but let me assure you that we have some special events coming up,starting with Priku on the 4th of February and Herodot on the 3rd of March plus a few more exciting events soon to be announced

Interview by Melissa Jane Frost

full interview here

Onur Özer is a name synonymous with the underground, but despite years of DJing no one knows too much about Turkey’s first underground star. Seemingly flying under the radar and evading too much contact with the press, Onur Özer lets his music do the talking.

In a rare interview, we caught up with Onur ahead of his set at our 4th birthday to talk growing up in Turkey, his love of playing back-to-back, and taking his mother to gigs.

Q. On 26th November, you’ll be in London to play at Rhythmatic’s 4th birthday. What have been your past experiences of playing in London?

A. I always enjoy playing in London, especially Fabric. This club is another world and has an amazing sound system, which allows you to play very versatile music. This is very important for me, because than you have the chance to create a dimensional flow. This is a great experience for a disc jockey.

Q. You grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. Was there much of a ‘scene’ there?

A. It was amazing in the past when I started. Now, it is almost not there anymore. Sad. There was an amazing club, but once it closed down somehow the whole scene got weaker every day. However, there is a strong scene in Bucharest now, which makes me very proud as an Eastern European.

Q. I read an interview once where you said that “techno was missing something, so was Turkish music. But when they collide, they complete each other.” How much of an impact has Turkish music had on you?

A. Well, as many examples have shown in the last few years, acoustic music combined with electronic music gives a lot of possibilities. The most important thing is, this combination gives us many fresh feelings when we listen to it, which we didn’t experience so much in “pure” electronic music productions in the last decades.

When I said that they are completing each other, I meant both worlds: acoustic and electronic music, not only Turkish melodies. Therefore, the music I have produced so far had nothing to do so much with Turkish music, just couple of tunes. But for press, I think it was interesting that someone coming for the first time from an Eastern country in to the electronic music scene exaggerated a little bit!

Q. What was it about techno that grabbed you? Was there a particular track that got you hooked, or a night out?

A. My interest for electronic music, I never limit to techno actually. For me electronic music, “if it is interesting to listen to”, is something which is reaching your never discovered perceptions. It is able to make you feel 10 feelings at a time in one minute. I think this is the major thing that took my interest.

Q. What did your family think about your career choice? Have they been to see you play?

A. My mother supported me a lot in my career choice. Whatever it might be. And yes, it is still my duty to take my mother for a gig.

Q. How has moving to Berlin affected you, both professionally and personally?

A. This was a big step. Not so much in person, but professionally. I met with a lot of people who later all became my friends. We share our musical knowledge every day and this is priceless.

Q. This summer you played eight dates across North America, despite hardly playing there before. How did the parties go?

A. First of all I met with super nice people and had a great time in general, not just at the parties. Almost all the parties were nice, people were in to the music so much, and seeing many people who are following the music and seeing many local DJs who were still supporting the vinyl was a very good thing!

Q. Which was your favourite party of the tour? Were there any disasters?

A. There were no disasters. Every party was nice and had its own speciality. For me the highlights were NY, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Miami and especially the amazing roof top party in Washington DC.

Q. You have mentioned that you love playing back-to-back. What has been your most memorable b2b session?

A. Yes I really love it. It’s all about sharing the same moment and vision. During this year I had very nice gigs with Dorian Paic, Tobi [Neumann] and with Ricardo [Villalobos] and Raresh at Cocoon closing at Ibiza.

Q. Which DJ’s are you digging at the moment?

A. I really like many DJs coming from Romania who have a great approach and vision in playing techno and house, and most importantly supporting 100 percent vinyl. The rest are all my friends who are already very well known. As newcomer, Binh from Berlin who is also a resident in Club Der Visionare is one to watch.

Q. For someone with your level of success, you don’t seem to give too many interviews. Is that a conscious decision?

A. I have no problem to give interviews from time to time if they are interesting to answer. In fact, it is very important to concentrate on your art with your full mind-energy instead of concentrating on media and social networking craziness every day, which I am really not a big fan of.

Q. And finally, what does the future hold for Onur Özer?

A. At the moment I am working on my second album and some other projects. I don’t want to give a specific time, but all of them will be out during 2012.

Onur Özer will be playing at Rhythmatic’s 4th Birthday on Saturday 26th November alongside Livio & Roby plus residents Stathis Lazarides, Wesley Razzy and Archie Hamilton.

For tickets and more information click here

RA: Onur Özer

Facebook: Onur Özer

Onur Özer Live @ Cocoon, MuzyQ ADE Special, Amsterdam – 22nd Sept 2011

Onur Ozer Live @ Cocoon, MuzyQ ADE Special, Amsterdam – 22-10-2011 by R_co

Interview by Simone De La Fuente

Follow Simone at Twitter @simonedlf
check Simone’s blog: Speaking Sounds blog

Melissa Frost is catching up with Chris Carrier ahead of his debut appearance at Rhythmatic on the 22nd Oct @ Cargo

Q. You’re certainly not a producer anyone could easily pigeon hole. Over the years you have made tracks that cross over into many, many genres. Do you have a particular style of music you like best?

A. I like music with groove

Q. I heard your father was a keyboardist, was there a lot of musical inspiration in your household when you were growing up?

A. Yes I grew up with a wide range of good music; then, I had the chance to live the beginning of synth and electronic music.. it’s was amazing.

Q. So would you prefer to be working in the studio or behind the decks?

A. I like both of them a lot.. I mean, love making music in the studio to play them in club.

Q. I see you played at the opening party at Circo Loco this year – how was that?

A. Nice and hot

Q. What do you think of Ibiza on the whole.. Do you think its had its day credibility wise or does it seem to be over its commercial worst?

A. It’s Really a commercial enviroment but still you can find some places to have fun.. at some nice villa or at Circoloco @ DC10.

Q. You are playing in London for Rhythmatic guys on October 22nd. When was the last time you came to London?

A. It was a year ago.. was playing for a robsoul showcase at café 1001.. keep great memories of it !

Q. You’re a resident at the famous Le Rex club in Paris, how does Paris’ electronic scene compare to London’s ?

A. Paris Electronic Scene is getting better at the moment. more people are going out and new parties pop up regularly.. nope “i’m not resident of anyclub in paris. London has always been in movement.. no chance it stops

Q. OK, let’s talk kit… I know you love your old skool acid house Roland 303 box, but which production tools can you not live without?

A. 909 Roland .. I like Japan

Q. Can you tell us what projects you have coming up this year? Any new releases we should keep an eye out for?

A. I’m working on my label Adult Only with new releases from Artists I like a lot.. The last one out is from Dj Wild and includes a Jamie Jones remix; the one coming after is bY Micha Klang and includes a Shonky remix…

Personaly I have one track out on a VA on “One Records” It is called Spaceshaft and also a remix of “U dig, Eastman” I did with Cassy out on Soma.

Q. I read somewhere you grew up wanting to be a baker, but rave culture turned your head from this particular calling! So tell me if you ever got bored of the industry could you see yourself baking cakes instead?

A. Not at all !! it was just a little kid’s dream but I admit.. i like cooking

Interview by Melissa Jane Frost

Melissa Frost is catching up with Gavin Herlihy ahead of his debut appearance at Rhythmatic on the 24th Sept @ Cargo

Q. I read that you are now living in Leeds… With great venues and promotions up there right now, many are hailing the North as the new London – How are you finding the scene?

A. Well I don’t know about that. London is London is London! I lived in London for almost a decade so it will always be a second home for me but Leeds is great on a totally different level. It’s small and friendly and has more character and attitude than most UK towns put together. It’s also the UK’s second capital city of house. Basics has been going here for almost 20 years for example. That’s amazing and the vibe is very different to London. There isn’t a 24 hour clubbing scene like you get in Shoreditch or Berlin. Instead people have four or five hours in a club to really go for it so the music they like to hear in that time is peak time with no messing about. After that it’s back to some one’s flat for the next two days but that’s another story!

Q. How did your transformation from journalist to DJ/Producer occur? Do you miss writing?

A. I still write a music technology review section once a month so I dip my toe in but only to keep my nose in the world of technology. But I don’t really miss music journalism. I enjoyed my time doing it but I always felt like it wasn’t really me. I come from a background of playing in bands so journalism feels like an interlude in my musical life and I now feel much more at home in the studio or behind the decks than I ever did behind a desk or dictaphone

Q. You played at Panorama Bar when you were living in Berlin. Were you excited or nervous to be asked to play on the hallowed decks for the first time?

A. I’m never normally nervous before a gig unless I’m unprepared so on that particular morning I was feeling confident until , that is, I got home from the airport the morning of the gig. I had intended to spend a couple of hours going through my tunes to fine tune my playlist and came home to find a 40 person strong crack on in my flat. Needless to say the pre-set fine tune went out the window and I arrived at the club feeling a little shifty. But once I got behind the decks I was fine and I’ve played a few times since and it feels pretty natural now. The great thing about it is you get to play for four hours or more so it allows you to relax and play records at your and the crowd’s own pace rather than trying to cram everything into 90 minutes.

Q. How do you feel about Berghain’s door policy?

A. It is what it is. I’ve been turned away myself even though I’ve played there and I only ever get in if I’m playing or I’ve remembered to sort a guestlist. It’s annoying but they have a very difficult job to do. Every club tourist in Europe wants to go to Berghain. It’s on the ‘To DO List’ of every shit tourist guide going so you can imagine how many goons that attracts on a Saturday night. If you want to get in don’t arrive lairy, be respectful and look like you’ve got something to bring to the party. If you turn up in a shit T shirt, wankered and mouthing off about Germans well then you should have stayed in White Trash.

Q. You played at Glastonbury this year how was that?

A. Amazing. I played a rare back to back with my lady Laura Jones at You Are We and at one point Tom Yorke approached the decks to ask me what the tune she’d just played was. Not many mega stars like that take the time (while prowling the afterparties of Shangri-La for that matter) to ask you the name of a tune which just proves why Radiohead are still top of their game.

Q. Wasn’t there a previous incident with a middle aged naked woman in the crowd a few years back?

A. A few years ago I was mid set when I heard some cheering in the crowd. For a second I patted myself on the back for a record well chosen until I realized that they were in fact cheering a topless middle aged hippy who every time a new bassline came in, signaled her appreciation with a bit of self appreciation. She went onto become a Glastonbury legend appearing all over the festival for the rest of the weekend naked and happily strumming away to the music wherever she went. Bless.

Q. Ibiza seems to be back in everyone’s good books the last couple of seasons, do you enjoy playing there?

A. In ten plus years of going to Ibiza I have learned one thing. Whenever you write it off it always comes back bigger and better. Playing there is always an honour. Like most people I have a very strong connection to the island and most of my best friends and girlfriend are in my life because of connections formed there.

Q. Have you or are you playing there this season?

A. I’ve played a couple of times this season. The first was for Space. Last weekend’s gig for Zoo Project was great and it was a unique experience playing the Seal Pit.

Q. What do you think about the F*** Me I’m Famous Ibiza plane complete with David Guetta hits for the whole flight?

A. I have better things to think about!

Q. What labels or artists are featuring heavily on your playlists at the moment?

A. I have a terrible memory. Shocking in fact and whenever anyone asks me this my mind goes blank and the overload of artists and labels and tunes crashes the system. Okay so here goes.. labels really doing it for me at the minute include Life and Death, Culprit, Visionquest, Crosstown as ever, Supplement Facts, No 19, WNCL….[spinning beach ball] and it’s crashed again.

Q. Can you tell us about your forthcoming Leftroom Release?

AMy track ‘With Me’ is part of a Various Artists alongside label boss and mega dude Matt Tolfrey and Daniel MAher, Huxley and Russo and a few others. It’s my attempt at making a deep house track with trademark chords and pads but updated with some modern sonic weirdness. Matt and Maher’s track ‘It Aint’ Over Yet’ is one of the tracks of the Summer.

Q. What else you got coming up?

A. I have an EP on Culprit that I’m really excited about as it’s one of my favourite labels at the moment. Also vibed about my next EP for Get Physical which has been causing a stir thanks to some plays by friends on YouTube. Both of those are slated for Autumn. I also have a remix for Quantised, a track on Spanish label LowPitch and a collaboration with Alex Arnout. I’m probably most excited about a split EP with someone close to home scheduled for one of my all time favourite labels run by a mysterious character known in his desert domain as Dr Whiskers but I can’t say too much as it’s yet to be finalized.

Rhythmatic Intimate Sessions with Gavin Herlihy, Stathis Lazarides, Wesley Razzy, Archie Hamilton & Davy @ Cargo 24th September

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Gavin Herlihy (Cocoon, Get Physical)
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Interview by Melissa Jane Frost