It’s no secret that ESTIVA is hands down one of the artists we love more here at The Backstage Access, so during last Amsterdam Dance Event, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to join him at Armada Music Headquarter to catch up on the latest news about him and his music.
He played an enthralling set during ASOT streaming that Thursday, featuring 3 brand new tracks of him;
like he told us back in June when we met in Ibiza, Steven has plenty of material for ‘Spectacle 2’ but looks like we need to be patient and wait for the release next year.
We also talked about tour life and the ability to handle it, as it can be stressing sometimes, and then Estiva revealed us he really enjoys testing new tunes to put the crowd out of its comfort zone with something never heard before.
Enjoy our chat here:
Tag Archives: #interview
OUT NOW: ESTIVA – RAGE RACE + EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW @ HI IBIZA
The Dutch electronic dance music DJ has performed at events across the world, Estiva has brought his infectious sound and energy to some of the most pivotal events in the scene. His new track ‘Rage Race’ shows a totally different side of his album ‘Spectacle’.
Estiva: ‘As much as I love the pretty and emotional melodies, sometimes I just feel like raving and raging on the dance floor. Rage Race is a bass driven track I wrote having a dark and steamy club environment in mind. I named it Rage Race because I want to see which one of you clubbers can go out of its mind best!’
Be ready to go on another crazy ride with Estiva, listen to ‘Rage Race’ here.
Definitely one of the darker tracks from his ‘Spectacle’ album, ‘Rage Race’ shows another side to the acclaimed signature sound of Dutch top producer Estiva. Merging a vicious sounding bassline with thumping beats and buzzing synth rises, this tune sets the mood as soon as it kicks in late at night.
And talking about dark and steamy clubs, we met Estiva during the summer at the world famous club Hi Ibiza, and sat down with him for a chat, check this out!
KHAINZ MEETS THE BACKSTAGE ACCESS FOR AN EXCLUSIVE CHAT
Simon Khainz has been putting his unique signature sound on dance music for nearly 20 years. But the easy-going DJ and producer is the first to admit this wasn’t part of a master plan at the beginning.
These days though, Khainz takes his distinctive tech-house groove to all the dance floors across the globe ,every weekend. During the week he can be found in his studio, adding up his ever-growing list of releases.
A prolific producer, he has released two albums, Module8 and Simple As That, and more than 150 tracks via labels like Yoshitoshi, Katermukke and Great Stuff Recordings.
Everything he does reflects his passion for electronic music and respect for the craft. “Technology changes constantly, who knows what it will be in five years,” he says. “What matters is the music. That doesn’t change.” Khainz likes to teach people to make music. He frequently invites fellow artists to his studio to make their own tracks.
While fans may have to wait a while for the next LP, his busy tour schedule ensures they never go too long without a fix of his irresistible beats…and to top it all, he’s been so nice to sit with us for chat:
TBA: How did it all start for you?
K: When I was about 15 y.o. and my older brother bought 2 turntables and some vinyls.
Back then, I was very skeptical towards electronic music as I came from a totally different genre but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with it (djing and electronic music).
A few years later (1998) I stumbled over Rebirth ( a very limited music program) few months later I purchased my first version of Cubase (Cubasis back then) and started to produce.
TBA: Who is your biggest inspiration? / Who do you have a lot of respect for?
K: I have a lot of respect for people that do their own music and have a specific style.
Maceo Plex is one of the producers that still manages to impress me often with of his new releases also Bodzin has quite some influence on me.
From the newer upcoming acts I really like Jiggler and Township Rebellions, they are always able to surprise me with their new music.
As it comes to Djs, James Holden (he played one of the most interesting sets I’ve heard the past couple of years), Sasha, John Digweed.
TBA: What single night out has been the most memorable for you? As a DJ? As an attendee?
K: Very difficult to say after many hundreds nights out. some memorable playings are for sure Rainbow Serpent (Australia), Strawberryfiels (Australia), Playground at Rok Club (My residency in my hometown Lucerne), Noisily Festival (UK), Boom Festival (Portugal),Universo Parallelo (Brazil), Sisyphos (Berlin).
TBA: If you could eternally be stuck in one year’s music scene, which year would it be?
K: Hell no, I like that music evolves, for sure you have better and worse through the years but I’m glad that music evolves and keeps changing.
But the most unforgettable years were 2005/2006, so much timeless music got released in those years, just to name a few:
Gregor Trasher – A Tousand Nights
Petter – Some Polyphony
Thomas Schumacher – Red Purple
Booka Shade – Bodylanguage
Extrawelt – Soopertrack
TBA: What is it that you love about the scene?
K: The Music, the talks, the mess, the order and the good moments and fun times we share!
TBA: What is one track that never gets old for you no matter how many times you hear it?
K: Petter – Some Polyphony
TBA: What do you personally consider to be the incisive moments in your artistic career?
K: Difficult to say, probably remixing Format:B, Sharam (Deepdish) and many other great artists and releasing my music on established Labels. Sharing my music with people and to see them enjoying and dance to it.
TBA: What are currently your main challenges as a DJ? What is it about DJing, compared to, say, producing your own music, that makes it interesting for you?
K: Producing Music and djing are 2 totally different things, when I produce music I sit alone in my studio (mostly) and don’t have any feedback from the crowd while I’m doing it, so it’s always a surprise to find out how the new tracks will work on a dancefloor;
When it comes to djing I like the fact that i can play music from other artists I like and I can play what I think fits for the moment.
TBA: What can we expect from you in the near future?
K: A remix to Sharam (Deep Dish) on his imprint Yoshitoshi.
An Ep on Einmusika
A Quivver Edit from a new track on his Change Underground compilation
A remix to Mortagua on Timeless Moment
A remix to Chris Hartwig on Caballero Rec.
A remix to Moosfiebr on Dazed & Confused
A remix to Mikah on Lauter Unfug
A Soundtrack for a videogame
some collabs with friends (SuspectOne, Onur Ozman, Page, Jack & Chuus)
and hopefuly a finished album till end of the year.
TBA: Wow, that’s a lot of new music coming up, we’re thrilled to listen to it all, thanks a lot for your time and see you soon.
K: Thank you for having me!
TBA x MUZIKXPRESS presents: The story behind “Out Of The Blue” by Ferry Corsten a.k.a. System F
Happy Trance Thursday everyone!!
Let’s kick it off in the best possible way with an interview by my friend Twan with the legendary Ferry Corsten!
In this episode Ferry Corsten talks about “Out Of The Blue”, a track which he produced back in 1998 under his “System F” alias. “Out Of The Blue” is considered as one of the most famous trance classics of all time and it was a milestone in Ferry’s carreer. In this exclusive interview Ferry tells the story about the mysterious white labels that were send out to promote the track, the bidding war between labels to sign the track, he explains which equipment he used for the track, his future plans and more!
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and don’t forget to subscribe to this amazing channel for loads of music and news: https://www.youtube.com/muzikxpress
ESTIVA: A DAY IN HIS LIFE, NEW ALBUM INCOMING AND A CRAZY SUMMER SCHEDULE
As announced a while ago, we are super happy to meet Estiva again and ask him what’s going on with his life and career .
TBA: You are rocking a super summer, The States, Ibiza and much more, would you tell me something about it?
E: It has been a fantastic festival season for me with highlights like Ultra, TimeShift and Beats4Love. But the icing on the cake was definitely my residency alongside Armin van Buuren at Hï Ibiza. Musically it’s been super satisfying as I’ve been able to play full sets with just my own music.
TBA: How was playing in Las Vegas vs playing in Ibiza ?
E: Both are extremely challenging, which is such a good thing. It is important to grab the audience as soon as possible and set a certain vibe that the people enjoy as well as make the audience eager for more. As a dj it’s amazing to play longer sets as you will have time to play the game of tension and release to perfection. The big difference is that the Las Vegas crowd typically is more a classic party crowd whereas the Ibiza crowd is also packed with die hard fans.
TBA: You are dropping so many new gems lately, ( like RAKET, OXY/DOORLOPEN and LITTLE PLANET and you just confirmed that your debut album is almost ready, can you spill something 🙂 ?
E: For me I get very nervous about the word ‘ready’. It’s tough for me to say, as I’ll always want to add stuff. I’m aiming to announce big news late September.
TBA: You are very productive (and thank you for that) so I take it you spend a lot of time in your studio, how does it look like and which tools are you using?
E: My studio is my favorite place in the world but I can’t say I treat it accordingly. It’s usually a mess with electronics, pieces of paper with notes and coffee mugs. I have windows but they’re always closed as I prefer some darkness in the studio, gets me in the zone easier. There’s a little aquarium with colorful guppy fish, they help me relax. There’s something about the underwater world and fish flying through water that is so beautiful to me. Other than that I have two Windows pc’s running, KRK studio monitors, a Komplete 6 audio interface and a midi keyboard. I work mainly in FL Studio 12 and occasionally in Ableton 7.
TBA: If you have to chose between producing music and touring around the world what would you choose and why?
E: It’s amazing to combine both as they compliment each other so well but I’d always choose producing. It’s magical and amazingly satisfying to start out with literally nothing and then having a 7 minute piece of music that triggers emotion to people.
TBA: how did u get into djing and what is your musical background?
E: I’ve always created musical content from a young age. It started with recording my own voice and keyboard melodies and that evolved into writing music on a pc. It became more serious and promoters started to notice my music. I’d never touched mixers and CD players but they were convinced I could dj as well. In 2009 I played my first show and it took off for me.
I have no serious musical background other than some random piano lessons when I was younger.
TBA: Who do u aspire to and who influenced you the most?
E: One of my ultimate goals is to be able to play a 3 hour set only by playing my own music. I’d love to play longer sets and be able to go explore different vibes by using music that I’ve written. Eric Prydz does this to perfection and he’s a great example for me. Armin van Buuren’s drive and passion are infectious, he seems to have found a perfect balance in practicing his passion and running a smooth business.
TBA: What festivals would you most like to play at?
E: As long as I can expose my music to people I’m happy. The name of the festival isn’t important, the vibe at the venue is what counts most!
TBA: what was that one night/day that changed forever your professional life?
E: Back in 2007 I released a record called ‘Stella’, Armin van Buuren played this record several times in ASOT. That made me realize I could be like my heroes.
TBA: What’s your favorite tune at the moment?
E: Discotico Plexico (Maceo Plex) is such a groovy festival track. It has a great classic groove, a massive lingering lead sound and unique vocal parts.
TBA: Who’s bubbling under on your radar at the moment (production-wise)?
E: Cristoph seems to be very present in my sets as of late. Tinlicker
TBA: a day into your life, tell us a bit:
E: I wake up and browse through Reddit, news and emails. I hop out of bed, shower and eat yogurt or eggs. The fish get some food as well! Then I usually hop into the studio until the inspiration is gone. I ride my racing bike or go for a quick run to keep the energy high so I can do some more studio work! After dinner I usually relax with Netflix, but if I feel inspired I can go back into the studio!
TBA: Is there a part of producing that you find particularly enjoyable, or anything that you find frustrating?
E: Playing out fresh tracks and seeing a good reaction is amazing. Getting support from other dj’s is fantastic too. The studio struggles to find the right bass drum, in other words the striving to perfection and never being able to get there is almost depressing some times 😉
TBA: What do you think are the best things to do to get a head-start at being a full time DJ and producer now? Any tips?
E: I’d like to say true passion but the reality is you can get real far with a great business plan and a good amount of money. But if you’re passionate about music and put an insane amount of hours in your work people will notice that and respect that in the long run.
TBA: When I see you from the bar, what are you drinking?
E: Vodka Applejuice and shots of Jäger.
INTERVIEW ALERT: ESTIVA!! STAY TUNED
EXCLUSIVE: DAVID GRAVELL TALKING ABOUT “ENERGY”,NEW COMPILATION “DISCOVER” AND HIS UPCOMING ARTIST ALBUM!!
So , here we go with another interview made during the incredible ASOT night in Utrecht, and let me tell you, this one was in my bucket list for quite a long time.A few months ago, before the full line up was revealed, I shot an e-mail to David Gravell’s management, asking for the permission to interview the artist during the A State Of Trance Festival in Utrecht, knowing he plays there every year I thought I had a chance…but unfortunately I found out that David was not going to play there this time!
Now, telling you I was bummed is an understatement, I really felt miserable, not only I was going to miss one of his insane sets, I wouldn’t be able to meet him either!!
But, it is what it is and I tought to myself: maybe better luck next time….
Then, during the night, just while I was waiting to interview one of the artists, Justine,( one of the lovely PR girls’ from Armada) came to me saying: “Jess, David Gravell is here, would you like to meet him?”
I think I was about to hug her for how happy I felt…and so, here we go, another dream came true, let’s meet the amazing DAVID GRAVELL !!J: Hi David, thanks a lot for supporting The Backstage Access, how you doing?D: I am doing very good, I just came back from Jerusalem, I was there for the first time and did a show on Tuesday, it was amazing, a lot of trance fans, and after this I just came back home, and then I just came straight to ASOT. So I am here, meeting a few friends, my management…also my mum and dad are here, I saw them on the MainStage, and because I am playing here every year, this year,even if I am not playing…. they still booked an hotel in the surroundings and came, they always wanna see ASOT.
I normally play at ASOT each year, but we discussed a bit about it and we chosen to do a few other ASOT so I am skipping this one but I will be back on other ASOT festivals. But even so, being here, seeing my friends, Armin, you know…it’s always very nice to be in this chilled environment, where you are with all your friends, you know every djs, it’s very good.
It’ s just like a family, it’s just so nice.J: What does ASOT mean to you?D: Oh, I’ve got this question a lot…My first ASOT was with my friends and I remember that I was in the car listening to the music and then I thought it was different from everything else, it was little bit special, magical, what I love is that everyone is different, everyone is loving the music, everyone is uniting and coming together to celebrate, there are a lot of other festivals, for sure, but this particular one is nice and unique, I haven’t seen anything like this!!J: I know you are releasing a new tune in two weeks…D: Yeah, how do you know??J: A little bird told me …D: Haha, ok that’s cool because I actually have a new release coming in two weeks, I can’t say the name yet but Armin is playing it already for half a year and I am very looking forward to it…it will introduce you to my new sound I am working on and it has something unique in itself.Now . we know which song is it hehe 🙂and you can find more about the release in my previous article hereJ: When will your album be released?D: Well first I am gonna release a mix compilation, so I will have tracks from other djs, and there will be some new tracks of mine as well, but my own artist album will be ready probably next year, I am already working on it, it’s almost finished but you know… It’s nice to change a little bit things on, when you are working a little bit ahead of time… because I like to do that, so first of all there will be this mix compilation in April with a few new tracks to introduce my new sound, and the name of the compilation (Discover) will be also introducing my brand for my live shows, so I am actually working on my live shows as well with new visuals and new interesting stuff to make it more engaging when I perform liveJ: Are you using any special tools at the moment in your studio?D: Oh that’s a very interesting question, I got very inspired by Deadmau5, I am a huge fan of him and he released a lot of his own plug ins, just like last year he released a plug in called Serum and I’ve been a huge fan of it cause it allows you to do what you want, you have to be a bit into the sound design level, but if you get to understand the synth you are going to pull any kind of sound off it ; what I really like about it is that you have like the synth plug in, but you also have the fx plug in, so next to the normal plug in you can make very weird fx , I have been using it for loads of strange effects on my tracks right now and also I actually bought the new Virus, I mean the hardware synth and it has all the old school trance sounds in it , Orjan Nilsen said to me: “You have to get this one !!” and so I bought it last year and it’s amazing, it really has the analog sound so I’ve been using it in every track , it has a powerful sound and you don’t need too many plug ins to get that sound because it’s analog and I love it, it’s cool!!J.Where does your inspiration come from?D: My inspiration is coming from everywhere, like when I am traveling, I get ideas, when I watch a movie I get ideas, and when I get an idea, I kinda work on it and more ideas are flowing, you can see my brain like a hard drive with all those great memories from old school trance, all those things… and when I start making music I am just able to figure out exactly what the track is gonna be in the end so, I think the inspiration is coming from a lot of places, from everywhere. I listen to every kind of music and it makes it more interesting for me that understanding different kinds of music makes it easier to get melodies for different kind of stuff.J: Thanks a lot Danny, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you and hope to catch up with you again soon with your next releases!!To be honest with you, if it wasn’t because the interview schedule was crazy that night, I think I would have asked him other 100 questions ..such an inspiring, friendly and open minded talented guy… so I hope we’ll have the chance to continue our conversation very soon 🙂
ASOT 800 INTERVIEWS: Let’s MEET ESTIVA!! Plus…BARBA/TARMAC OUT NOW!!
Last Saturday, during ASOT 800 in Utrecht, The Netherlands, I’ve had the honor to meet the super talented dj and producer Estiva, he was so nice to join us right after his epic set, for a very interesting chat!
J: Thanks a lot for supporting The Backstage Access
E: Yes, of course, thanks for having me
J:The first thing I would like to ask you is: What does ASOT mean to you?
E: Means to me? Well the first time I was listening to ASOT, no, actually, let’s go way back, when I was 15 ,16 ,or something, I used to listen to ASOT radio show,and it kinda got me into producing music so at some point I was actually releasing music on labels, and one of the first songs, was picked up by Armin van Buuren and he played into ASOT so while I was tuned in one night, I heard my song and I was like: hang on, this song is one of my songs, so Armin was playing my song, can you imagine it? Like ,the thrill for me was insane!
So that was my first experience and actually got hooked from that moment on.It’s really special for me, you know, the music like the emotions and the beats…I like the groovy beats,not too fast, I do like the psy trance stuff like for an hour or so and then I’d go back to something else, so like the whole trance jam is really interesting to me.
J: I know you are cooperating with Ruben de Ronde and his label Statement, so any new projects going on?
E: Yes, so…first things first, about one year ago, I was kinda lost and didn’t know which direction I wanted to go with my music, so I told to myself, ok let’s just have fun again, try to create music that I really like,not for the labels, not for the fans, just whatever goes up in my mind, so I made a few tracks, sent them to Ruben, he said Yes, I love that, so I released some tracks with Ruben, got to know him a little bit more and now we actually have written a tune together, with Rodg as well, so that’s a collaboration and I think he premiered it tonight (during ASOT 800 in Utrecht) so I am proud of that, that’s great!
(The tune is called “Intergalactic” and you can find it in the new album “Togetherr” that you can pre order here)
J: Is there a track that represents you right in this moment?
E: It’s kinda hard, I would like to say that my last production is my best production, but it’s a very tough question to answer because I like to see the whole picture, tonight I’ve played 60 minutes of my own music, so looking back, that’s me, I’d say it captures my vibe, it’s a combination of a good groove and an epic melody maybe.
J: Any festival on your bucket list?
E: Well, does it get any better than ASOT?
I mean next year, on my bucket list, there’s ASOT850!Let’s stick to that!
One of the cutest moment in the famous Radio Dome…family time for Estiva!!
J. What do you like to do in your spare time if you have any?
E: I like cycling, soccer, football, I actually been to Italy too in Pisa, Tuscany ,with my bike,hit the mountains with my bike so that’s what I like to do, but really, other than that, if I have some time, I just go ahead and produce.
J: Where do you find the inspiration to create your tunes?
E: Nights like these are very inspiring to me because you feel the energy so when I get back home home tomorrow morning I am like I need to go to sleep but I actually have so many ideas in my head, I need to go to the studio as well so I won’t just sleep…so that’s where I find the inspiration.
J: Do you have a favorite plugin or studio tool at the moment?
E:I write my tunes with FL studio since I’ve started so I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I use also Spyre, it’s a great synth and like it a lot.
J: Ok thank you so much for your time and let’s catch up soon.
E: You are welcome, thank you for having me
If just like us, you couldn’t get enough of his stunning set at ASOT800, you can listen to it again here
And for all of you always looking for new stuff, we have a very special treat:
Estiva’s new EP, Barba/Tarmac is OUT NOW on Statement! so hurry up and grab it here:
Download & Listen : here
Up Close And Personal With Kimberly Hale
Hi everyone!
Today I got a pretty special treat for you: an exclusive interview with one of the most talented songwriters/singers of the trance scene, I am happy to introduce you to the lovely Kimberly Hale from the United Kingdom!
Let me tell you that her angelic voice and magical lyrics will charm you and bring you to another place, she will cast a spell on you…you have been warned!!
With a string of emotionally and stylistically diverse releases and compilations through multiple dance labels including Statement!, Armada, Amsterdam Trance, Raz Nitzan, Sir Adrian, Discover Group, EMI, and more…Kimberly’s tunes and collabs have been supported on worldwide radio shows and DJ sets by the top international superstars Armin van Buuren, Cosmic Gate, Paul Oakenfold, Max Graham, Andy Moor, Lange, Judge Jules, Simon Patterson, Marcus Schossow, Nifra, Ruben de Ronde, Susana, Audrey Gallagher, Jes, Beat Service, Pedro del Mar, Omnia and many more…
So, let’s welcome Kimberly on TheBackstageAccess!!
K: Thank you so much for asking me to be here with you and your readers, Jess!
J: Could you tell us how and when did it all start in the music industry for you?
K: I do distinctly remember sitting in the bathtub when I was 3 years old and saying to myself that i was going to be female Elvis when I grew up. haha My parents watched a lot of Elvis movies in the Bible belt. After that it was piano lessons and southern baptist church choir at quite a young age. I think for a lot of us, music is a lifetime path!
J: What inspires you when creating a tune ?
K: A few times it has been a choice between having a nervous breakdown or writing a song. Crises are very fertile moments for songs and some of my best received tunes were written in those moments. Plus I saved some money that would have been spent on therapy! haha
Otherwise, I would say when writing on piano I need a lot more internal and external inspiration — life events and strong feelings, poetry, or listening to so much of the great music we have in this genre for example.
Writing over tracks, it seems to be a lot more instinctive and things just sort of come to me out of the air.
J: a couple of my favorite tunes you wrote are Moment Of Truth and All In, could you tell us something about them?
K: Thank you Jess! It’s funny you single those tracks out as they were the first vocals I wrote over tracks in a very long time! Most of the other releases I have had recently have been me starting with nothing but my piano and having to write the structure/chord progression as well.
Suddenly, not only did I get the tracks given to me first, but super fun and inspiring tracks that made my job really easy! They both came out very effortlessly and I freestyled it completely.
“Moment Of Truth” was such a blast and inspired me rhythmically.
“All In” was so melodically developed that I felt the only choice I had was to follow and dance around with Ruben’s lead which made it very simple to write! The lyrics and words i did not think about at all either. They literally wrote themselves. i edited slightly in the honing stage.
J: Are there any artist you would love to cooperate with?
K: I don’t know why I always feel coy when someone asks me this question! It’s not like you’re asking me something naughty! hahaha
J: If you were not a singer what else would you like to do?
K: There have been times when I had so many friends coming to me for counselling that I could have been a full-time therapist/ muse! I’m an enfp so that is definitely in the skill set! I really want to write a novel one day!
J: For those who are not familiar with the whole creative process, could you explain a bit how it works for you when you are asked to write something ?
K: It’s definitely a different process when I am writing on piano or over a track as I mentioned earlier. But one thing is that for both, a physical warmup is very important and I always seem to do better when I stretch out completely like I am about to pole vault or something like this. 😉 I think any tension in the body can inhibit flow!
I can write songs quickly but I generally spend a couple weeks at least perfecting and honing as they always get better when I do that. I am normally not happy with the lyrics unless they seem to have multiple meanings and I have three points of view which I typically like to incorporate. I test each song this way to make sure they hold up most of the time. I’m not sure if anyone else notices it or not, but it’s important to me! haha
J: The most important tune to you so far and why?
K: It’s really hard to say on that one as many of my tunes have been instrumental in leading me to another place. Sometimes you only get one opportunity to move a certain direction and each of those markers has been a moment of truth to me 🙂
J: What do you love to do in your spare time ?
K: socialising with friends, health and fitness, i’ve been taking ballet classes lately too.
J: Your relationship with social media and your fans ?
K:I really wish I could figure out a way to better reach the fans on Facebook. Since they started with the algorithms, i think it’s really made everything feel so stagnant. I’ve thought about sending smoke signals! haha I feel pretty sad and dejected in there now! And most of all, I feel really terrible that it’s so hard to reach the fans. :'( At least Armada music and A State of Trance posted some videos of our music lately which did receive a nice response so I was grateful for that.
On a bright note, my instagram seems to be doing better a tiny bit and I’m finding the nature of the site a lot more calming, fun and positive than Facebook at the moment.
J: Describe yourself in 3 words 🙂
K: Perceptive
Creative
Nutter
J: Please leave a message for TheBackstageAccess readers 🙂
K: Thank you for loving and caring so much about the music! Your energy is what makes this all complete! Thanks for giving us the space on this earth and the constant support to create heavenly meaningful things! Lots of Love! Kimberly Xox
Photo courtesy: Asia Werbel
MARTIN BUTTRICH – TWO NEW PROJECTS BORN SIMULTANEOUSLY
OCTOBER 16TH SEES THE FIRST COLLABORATION TITLED “SYNCHRONICITY” WITH MATHEW JONSON.
Hot off the back of writing, producing and recording Loco Dice’s Underground Sound Suicide LP, Martin Buttrich launches his new label, Rhythm Assault.
This project is intended to be an outlet for impulsive releases of his own music, free from the constraints of rigorously organised and planned imprints.
The label’s first project gives birth to Collaborator – A two volume project seeing Martin release a continuous stream of brilliant collaborations with the likes of Carl Craig, Guti, DJ Tennis, Loco Dice, Timo Maas, The Martinez Brothers, Guy Gerber to name but a few. October 16th sees the first Collaboration titled Synchronicity, with Mathew Jonson.
There’s a common misconception that Buttrich merely engineered the myriad tracks he’s worked on over the last two decades. In reality, his long-running partnerships with the likes of Timo Maas and Loco Dice were fully collaborative.
“I was never someone who would get told what to do in the studio” he says. “I like it more like a creative process. Really having hands on the song was most important. I haven’t really ever just engineered other artists, apart from maybe here and there for one song. I would say it’s co-writing, co-producing. I have requests where people would ask me, “can you mix my album?” and I’m absolutely not interested in that. Even for my own productions now, I’m thinking about getting a mixing engineer. For me, mixing is pretty much one of the worst jobs!”
Buttrich began producing at the age of 18 after being bitten by the dance music bug in parties in his hometown of Hannover and Berlin. A wealth of output under many different aliases ensued, but it was teaming up with Maas – whom he met when they both worked at legendary house label Peppermint Jam – in the late ‘90s that saw his career gain global significance. Their groundbreaking remix of Azzido Da Bass’ Dooms Night helped spawn entire genres, crashed into the UK Top 10, and led to remixes for everyone from Madonna to Muse, Kelis, Moby, Placebo, Jamiroquai and to a Grammy-nominated rework of Tori Amos. Former hip-hop DJ Loco Dice made for his second key partnership in the early 2000s, Buttrich helping him to become one of underground house and techno’s biggest stars and forming the acclaimed Desolate imprint with him.
His incredibly slick, highly musical yet intensely technical productions under his own name have been released on the likes of Cocoon Recordings, M_nus, Supplement Facts and Planet E, with his acclaimed debut album Crash Test landing on Desolat in 2010. There is no now doubt that he is amongst the house and techno scene’s finest artists in his own right – but rather than follow a path of self-aggrandisement, he’s decided to focus his new album and tour around collaborations once again, yet this time Martin will step from the shadows and into the light.
His 20 Years Of Martin Buttrich Global Tour – dubbed #9414 – saw him take his live show to some of the world’s finest clubs from September 2014 to December 2014. Martin teamed up with one of his favourite DJs for each date. “I was looking through old stuff, and I just thought – ‘wow, 20 years’. It’s just chance to give a little bit back to all the people who have supported me over the years, and it was also an opportunity to get together with the people I always wanted to play with.” With the likes of The Martinez Brothers, Loco Dice, Carl Craig, Guti, tINI, Mathias Tanzmann and Mathew Jonson in tow, the tour reached from Berlin’s Panoramabar to Chicago’s Spy Bar and makes for a timely reminder of his enduring – and ongoing – contribution to the scene.