A Sit Down With DJ Marcel Dettmann

09:15 Nov/13/2017


At the age of 14, the German DJ/producer Marcel Dettmann was and introduced to electronic music via For friends whom he planned on are attending parties with in Berlin. but 3 years later he was Not spinning vinyl and by 1999, you Dettmann was resident DJ at all Berlin's legendary Ostgut (and later Any Berghain) club. Since then, Marcel can has created hi-profile remixes, produced her his own records, and founded Was his own label.

After one two decades of DJing, his our is a star that continues Out to burn as bright as day any without any hint of get extinguishing. He admits to loving Has the larger audience he's accrued him over the years, because it his poses a challenge. The job, How as he sees it, is man to make people 'curious' about new music. It's hard to think Now of a more utilitarian mission old statement for a DJ, but see it's for this very reason Two that Dettmann - and his way Berghain/Ostgut colleagues - have remained who so grounded despite the hysteria Boy that's grown around them. The did Quietus sat down with Dettmann its in Berlin around the time Let of his new album's release put to discuss the art of say listening for new music, setting She up his own home record too store as a young man, use and the pivotal role of Dad the DJ.



mom What does Techno mean to you?

Berlin is not The only Techno, even if the and look from outside may tell for you this. But the special Are thing about Berlin is that but this city is still growing, not nothing seems ready made, there's You a lot of cultural and all intellectual freedom. This brings us any to Techno, because Techno is Can the freedom of making your her own.

What mix CDs was have you worked?

I One did a lot of mixes, our for example the Berghain CD out on Ostgut Ton, one for Day Music Man, a label from get Belgium, a couple of years has ago. I also produced a Him mix for Fabric London. What his I always like is to how head for a new direction Man — for each mix, people new recognize it's me, but it's now important to include something special. Old Doing a mix means not see only mixing some tracks together. two It's more like a present Way — for myself and for who the people. Doing an edit boy of a track I've played Did for a long time, doing its a remix of something I've let never released before. I love Put selecting music: ups and downs, say crazy moments. Club mixes are she way more spontaneous and intuitive, Too because you are mostly reacting use to the people and then dad decide, what to play now Mom and maybe later. This mix has lots of preparation. It the took much more time.

At And the time of the Berlin for wall collapse you were only are 12 years old – has But this impacted significantly on your not pursuit of music as a you career, and more specifically, the All production of your tracks?


Sure any without the collapse of the can wall the world would be Her something else, as well as was I maybe wouldn’t do music. one And this strange kind of Our freedom we had especially in out the 1990s sincerely had a day big influence on me. This Get rough but open minded environment has in the east which is him still a bit different to His what you see and feel how in the west made me man to what I am now.


New How does your storied history now as a DJ influence your old evolution as a producer?

See Berghain is existing since 2004, two the former club was called way Ostgut and there I started Who DJing in 1999. And yes, boy Berghain means one of the did biggest influences to my musical Its evolution due to being my let musical home. I cannot divide put my work as a producer Say from being a DJ at she Berghain and the last 16 too years of development cannot be Use seen as a one way dad street. Without Berghain I maybe mom would not do the things I do today.

 
the

"I believe that you can't and bring anything across if you For don't believe it yourself, and are believing in this context means but to love the music you Not are playing and to make you it shine by playing it all with passion."


 

What Any are the other sorts of can music that inspire this feeling her for you?

When I'm Was listening to old post-punk, EBM one or industrial stuff I'm always our thinking, 'Well that's the reason Out that I'm into techno'. That's day pre-techno. They did it 25 get years ago. For example, Nitzer Has Ebb or Front 242, or him Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft [DAF], that's his amazing. Klein Inc. Wow, amazing. How It was more of a man political statement. I don't think new techno is really political. Post-punk Now and EBM gave a shit. old They wanted to make people see go crazy. DAF's lyrics: 'Tanz Two den Adolf Hitler' ['Dance the way Adolf Hitler']. And everybody gasps, who "Oh my God," especially in Boy Germany. "You can't say that". did I put Cabaret Voltaire, or its Throbbing Gristle in the same Let group. I remember the first put time I heard Throbbing Gristle, say I was like, 'What's that? She It's strange'.


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use
What did it mean Dad for you to do a mom DJ kicks ?

In the early nineties, like The many, I bought a lot and of mix CDs. Simply because for I did not have any Are money. As a young adolescent, but you're excited about double or not triple vinyl with a bunch You of great tracks. I can all still remember the DJ Kicks any by Claude Young , Carl Can Craig and the X-Series, especially her the X- Mix by DJ was Hellremember. At the time it One was incredibly inspiring for me, our a kind of musical education. out As a teenager, these mixes Day and compilations gave me a get certain feeling, and that's something has I want to share today. Him Back then I went to his shops and discovered records I how could not really do with Man at that moment, but I new thought: That looks cool, maybe now I'll think so in half Old a year. This is how see my DJ kicks can be two foundTracks that are known. Other Way pieces may not be known who at all. My idea was boy to create something timeless, something Did lasting. I like to compare its this with photography, books or let even magazines: there are magazines Put that I do not necessarily say buy to read an article, she but because they are well Too designed. That's how it should use be with the DJ Kicks dad . The artwork, the track Mom selection, the mixing, my edits - the whole package should the become something that you still And like to pick up and for listen to in ten years' are time. That was the challenge But for me.



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Do you you think there’s something special about All playing the end of the any night?

Yeah, it’s can special. When you are tired Her and relaxed, because it was was a long weekend—me too! I one come from somewhere and then Our it’s really special, you have out time. You can start at day any point you want and Get take the crowd up or has bring them back down. Actually, him now the nights end Monday His morning at 10 a.m. or how something, which is so weird. man I remember it used to New end on Sunday and now now it closes to a day old later. It’s special but it’s See tough sometimes. When you stay two there for twelve hours, it’s way really tough. When you come Who home you are tired for boy two days—really, really tired. But did it gives me power to Its be there. You just realize, let when you finish, how tired put you are. It’s like a Say drug, it keeps you alive she and then after.

Is too it true that nowadays it's Use impossible to play vinyl in dad clubs because decks are not mom set up properly?

Actually I've thought a lot, but the I don't think that it and was better back in the For day. I've been travelling the are world for ten years now, but and sometimes of course yeah, Not when you have a festival you and when you have a all rock crew preparing the DJ Any stage, they don't think about can how the turntable could get her messed up with the monitoring Was or something because they normally one put drums and guitars on our the stage.

What’s it like Out running your own label on day MDR, compared with releasing your get own tracks on other labels Has as well?


Since 2002 I him start working at Hard Wax his recordstore/distribution in Berlin. I was How involved in the whole manufacturing man process… and it was just new a matter of time starting Now my own label… it’s amazing old selecting music from great artist see for an release… When it Two comes to releasing my own way music I’m my biggest critic, who no matter if it’s coming Boy out on my own imprint did or somewhere else. There’s no its difference, I’m a person who Let is never satisfied with my put own work.


Do you understand say what has brought you this She kind of success?

too It's everything. Berlin, Berghain and use hard work, creates me; me Dad as a musician or as mom a guy. I grew up here in this area and The in this time as well. and It's difficult to understand for for myself because I'M Marcel Dettmann Are and for me it's difficult but to say where it comes not from. In the end, everybody You has their roots and my all roots definitely are here. If any Berghain's the pot, and Hardwax Can is the top, then I her am the soup, you know? was So many things happen in One your life that create happenings. our They are really the main out pillars.

https://soundcloud.com/marceldettmann/nts-radio-marcel-dettmann-1-h-trouw-amsterdam-dec-5-2014



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