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Part 2

Could you take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work? Do you have a fixed schedule? How do life and creativity feed back into each other - do you separate them or instead try to make them blend seamlessly?

I’m a fond believer of creative pursuit as a lifestyle. I like the creative process to just linger in the back of my mind 24/7. I have tried also a different approach of making it more like a job but this doesn’t work for me as I realize it’s a part of who I am. I can’t help it. It was never a choice. I need to be able to create music the same as I need to breath, eat and sleep it has nothing to do with showing off either. I know that even if this wasn’t a career I would still need to do it to feel complete. A day in my life is not something I can easily share as there is no real routine to the chaos. One day I decide to educate myself and read a book about mythology and get inspired and I start making music. Other days I’m more interested in playing around with some new music equipment and nothing creatively happens. This comes of course with its own set of problems because sometimes you have to deal with deadlines etc. and approach it like a job which I am admittedly not good at.

Let's say you have a gig coming up tonight. What does your approach look like – from selecting the material and preparing for, opening and then building a set?

This changes all the time but at the moment I collect music in week sections. I set up a music folder of all the music I collect during that week and start making a selection of music I like to listen to and music I’d like play out. This includes vinyl as well. When I’m done with this I listen to it all and more often than not I start making edits. If I have to prepare for a DJ-set I usually do this a few hours before the gig so its fresh in my mind. I don’t go to a gig overly prepared because I like the spontaneity and trust in my subconscious decision making.

Can you describe your state of mind during a DJ set? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter into this state more easily?

I wish I could answer this question with a simple explanation as that would mean I have it all figured out for myself but unfortunately, I have not. I have experienced the perfect state of mind during a DJ set several times but I think it’s a far more complicated topic than one might think. I could elaborate but I won’t be able to fit this into this interview. One thing I do know is that once you lose a sense of self you’ll play better.

What are some of the considerations that go into deciding which track to play next? What makes two tracks a good fit? How far do you tend to plan ahead during a set?

One word only, intuition.

Would you say you see DJing as improvisation? As composition in the moment? Or as something entirely different from these terms?

To me it means improvisation and being in the moment yes.

How do playing music at home and presenting it in the club compare and relate? What can be achieved through them, respectively, and what do you personally draw from both?

They are two different worlds as at home you don’t have to take another person into account. It’s just you and the music. I also think it’s hard to imagine how it relates to people in a club sitting from your chair at home also because no club is the same. To be honest I don’t really care so much either because my goal in the club is to get people in unison and bend them to my musical vision. I know some DJs have a different approach to it but this is mine. It doesn’t always work of course but that’s also what I like about it. It’s a challenge.

How would you describe the relationship between your choices and goals as a DJ and the expectations, desires and feedback of the audience? How does this relationship manifest itself during a performance and how do you concretely tap into it?

In an ideal world, I want the audience to have as little expectations as I do of them, but that is not how it always unfortunately works. Expectations are inevitable when you become a brand, also as a DJ. I would like to be recognized for reinventing myself constantly and that that is why people come see me play but some people just don’t understand that concept. Some people simply like Coca Cola and don’t want it to ever change. They would not be interested if the company decides tomorrow to reinvent the taste of the beverage and I can kind of understand that.

With feedback from the audience I tend to not pay too much attention to it either. This doesn’t mean that I don’t care but ultimately it comes down to taste. However, I personally like to stay true to what I believe in no matter what, as to me that is the difference between a pursuit of something more artistic versus becoming a beverage like brand.

Especially thanks to the storage facilities of digital media, DJ sets could potentially go on forever. Other than closing time, what marks the end of a DJ performance for you? What are the most satisfying conclusions to a set?

Running out of stamina! If you are not able to create any new moments as a DJ then to me it’s the end. However, there is a funny phenomenon when you play way too long, and you believe that you can’t create any more moments, and then suddenly the music picks you up by total surprise and you get a second wind. This happened to me several times, and I am sure that people that play 8hr+ sets can relate to this.

I think this is also the answer to what makes a set satisfying is the peaks and valleys. What sets the men apart from the boys is when a DJ intentionally creates deep valleys in the middle of his set and is able to climb out of them like a champ! Tension - Release is what it is all about.

Art can be a purpose in its own right, but it can also directly feed back into everyday life, take on a social and political role and lead to more engagement. Can you describe your approach to art and being an artist?

I’m going to answer this with a quote I found some time ago “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, art is knowing which ones to keep.”


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