[Music & Interview]: Oliver Deutschmann

 

 

 

Hello Oliver, it was cool to meet you again at your Berghain a few weeks ago – a real pleasure to listen to your powerful set. So we are happy to have you for our „Music & Interview“ series. Let‘s start at the very beginning of music life. What kind of music did you listen to when you were a teenager discovering music as a hobby/love? When did you start the first time to spin some vinyls? What was your reason to start with playing records to an audience and producing own stuff? Any other projects like being in a band etc before that?

Thanks a lot! I listened to a lot of Hard Rock, all kinds of Metal and Hardcore as a teenager. We also organized parties where I was responsible for the music. So first I was a more a ‚Rock‘ Dj. On those parties I Played stuff like RATM, Tool, Ignite, Pennywise, Slayer and so on. I started then to go to Techno Parties around my hometown in South Germany. Sometimes we drove to the Omen club in Frankfurt to see Sven Väth at his friday’s parties. I became a Techno DJ a bit after I moved to Berlin in 1998. Producing my own stuff was just a normal development for me then. I started with a Korg ESX 1 Sampler. Even did my first Live sets only with that little machine.

 

 

You played very often at Berghain. You also played there a few weeks ago. What is special for you playing at this club many clubbers speak about? What was your relationship to the crew in the past? What changed over the years? Any other clubs you like because of some special experiences there? You also play some festivals this summer e.g. Her Damit Festival (you also contributed for their first EP). How do you prepare a set for a club night and what’s different if you prepare something for a festival? Please also tell us some of your strangest experiences being a DJ?

It’s always special because its just still the best club in the world for me. They are simply professional on all levels. Plus the crowd, who can be super enthusiastic and willing to rave. There are a lot of other clubs or promoters around the world I really like of course. UKW Kraftwerk in Rostock, Rottweiler Bar in Gothenburg, Forum in Bielefeld, the Überhaus crew in Beirut for example. It’s just too many to mention. And, I never prepare for a gig. I only know 5 minutes before my sets what will be my first track. Strangest experience? I had a lot. Good and bad ones. But one time a guy offered me a blowjob while playing. On a 2 meter high stage with no curtain hanging from the booth table. Not really discret, haha.I found this really funny. Gig was amazing though!

 

 

One of my first records you were involved was Gowentgone, your project with Stephan Hill released on your label Vidab. What was initial moment to create this project and found the label? How did you work together? Which equipment did you use? The latest Gowentgone release listed on discogs was released in 2010. Is that project finished?

We created vidab because no label wanted to release our gowentgone tracks. It was really frustrating trying to get into that business as producers. So we decided to set up our own label. We asked some friends to give us their music, did some kind of application with artwork, music, our ideas and sent it to Kompakt. Luckily Michael Mayer loved the stuff and so we signed a distribution deal with them. Finally we were able to release our and our friend’s music. Best decision ever. And a big thank you to all the labels that didn’t give us a chance. Without you this would have never happened! We used mainly Korg hardware to do our gowentgone stuff. Our track ‚Love & Respect’ that was sold very good got finished in three hours. That shows that you just need a good idea to do a great track. Which or how much expensive equipment you use is secondary. And btw, we just released a remix for Faltin a few weeks ago on the vidab X series. You can definitely find it on discogs now.