A few questions fired at Kr!z, head of the fantastic Token Records..


Even just from your facebook posts, it's obvious you have an eclectic taste in music. What are your roots and how did you end up where you are now?


Well I grew up in a small village, far away from any good musical influence. So I listened to some shitty dance music before me and some friends decided to do something crazy and go to I Love Techno in Gent.

I had never heard of Jeff Mills, but when I was an hour into his set, I just knew this was what I wanted to do. I was totally blown away by it. The same year, I think it was 97-98, I saw Steve Rachmad perform at a small 'electronic' tent at a rock festival. Same kind of experience, I didn't take any drugs, but I felt like tripping, in hypnosis. I still remember both those moments pretty vividly.

As far as the more eclectic taste goes: we had a pretty big library in our village. At age 13-14 I started digging in the music section upstairs. They had a wide selection, but I knew shit at the time and I thought everything that had 'dj' in it, was dance music. So I came across dj krush & dj shadow and took it home with me. I was disappointed at first and I didn't understand the music first, but it grew heavily on me and I started searching more. I also started using the internet and started exploring labels, similar artists. I developed a big interest in hip hop, funk, soul, ambient, electronica.. and it still goes on today. I recently discovered some really good old Brazilian music and I'm starting to learn more about that now and catching up with the past. Exploring music is what I do 24/7 and I'll probably will never quit doing it. There's so much good music in the past and there will be even more in the future.


Once you'd had these special moments with Mills and Rachmad and you moved toward techno, did you immediately take up DJing and/or producing or had that already happened /was that still to come?


I started dj'ing a few years before that. Small parties, all kinds of music. But when I saw Mills I immediately decided to concentrate on techno. Production only started a few years ago and is still something I'm working on a lot at the moment.


Belgium: Apart from the obvious ILT parties, what's the actual techno scene itself like over there?


To be honest, there hardly is a techno scene in Belgium at the moment. When I started going to I Love Techno, it was still 5 rooms of full on techno. A united crowd over 5 rooms. It was hard to decide where to go, every big name played there.. Nowadays, they have like 2 electro house rooms, 1 'minimal' techno room, 1 hard techno/schranz room and if you're lucky a decent room with some actual techno. It's become a big commercial event and it's just become a 'dance event'. Lots of different people, different genres, more like a festival feel.

The Belgian scene in its whole is kinda the same. Electro is very popular & the 'cooler' parties are on the minimal tip. There's very few techno parties. We only have Kozzmozz, in Gent, where I'm resident dj. They're standing strong for 15 years now and are still able to sell out a venue of 1200 people with good techno.

What was the inspiration/motive behind Token Records?


I started it because I just felt a lot of labels were sleeping, or switching genres. I had a hard time finding good new techno records every week and missed output from some of my favourite artists. I just contacted a bunch of artists whose music I like with the idea of starting a label. Inigo was the first one who replied and sent me some music. The first release was a real blessing. It's still one of my favourite releases on the label. It's so strong, and happily it got recognised worldwide, so from the first release on we already had some kind of following. Ashley (phase) was also one of the first people who reacted. I loved the stuff he put out on Inceptive & Cosmic but then Inceptive stopped cause of the death of Richard Polson so I figured Ashley had some music he wanted to release but didn't have a label for. That was the case, and here we are now, he just put out his 5th release on Token. It's not necessary, but it's nice if you can connect with people through music and become friends. That's what happened with Ashley & Inigo. It's a family thing now.


Token is a label that we keep a close eye on, with some of Ashley's stuff being particular favourites. What can we expect from the label in the coming months? A label album would be a good idea surely...


Well off course you can expect more of the same: new records by Inigo & Ashley. Also working on some other projects on which I don't want to talk about at this stage. I don't want to spoil the surprise. I've been receiving a lot of good new stuff and I'm still working out how to fit it all in. An album is one of those things, this will be something for 2010. I also have plans of releasing a Kr!z-record on Token next year, but it's still work in progress.


A question we've put to others...the techno scene now, in Europe especially, is dominated by countless 'minimal' nights, labels and digital labels. What are your thoughts on this?


Ah well, in a way I'm glad techno isn't as successful anymore as 10 years ago. Theres not much money to be made now in this scene, if you're not an established artist already. So I feel the 'minimal' wave washed out some of the 'bad' people, who follow trends & money. There's still lots of shit techno records coming out, but the percentage of good techno music has gone up I think. Plus there are some new interesting artists, labels too. The scene is small at the moment but it's pretty healthy I feel.

I don't really bother about the whole minimal thing that's going on right now. As long as I find good records to play out, I'm happy. Same with the electro/rave thing happening now: I don't like it, but I'm not irritated or frustrated that it's there. There will always be good techno music around, at the moment you just have to search a bit harder.


Where do you see techno moving to now, or where do you hope it moves?


I guess it will keep moving in cycles, like electronic music always does. Each action has a reaction and I'm sure lots of people working on that reaction right now. For me it's very interesting to follow where it's going. I don't really hope on anything, only that I can keep on playing music I like to other people. If they stop releasing that kind of music, I'll release it myself.


Final question... You're putting on a night, and can have any 3 acts or DJs to play that you want. Who would you go for?


Herbie Hancock, Flying Lotus & Jeff Mills, in that order. 3 masters.




Thanks to Kr!z, Token Records.....Fragmenta by Phase is out now...

Minimal techno was invented in 1994 in Detroit. The release of Robert Hood's Minimal Nation marked the start of a new genre of techno music. Using the barest elements necessary but still retaining the movement and soul crucial to the music, Hood's seminal work continues to enthrall even today, amidst a new wave of popular minimal techno. Minimal Nation is to be rereleased in 2009, remastered and reworked, recognising its 15th anniversary.

The special edition CD bursts out of the blocks with One Touch, as the original double vinyl did. The remastering makes it sound so fresh but stays true to original vibe. The CD also includes Self Powered, only available on a limited test pressing until now, which is probably my pick of the album. Interestingly, the CD has both the remastered and original versions of Rhythm Of Vision (another favourite of mine) so you can hear what's been done to the album.

I'd recommend this CD to anyone who likes any genre of techno - whether you like classic Detroit techno or whether you're into the trendier side of modern minimal techno. For me, the overall quality of the techno produced since the recent rise in popularity of minimal music has declined as more people jump on the bandwagon. What do I say to these people? You've got to know where you've been to know where you're going - if you haven't already, listen to this CD - I hope you find it educating.

Robert Hood's Minimal Nation will be released on 15th June 2009 on M-Plant records.
Available on CD and download.

Recently I got chance to fire some questions at someone not only very highly rated here at Motortechno Towers, but is fast becoming one of the most consistent and in-demand techno producers around. We are, of course, referring to Phase.

Taken from Phase's website -

'Since surfacing in 1999, Phase's productions have consistently gained the attention of high profile DJs and Techno legends such as Derrick May, Jeff Mills and Laurent Garnier. His various works for such prominent labels as London's Lost/Cosmic Records, Inceptive, Belgium's Token records and Ben Sims' Ingoma imprint have also featured in CD mixes by Robert Hood, François Kevorkian, Adam Beyer, Japan's Fumiya Tanaka and Dave Clarke amongst others....'

.....

Without wanting to use it as a guideline, your myspace page has you down as a minimalist/techno/electro artist - How would you personally describe your style of music?

To people who have no idea I would say Electronic Dance Music. To electronic music fans I suppose you could run into Minimal Techno or Groove Minimalism. In iTunes, I categorise my tracks as Techno.


However it is described, your discography is extremely diverse. Each release is unique and independent in its own right, yet simultaneously you maintain that unmistakable Phase 'feel' to your productions. Is this personal stamp intentional or something that comes across as a result of your influences and inspirations?

I don't believe in trying to contrive your own "Sound" deliberately - it should just happen naturally. You shouldn't have to create restrictions in order to sound unique because we're already individual by nature.
In the case of a Producer the way you learn might be one factor. I learnt most of what I know through personal experience so perhaps my approach to engineering and programming differs from someone who was educated formally.


If you had to pinpoint two or three pivotal experiences or influences of a non-musical nature what would they be and what effect did they have?

....Most of my 'pivotal experiences' as you put it are generally connected to music in some way... but outside music...? I would say my older sister was a big influence early on, in terms of what she was into and people I met through her. It helped open me up to culture beyond the mainstream.
I could also say my time spent in a print factory hammering repetitive industrial loops into my head inspired me to express it as minimal techno...but that would just be complete bollocks... (Or is that what people want to hear?!)


At such a relatively young age you already have an extensive back catalogue which has consistently been supported by Techno's big guns. Is techno where you started out at a production level, or more the end product of a winding path?

When I was a kid I was always drawn to synthesized music for some reason. When I discovered house and techno I was attracted to it straight away (though obsession came later). I started learning production because I wanted to make Techno.


Since its beginnings Techno has constantly developed and expanded, relentlessly seeking new boundaries. Have you noticed it change or develop in any particular way since you've been producing?

As you point out it's developed in all sorts of ways and directions. I try not to latch on to any one particular style thread within the genre in terms of what I like to listen to. Techno thrives (in part) on the expansion of technology and since we've seen so many huge developments in this area over the past 20 years (particularly in the way music is made and performed) it's meant that electronic music (indeed all music) has naturally expanded with it. In short the most obvious and continued development for me is quite simply the way the level of production quality and inventiveness just gets better and better and continues to amaze me.

Aside from being a consistent producer of boss techno, you're also a mastering engineer. Which came first? Did one influence the other in any way?

I ended up working in music because I was into music. The Production and Mastering happened in parallel with each other really. Early on, I could produce at home and listen back to what I'd done at work the next day, cut test dubs etc. I do less Mastering and more production nowadays.


For such a prolific and well-supported producer it would be easy and beneficial, both professionally and financially, to start DJing out a lot more, yet you have chosen not to. Is this due to other commitments, or is it something that hasn't really interested you?

It has been partly due to other commitments rather than a personal choice. It certainly interests me. I also haven't pursued professional representation. Having said that, changes in my circumstances mean I'm starting to perform more now.


On a similar note, would you ever consider working on a live producer act? I have to say that's something we'd love to see...

I would consider doing a live act but I generally prefer DJing - I find it more personally inspiring...


The advent of Ableton and Serrato, amongst others, are symbolic of the constant development of DJ and performance technology and equipment. With such a wide range of options at your disposal, what are your tools of choice when playing out and why?

I have used Ableton and Serrato and they're both great and very convenient. I mostly use vinyl and CD though, just because that's where my current set happens to reside (I also have a bit of a sentimental attachment to vinyl - but don't get me started on that debate!).


In the past year we've seen the meteoric ascent of Belgian label Token Records, already having asserted itself as an ever-reliable source of techno with a series of quality releases. Including the imminent release of 'Ryder's Return', three of those have come from yourself. Is there a connection between you and the guys that run Token or is it purely a professional association?

There was no connection originally. Kris approached me when he was setting up the label and invited me to contribute - I guess because he liked my previous work. I have to say he's very professional and a pleasure to work with.


Your website hints at other upcoming projects and releases. What can we look forward to seeing and hearing of from you over the coming months?

I have a number of things I'm working on right now but no definite release dates as yet. There's something upcoming planned on Surface Records fairly soon. We're also looking at some Morodem remixes after the summer.


Final question...If you could throw a party and have ANY three artists/Producers/DJs to perform, who would you choose and why

....There's lots of combinations I'd want to see but to pin one down, perhaps it would be interesting to have someone like Lee "Scratch" Perry Djing the warm up (because I'd want to start proceedings in a interesting and not too hasty manner), followed by a Live set from Drexciya (because it's something I never saw and is sadly no longer possible). I'd finish with Derrick May for 3 hours (just cos I love the guy!)....I'd also keep the venue capacity to around 1000 people..





Phase's latest release on Token Records, Ryder's Return/At First Light, is out now in all good record stores and online download sites.

From attractive blond TV presenters to IKEA and saunas, the Swedes' contribution to the modern world has been considerable. Leaving ABBA aside their input to the world of music has been no less substantial, especially in techno.

So it's no wonder I leapt at the opportunity to speak to Swedish techno marvel Carl Falk last month exclusively for motortechno.


RA:

Carl you've firmly established yourself as one of Europe's finest techno DJs and producers although I gather you haven't always been producing the tough driving beats synonymous with your name. On your Myspace you cite 1999, your year in London, as the time you first started banging-out techno, what's the story there?

CF:

It was my roommate that turned me on to proper techno. He had a couple of turntables and showed me how to mix, and it was probably from there a lot of inspiration came. I mean, the mixing and djing is a huge part of my whole perspective on the music. Back then everyone was playing with three decks, I remember being so impressed by all the techno DJs who were doing this. I was barely managing on two decks at the time and three deck super-fast mixing seemed like almost impossible. But you know...one practices and learns.
The bottom line is that I'm always focusing on the groove, the mixability, and the dance floor when I'm in the studio. This is reflected in my productions... I hope! But if I was to do it all over again. I think my sound would be similar. I like the groove, funk and the drums and I really like djing and mixing records. All music doesn't let you mix all the time.


RA:

Here at motortechno we have been massively impressed by the contribution Sweden and other Scandinavian producers have made to techno (Hertz, Beyer, Joel Mull to name but a few). What's the techno scene like there at the moment and if I was to hop on a Ryanair flight this weekend where would you send me?

CF:
Here in Stockholm the techno scene has always been quite small, believe it or not. Most clubs and promoters are doing minimal/electro or trance. But there are some promoters and clubs that are doing techno nights once in a while.
I would definitely recommend you to check out Monday Bars promotions. They have a broad spectrum and are mostly doing trance parties these days, but when they do a techno night... man, it's awesome.
There is also the club Vardagsrummet, it means "The Living room". They do special "Vardagsrummet Loves Techno"-nights. It's a super small venue but it attracts a big crowd on these nights. It's furbished as a living room with cosy sofas and coffee tables, but it always ends in total mayhem on the dance floor.



RA:

It was legends like Beyer and Carola, amongst others, who were major protagonists of your music before you had even left college. Their sound has obviously changed recently, is this just mellowing out with old age or are do you think they have other motivations?

CF:
It's a good question. And it's difficult to answer without sounding like I'm "against change" and progression. Music has always been about progression and development, especially techno. Sounds change, people change and the tools change. A lot of DJs and producers decided to make drastic changes to their sound a couple of years ago. I think that some were a bit too quick to abandon their style when they felt like "everyone else is doing it". In my opinion - music will always develop and progress. It's the natural way. But it's also easy and tempting to just jump on a trend, and it's too bad that so many heroes decided to jump on this one.

The bottom line is that there's nothing unusual about these trends and changes in style. It is going on constantly and it's important because it opens doors for new artists and new fresh sounds. I think the reason we're talking about this is because it happened so fast. But hey. That's the way it is... A lot of DJs who are synonymous with techno these days started out playing something completely different in the beginning of their careers.



RA:

The record industry has been going through some tough times recently, especially for small independent labels. Is it really on it's arse at the moment?

CF:
Yes. But this is not a problem just for the techno scene. The decline in sales is affecting the whole music industry, so I don't think its a genre thing. It's likely that it is due to the rise of digital media and the torrent of piracy that followed. Free downloads (piracy) results in bigger exposure, more people will listen to your music but you won't make any money. The piracy thing is devastating for bigger labels that rely on sales to be able to do the necessary promotion and marketing and even more devastating for the ultra-small indie labels that just barely are braking even these days.



RA:
Unlike many producers you are yet to collaborate with someone else to produce a track. Is this a conscious decision?

CF:
I'm kind of a loner when it comes to producing. I really like to be by myself in the studio. Not having anyone hanging over my shoulder following every step. Doing things my own way, you know. Some days I work really intensively and some days the wheels simply aren't spinning at all.
I'm not saying that I will never try a co-op, but to date I haven't felt the need for it because I feel that I get so much creative exchange from remixing other peoples tracks.



RA:
You are, as you say, a prolific remixer. Are there any records you're aching to meddle with but haven't had the chance?

CF:
There are a lot of tracks that I would love to remix/rework but if I have to choose one it would be Roger Devlins track "Scorpion". Its an acid track from 1996.


RA:
Last year seemed fairly a busy one for you productions -. Your Pirate Audio tracks were given a caning on the show. What have you got in store for us in 2008?

CF:
I definitely have good hopes for 2008. Just released Shuffle EP on HzTrax014 in January and I have some great releases in the pipeline. I think that I have refined my sound a bit over the last year in a good way. The tunes get bigger and better and the rhythms, funk and drums play a big part.


RA: Ok, to finish the interview I thought I'd change the topic slightly.. if you were throwing a party and could pick any 3 DJs to play, who would they be and why ?

CF:
Hmmm... only three DJs you say...

Dj Murphy - He is a great showman! Scratching, lighting turntables on fire and a good DJ too.

Ben Sims - He is the man! Great DJ, impeccable mixing skills, great producer. I'm a big fan.

Jeff Mills - Comment unnecessary :)

This week I was lucky enough to get to throw some questions at one of my all time heroes, Ben Sims. It goes a little something like this...


TL: Ben Sims, from solid roots in hip hop, disco and funk into one of the UK's foremost exponents of what we now know and love as techno. How exactly did your tastes and style evolve into what is now internationally recognised to those in the know as the Ben Sims sound?

BS: My sound incorporates elements of everything I've ever been into. I've collected records for over 25 now and I fuse the various styles of music I love into my own, whether it be sampling or just inspiration, the music I grew up with plays a big part in my productions and my DJing.

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TL: Do you think your arrival at techno was in any way inevitable, or could things have unfolded differently if it weren't for certain factors?

BS: To be honest it could have been quite different, just before I started to break through as a techno DJ and began releasing records I'd begun to get a lot of work playing funk, electro and hip hop again. There was a bit of a breakdance revival in the UK, particularly in London, and things were really picking up. I was spinning at very popular nights with DJs that went on to become big names in the UK and I had to decide which way to go. That time techno won, next time I might choose something else. My main desire is to keep on playing, and I enjoy playing many styles.

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TL: In the past couple of years techno has been transformed and somewhat bastardized by an explosion of so-called minimal, something that has seen numerous figureheads of techno completely and utterly change their style. You, along with a few others, have remained distanced from this craze - Was this a conscious decision?

BS: No, not really. I'm not a huge fan of the music so it wasn't ever gonna be an option but regardless of that, for me one of the most important things about being a DJ or producer is that you have your own sound, style, identity, and you can't keep that if you just jump on every fad or craze. Yeah, embrace new music or other styles, keep yourself interested. Fuse new elements into what you do but changing over night because everyone else has, well that's just sad..

I've been known to drop the occasional minimal cut and have supported what I consider the more interesting bits on my radio show but of the hundreds of minimal tracks that are available every week, I'd say 1% is saying something, the rest are just empty, soulless and do nothing for me at all. It should be music stripped to its essential basics of funk, groove and rhythm, like Robert Hood etc. Unfortunately most of it is just lots of reverb, delays and not much else.

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TL: You host a regular net radio show (like all movers and shakers do..) and in doing so have access to a lot of up and coming material and talent - in your opinion, who's making waves at the moment, and who do you see really establishing themselves in the scene over the next few years?

BS: There are plenty of promising artists that have only been around a few years or have recently come from nowhere who I'd say watch out for. It's difficult to predict who'll break through as unfortunately it's not just down to talent or good records, especially now. I'd recommend checking out some of these names:

Quince
Kazu Kimura
Norman Chung
The Third Man
Etiku Dancer
Tor Lowkrantz

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TL: Above and beyond your immense solo output, you're also known for various live collaborations, including Roku and Frequency 7. How did these projects come about?

BS: Roku (Six in Japanese) was an accident really. Mark and I were playing a gig in Amsterdam and the promoter got a bit excited and billed us as playing together on 6 decks, even though we'd never discussed it or agreed to do it. On the night it was obvious the crowd were waiting to see it so we just thought fuck it and gave it a go, and it worked. Over the next couple of years we travelled around and played at some great parties (including The Orbit-Leeds, Liquid Room-Tokyo, Fabrik-Madrid, Retrovert-London, Monegros festival, Fraga-Family Toledo and lots more). We had a lot of fun doing it but decided to put the project to sleep a while back now, we've played a couple of one offs in the past 12 months but it's very unlikely to be revived again now. There weren't so many DJ teams at the time so it felt like we were doing something fresh, now there are lots so it's not as interesting for us.

With Frequency 7 (Named after a track by 80s electronic outfit Visage), Tony and I definitely feel we're doing something special, technically and musically. We feed really well off each other and although our individual styles differ, when we play together we create a new sound and on many occasions play tracks that we wouldn't always get away with playing solo. Disco, drum n bass, acid house, broken beat and dubstep all make their way into the rapidly changing unpredictable mix up. It's a challenge that we both enjoy and hope to be doing for years to come.

The project came about after Tony played at one of my Retro-vert boat parties, I'd played the bit before his set and a bit after, it just flowed really well and Tony saw that we could achieve even more actually playing together. We had a couple of practice runs and secret shows in the UK, then took the show on the road. So far its been going very well and our next gig is at the legendary Florida 135 club in Spain later this month.

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TL: Looking to 2008, you have numerous other labels and imprints in full flow despite the end of the seminal Ingoma series. What can we expect from these in 2008?

BS: This year's been a bit weird for releasing music so I haven't focused on it much, just the last Ingoma release. The industry is on it's arse and that often saps enthusiasm for running a label (not to mention the loss of money involved when distribution companies keep dying all around you..) but I'm trying to stay positive and have some quality releases lined up for early 2008. First up is a sampler EP on Theory featuring unreleased tracks by fine artists taken from my forthcoming mix CD. That will be followed by another EP on Theory with the Essex Rascals (Paul Mac, Mark Broom, Tony Anderson and myself) all laying down a track each. After that I have planned releases for Symbolism plus some re-edits and remixes of lesser known Chicago gems from way back when that I've been dropping for over a year.

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TL: The word on the street is that the forthcoming mix you mention is out in January.. we've been looking forward to this for a while. Can you tell us any more?

BS: It's the follow up to my first ever proper mix CD in 2001, Escapism. Escapism Part 2 has been in discussion for quite a while so I'm just happy for it to be finally happening. It's an accurate representation of what I'm spinning now, from tough house to Detroit techno to hardgroove to Chicago jackers with a little bit of new school acid house.

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TL: As you pointed out, your sets feature a whole range of different styles - was it difficult choosing the tracks to feature on the mix, or was it a pretty straight forward decision?

BS: It's always a difficult process preparing mix CDs, I want them to represent what I'm playing in general, rather than just what's in my box at the time or what I just played at a big festival. I usually choose a bunch of tracks, maybe 50, then wait to see what gets cleared for licensing. Not everything does. Unfortunately you can't always get what you want. In fact, the first Escapism album was going to be called 'Too far Gone', named after a line in Adonis' classic 'No Way Back', but we couldn't clear it. Then I have a mix about for a few days, change some tracks and repeat the process at least once again. I take a lot of time doing them, but I enjoy it..


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Ben's Escapism part 2 mix album will be out in January - keep your fucking eyes peeled