Interview with Chris Liebing- TA exclusive
1. What is your motivation when producing new tracks? Is it moods, dreams, certain events in your life?
• Mostly, it’s the weekends. I try to grab the vibe of the weekend, go down in the studio, and try to transform that vibe into a track.
2. So, u come out with a new track every Monday?
• I would love to but I don’t have the time. But now with the new software I’m using, I’m using a lot of new Matrixing software to produce on the laptop, so u can capture your ideas on the laptop, and go to the studio and finish the track.
3. Which Stigmata track is your favorite?
• It changes moodwise… Stigmata 5a1, 8a1, 10c2, and 10a1 it goes on…
4. The tracks on your latest CD, ‘Evolution’ are quite different from your previous productions. Do u plan to make more experimental music in the future?
• It’s funny, I hear that a lot, but from my point of view, I don’t really think that. I’ll just keep on producing and whatever comes out, comes out. There’s always changes going on. I have no idea where it’s going to lead to.
5. Where do you think the future of techno is going?
• I think technology-wise, we’re just starting, we’re still very much at the beginning. What happened in the last 10-15 yrs with techno we saw what we can do with the new technology producing-wise, with all the electronics, and there is so much happening now, even within the last ½ year computer-wise as well- computers have gotten so strong they can handle the latest software products. I think its still at the beginning- it will take us a lot further. There’s going to be much more interaction with music stars and techno already has influenced a lot of pop music and hip hop.
6. Do you see techno becoming more mainstream?
• No, I don’t think so. The techno in which I am involved in or others I know, I think we’ll always be some sort of subculture. Eventually, some of these tracks have the potential to be mass marketed. Yes, the fanbase is growing, but I don’t really know if that is the ‘goal’ of making techno really popular. It’s one of the reasons why its only accessible for a certain amount of people. If you make it more accessible, you will lose the point behind techno. I think that’s where the ideas come from, cuz it’s so minimalist, it can’t be so accessible for lots of people. I think parts of it will come out of techno, get more accessible, but in the end I think it will stay as a subculture.
7. Which festival do you look forward to playing every year?
• Nature One in Germany is the festival I really look forward to. The gigs there have been very special for me. There is also Love Parade and Mayday.
8. Besides techno, which genre of music do you listen to?
• Anything on the same energetic scale as techno, like Limp Biscuit or Linkin Park, or really moody stuff, like Massive Attack.
9. Top 5 tracks of the moment?
• I always get asked for my charts, but I’m really bad at doing my charts. The concept of charts is always to put out the best tracks you like, but there is so many things you like in different moments, so its hard for me to say and I always get a bad reaction from people who always ask for my chart and never get it.
10. Any upcoming projects?
• I’ve done a lot of recent collaborations with Speedy J. I think I will even start a new label, a more personalized label.
11. How long have you been working with final scratch?
• 3 years.
12. Is there anything you miss about working with vinyl?
• I do work with vinyls still on my 3rd turntable, so I have the best of both worlds.
13. Do u think you’re as spontaneous using Final Scratch as you were using vinyl?
• I think I’m even more spontaneous. You are able to switch tracks so quickly, you were never able to with vinyl. You have to get your record off the turntable, put it back, put the new one on… with Final Scratch, it’s a matter of touching a button.
14. Do you think Final Scratch is the way of the future?
• It’s definitely 1 step into that. I think the turntable is the main interface. The CD’s could never really take over in our genre, but who knows what happens in 10 years? Final Scratch is like putting the world of the interface of the music together with digital possibilities of today.
15. Is there any DJ you think we should keep our eyes out for?
• There is a guy from Brazil called DJ Murphy, he really blew my mind. Technically, he’s so amazing. They still have a bit of a problem in Brazil getting a hold of the good music, but what he does with the records he has, it’s absolutely fantastic!
16. What are you so happy about all the time?
• I’m just happy to be able to do what I do. I’m doing what I love, why shouldn’t I be happy?
17. What is your impression of the N. American techno scene?
• I could write a book about it… There is a little crowd of techno enthusiasts that are really into the music, but the major crowd of the people… their opinion changes just too fast. They’re hopping on the next new trend. Besides the core of techno lovers, they’re definitely there, but there’s not as many as in Europe because we have a different music and club culture. When you come to the States, you have to appreciate the crowds much more, because they’re only into the music because of themselves. In Europe, you grow into it, there is subcultures everywhere of different kinds of music, the older generation passes it down to the younger generation. That really isn’t happening here. You don’t really have the clubs, and you have too many rules and laws here in the States, which prevent the culture from passing on to generations. I appreciate very much the people who are into the techno and still believe in it, and the vibe and the spirit, in spite of being here.
18. Blunts, bongs or bowls?
• I’m really, really bad at pipes or bongs… I’ll instantly die. I react really quickly on anything, whether its alcohol or a joint. I do love to smoke my joint from time to time, and I’m quite open with that. Its something that grows on this planet, and if someone has a right to drink a beer, I have a right to smoke a joint. I won’t do that in the States openly, but I will in Europe. I just hate those old idiots who think that drinking a beer is much better than smoking a joint. There is absolutely no sense or rationality to that.
Thank you very much.
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Nathalie would like to thank Chris Liebing for taking the time to give this interview and Dee Sampson of Invasian Media for arranging the interview and for patiently waiting.
Chris Liebing appears this Saturday at The Guverment as part of the 3rd Canadian German Festival in Toronto.
http://www.germanfestival.ca/html/2...5clubnight.html
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"When I die, I want to be buried under the dancefloor"- Frankie Madgenta
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