German music producer Oliver Huntemann comes to India for the first time for the Technodrome tour in Delhi (Sura Vie on Feb 4), Mumbai (Canvas Lounge on Feb 3) and Pune (Stone Water Grill on Feb 5). Starting off as a house DJ (by that I mean he DJed at people’s house parties) in the 1970s, to becoming a pioneer of the electronic music space, whether it was experimenting with a belt-driven turntable to his latest developement, the Reactable, he has tried to be a step ahead when it came to the taking a leap in the live music experience. For our viewing pleasure, Huntemann brings with him his ingenious Reactable set up, with its interactive table and sensor cubes that is basically a music synthesizer which he uses to craft his techno/electronica music during his live shows.
Playing at Canvas Lounge, Mumbai tonight, Huntemann took some time out to answer our questions, and tells us about his latest album Paranoia, his show Reactable Live, and the future of EDM.
Oliver Huntemann – Only The Paranoid Survive from Oliver Huntemann on Vimeo.
NH7: You’ve just come out with your latest album Paranoia in November 2011, which includes a free bonus DVD and a set of videos for your songs. What has been your ambition for this album and what do you feel you’ve explored within Paranoia?
OH: I already started working on the album with the intention of getting more extreme than before, combining stronger contrasts. The theme paranoia contains a lot of this and soon it grew (in)to a concept. It’s not that the tracks became darker than previous stuff of mine but the inner conflicts, the suspense as soon as the highs and lows of a paranoia provide a wide and interesting range to make music (out) of.
It was big fun working on tracks such as ‘In Times Of Trouble’, which manages to work (during) peak time in the club completely without beats. Its dramaturgy has to build in a very different way than (other) beat-based tracks. Luckily, I personally have been spared from paranoid states so far. I just liked the idea of converting it into an album concept.
I’m also very happy to announce that there will be a bonus DVD including fantastic videos of all (the) tracks in the CD package… (there are) thirteen top videos and short movies made by international artists such as Manuel Nogueira from Sao Paulo, Seb Rekorder from Brussels, Boris Nikolov from Sofia, and many others.
Oliver Huntemann – Remiix App Teaser from Oliver Huntemann on Vimeo.
With your new Remiix interactive app, which is integrated to the songs on the album, people can consume the music in Paranoia in a very interesting way. You get a chance to play with various elements of the songs and mix them up too, while the loops/bass/hook/beats sync together and sound like it’s straight off the record. How did this idea come about? What do you like about people mashing up your songs and interacting with these elements of your music, in this way?
OH: I was asked by Liine, the inventors of the Remiix-App, if I’m up for giving out a few of my tracks for it and I loved the idea from the first moment. It’s very interesting to hear what ideas other people have in mind when they are able to use parts of my tracks. Some of the remiixes are very inspiring because the guy’s worked in a totally different way.
Oliver Huntemann – Reactable Live @ Sugarfactory from Oliver Huntemann on Vimeo.
Your live shows, ‘Reactable Live’, where you bring in the dice/blocks and illuminated table that you use to play out your music, can you elaborate on how it works and how it was created?
The Reactable is a new electronic musical instrument with a simple and intuitive design, which enables musicians to experiment with sound, change its structure, control its parameters and be creative in a direct, refreshing and unseen way. It uses a table-top-tangible interface, which allows the performers to control the system by manipulating tangible objects and with their fingers. The instrument is based on a translucent and luminous round table, and by putting these pucks on the Reactable surface, by turning them, and connecting them to each other, performers can combine different elements like synthesizers, effects, sample loops or control elements in order to create a unique and flexible composition. Reactable’s pucks represent the building blocks of electronic music, each one having a different functionality in sound generation or in effect processing. In a way (it’s) deeply inspired by modular analogue synthesizers such as those developed by Bob Moog in the early ’60s. On the other side, it’s a bit like DJing. I do the whole arrangement and mashups with the Reactable. I can combine my loops, effects and filters like I want in a different way. The attraction is, of course, the visual aspect of the Reactable. That’s why we transfer live videos on screens. Additionally I’m standing in a lightcage which supports the whole performance.
Ideal Audio from Oliver Huntemann on Vimeo.
You have worked with artists, Andre Winter, Sebrok & Tassilo, and Andreas Henneberg, on your label Ideal Audio. When you sign on acts to your label, what do you particularly look for?
I look for artists who have their own hallmarks and (who are) not following a trend. I like to see how people develop their own sound without loosing the(ir) touch, to state of the art club music.
For the last couple of years you’ve collaborated with Dubfire? Do you have plans for future collaborations/projects? Maybe even Indian collaborations?
Dubfire and me have just started to continue our Elements series. ‘Aqua’ and ‘Aire’ have to be realized and I got some drafts in the studio. As soon as I’m back home I have to focus on that. Dubfire and me are playing some festivals in Australia in March together and we want to surprise the crowd with new stuff. A collaboration with an Indian artist sounds very interesting to me too.
What kind of music are you listening to at the moment? Are there any new artists that you are significantly impressed you?
I always have to mention Sebrok from Berlin. A very talented young guy and fotunately signed to my label Ideal. I like his style (very) much and just got the pre-version of his new Ideal release , which is impressively fantastic!
Check out Huntermann playing to the packed streets of Paris at the Technoparade in 2009 (you’ll also spot a familiar someone, ie David Guetta, who is coming to India for the Eristoff Invasion 2012. Tickets here)
Oliver Huntemann – Technoparade Paris 2009 from Oliver Huntemann on Vimeo.
You have immersed yourself in the world of EDM since the 1970s. How do you feel the industry has progressed since then and what do you hope to see in the future?
I love good sound and a great sound system. This is one thing I can thank technology for. I do not miss the rawness of the music from back then. However I sometimes miss the rawness of the parties. Electronic music was younger then and the people that went to the techno parties were actual fans, not random people who just got stuck at a party at some chic club but all in all I’m still happy (with) how it is. I think we are stronger and more independent than ever thanks to the internet. That helps us developing the EDM for the next twenty years.
What are you particularly looking forward to when you come to India? What can people in India look forward to at your performance?
I’m very excited because it’s my first time ever in India and I’m really looking forward to this weekend. As far as I know this will be the first time that someone performs with the Reactable which makes everything even more exciting. I have no idea how the Indian crowd reacts to my music but that is a part of my job which I really like. Expect the unexpected!
Here is Huntemann’s ‘Dark Passenger’ from his fourth studio album, Paranoia, below.
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