When one could assume, &ME entered the House and Techno world somewhat out of the blue, it is due to his sublime modesty that’s already captured in his alias. His way to become one of today’s most praised and sought after DJ/producers is based on a solid foundation. To make common cause with Fetisch, delivering beats for their joint venture Terranova and releasing EPs and an album on Kompakt plus his collaborations with Nic Fanciulli and releases on Saved Records and his project NR& with fellow producer Rampa and singer Nomi (Hercules & Love Affair, Jessica 6) are just a few milestones of that path. Not to forget his solo productions, that made himself a name in a quite unparalleled way. “F.I.R.” – his first release on keinemusik, a collective of Berlin based DJs and producers, including Rampa, Adam Port, David Mayer, Reznik & artist Monja Gentschow, he helped founding in 2009, was a massive clubhit, but in the end not much more than a foretaste of things to come. With productions on various labels, his reputation as a gifted producer and DJ extraordinaire spread into international realms, and that’s where he stands right now, as his blend of Techno and soulful Housemusic took incredible shape: Many new projects in focus and clearly visible as one of the most unique and original figures in the game.
Why &ME? It’s a very clever moniker, how did it come to be? Was it a ‘lightbulb’ moment or did you deliberate painstakingly over the name?
Don’t think it was that clever. Pretty hard to find or tag me on all the socials. Just thought it was a nice letter combination.
How did your life change after the birth of Keinemusik, the music label you co-founded back in 2009, in terms of label family, your own production, and possible stress that comes with owning a label?
In the beginning I can’t say that it was stress. We did everything just for the fun but still tried our best to get everything right.
We were lucky that it all went great right from the start and that is what kept us going. Now it has gone from a full-time hobby to a full-time job that I like very much.
What is the magic between &ME, Rampa and Adam Port? How did ‘Keine’ come to be?
Think the magic is that we are going the same path for nearly 10 years now and we learned about each other a lot. Especially when it comes to b2b2b sets where we figured out the best possible combination for us to play. Took us a while.
Electronic music and collaborations fit together like snares and synths. Keinemusik recently released the album ‘You Are Safe,’ which features much collaboration between you, Rampa and Adam Port. Are collaborations more fun and inspiring than working solo?
It depends. Most of the time you definitely work faster ‘cos decisions are made very quickly. Regarding the album we decided on sharing the work instead of sharing the space in the studio which made much more sense for us. Three guys in front of one computer can be pretty uninspiring sometimes.
Your tour schedule is out of this world! With barely a few days off here and there before missioning to the next gig, how do you manage your time between producing, touring and ‘me-time?’
It’s always a hassle but it helps structuring the week so you can make the most of the time that is left between the gigs. Monday is usually the day off.
What is your golden rule for travelling?
Download as much as possible to your Netflix app.
What is your favourite part of performing?
My favourite moment is when people are totally into the music, so you can play all the stuff you want.
Do you still get nervous before your set?
Not really nervous but there is a certain level of excitement. Heart rate is definitely up.
https://soundcloud.com/keinemusik/muye-3
What about testing a new track for the first time? Does that still give you butterflies?
When I test tracks for the first time I am way too analytical to get too excited over it.
If you have a day or two off in a city you’re touring in, how do you like to spend the time?
I love sightseeing and having local food so that is what I am doing all the time when I get some days off in a different country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPrfYPLjwP8