Blake.Baxter.Tresor.Rec.
Interview by Matze Translation by Matze
Interview. on.the. 20th.September atTresor.

Let's start with a few questions about the new CD that you recorded. What is it like? Just a few sentences please.
Well, I just recently did a mix-CD for TRESOR, for the GLOBUS house, because I always play at GLOBUS. I prefer more housier things. I like Techno, minimal Techno, so I combine the two styles - I call it HouseTech. I have an album coming out in Oct. at TRESOR and that stuff is different from the things I recorded in the past. It's much more housy with Disko roots in it. I also did some sort of Trip Hop stuff, you know. I like Trip Hop. Don't misunderstand - I like Techno, but I like to do a variety of things, you know. I just don't wanna be considered a Techno artist - more as an artist. 'Cause, you know, when you do Techno, people expect you to be one way, or a rocket scientist and I am more into different things, you know. It's changing.
Not bad. But not many DJ's in Detroit do it like you do. Is that right?
Yeah, that's right. 'Cause I used to be into writing poems and stuff, and that's how I came to talking over the rhythm-patterns and stuff, 'cause they are poems that I have written and I speak them over the patterns. In the end the sound has to describe the variety of different situations that I was talking about in my poems: sexy lyrics, happy lyrics about a girl or whatever, you know. What was first: poems or music?
Actually it was poems. And I always had a love for music and I had a very musical family and i used to watch 'em. So i was writing poems always, then i got into the music and I finally combined it, you know. Because of Prince I like his sexual approach to music and everything. (I do a gesture) Yeeaahh! So I just got into that style of lyric-writing and Techno music. Because I thought Techno at the time was a new form of music and I was really excited about it..so.. that's why I really got into Techno.
What's your reason to work together with your german companions from TRESOR label? Do you think that the germans are more open to your experiments?
Well, I don't know, when I first came over to germany I was working with Jeff Mills and Mike Banks, they brought me over to germany. At that time they were very much into underground resistance and hardcore, you know. then it was like, ehm... I think germany in the whole is more openminded. They prefer a variety of music. I mean you can go to a Hip Hop concert, you can go to a Techno club or Trance, Drum&Bass or whatever: they´re all packed with people you meet on different locations. People respect that and that's what I like. I think germany gave me a big chance to really experiment with different things. They help me to try out a lot. You know, in america I have to play straight House or Disko-house or Hip Hop and over here I can do different things.
You can do what you really like. Right. Absolutely. What else do you notice when you compare the states and germany?
Well... In America Techno is underground. In Germany it's more like mainstream. I mean it in a way like, okay you have so many people that are into Techno and it's so many different kinds of Techno, but any kind of Techno in America is Underground and not really excepted. But here, you know, so many different things are excepted. And in germany it's less the dj-ing. It's really different. There are more clubs here in europe and in germany, so the americans identify themselves more with one club. Your style, the way you dance, all that is important and the dj is just one person like the others when he is not well-known. That's why the clubs don't need to fly people in, they don't pay money for that. They really don't care for producers or the dj. He's just the guy playin' records, you know. Over here there are many djs spinnin' on one evening and they respect each other, work together and the people are more sensitive for the djs and their music. The germans pay more attention to details like: who is he, where is he from, how long is he practicing and so on. In the states they don't give a shit. Yes. In Berlin it's more this 'support your local heroes'-thing... Yeah, right. ...every club has it's own resident djs but whenever there is someone famous coming from elsewhere they will play together. That's why most of the guys from Detroit are over in europe or in germany, because they don't give a shit in Detroit! In New York, you know, the gay-szene they support their djs but anything outsida that.. forget it, you know! Unless you have a lot of hit-records, ya need to go. I mean you can have underground-hits, but that's not good enough. You have to have commercials. That's why a lot of djs like Tony Humphreys and Davy Morales , George Morel and all those guys do more commercial things because it helps their career. That's what melting from the big companies and smaller labels shows. It's a trend in just that direction. Yeah, exactly. The leading companies sign the small labels now and that's a big thing. A lot of american independent labels aren't goin' further because they have to look at the money to buy more equipment and to widen the promotion.
Yeah, that happens a lot in the states. And how do you feel then? When I think of the times when it all began, the business was run mostly because of a lot of private investments of a few people. Oh, when I started to make music I did it for the fun and I did it just to expose myself. Now I do it for the money but I still love to do it. But now I realize that I need the money to buy equipment and things like that to keep my lifestyle goin', I always watch out for better technics and better sounds... so in a way it gets you hooked like a junkie! I mean everyone has it's own favourites, but I really like computers and new samplers and all that shit
Does it influence your poems? No, because that's just a pen and paper and I sort of tell how I feel. That never really changes. I think my music changes but anything else not - the way I write and stuff. But then, usually when I write something, I still like to keep the music simple and raw and that's a problem because the european culture -as far as like techno- has taken the detroit sound and putting their own productions onto the things and it's mostly a very good quality of sound! So in america people like things a little rougher with edges in it but in the UK and europe they like to tweez things out and produce samples with a wide spectrum... Portishead is a good example. Yeah, exactly! So you have to sink or swim. And keep on working on and with your style without comprimizing to much. That's what you're working towards. Yes.
Something about your hometown now. Would you say that the "detroit music-style" is influenced by european styles or the other way round? Yes. It's kind of a mix between euro-electronic dance and house, disco and funk. Our influences are of an earlier nature. Industrial like. Think of Depeche Mode for example. Later on that Acid and Acid-Jazz stuff was kind of involved, you know.
Is Detroit Techno kind of "Black Music"? Black in a way as dark, underground and not mainstream. In the beginning there where many black artists but after a while it became a mix because there was a huge techno following. But right now you notice a higher percentage of young suburban white kids. And, you know, most of the now practicing djs in Detroit are much younger than me. I'm one of the older part and I'm in my late twenties! The thing is that the promotors are getting younger and younger. Most of them don't do the job for long. And the "new" kids don't really like to book the "old" kids, you know. That's why the House scene changes a lot in the moment. Whenever a german goes to America he has to notice that there is a much higher percentage of black people than in germany.
How do you feel when you walk through berlin? It absolutely depends on where you had been in the U.S.. In N.Y. for example there are very many black people but not really in Detroit. Maybe a few more than in Berlin. But although it was really strange for me to come over here. You know when black people meet in the streets they often go like 'Hey what's up?' but when you do that in Berlin they will look at you like 'Hey man, what's wrong with you?' But in the end you are black by birth in America and the different races live completely in their own ways and styles. The people are divided. In Germany and in Europe they are much more openminded and most people wanna find out who you are as a person. It's not that "black and white"- thing. I like coming over here because you are treated as an individual.
So you never had a problem with racists. Well, I had! A few times at the airport and once they didn't let me go into a club. It was a private club in Frankfurt and the sucking guys at the door just told me roughly that I had to leave. It was terrible. I really got angry because there was no reason! And at he airport, well... not really big things. Most people are absolutely correct but you often notice elderly germans or brits who ignore blacks. They can hardly stand a black person who is in line before them or by side in the toilet or something like that and sometimes they even talk shit. I can only hope that these happenings don't influence your Trips to europe in a bad way. Oh, no. As I said: that doesn't really happen often. And it's not really different in the U.S. O.K.. Then it's time to finish. I guess that you have to work now. I'll hope that you come back to germany soon and have the best sound tonight. Thanks for the nice Interview!
Yeah, no problem. Thank you and good bye! © Wild-Site