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Tiefschwarz are about to release an 'inspirations' album, which I've heard and is quality. This is an interview they did a few weeks ago and you can check out the tracklist and clips here:
Enjoy!
Where did you two guys first meet?
My brother always says that he met me fifteen years ago in Turkey. So I’m Ali the Turkish guy! But yeah, we met after he was born. I was already here and then two and a half years later my brother showed up.
How old are the both of you then?
I just turned 40 and my brother is 38, so we’re already quite old and that’s why we’re aware of all the Strictly Rhythm history.
How did you feel about turning 40?
Well actually it feels totally wicked for me. I’ve never had a problem with age or getting older, and for me it’s just a number. We had an amazing birthday party with a whole bunch of friends. We went to a farmhouse outside of Berlin and stayed there for three days, so we had a perfect celebration. For me it’s more about the day to day living, as opposed to just the numbers. If I’m feeling well I don’t care about the age!
So how do you feel when you’re in the clubs and you look down at the girls in front of the DJ booth and they’re all 20 years younger than you?
I think ‘one daughter, another daughter’, ha ha ha! It really depends. In Berlin you have a lot more older people going out. The average age in Berlin is I would say around 30, so you have a lot of people around my age. And I have a lot of DJ friends who are even older than me. It’s changed a lot over the years. It’s not so much about age, but more about your confidence and how you present yourself, and your passion for what you are doing. It’s not about “oh, look at that old father over there”. If you’re doing what you are doing well, then age really doesn’t matter.
So let’s talk a little about how you got hooked on house music. You started a club night in Stuttgart in the early 90s. From being a promoter what was it that pushed you into becoming a DJ?
Well with a friend I was running two clubs for about seven years. It was much more than just promoting it, as we were running the whole thing. It was really good experience to work in that way, doing everything. Besides being resident DJ, we were promoting the night, inviting interesting people and all the paper work behind the scenes, which was actually really difficult because at that time we were young, and full of passion for going out.
Were your clubs the place to be in Stuttgart at the time?
Oh definitely. The first club was from 1990 to ’93, and the second from ’93 to ’97, and they were both hot spots at that time. The second club was all about deep house, and all about Strictly Rhythm. We would invite people from all over the world, especially all the big American DJs from that time. It was a very, very small tiny club, and people would ask “how can you manage to get these people in this little hole in the ground?”
Do you remember the big names you had down at the time?
We had Masters at Work, Tony Humphreys, Mark Dunne. A lot of big German DJs from that time who were into deep house. A lot of Italians too. We had a really wide range of really good house music at that time. A lot of Chicago house DJs would come down.
I guess your genuine passion for the music was enough to attract a lot of those names.
Exactly. It was all about passion for the music, and nothing else. We didn’t really care about the rest. It was quite messy, but in the end we got so much out of it. We started to produce, and through being resident DJs we got in touch with all the big names from that time. They started promoting the club and so we would get offers from outside of the city. That’s when we began travelling, even if it was only near our home town or within Germany.
So that’s when your DJ career began to kick off?
That’s right. We started in the first club back in 1990, but that was more about music in general. From reggae to dance hall and techno, from jazz to hip hop. It was a time when everything like that was combined. In the beginning we didn’t even know how to mix, we just taught ourselves there and then. It was a very interesting time.
And I guess that’s when you started establishing your credibility, through having the hottest DJs and the hottest crowds. Is that credibility something you think you’ve been able to carry through to this day?
Absolutely. We’ve kind of redefined ourselves many times over the years, as we believe it’s very important to move forward and not stick to the same sound. We don’t want to get bored with our own music. We re-develop our sound, by trying to dig deeper and find more challenges. That’s why the face of Tiefshwarz is constantly changing, and that’s what makes it really interesting for us.
How would you describe your sound?
I always tend to describe our sound as modern dance music. It’s actually like you said. We have a big variety in our sound, and that’s what we love. We have sets where it’s techno house, or really minimal, but then we have sets where we play a really wide range. But you’re right – basically it’s all about house. Whether your coming from a minimalist perspective, a techno perspective or a deep house perspective, the base to our sound is always house.
You’ve gone on record as saying that in terms of production, Germany is currently leading the way. Is there anybody out there on your radar that you feel is giving you a run for your money?
Of course there are a number of really talented German producers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Germany is number one. It’s not a competition! There’s a whole lot of talent in Germany, and you just have to recognise that. There are so many good people out there, like the techno scene in Paris right now. Guys like Marc Antona, and the Freak n’ Chic guys. And people like Ewan Pearson and Matthew Dear. There’s a lot of really great stuff happening in Berlin at the moment, but it’s all international guys, not just Berliners. And that’s a great mixture.
As brothers, and partners in producing, how difficult is it to satisfy each others tastes when you’re producing a record?
Well, in the studio, it’s actually quite easy. Sometimes we have more difficulties DJing than producing. We kind of have the same language when we’re in the studio, like when we’re programming something, and there’s a rhythm and a beat, we kind of always have the same ideas. It’s always very constructive. We never really get to the stage where we’re like “that’s bullshit”. It’s more like he says something; I say something and we build it up. There’s never any rivalry or anything, it’s all quite smooth and easy going. It seems like we’ve developed this kind of unspoken language. When you’re together and you work together for a long time it starts to become automatic, and you can tell what the other person wants or is thinking without them having to tell you. You have this sensibility about your partner’s creativity and you can just feel what’s coming.
How about you? After gigs do you still like to go out and party, or are you much reserved and inclined to head back and relax in the hotel?
It really depends. We have no rules. It can either go from a proper after party, or I could back in my bed five minutes after we finish the gig. It happens in Ibiza maybe that you’ll on after the gig, but a lot of the time you have to travel straight afterwards anyway.
How did you feel to be asked to do this compilation?
We were like “Strictly?! What’s going on?! Are they starting again?” And then we started remembering the old days, and it all came flooding back to us like a wave. We started digging through our collections and found all these really interesting, unique tracks from that time. We were totally honoured.
So all those tracks that we were looking through and re-discovering; will they be making an appearance on the compilation?
Of course. We sat down and though ‘what do we really like about Strictly?’, and we discovered that it was more of the early days. That’s not to say that the later stuff was not good – it was really good – it’s just that the earlier stuff came before a time when Strictly was more worldwide, and had the proper massive hits from guys like Armand Van Helden and Erick Morillo. We wanted to focus more on the stuff that was not so obvious, and perhaps a little more bizarre, so we more-or-less focused on the period of 1990 to ’93.
Are there any of those records that hold particular memories for you guys?
A lot memories. Aly-Us ‘Follow Me’, the closing song on the compilation, still gives me goose bumps every time it’s played. And we used to play that in our club. That was the music we played night after night. We were really addicted to deep house, so that was the music we really pushed. And then, of course, Phuture ‘Rise From Your Grave’. I remember I saw DJ Pierre playing in 1990 in a club and I was almost paralysed. I was just like “what the fuck is this?” So that’s actually the track we chose to remix, and we’re doing that next week, in fact.
How would you like people to remember you?
I think people would remember us in a good way, as party DJs who never stuck to one clich?. I hope people remember us as two crazy brothers who gave us great parties and great fun on the dance floor with great music from A to Z.
Enjoy!
Where did you two guys first meet?
My brother always says that he met me fifteen years ago in Turkey. So I’m Ali the Turkish guy! But yeah, we met after he was born. I was already here and then two and a half years later my brother showed up.
How old are the both of you then?
I just turned 40 and my brother is 38, so we’re already quite old and that’s why we’re aware of all the Strictly Rhythm history.
How did you feel about turning 40?
Well actually it feels totally wicked for me. I’ve never had a problem with age or getting older, and for me it’s just a number. We had an amazing birthday party with a whole bunch of friends. We went to a farmhouse outside of Berlin and stayed there for three days, so we had a perfect celebration. For me it’s more about the day to day living, as opposed to just the numbers. If I’m feeling well I don’t care about the age!
So how do you feel when you’re in the clubs and you look down at the girls in front of the DJ booth and they’re all 20 years younger than you?
I think ‘one daughter, another daughter’, ha ha ha! It really depends. In Berlin you have a lot more older people going out. The average age in Berlin is I would say around 30, so you have a lot of people around my age. And I have a lot of DJ friends who are even older than me. It’s changed a lot over the years. It’s not so much about age, but more about your confidence and how you present yourself, and your passion for what you are doing. It’s not about “oh, look at that old father over there”. If you’re doing what you are doing well, then age really doesn’t matter.
So let’s talk a little about how you got hooked on house music. You started a club night in Stuttgart in the early 90s. From being a promoter what was it that pushed you into becoming a DJ?
Well with a friend I was running two clubs for about seven years. It was much more than just promoting it, as we were running the whole thing. It was really good experience to work in that way, doing everything. Besides being resident DJ, we were promoting the night, inviting interesting people and all the paper work behind the scenes, which was actually really difficult because at that time we were young, and full of passion for going out.
Were your clubs the place to be in Stuttgart at the time?
Oh definitely. The first club was from 1990 to ’93, and the second from ’93 to ’97, and they were both hot spots at that time. The second club was all about deep house, and all about Strictly Rhythm. We would invite people from all over the world, especially all the big American DJs from that time. It was a very, very small tiny club, and people would ask “how can you manage to get these people in this little hole in the ground?”
Do you remember the big names you had down at the time?
We had Masters at Work, Tony Humphreys, Mark Dunne. A lot of big German DJs from that time who were into deep house. A lot of Italians too. We had a really wide range of really good house music at that time. A lot of Chicago house DJs would come down.
I guess your genuine passion for the music was enough to attract a lot of those names.
Exactly. It was all about passion for the music, and nothing else. We didn’t really care about the rest. It was quite messy, but in the end we got so much out of it. We started to produce, and through being resident DJs we got in touch with all the big names from that time. They started promoting the club and so we would get offers from outside of the city. That’s when we began travelling, even if it was only near our home town or within Germany.
So that’s when your DJ career began to kick off?
That’s right. We started in the first club back in 1990, but that was more about music in general. From reggae to dance hall and techno, from jazz to hip hop. It was a time when everything like that was combined. In the beginning we didn’t even know how to mix, we just taught ourselves there and then. It was a very interesting time.
And I guess that’s when you started establishing your credibility, through having the hottest DJs and the hottest crowds. Is that credibility something you think you’ve been able to carry through to this day?
Absolutely. We’ve kind of redefined ourselves many times over the years, as we believe it’s very important to move forward and not stick to the same sound. We don’t want to get bored with our own music. We re-develop our sound, by trying to dig deeper and find more challenges. That’s why the face of Tiefshwarz is constantly changing, and that’s what makes it really interesting for us.
How would you describe your sound?
I always tend to describe our sound as modern dance music. It’s actually like you said. We have a big variety in our sound, and that’s what we love. We have sets where it’s techno house, or really minimal, but then we have sets where we play a really wide range. But you’re right – basically it’s all about house. Whether your coming from a minimalist perspective, a techno perspective or a deep house perspective, the base to our sound is always house.
You’ve gone on record as saying that in terms of production, Germany is currently leading the way. Is there anybody out there on your radar that you feel is giving you a run for your money?
Of course there are a number of really talented German producers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Germany is number one. It’s not a competition! There’s a whole lot of talent in Germany, and you just have to recognise that. There are so many good people out there, like the techno scene in Paris right now. Guys like Marc Antona, and the Freak n’ Chic guys. And people like Ewan Pearson and Matthew Dear. There’s a lot of really great stuff happening in Berlin at the moment, but it’s all international guys, not just Berliners. And that’s a great mixture.
As brothers, and partners in producing, how difficult is it to satisfy each others tastes when you’re producing a record?
Well, in the studio, it’s actually quite easy. Sometimes we have more difficulties DJing than producing. We kind of have the same language when we’re in the studio, like when we’re programming something, and there’s a rhythm and a beat, we kind of always have the same ideas. It’s always very constructive. We never really get to the stage where we’re like “that’s bullshit”. It’s more like he says something; I say something and we build it up. There’s never any rivalry or anything, it’s all quite smooth and easy going. It seems like we’ve developed this kind of unspoken language. When you’re together and you work together for a long time it starts to become automatic, and you can tell what the other person wants or is thinking without them having to tell you. You have this sensibility about your partner’s creativity and you can just feel what’s coming.
How about you? After gigs do you still like to go out and party, or are you much reserved and inclined to head back and relax in the hotel?
It really depends. We have no rules. It can either go from a proper after party, or I could back in my bed five minutes after we finish the gig. It happens in Ibiza maybe that you’ll on after the gig, but a lot of the time you have to travel straight afterwards anyway.
How did you feel to be asked to do this compilation?
We were like “Strictly?! What’s going on?! Are they starting again?” And then we started remembering the old days, and it all came flooding back to us like a wave. We started digging through our collections and found all these really interesting, unique tracks from that time. We were totally honoured.
So all those tracks that we were looking through and re-discovering; will they be making an appearance on the compilation?
Of course. We sat down and though ‘what do we really like about Strictly?’, and we discovered that it was more of the early days. That’s not to say that the later stuff was not good – it was really good – it’s just that the earlier stuff came before a time when Strictly was more worldwide, and had the proper massive hits from guys like Armand Van Helden and Erick Morillo. We wanted to focus more on the stuff that was not so obvious, and perhaps a little more bizarre, so we more-or-less focused on the period of 1990 to ’93.
Are there any of those records that hold particular memories for you guys?
A lot memories. Aly-Us ‘Follow Me’, the closing song on the compilation, still gives me goose bumps every time it’s played. And we used to play that in our club. That was the music we played night after night. We were really addicted to deep house, so that was the music we really pushed. And then, of course, Phuture ‘Rise From Your Grave’. I remember I saw DJ Pierre playing in 1990 in a club and I was almost paralysed. I was just like “what the fuck is this?” So that’s actually the track we chose to remix, and we’re doing that next week, in fact.
How would you like people to remember you?
I think people would remember us in a good way, as party DJs who never stuck to one clich?. I hope people remember us as two crazy brothers who gave us great parties and great fun on the dance floor with great music from A to Z.
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