Exclusive Interview with Till West
Till West has always been very passionate about music. In the beginning of the 90s, when he heard the mixes of Julian ’Jumpin’ Perez, Ralphie Rosario, Farley ’Jackmaster’ Funk and Frankie Knuckles in Chicago on the radio the damage was done and back in Germany he bought his first Technics MK1210 and knew that he wanted to live his passion for electronic music in its full scope. It didn’t take long until Till West played his energetic house sets at various renowned house clubs in the cologne-area. The final breakthrough came 2006 Together with DJ Delicious, his longtime friend, he released his debut single “Same Man”. You simply can’t deny the singles worldwide success, it became a chart topper - not only in the dance charts. Since the release "Same Man" Till West is riding on a huge wave of success with releases on significant labels like Flamingo or Rise. Nowadays he joines forces with Ben Delay and released this massive stomper called "Shake It" on Housesession Records! Since August 2011 Till West is furthermore running his own Radio Show “House-Ingredients” which is already broadcasted on 16 radiostations in 10 Countries around the world. (www.house-ingredients.com)
Siam2nite had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with DJ Till West, shortly before his performance at Q Bar and BASH on 16th August.
How did you get in touch with electronic dance music in the first place and how did you get into DJing?
In the beginning of the 90s, I was on a school exchange in the US when I heard the mixes of Julian ’Jumpin’ Perez, Ralphie Rosario, Farley ’Jackmaster’ Funk and Frankie Knuckles in Chicago on the radio and back in Germany I bought my first Technics MK1210 and I knew that I wanted to live the life of a DJ in its full scope.
How would you describe your music in just a few words?
Impulsive body-moving House
Your breakthrough came in 2006 when you released your debut single “Same Man”. In 2011 you released “Shake It” which was another outstanding success. Which other tracks of yours would you recommend to someone that is not yet familiar with your music?
At the Moment “Get Down To Our Phunk” my new track together with DJ Delicious entered the German Dance Charts. Two of my other personal favorites of myself are Hi'N'Bye with Alex Prince & Eddie Thoneick and NYPD with DJ Delicious. Hi'N'Bye was a huge hit in Hungary’s radio charts next to Madonna, REM & Depeche Mode.
What are you currently working on? What’s on your agenda for the near future?
At the moment I am working on collaborations with Dave Kurtis, DJ Delicious and Ben Delay … so a lot new stuff coming out soon.
As DJ of the highly successful event series “In Bed with Space World Tour” you bring the sound of “Space Ibiza” to the world. How is it to be an ambassador for such a highly respected brand?
It’s a big honor of course and a pleasure to get the chance to play in so many clubs around the world with a company like Mind Group which I tour with since 8 years now in about 150 clubs in 30 countries. So I am happy they opened a office in Thailand so for sure I will have the pleasure to play more often in this great country on Mind Group Party brands like In Bed with Space Asia Tour, Life is a Bitch World Tour and In Touch with Ibiza Asia Tour.
What are the essential things you need to have with you at all times and what are the things you miss when you are on tour?
Essentials I need: iPhone, iPod, headphones, flash drives and fresh underwear.
What I always miss on tour… my dogs.
Looking back on all your gigs, which were your personal highlights, what was the best and the worst gig you ever played and what was the funniest thing ever occurred during any of your performances?
Playing music during sunrise on open airs is always a special moment. There is not “the best gig” but playing the Ibiza Boatparty’s is always gorgeous.
Worst for sure was the 15.000 people open air in Poland where I had to stop my set because of a bomb alarm, after the police checked the area I could go on playing (2hours later).
You are running your own radio show called “House-Ingredients”. What can you tell us about its concept and where can people listen to it?
The concept is to build every single show like a complete club night, starting with the deeper soulful tracks up to the harder uplifting stuff. Or like a menu or a late night dinner with different tasting courses. The show is broadcasted in Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, UK and USA on 30 radio stations.
On 16th August you will perform live here in Bangkok at Q Bar. Have you visited Thailand before? Will your performance be your Bangkok debut?
I was on Koh Samui 2 years ago and really enjoyed it, one of the best trips of my life. Yes it’s going to be my Bangkok debut.
Are you adventurous if it comes to food? Do you try the local dishes of the countries you travel to, or do you usually eat what you know from home? Do you enjoy Thai food?
Oh yes, and I love to get inspirations for my own cooking, check out houseingredients on Instagram and you will see how much I love food and cooking. Thai kitchen is for sure one of the best inspirations, next to the traditional Italian cuisine.
What can Bangkok expect from your performance at Q Bar?
I am looking forward to play an energetic House set and have a great party together with the crowd at Q Bar.