Exclusive Interview with Fritz Kalkbrenner

Siam2nite had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with Fritz Kalkbrenner, shortly before his performance at Elektro Liquid Festival on 11th April.

You are a DJ, Producer and singer from Germany’s capital Berlin and have been part of the local techno and electro scene since the early 90s. Your music is a mix of Deep House and Tech House. How would you describe your music in a few words?

This is actually not so easy to put in words, I have to admit that. Nowadays more and more artists turn out to be that kind of special that when you look for a label or a box to put them I then they only have a box where just pretty much they fit it. For example, like Modeselektor and Moderat, these guys do such a unique sound and if you wanted to explain how they sound like, then you can just say that they sound like them.
 My music comes from the classical electronic dance music, from House & Techno, but it also features a whole lot of live instruments that I use in my productions and it also features my songwriting. It is a blend of what I experienced in the clubs in the late 90s to the 2000s, such as Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk and all that. I actually try to translate that in a modern day version.

You are best known for the track “Sky And Sand” which you produced with your brother Paul Kalkbrenner. In October 2014 you released your newest album „Ways Over Water“ which includes the track “Back Home”. What can you tell us about the new album, its creation process and how does it differ from previous albums?

When I’m looking back on the first album this was done more like a “bedroom producer” album. You have a certain sound in mind that you want to have realized and you flicker around and forth and back and forth with the samples of the guitar rigs and you want to make the sound a little bit cheeky, and then you got that album and it turns out to be little tiny success and you can go a step further and you start to work with real life musicians, like bass players and guitar players.. and on the new album I was thinking about what new things I can add to my production, so I was talking with studio musicians here in Berlin, speaking of lots of woodwind and brass instruments, clarinets, flutes, trombones, cause they have a real nice and deep grainy texture, something that like pretty much… this is actually supporting that sort of physical and melancholically push that my music needs.

What other tracks – besides “Sky And Sand” and “Back Home” - would you recommend as an introduction for someone that is not yet familiar with your music?

You can actually choose whatever you like as a track; pick one out of my 3 albums. It is actually pretty hard to say this is the one that gives you an overview of all that he is doing, versatile artists have different kinds of styles. Try the track “Wes” which is a pretty vibey and pretty push-forward track. On the new album there is one song which is called “Everyday” which I like pretty much. That would be good to start with.

What are you currently working and focusing on? What’s on your agenda for the near future?

We just had the commercial release in the Unite States where I have been touring, and we played the South By Southwest festival, which was great , and we had awesome shows in Los Angeles, New York, as well as Montreal. Now I’m right back here (in Berlin) and we’re working on the 3rd single… but I don’t want to say too much about it in advance, so it stays a surprise. The festival season is already coming and we will play in Ibiza, so there is quite a lot of work ahead… but no complaints about that!

Looking back over the past 7 years since the release of “Sky And Sand”, what are your personal highlights, the best and the worst gigs you ever played and what were the funniest things ever occurred during any of your performances?

Through all these times and many shows a lot of weird things had happened on those shows. I remember we played a concert show here in Germany and there were two young ladies wanting to show their appreciation and they threw their high heels shoes at me and they did it like a baseball pitcher… so I was actually hit by that high heels shoes on my forehead and that almost knocked me out and I stood wounded on the stage… sounds pretty hard and rough but afterwards turns out to be a funny thing. That was one of the most surprising things that happened on a live show.

What can you tell us about clubbing and nightlife in Berlin? Do you have any nightlife-related suggestions for first-time visitors?

I actually have to admin that I’m can’t tell you much about the current club scene here in Berlin because I’m so rarely here at home. When I’m here I sometimes go to Watergate or Berhain, that’s always a good address to go to if you want to have some decent clubbing. But besides that, I’m afraid you have to ask somebody else.

On April 11 you will make your Bangkok Debut at the “Elektro Liquid Festival”. Have you visited Thailand before? What can the Bangkok crowd expect of your performance?

At my live performances I always try to give some sort of an overall view on what I did, all these 3 albums and the EPs in between. A kind of a stream; so not only the new ones or just the classics. It’s kind of a merging blend that goes all over and shows spectrum of what I do. Of course it will be a great live show as it is my first time in Thailand ever.