Exclusive Interview: Oliver Huntemann

Here is another HOME exclusive interview, this time with DJ/producer Oliver Huntemann. He talks about DM, remixing “Everything Counts”, and much more!

Confused Records have been going strong since 1995, what brought you to starting the label and why do you think the label has had such longevity?

I started Confused because I wanted a platform where I could do anything I wanted. No compromises, only music that I like and my own productions. I run the label together with my longtime partner Jan Langer, who also works for labels such as Herzblut with Stephan Bodzin, Spielzeug with Thomas Schumacher, Pickadoll with John Dahlback and few others. He is responsible for the office stuff and I take care of all the music. The intention of the label was to release only good electronic dance music, no matter what style is. That’s why we named it Confused Recordings. I don’t know why Confused has had such longevity, maybe it’s because we always try to find something new.

The latest sub-label is Dance Electric, how do you want to separate it from what might be released on Confused?

Confused is more for the darker style while Dance Electric is a bit more housy, sometimes with vocals. The next releases are from Remo with Chelonis R. Jones, who normally works for Get Physical, and Ascii Disko from Madrid. Both are great underground vocal releases. On Confused we have new stuff from Delon & Dalcan, Oxia feat. Ginoabs and Snake, a fantastic remix by Audiofly for Mizar from Remo and, of course, stuff of mine. Next is the track “Sao Paulo” which I’ve exclusively produced for my new DJ mix-cd PLAY! 01. I’ve recorded a DJ set live at the club D-Edge in Sao Paulo and the mix will be released on CD at the end of February. It’s the start of a new compilations series of mine.

The German scene has become so massive the last few years, how do you feel about it and the future of the electronic music coming out of Germany and in general?

It was very surprising for me to see the German scene growing that much after the big crisis a few years ago. But Germany has always had a lot of electronic music producers and a big underground scene and we have a huge history when you think about Kraftwerk, for example. Berlin is a melting pot at the moment and a lot of artists from everywhere try to live there. It seems that the whole world looks to Germany and especially to Berlin. There is so much creativity here and you feel it. But on the other side there are always brilliant artist everywhere in the world. I like a lot stuff from France and the UK. People always ask me “how is Berlin, how is the Panorama-Bar, how is Love Parade…”, doesn’t matter where I am. I think most of the Germans don’t know how much the people talk about our music scene and how big our standing is. It’s a good feeling for me.

Has it reached a saturation point or is there more great music to come?

Ha ha, believe me this is just the beginning!

Depeche have used a lot of German remixers for the singles from their last record, how does that make you feel? Do you think they are trying to get in on the hip, underground thing or do you think they are giving back to the community that they may have influenced?

Depeche Mode always knew where they came from and where they are influenced by. They’re the band with the most dance mixes, I bet. They are always up to date and on every point of their career they have always asked for remixes by the coolest and best producers. There are so many of their remixes that I’ve played over the years. So many unforgettable edits such as theTimo Maas or Deep Dish ones. Thank you Dave, Martin, Andy and Mute for believing in the underground and for giving us a lot of inspirations over the years!

You and Stephan Bodzin have done a lot of work together, how did the two of you meet and start working on projects together?

In 1994 I had a dj-residency at a club in Bremen where I worked together with Oliver Bodzin, Stephan´s brother. Oliver gave me a tape with productions from Stephan and I was totally flashed from his feeling for music and also the high level of his productions. Stephan knew me from my Humate association. When we met the first time we decided to jam a bit in the studio and after that we worked approximately every day together, for more than twelve years now.

Both you and Stephan started up Super 8 Studio, how did that come about? Are all of your projects done there now?

Ten years ago I moved from Oldenburg to Bremen and Stephan and I decided to build a studio. We’ve produced most of our projects there together, but not all. Stephan worked, for example, with Marc Romboy and Thomas Schumacher and I with Andre Winter. Last year I moved to Hamburg and Stephan is running the studio in Bremen by himself. We are still working together on a few projects, but not as much as in the past decade.

You both have worked under other names, H-man or Rekorder for example, why not remix “Everything Counts” under one of your alias?

Remixing Depeche Mode is such an honour for us that we wanted use our real names on this one. This is who we are and the rest are “only” projects. Don’t get me wrong, we love our projects, but the productions under our real names are number one.

Are you much of a Depeche Mode fan?

Sure! Depeche Mode was one of the reasons why I started listening to electronic music. I remember when I first heard “Master & Servant” or “Blasphemous Rumors”… whoa, I got the creeps! One of my first concerts that I went to was the stop of the 1984 tour in Bremen. That was impressive and amazing. I am not a hardcore fan who buys all bootlegs and mixes, but I think I have most of their long players, some on vinyl some on cd. I also had some personal contact with Andy Fletcher before as well. I did a live tour through Germany with Stephan’s and my former electro-pop band Kaycee together with Client and Andy Fletcher. We did the support. So, I know Andy from these gigs, but I don’t think that he knows that we are the same guys who were touring with him three years ago.

What were you thinking when Mute approached you to remix Depeche? How did that come about?

I met Seth from Mute at the Beatport truck at the Love Parade in Berlin. I was introduced to him and he told me that he heard a lot about me and asked if I could send him some stuff, they were searching for new Mode remixers. I thought it’s the typical Love Parade chat, but I sent him some material after the weekend anyway. Two days later he got back to me with the request. Remixing Depeche Mode was the biggest honour for me; a dream that I never thought would ever come true.

Is it true that you were able to pick any song you wanted to remix? If so, why Everything Counts?

Yes, that’s true. Seth asked me to choose one of the older, bigger songs. I was on Ibiza at that time and I needed five days to find out which track would be the best. My girlfriend and I drove all over the island and were listening to all the Depeche Mode songs again and again. Finally “Everything Counts” was the best for me. It is one of my all time favourites and it fits perfectly to electro-beats.

Sadly, only they dub was released; why don’t you think the vocal mix was used?

Mute had so many remixes and the plan was to release them only on vinyl. I think Mute wanted the track to be played in the underground clubs and they know it’s sometimes easier with instrumental or dub mixes. To be honest, I never asked why they choose the dub and not the full vocal mix.

Was there another mix that was turned in to late you be used? If so, what can you tell us about that mix?

We produced a third mix, which is totally different to the first ones and in my opinion that’s the best one, but we sent it to Mute too late. The track list was already finished. What a shame. Now only Stephan and I are able to play it sometimes. But it’s not the worst thing to play a unknown Depeche Mode remix which nobody knows and nobody else will play any time, it’s very exclusive!

I know Stephan has played the remix in his sets, have you been playing it and what kind of reaction have you seen the remix get from the crowd?

I can only say: hands up! It’s always an experience to see the people going crazy when they realize what track it is. I love to play it; it’s one of my peak time rockers. I played it at Rave on Snow in Austria in December on top of the mountains. Minus ten degrees Celsius, open air and 3000 making the hottest party while singing the chorus.

Your “Everything Counts” remix is showing up everywhere, how do you feel about so many DJs embracing it and including it in the DJ mix compilations?

What shall I say? That’s great! I have read in the magazines a lot about the Ricardo Villalobos remix (of The Sinner In Me) and not that much about our mix, but it seems that our mix is the mix that is getting played the most at the moment. That’s the most important thing for me. The intention was to produce a functional modern version for the club and it works.

It seems there is so much going on with you, your collaborations, and the labels, what can we look forward to from Oliver Huntemann?

The next thing is the release of my PLAY! 01 mix-cd and the single “Sao Paulo” at end of February, both on Confused. Additionally I have just finished a remix for the upcoming Black Strobe single “Shining Bride Star”. Beside the studio work I’m touring a lot till summer. From Europe to Bahrain to Australia and back…

For more information on Oliver Huntemann, please visit:

www.oliverhuntemann.de
Oliver’s My Space

Interview by Glen. (C) HOME. Do not steal this article without giving full credit and a link! Photos appear courtesy of Oliver Huntemann.