Crack

Apparat lives in Berlin, but doesn’t play by Berlin’s rules.

In the thriving, sometimes overbearing techno scene that defines the city’s music collage, Apparat is floating somewhere to the left of centre.

A producer and musician of the highest order, he doesn’t DJ, which instantly removes him from the techno meccas of Berghain, Watergate and Panoramabar. It’s a choice that only sees him perform live either as Apparat or Moderat (his hugely successful link up with Modeselektor).

It’s far from an exaggeration to say he is responsible for influencing a swathe of British artists, from Four Tet to James Holden. It’s also no exaggeration to say he has produced perhaps the most influential electronica record to have ever emerged from Berlin, the astounding Orchestra of Bubbles with BPitch label boss Ellen Allien.

His latest CD is an offering for the DJ Kicks mix series; a beautiful, soundscape-laden ride that takes in dubby textures and persuasive melodies. The consistency throughout the record is remarkable and again reinforces Apparat’s ability to construct powerful sounds that move you, a prominent feature of his three solo albums to date.

His answers to Crack’s questions are as considered as his music. Thoughtful, without pretence and honest. He is a true wonder of the electronic music world and a huge antidote to stale formulas and tired basslines.

How did you go about sourcing the tracks for your DJ Kicks record? Do you keep your ear close to the ground for new music?

I started getting into techno when I was 14. I got really into it. There was nothing else for me. I basically never really checked out anything else until I was in my early 20s. Some years later, techno just seemed to be in a state of repetition, so I started to expand my horizons and got into all kinds of music. Shoegaze, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music and Steve Reich. Two or three years ago when we started Moderat, I started listening to electronic music again. A little later I started to DJ again, went to record shops, and actually searched for new stuff in the club music world. So luckily I was well prepared when I got asked to do the mix CD. I think a few years earlier it would have sounded totally different.

The track list has a distinctly British feel, with tracks from Ramadanman, Joy Orbison, Luke Abbott and Burial. Are you being influenced by this new wave of British producers?

Once again the cool stuff is definitely coming from the UK. There was a time when the world said Berlin was the center of electronic music and that was maybe true in terms of quantity, but cool shit definitely happens in other places. In the UK, kids aren’t influenced by old dinosaur techno DJ’s playing the same kind of music (in variations) since the 90’s. Of course there’s progress in Berlin’s music, but the revolutionary stuff always happens away from the big movement.

Is it fair to say you are noted for your production work more than your DJ’ing? Has putting this compilation together touched on both production and DJ’ing and will you be DJ’ing more in the future?

I don’t think so. It was fun to do, but I’m not a real DJ. I just can’t picture myself in dance clubs all the time. It’s also not that easy for me to adjust to the crowd. I like to do my thing and leave the DJ’ing to others!

On that note, what are your production plans for the rest of 2010 and 2011?

My new Apparat album is almost done. It’s been a long time coming and a large struggle, but I see some light now. I’ve found the sound for the record and it’s going to surprise a lot of people. It’s definitely very removed from the dance floor. It’s very human and organic music.

You share a close relationship with B-Pitch Records and have released with Ellen Allien and Modeselektor as Moderat. What is it about the B-Pitch sound and people you like so much?

The whole B-Pitch crew were the first people I met when I moved to Berlin 13 years ago. We did parties together, we made music together and then we made records together. If we are talking about B-Pitch we need to talk about the guys from Pfadfinderei too. They are an amazing visual art collective and a big part of the B-Pitch picture. At some point when we made Moderat happen it all came together; Modeselektor and Apparat’s music, Pfadfinderei visuals and the record was released on Ellen’s label. Perfect. We are family!

In a similar vein, Border Community boss James Holden is clearly a huge fan of your artistic output. Do you feel musically connected to his label as well?

Definitely. I’ve always been a fan of his music. In a time when no electronic music turned me on because it was so predictable, he was the only one who surprised me. I never really understood how he made a track or certain sounds and from a producer’s perspective, that’s another massively interesting thing.

Do you consciously try and flood your work with an emotional edge, or is it a very positive side effect of your working method?

I think it’s just my harmonic understanding, or maybe I did hard techno for too long and now I feel like I have to make up for it.

After the resounding success of Orchestra of Bubbles in 2006, which many considered to be one of the greatest dance records of all time, did you feel any pressure following it?

I know that every record I do will sound different. It’s not really following up something; it’s more of a rebirth every time I start working on a new album. There’s also no pressure from the outside. I don’t try to think about what happens when a record is done. First of all I make music for myself and I’m probably my biggest critic. I tend to change my mind often. I make 100s of different versions of songs and sometimes I’m happy if anything is finished at all.

In your opinion, do you think Germany is still producing the cream of electronic music and do you feel that Berlin is still the epicentre of techno/electronica?

This city has been an amazing playground for club culture and something unique in the world. Low rents, lots of empty spaces, clubs that didn’t even pay rent and very liberal laws. But that’s pretty much history. My world is all shiny now. Lots of young and happy families and healthy food shops. In one word: boring. I need to move... probably within Berlin, but definitely away from the centre. I don’t think the best music comes out of a place like this. I personally need some tension to get inspired. Luckily I’m travelling a lot.

Does Berlin feed your creative juices, or do you often look further afield?

I need to get out pretty often to get creative. I don’t really count playing gigs, as it’s not really an escape, but I do escape from time to time. I spent the winter in Mexico for example. Two months in a Mexican village. I like South America a lot too. It can be dangerous, but there’s also much more freedom. No need to fill out a form for every little thing you want to do. It’s not as ’over-civilised’ as Europe.

Your work as Moderat has been received to great acclaim, not least because it sounds like a perfect marrying of both the Modeselektor and Apparat sound rather than anything completely away from your stock. Was this a conscious decision?

When we started working on the album we wanted to do something totally different. A funky record or just something weird. But after trying for quite a while, we just always ended up with Modeselektor beats and Apparat atmospheres. Sometimes I did a beat and Szary would do some melodies, but basically we had the most obvious division of work. It just happened naturally and I guess that’s a good thing.

How do you feel about the mass digitisation of music?

This recent ’one hit download’ philosophy will be the end of ‘hidden hits’. Lots of people just don’t have the attention span anymore because the next track is just a click away. I hope everything will slow down a bit, but I guess it won’t happen.

Do you feel slightly detached from techno superstars in Germany? Do you try and detach yourself?

Well first of all I live quite an isolated life. I barely leave my house or my studio. Most of the music here seems to be about techno; at least the popular electronic music does. To be really honest - I don’t really feel connected to the whole techno scene. Not that I don’t hang out with the people, but I rarely go to clubs and I rarely play clubs. With Moderat, we mostly play festivals or concert gigs. It actually feels pretty good to not have to stay awake till three and play after a techno DJ.

What else influences Apparat every day?

Mostly silence. There’s so much information and noise pollution these days. Whenever I have the chance, I try to go to the countryside and enjoy the silence. I think that’s what happened to me in Mexico as well. It was just all quiet and I got really productive.

Whose music is influencing Apparat at the moment?

The last thing I really liked was Efterklang’s Magic Chair. I also love t++ and Christian Fennesz. All kinds of stuff.

Why don’t you play live in the UK more?

To be honest it’s a matter of request. I’d say the UK is the place where I play the least in the world. It’s not that I don’t like it there. I find the crowd generally very open minded and the clubs always have good sound systems. I just don’t get booked there very often. I’ll definitely do a UK tour next year when my new album comes out no matter what, but it won’t really be a club tour I guess.

Tune: Wooden

http://www.myspace.com/apparat

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