Exclusive interviews with DJs and electronic music artists.
How was 2019 for you?
Cristian Vogel: Very productive in the studio but difficult to get by financially.
Highlights?
Launching my new label, Endless Process, with four great albums by exceptional friends and artists.
Lowlights?
Smoking after quitting for six years.
Song of the year?
SØS Gunver Ryberg – Trispider
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Train more.
How was 2019 for you?
Bloody Mary: This year was one of my favorite years so far, especially as a producer, making a lot of new music and receiving nice feedback for my work. I’m really thankful that I had the chance to play across all continents again this year, and personally I’m grateful that the people close to me are all in good health.
Highlights?
I played my debut live set in the basement at Tresor in September. I also released my first record on Missile, which is one of my favorite labels ever. KiNK and myself were invited to Carl Cox’s studio while we were on tour in Australia, and we had the opportunity to jam together in his studio. He’s such a humble person and it was a pleasure to meet him. As well as that, I was asked to remix Phuture’s classic “Acid Tracks,” which came out in July. I’m really happy with how my label Dame-Music is going, closing 2019 with the 40th release, and I’m still enjoying running a vinyl label so much.
Lowlights?
I got really sick when I came back from my Asia tour. I was out of action for a few weeks, and even had to spend a couple of nights in the hospital.
Song of the year?
One track I played pretty often this year was “Kisloty People” by Schacke
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Keep trying to eat less processed foods, spend less time on social media, make time to work on a new album, and of course, more acid!!
How was 2019 for you?
Man Power: On a personal level it followed the trend of the last 10 years of being full of gigantically rotten bullshit in some areas, balanced with phenomenal amazingness in others. I’m not complaining though, as on reflection that feels more like a life being lived. I’d much rather live my life on a seesaw where you get to feel the highs and lows. I think it must be pretty unfulfilling sitting on an unwavering line of steady mediocrity for your whole life.
Highlights?
Keeping this on a purely professional level, playing for almost 12 hours doing the closing slot at Panorama Bar is a notable standout in my life as a DJ, never mind just the last year.
Watching my label, Me Me Me, blossom this year has given me a bit of a parental buzz too. Especially when it comes to seeing new artists, like Club Tularosa or Ben Caldwell, thrive off getting this platform for their work. Its also been incredibly refreshing to start my “JUAN POWER” collaboration with Juan Maclean, which has been one of those rare occasions where everything has worked beautifully without a single hitch, from our time in the studio, our time on the road together, the gigs themselves, the music we’ve made and the public’s reception to that music.
Lowlights?
There’s no career stuff I can say was bad, and there’s not personal stuff I’m willing to share, so the only thing I can really highlight is it’s been pretty fucking grim to see a blonde-haired demagogue shit-heel in office on both sides of the Atlantic, and how that’s emboldened a bunch of every day fuckwits with rotten opinions to speak and act in some very awful ways. I still have to temper that with how it’s also made people come together to fight such bleakness too, especially in my rave scene, so I’m not gonna let it get me down.
Oh, this might be redundant by the time this goes to press, but… TORIES OUT!
Song of the year?
Tyler The Creator – Earfquake
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
To start looking after the inside and outside of my body properly. I turn 40 on January 22, and I’m starting to realize I need to keep this working for probably another 40 years, and it’s kind of busted up already.
How was 2019 for you?
Spencer Parker: So far, so good. 😀
Highlights?
Visiting São Paulo for the first time to close out a stage at DGTL São Paulo, playing b2b with one of my best mates in front of 5,000 people … and getting about four encores.
Lowlights?
At one of the club gigs I played, the champagne they gave me was room temperature. I was (understandably) livid.
Song of the year?
H.E.R. – “Losing”
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
To still be here next year.
Image by Yonathan Baraki