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housefloor.de: |
in march your new album "becoming" has been released. when you started producing it, was there a concrete concept of what it should sound like or did it more develop while producing? |
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butane: |
i never set out with any preconceived ideas about what my music should sound like, and this album was no exception. usually within the general framework of 4/4 dance music for dj's, i try to go into the studio with an open mind, and see what comes out. i try to evaluate the music only after it's finished, to see what to make of it. when i moved to berlin, i had this vague idea that i wanted to make an album, but in the end it all had to make sense together, or the project wouldn't work. through the process of writing the music, it became apparent that there was an underlying theme present in the music, and the overall concept of the album evolved from that. |
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housefloor.de: |
you said, you wanted to produce something a bit different of what you have made before. how did this work out and how do you define your sound yourself?
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butane: |
i'm not such a good judge of my own music until some time has passed, and this collection of tracks is still pretty new, so it's hard for me to say how it worked out. i do feel like the tracks sound a bit tighter from a technical aspect. there's also a more functional feel to some of it - maybe a little less experimental than my early work. it all sounds slightly cold now to me, which isn't surprising as it was written in the middle of a cold, depressing berlin winter! haha. but there's still some soul, or personality in it, which is what i was hoping for all along. |
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housefloor.de: |
more than a year ago you moved to berlin. why did you decide to do so and has the move influenced your music, maybe the sound of your album? |
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butane: |
yes, as i just mentioned, the sound of the album was directly influenced by my move to berlin. it's hard leaving behind your family and best friends, and coming to berlin in the winter isn't exactly easy for a person who's used to blue skies and sun in the winter time. but the positive aspect of the move is that i was able to focus solely on my music, and i think this shows in the attention to detail i was able to give to each track. moving here to become a professional musician and dj was a big step in me being able to make this album, and i think it will continue to influence the sound of my music as long as i stay. as most people are, i'm very affected by my surroundings. |
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housefloor.de: |
your record label alphahouse records is regarded as one of the premier minimal techno/house labels in north america. with which philosophy do you run alphahouse? |
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butane: |
it's really just a passion project for me, as a platform to release music from myself and friends. when i was starting the label and living in st. louis, i was running the label in different way. there, i had a lot of extra time to listen to demos and do extra label work. now that i'm in berlin, i have to balance my time between djing, making my own music, and running the label. it's a lot of work sometimes. hopefully sometime in the next year i'll hire a label manager and we can work together to keep releasing new and interesting music. |
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housefloor.de: |
sometimes you also play a liveset. how does the live act differ from your dj-set? |
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butane: |
well i've only played live twice - once at watergate in berlin, and the 2nd time at demf in detroit. it's not something that's very interesting to me, honestly. i really like making my music privately in the studio. i'm not very confident about my own work, so performing it in front of people is a bit strange for me. i was a dj first, before i became a music producer, so it's the more interesting way for me to perform to people. i collect all of this amazing music, and when i'm djing, i feel like i'm part of the party. i'm enjoying the music just as much (if not more!) than the people i'm playing it to. |
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housefloor.de: |
for running alphahouse you work together with a couple of people. which characteristics do you appreciate about people you work with? |
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butane: |
well at the moment i'm running the label by myself, but the alphahouse party in st. louis is being handled by my friend bryan. i've always had a great group of friends who have been willing to help with whatever i need, and i owe them all a lot of credit for the success of alphahouse. some of the characteristics i admire most about the people that help me are their selflessness, ambition, devotion, and enthusiasm. everyone is usually willing to put the party/label/project above their own self-interests, and that's what makes it so special. |
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housefloor.de: |
with the alphahouse parties that you have organised mainly in 2003 and 2004 you have introduced minimal music to your hometown st. louis. how did people react when you first played the new sound? |
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butane: |
it was a mixed reaction. we were young - very new to st. louis and didn't have any idea what we were doing. we approached one of the most sought-after, intimate, music oriented clubs in st. louis about our vision, and they liked the idea. it was a club where all the music heads in town hung out, and i think a lot of the other established promoters in the city were a little bit put-off by the fact that we got a night at the club without ever having done a party before. plus we didn't seek approval from any of them, or ask any of the older djs in town to play at our parties. it was a totally new and fresh crowd, and i think a lot of the jaded old scenesters hated us. but those aren't the people you should worry yourself with. we were filling the club up with people who wanted something new and fresh, and the parties were incredible. and still are! |
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housefloor.de: |
what can we expect from you in the near future and what are your long-term aims? |
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butane: |
in the near future i have a few remixes coming out - one for alphahouse, and one for the siteholder guys in chicago. regarding my own orginal music, i have a group of tracks that i'm thinking might become another album, and i'm talking with a few labels about that right now. it might end up just as two ep's, depending on what we decide in the end, but i like the idea of all of the tracks remaining together. we'll just have to wait and see!
i don't really have any long term aims in this business. i just want to keep making music and collecting records and djing as long as i find it interesting. i guess one of my long-term goals is to quit djing before the ringing in my ears becomes unbearable. i'm very passionate about food and wine, so maybe an opportunity will come along in the future to combine my love of music with those two things. it would be a dream to own a nice small wine bar in australia someday.
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.:: more about butane ::. |
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vinyl review butane - becoming |
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