Domande Secche Per Risposte Succose | Motor City Drum Ensemble

photo by felix "BNCKD" leiter

Chi si ricorda delle compilation mixate su CD? Quasi roba dell´ altro secolo dirá qualcuno, e non del tutto a sproposito visto che l epoca d´oro di questo medium risale ormai agli anni 90. Oggi giorno si trova tutto il mixato e il mixabile in internet, no? Comunque a quel decennio cosi importante per la club culture risale l inizio della serie DJ Kicks ad opera della label !K7 e resta una delle piu influenti e longeve. Infatti la serie arriva in questi giorni alla pubblicazione del volume numero 37 ed è curato questa volta dal giovane produttore e DJ tedesco Danilo Plessow, fattosi notare negli ultimi due anni da appassionati e creature della notte in tutto il mondo sotto lo pseudonimo di Motor City Drum Ensemble. Per quanti ne vogliano sapere di piú, questa è la nostra intervista a Danilo:


1)Would you like to introduce yourself to our readers end tell us a bit of your musical history, how your passion for music started?
I started playing drums at school at the age of 6 in the south of Germany near Stuttgart. Around my 11th birthday I was lucky enough to get my first cheap computer music program from one of my uncles which lead to me producing some kind of trip hop stuff for myself. After a first visit to a club at 15 I discovered House Music and was lucky enough to have my first record out in 2002 at the age of 16 under the name of Inverse Cinematics. This was followed by an album in 2008 and the name change to Motor City Drum Ensemble. Lots of remixes and releases followed in 2009 and 2010. Beside this I am djing now for 10 years all over the world.


2)Your "Raw Cuts" series is regarded as groundbreaking by many, bringing back funk and deepness in the scene. How did you come to the release of the Eps and were you aware of the originality of your traxs at the time?
Raw Cuts was based on my passion for traditional 90ies Sample based House Music. I am talking House Music with an edge here - Masters at Work, Pal Joey, Joey Negro etc. Within a million of minimal techno/house releases which flooded the market at that time the Raw Cuts stuff was just a very good alternative way of Club Music. There was no plan behind it - it was just me doing what I like. Production wise it was created in a very rough and direct way which is a main part of the success. Never expected it to be that succesful.


3)Your tracklist for the new DJ Kicks Mix CD is quite eclectic and unpredictible. Describe us the process that led to the creation of the Mix(tracklist, mixing)?
From a pool of almost 200 tracks I developed a tracklisting based on what fits and makes sense together. Of course always under the heavy influence of the clearing process. Main parts of the complete mix have been changed a few times because a clearance for certain tracks was not possible. Right from the beginning I wanted to deliver a real "dj mix" with all the flow and technique elements but also keep it entertaining for all kinds of listeners. The finished mix gives a pretty good insight into my musical world and my inspirations.


4)Are there any musicians who inspire you particularly at the moment?
Vakula from russia is doing great stuff on the clubmusic side. Coming from a completely different genre I quite like the finish jazz musician Timo Lassy who delivers great pieces of music. I really like to drop his tracks during my dj sets. Of course artists like Caribou or Four Tet are also always inspiring with their output. Apart from that there is a lot of interesting stuff out there so I just picked a few examples here.


5)Have you got plans for the next future? Remixes, new Eps or a new album in the pipeline?
A remix for DFA is up next. Afterwards I will focus on my own productions now that I have fully relocated to my new studio in Cologne. Beside that my production work for Ben Westbeech and Rainer Trueby will see the light of the day in 2011 too. From the DJ Kicks album we will release a remix 12inch with Remixes by Kyle Hall, Wolfgang Voigt and Smallpeople. In 2012 I hope that I am able to drop a good quality debut album.


6) Would you like to greet our listeners and recommend us a song?
Timo Lassy - African Rumble

Tony D´Onghia

more info:
http://www.motorcitydrumensemble.com/