Manuel Tur: the producer is the chef, the DJ and the waiter
Nobody needs DJ clichés – the least the artists themselves. A conversation with the producer, label founder and DJ Manuel Tur in Rüttenscheid's Zweibar.
Jens Kobler: I was wondering whether you learnt a classical instrument first or if you went straight to the turntables. How did your musical career start for you?
Manuel Tur: I guess the most important factor was my brother who is a really good guitar player. Many times, I simply laid down on the floor in his room listening to him play. And at some point I wasn't interested in conservative music lessons – it was a parallel development to my relationship with school. To cover things became boring fast. And I never really wanted to become a DJ either. At the age of 13, when I bought my first records, I had no idea about anything regarding the DJ culture. Nevertheless, I tried synchronising the records with my CD-Man through a very trashy home mixing console – which was impossible to do. When it comes to this, I was really playing CDs before the first CDJs came out.
(smiling and laughing)
Manuel Tur: And then I created the first mixed tapes by trying to work with CDs and records that had tracks that were similar in speed. Shortly after, I started producing the first things.
Jens Kobler: In the regular world, you look to join the club scene only to take a step away from it again to produce tracks at home. How was that for you?
Manuel Tur: I couldn't connect with clubs because I wasn't allowed to enter them at that age. And at the end of the 1990's, I wouldn't have had a clue where to go. Yet it was the high time of electronic music and you were even able to make money with it. For me, it meant that I got in touch with the music through radio – BFBS – and through TV (MTV). Today, hardly anybody knows that besides "Berlin House" on VIVA, there were the Dancefloor Charts on MTV every Friday at 8 pm – which is virtually unthinkable now. The clips and the show still had some sort of a do it yourself-charm with a low budget but made by DJs such as Ian Pooley, Phunky Data or Blaze who let colleagues give it a try to create something exciting.
Jens Kobler: Which means that the sorting out into the so-called club scene hasnt' happened in this area?
Manuel Tur: It hasn't happened to the day.
(laughs)
Manuel Tur: In 90% of all cases, I don't think about the club when I produce tracks. Of course you can build tracks in a more functional way than I tend to do it – but I don't think about that. Even with longer tracks, it doesn't have to be the classic intro and outro to mix in and out – you can design them rather artsy. It happens a lot that I work an additional day or two on the last 30 seconds. If you think in club context only, you rather create a beat that goes through – and done.
Jens Kobler: That's the exact opposite that you have your first album in your hand, and that you play it and you listen closely how it begins and how it ends.
Manuel Tur: Totally. I'm still able to whistle the first albums backwards; which means I know exactly where the rimshot appears and when the trumpet. What generally inspired me at the time were the French – people like Alex Gopher, Superdiscount, Motorbass or Cassius who came from the hip hop area and thus had no interest in having a beat for 4 minutes straight.
Jens Kobler: I just finished reading "The Hacienda – How not to run a club" by Peter Hook. Even earlier in time and after Acid House, there was the phenomenon hat rock bands and DJs such as Andrew Weatherall and Laurent Garnier – who also worked in Manchester – fired at each other…
Manuel Tur: And in contrast, you have a separate club or at least one day in the week for each genre. If we start talking about the differences between the various clubs in Essen, they would have laughed at us 10 or especially 20 years ago – back then, the differences were more in terms of if you hosted a raggae party or a trance party, and not if you have a minimach tech deep house or a deep techn minimal house party.
Jens Kobler: You became internationally-renowned without playing in clubs. How did that happen?
Manuel Tur: My first album was released via a London-based label in 2002 – whereas London does not necessarily have to be better than Herne. Yet the way to get there via the Internet was very fast. At that time, I went straight home after school to work on tracks.
Jens Kobler: Does that mean that you were very productive, you released your tracks right away while keeping your eyes open on where you have to "go" to be heard?
Manuel Tur: I was rather naive and simply started doing things, and I thought to myself that it will all fall into place one day. My first album album on Freerange, "Acorado" managed to create a little hype. I had simply written an e-mail to the label owner telling him how much I liked one of his remixes. He answered right away and I sent him my current track at the time. He asked "album?" That's how it went – all within one hour. And while it was great on the one thand, it wasn't so great on the other hand because you learn things the hard way if everything goes so fast. That was in 2007, which was the same year I was able to make a living off my music.
Jens Kobler: Your decision to found your own label "Mild Pitch" with Dplay and Langenberg, was it based on the fact that you'd like to decide when exactly you are going to release your tracks?
Manuel Tur: Yes, of course. Particularly because have the same interests. But it's also about having enough time so that things can be developed in a relaxed way. Nowadays, a label is mostly a promotion platform which allows you to go on tour for you to make money – which is really a problem because you can't live off your work as a producer, unless you are part of the pop a-class. It is often frustrating having to play twice only to be able to cover the costs for a release on vinyl.
Jens Kobler: Much like the printers in the printing industry and the Internet providers, the pressing plants are the ones to earn the most, and those who produce the contents, the least. That's tough stuff for the artists…
Manuel Tur: I don't suffer from the fact that pressing plants receive their margin rather than from the fact that less and less people are willing to pay money for music nowadays. It's an overall problem of digitalisation. Yet you can place yourself and your work as you like, and music became more democratic in a way – whereas there are still different players of course. You are obligated to use your advantages, so to speak.
Regarding the vinyl: The sales figures are such a catastrophe in general that you can really just laugh about it. Yet vinyl stands for music as a book stands for literature: In a way, a record on vinyl is a fact that you cannot deny. On the other hand, DJs hardly play vinyl any more for comfort reasons –and the record players in clubs are often in a disastrous state. Vinyl is important because the people who buy it are the ones that are really interested which makes them the most important customers and supporters for producer and label. They are more loyal, they are informed and they are the ones who serve as multipliers among their friends. And that's really important if you want to be seen in between all the other releases.
Jens Kobler: Thank you so much for the chat!
Photos: Mild Pitch, with the exception of DJ photo: Jens Kobler
Related videos:
Related blogs:
Go to channels:
Jens Kobler: I was wondering whether you learnt a classical instrument first or if you went straight to the turntables. How did your musical career start for you?
Manuel Tur
(smiling and laughing)
Manuel Tur: And then I created the first mixed tapes by trying to work with CDs and records that had tracks that were similar in speed. Shortly after, I started producing the first things.
Jens Kobler: In the regular world, you look to join the club scene only to take a step away from it again to produce tracks at home. How was that for you?
Manuel Tur: I couldn't connect with clubs because I wasn't allowed to enter them at that age. And at the end of the 1990's, I wouldn't have had a clue where to go. Yet it was the high time of electronic music and you were even able to make money with it. For me, it meant that I got in touch with the music through radio – BFBS – and through TV (MTV). Today, hardly anybody knows that besides "Berlin House" on VIVA, there were the Dancefloor Charts on MTV every Friday at 8 pm – which is virtually unthinkable now. The clips and the show still had some sort of a do it yourself-charm with a low budget but made by DJs such as Ian Pooley, Phunky Data or Blaze who let colleagues give it a try to create something exciting.
Jens Kobler: Which means that the sorting out into the so-called club scene hasnt' happened in this area?
Manuel Tur: It hasn't happened to the day.
(laughs)
Manuel Tur in seiner Eigenschaft als DJ
Jens Kobler: That's the exact opposite that you have your first album in your hand, and that you play it and you listen closely how it begins and how it ends.
Manuel Tur: Totally. I'm still able to whistle the first albums backwards; which means I know exactly where the rimshot appears and when the trumpet. What generally inspired me at the time were the French – people like Alex Gopher, Superdiscount, Motorbass or Cassius who came from the hip hop area and thus had no interest in having a beat for 4 minutes straight.
Jens Kobler: I just finished reading "The Hacienda – How not to run a club" by Peter Hook. Even earlier in time and after Acid House, there was the phenomenon hat rock bands and DJs such as Andrew Weatherall and Laurent Garnier – who also worked in Manchester – fired at each other…
Manuel Tur: And in contrast, you have a separate club or at least one day in the week for each genre. If we start talking about the differences between the various clubs in Essen, they would have laughed at us 10 or especially 20 years ago – back then, the differences were more in terms of if you hosted a raggae party or a trance party, and not if you have a minimach tech deep house or a deep techn minimal house party.
Jens Kobler: You became internationally-renowned without playing in clubs. How did that happen?
Manuel Tur: My first album was released via a London-based label in 2002 – whereas London does not necessarily have to be better than Herne. Yet the way to get there via the Internet was very fast. At that time, I went straight home after school to work on tracks.
Jens Kobler: Does that mean that you were very productive, you released your tracks right away while keeping your eyes open on where you have to "go" to be heard?
Manuel Tur: I was rather naive and simply started doing things, and I thought to myself that it will all fall into place one day. My first album album on Freerange, "Acorado" managed to create a little hype. I had simply written an e-mail to the label owner telling him how much I liked one of his remixes. He answered right away and I sent him my current track at the time. He asked "album?" That's how it went – all within one hour. And while it was great on the one thand, it wasn't so great on the other hand because you learn things the hard way if everything goes so fast. That was in 2007, which was the same year I was able to make a living off my music.
Mild Pitch
Jens Kobler: Your decision to found your own label "Mild Pitch" with Dplay and Langenberg, was it based on the fact that you'd like to decide when exactly you are going to release your tracks?
Manuel Tur: Yes, of course. Particularly because have the same interests. But it's also about having enough time so that things can be developed in a relaxed way. Nowadays, a label is mostly a promotion platform which allows you to go on tour for you to make money – which is really a problem because you can't live off your work as a producer, unless you are part of the pop a-class. It is often frustrating having to play twice only to be able to cover the costs for a release on vinyl.
Jens Kobler: Much like the printers in the printing industry and the Internet providers, the pressing plants are the ones to earn the most, and those who produce the contents, the least. That's tough stuff for the artists…
Manuel Tur: I don't suffer from the fact that pressing plants receive their margin rather than from the fact that less and less people are willing to pay money for music nowadays. It's an overall problem of digitalisation. Yet you can place yourself and your work as you like, and music became more democratic in a way – whereas there are still different players of course. You are obligated to use your advantages, so to speak.
Regarding the vinyl: The sales figures are such a catastrophe in general that you can really just laugh about it. Yet vinyl stands for music as a book stands for literature: In a way, a record on vinyl is a fact that you cannot deny. On the other hand, DJs hardly play vinyl any more for comfort reasons –and the record players in clubs are often in a disastrous state. Vinyl is important because the people who buy it are the ones that are really interested which makes them the most important customers and supporters for producer and label. They are more loyal, they are informed and they are the ones who serve as multipliers among their friends. And that's really important if you want to be seen in between all the other releases.
Jens Kobler: Thank you so much for the chat!
Photos: Mild Pitch, with the exception of DJ photo: Jens Kobler
Related videos:
- Underground Art-Gallery
- Dictatorship of the arts – Jonathan Meese
- Art and passion – Jose Manuel Barroso
Related blogs:
Go to channels:
Sun, 14.11.2010
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