Considering his first record release was entitled “Nobody Likes the Records That I Play”, Cologne-based DJ and producer Tocadisco has certainly managed to figure out how to make remarkably likeable records in a short period of time. In the three years that have passed since his music first exploded on the international scene, this German-based lifetime musician and experienced DJ – (his real name is real name Roman Boer, and Tocadisco is Spanish for turntable) – has carved a huge name for himself in dance music’s fickle global landscape, picking up remix work for New Order, the Pet Shop Boys, Mylo, Deep Dish, Enigma and Moby, as well as touring the world many times over. His remix of Mylo’s ‘In Your Arms’ became one of 2005’s biggest records, while his remix of The Egg’s ‘Walking Away’ picked up Mixmag’s coveted ‘Biggest Dance Single of 2006’. He’s set to return to Australia for a nationwide tour over summer, and took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to share the latest with ITM.
“It’s been a crazy, crazy year,” Roman recounts from his home in Cologne, Germany – and considering his recent schedule and accomplishments, crazy seems the appropriate description. In the months that have passed since his last Australian visit (in March on the Two Tribes/Future Music Festival tour), Roman has been hard at work on a number of fronts, having kept up a hectic international touring schedule that’s seen him headline some of the world’s biggest clubs and festivals, juggle a chock-a-block remix workload – “already sixteen this year!” – and complete the vast majority of his artist album, which he hopes to have ready for release by the end of the year. “One of the reasons things have been going so slowly on my album is the demand for remixes,” Roman confesses. “I didn’t plan to do so many, but it’s just kind of worked out that way. It’s really only been the past few months that I’ve been able to focus primarily on this album.”
If his recent popularity in dance music circles is any indication, the timing for Tocadisco’s album release could not be any better. But – perhaps somewhat surprisingly for those who associate the name Tocadisco with peak-time dance floor mayhem – Roman is quick to explain that the album’s intended target is much broader. “I didn’t want to do a strictly dance album,” he says. “I think that would be a bit boring, to be honest. This album is the product of everything that’s ever influenced me in my musical career, and so I haven’t put any boundaries on it in terms of style – there’s some pop, and some Latin influences in there, too.” As one of today’s most in-demand electro-house tastemakers, Roman is also acutely aware of the ever-changing tastes of the underground dance music community. “If I were to do a strictly dance-oriented album, by the time I finished the twelfth track, the first one would be totally out of sync with my sound,” he explains. “I don’t want to have to stick to a certain style, either as a producer or as a DJ. I prefer to write and play the music that I want to – to ‘go with the flow’, I guess you could say.”
So are there any particular collaborators, vocalists or remixers associated with the project? Here Roman is intriguingly tight-lipped. “A lot of friends of mine are involted, but I’m keeping it something of a secret for now,” he says. “For both the album and the remixes, a lot of people that have a lot of experience with dance and club tracks are taking part – so it should be very interesting.”
One would imagine Tocadisco to have no shortage of talented individuals around with whom he might collaborate. As most readers of Inthemix are undoubtedly aware, Germany – and Berlin in particular – has been very much the “ground zero” for electronic dance music in recent times. I ask Roman how he’s been influenced by the explosion of German talent, and how he views the scene in Berlin from his neighbouring hometown of Cologne. “I’m kind of more German-sounding now than I was,” he begins. “I think the German minimal sound of last year and earlier was much more for the head, whereas now it’s starting to become more funky. I think that’s why more people are getting into it, that they’ve changed the style a bit. Right now it seems that anyone who is musical or creative is moving to Berlin, and the labels there – Bpitch, Get Physical, Pokerflat – they’re all doing very well. It’s a really big melting pot, I guess you could say.” So where does that leave Roman’s hometown of Cologne? “The biggest influence here in Cologne in terms of labels is Kompakt, and they’re very attached to Cologne. Their artwork on their record releases is the flag of the City of Cologne, even. Things are still very much alive and well here in Cologne!”
For many, Tocadisco’s name is associated with his hugely successful remix of The Egg’s “Walking Away.” The massive success of this track came as something of a surprise to Roman, who had originally done the remix as a favour for a friend and was unsure of what to expect. To this day, he’s not entirely certain just what made the track so magical. “If I knew what made it so special, I’d do fifty more just like it,” Roman explains with a chuckle.
As we wrap up our conversation, I ask Roman his thoughts on Australia based on his previous tour earlier this year. “I was really happy I was asked to come back to Australia,” he says. “I really loved the people the last time through, and I had a really great time. Everywhere I went, the people were really nice, and I’ve been keen to come back. Now that I’ve got a bit more time and a tour manager lined up, I’ll be making a proper visit and seeing much more of the country.”
Tocadisco tours Australia over the New Year:
Dec 31 – Pacha, Sydney
Jan 1 – Summadayze, Melbourne
Jan 6 – Summafieldayze, Gold Coast
Jan 7 – Summadayze, Perth
Jan 13 – Famous, Melbourne
The Summadayze 2007 mix CD, put together by Tocadisco and Mark James, is out now through Stomp.
Burn2Shine says...
Stinging for Pacha NYE
mikjam says...
On Toca's website it says he's playing a club show in Sydney on the 6th of Jan? I know he's playing Summer Field Dayz that day, but does anyone know anything about this? I'm missing his NYE set and am desperately hoping the website is correct!
Daufri says...
Where can I get the playlist of his set on NYE?