Like his fellow countrymen Malente and Tom Novy, German producer Tocadisco isn’t afraid to court the mainstream side of house. His remix of The Egg’s Walking Away was caned to within an inch of its life, and it’s just one of the many sure-fire anthems he’s had a hand in.
However, the man is more than just a hit-maker. Over his 15 years of DJing he’s honed a wide musical palette, dabbling in sounds you mightn’t expect from his own 12”s. However, what Tocadisco seems most confident about is his upcoming album Solo – a personal record that’s sure to live up to its title.
He talks to ITM’s Jack Tregoning ahead of his national tour.
You’re doing a few DJ dates in Europe before heading down to Australia. Is touring constant for you, or do you juggle studio time with time on the road?
Yes, it’s a little difficult right now, as I’m travelling a lot. I just bought a mobile studio so I can produce in the hotel rooms. I just came back from a three-week tour in Berlin and I did my first try-out with the mobile studio – but it’s difficult to have a studio in a hotel room because of the sound! But I’m trying to put everything together, y’know? It’s hard.
Do all the irregularities of travelling take a toll on the studio work?
Yeah, but that’s what I’m trying to avoid. If I have an idea for something I can just lay it out on the computer. Then when I come home from DJing I have a laptop there and I can just put in some beats. I just have to remember to do it when I come back…
You’re based in Cologne, which has its focused electronic scene but doesn’t attract as much hype as Berlin. Is it an inspiring place to work?
Yeah, right now I have a beautiful house and a studio here, but I’m almost never here. I just counted the other day and I’m basically here seven days of the month. The rest of the time is spent travelling. So when I am here I don’t really meet other people, you know? I have some friends that I go to the movies with when I’m here, but basically I can produce anywhere now. It doesn’t matter anymore. With the internet I can just link up to any place in the world.
So you’re quite a solitary worker?
Yes, I moved to Cologne because my family lives 70 kilometres from here and this is the next big city. But right now with working so much internationally, it doesn’t really matter where I live.
Cologne obviously has a reputation for its minimal techno labels like Kompakt and Karmarouge, while your sound errs more towards the electro-house side of things. Do you find yourself looking outside of Cologne for like-minded producers?
No, not at all. I go and buy Kompakt records. I have a very versatile style as a DJ. I play small clubs, not only big festivals. My production isn’t necessarily a representation of what I play as a DJ. I love to play minimal and tech-house stuff as well…
Your artist album, Solo, is due in 2008. Is that a chance for you to experiment in styles outside of four/four, or is it a record for dancefloors?
It represents all musical styles that have influenced me in my life. I was always interested in jazz, Brazilian music, rock music –I’ve put everything together on an electronic foundation and come up with a lot of versatile songs. I wanted the album to be like a compilation, like something you’d make for yourself with a variety of artists. I have some people working with me who did the vocals, but I produced all the music and played all the instruments. I didn’t want it to be a dance album or a pop album – I just wanted it to be an album that represents me as a person. I did the artwork and everything.
I also hear that you’re singing on some of the album tracks?
I started playing drums 20 years ago, playing in a lot of bands… but I’m not that good as a singer. I wish I had a really good voice, but I don’t! I’m just trying to put something personal on the album – so one song I am singing, yeah.
Remixes are something that have really established the Tocadisco name. Do you still see remixing as valuable, or have your own productions taken over?
I’ve heard so many times “this is the Tocadisco sound”, but I’m really questioning that. There were only four or five tracks of mine that got really world-famous, but I always try to do different stuff. I try to do more underground stuff, but I’m also not afraid of doing commercial remixes. That’s something you don’t have too often in the music industry. You mostly have people who do one style and stick to it until the end of their career. But I’m not this way – I want to do different styles of music. I just want to do what I like, without having to look into marketing strategies.
You’re about to head down to Australia for another DJ tour. The last time I saw you here was for the Future Music Festival, and you put a lot into the performance side of things. Do you take this approach to all your sets?
Yeah, that’s the way I see DJing – as an entertaining act. I don’t like DJs who just stand there playing music for two hours without looking at the crowd. I prefer to have contact with the people I’m playing for, and I want to have fun myself too. I want to see that the people are enjoying themselves. That’s the most important thing for me.
How different are your DJ sets from the last time you visited here – if at all?
I don’t think it’s so different, because I play different clubs, from commercial clubs to really underground parties. Most of the time I just bring a big variety of music with me, so when I walk into a club and see the people I can get a feel of what I’m going to play. I really enjoy playing in Australia. It’s a little bit different from other countries, a little more vocally and a little more commercial but I’m still enjoying it.
So in other countries you can drop the “big room” persona?
Exactly. Here in Germany it’s a little different. If I played the same things I would play in Australia, people would look at me like I’m really strange. Every country you go you have to know a bit about their mentality.
This time, I have a lot of unreleased remixes and tracks with me, and I’m just going to see if the Australian people like them.
You can catch Tocadisco’s “entertaining act” at the following dates around the country…
Sat 1 December – Famous, Home Nightclub, Sydney
Sun 2 December – Famous, Platinum, Gold Coast
Fri 7 December – Famous, Limelight, Perth
Sat 8 December – Famous, Queensbridge, Melbourne
And check out this clip of Tocadisco doing his thing this year at the Nature One Festival in Germany…
Weqster says...
I love this guys underground, techy sound.