His name has been commonplace on party posters in Berlin for well over a decade however, but due to study commitments and a busy schedule, Sebo K has yet to visit Australia – until now. Recognised for his unconditional love of house, Sebo K is a long-time resident at Berlin’s eminent Watergate nightclub, and is known for elegantly guiding his audience through the sounds of minimal techno, deep house and classic grooves.

Having been on a partial hiatus for the past 4 years while completing a ‘Business and Communications’ degree, Sebo K has recently handed in his last paper and is ready to take his music career to the next level with plans to produce an album in the near future. Not only will his upcoming Australian tour be Sebo’s first visit to the country, but it will also be one of his first stops after a 3 month brake from DJing. Sebo K recently took some time out from his tour preparations to speak with ITM’s Melanie Mahony about what we can expect on the tour.

Hi Sebo K, Happy New Year! How did you celebrate it?

Thank you. A happy new year to you too! I had a very calm and relaxed new years eve without any partying. I went to bed pretty early and did some wellness on the 1st of January.

Any New Year’s resolutions you’d like to share?

Well I will to try to find a good balance between working hard and taking time to relax. So if you look at my new years you can see that the year began pretty well for me concerning this plan.

You’re set to play your first gig in 3 months in Tokyo soon. How are you feeling about that?

As you can imagine I’m really looking forward to playing again!

You’re also on your way to Australia shortly to play your first Australia tour. What can we expect of Sebo K?

I’m really curious as it is the first time for me in Australia ever. So I’m happy to have the opportunity to meet Australian people, see the continent and to have a good time on the Australian dance floors.

Why has it taken you so long to tour here?

Actually I have always wanted to come earlier, but I haven’t been that flexible with my time management in the past years, so whenever I had requests to play in Australia it wasn’t possible for me to come.

So, as some may or may not know, you’ve recently finished your final paper for a Business and Communications degree you’ve been slaving over for the past 4 years. Are you relieved or under pressure about what to do next?

That’s exactly the reason why my time space was so limited. Of course I’m thinking about what I will do next but I am not going to push myself too much. I’m glad that it’s over and I’m happy to have more time for music now.

Your busy life over the past few years has forced your musical pursuits to take a backseat. Now that you’re free, what can we expect from Sebo K in the future?

I will definitely work more in the studio. Finally I have the freedom to work on something whenever I want and not only in my vacation time, which is how it has been in the past few years. Let’s see what happens with this opportunity.

You said in a recent interview that you found the music of 2009 uninspiring. Are you more optimistic for 2010?

I’m always trying to be optimistic, and it’s also a challenge to try and do it better.

Now that you’re free from the constraints of study do you feel, as an artist, obliged to change the direction of music so people at the end of this year aren’t also expressing the same disappointment about 2010?

I don’t think it’s necessarily important to change the direction. What I miss in general is music that has soul and that you can really feel. This is something that could be in any style.

You’ve indicated that you’d like to produce an album at some stage – do you think it’s a natural progression to go from DJing to producing?

If I look around myself I would say yes. Almost every DJ I know is also producing.

What can people expect of a Sebo K album?

I like the idea of an album, and that you are able to work on very different kinds of tracks than those you would do for a 12” for the dancefloor. You can try more things out and be more experimental.

the latest compilation mix you’ve released in for your resident club Watergate in Berlin. One music journalist described it as “classic US house colliding with modern European production”. Would you agree with this description?

Yes, why not. If you look at the track list you’ll find some US house matadors like Mood II Swing, Rick Wade or Patrice Scott as well as contemporary European producers like dOP, Melon or DJ Koze.

Watergate is one of Berlin’s most notable clubs. Will you continue your residency there this year?

Yes sure. I have been a resident there since they opened the doors of the club in 2002.

Anything else you hope to achieve this year or in the future?

If I can achieve what I mentioned in the beginning I’ll be happy!

Any last words?

See you in Australia!

Sebo K Tour Dates:

Friday 22 January – Empire, Brisbane
Saturday 23 January – Ladylux, Sydney
Sunday 24 January – Revolver, Melbourne
Tuesday 26 January – Villa, Perth