With a talent for the heads-down, chugging strain of techno, Oliver Huntemann has amassed a formidable repertoire. The Bremen-based producer is unshowy about his output, but the tracks speak for themselves.

Hard at it since the mid-90s, Huntemann has turned out many a club hit in recent years, among them Diablo, 37 Degrees, Shanghai Spinner and the well-flogged remixes of Underworld and Depeche Mode (the latter alongside kindred spirit Stephan Bodzin). The man’s work-rate is unlikely to slow either, with his Ideal Audio label still in its burgeoning stages.

In April, Huntemann will return to Australia for a string of shows with techno touring party The Likes Of You. His last visit here in the early days of 2009 saw him in charged form, and we should expect nothing less this time. ITM’s Tom Griffin spoke to the electronic all-rounder in the lead-up to the tour.

Your tour dates this seem to be taking you from one corner of the globe to the other, how do you keep up the energy flying between countries for gigs, especially down to Australia?
Honestly speaking, it is really exhausting. I recently came back from my Mexico and US tour and I had to make it to some really tight connections, different time zones, lots of partying and little sleeping. The only thing that can give me energy in these situations is seeing happy faces in the clubs where I play. When there is a good vibe, I forget about how tired I feel and I can go on and on and on. It might sound a bit cheesy, but this is really what helps me get through. Also I get excited about playing new tracks I had received during the week for example, because I want to test them in front of people and this also gives me a rush of adrenaline. Good dinner before and nice drinks after also help a lot.

I heard you had a bit of trouble in Juarez; what happened?
Well, I did not really have trouble myself per se. Juarez is a dangerous city in general, we all know that. I really appreciate that the promoters in Juarez always try to do their best and make me feel as secure as possible, but of course, when you are organising a big event, it is likely that there could be a fight or something.

It is strange to see people fight at techno parties; I really do not expect it to happen usually, but in this case it got a bit messy. It was a big group of people beating each other very brutally with chairs and stuff. Nevertheless, the organisers did a good job and as far as I know there was nobody hurt really seriously in the end.

That incident aside, have there been any standout gigs early in 2010 as yet?
This is always such a hard question for me because it is really not easy to compare different countries and people against each other. Also I took a break in January to recharge my batteries, so I have been back on stage for a month more or less. But Mexico City was great this year. The opening party of the H2O club, which is an amazing venue, was superb. The people were really nice and warm and went totally nuts.

I also liked Cielo in New York a lot. I actually recorded my third Play! compilation there. Even though the gig took place on a Thursday, I got a really good vibe from the city that never sleeps. You can actually hear it for yourself, when I release the compilation on my Ideal Audio label in May this year.

As a part of Humate early in your career you brought us Love Stimulation, a track I recently heard out at a club; its impact just as powerful now as it ever was. What do you remember from that early era?
The animated videos that look soooo old now but back in the days were ultra modern and high-tech. They do look very plain compared to what we have nowadays. But what do I remember from this era? Actually it is not that long ago and it was a nice time.

The electronic music movement was still relatively young, people were curious and there was not such an over-abundance of electronic music artists. It was nice to be part of something that was growing stronger and stronger each year. Artists did not care to be specialized in just one style. We were all playing Azuli house and Underground Resistance techno in one set and everybody liked it.

It was all about an emotional DJ set – good music and having a great time. All seemed kind of innocent. People were happy; less pretentious, I would say. Times have changed, but it’s not worse now – it’s just different.

And how do you think techno is travelling on the world stage at the moment?
Interesting question, but I think it is really hard to generalise on how techno is doing on the world stage. My impression is that the music scene is very localised. But if we talk about electronic music and its impact on the world music scene, unfortunately or maybe fortunately, it is still just a small drop in the music ocean compared to what the average 20-year-old (or younger) is listening to nowadays.

Techno sales are not very impressive, but that was never really the point. What I like is that when I go to clubs now I can see really young people and people who are significantly older than them, so techno is not losing its appeal.

Sounds like you have been having a great time over the past few years, teaming up with the likes of Dubfire and Stephan Bodzin. Is it as much fun as it sounds doing these collaborations?
I am not sure what you imagine when you think of Dubfire or Stephan and me in the studio! Working together on a track is quite a serious and sometimes tedious process. You stay for hours in the studio and in the end you are still not sure whether you are happy with the final result or not. But at the same time, you are right: it is fun to work with great artists; you never know where you would end.

I like collaborations, as it can bring ideas to higher level than always stay under one’s own shadow. With Dubfire I’ve tested a completely new team-work, which is a fantastic experience. We are not sitting in the studio together. We only have the same studio set-up and working in shifts on the track in a way. One starts it and the other one continues it, back and forth via the internet.

It’s been written that you like to stay out of the spotlight. What will be seeing from you in the next year? More touring or studio work?
Touring is always on my mind. I take one month off and then I am itching to see crowded clubs, dark places and the like. I like the contact with the audience but at the same time I also try to find time for producing music. It is good that 90% of all gigs happen over the weekend. Then I can have some days of the week in which I can be in the studio with my studio partner Andre Winter or find ideas for Ideal Audio. So yes, there will be both, lots of gigs and long days and nights spent in the studio.

There is a lot of excited talk about your upcoming club dates in Australia. For the uninitiated, what can we expect from an Oliver Huntemann show?
Come to The Likes Of You Wonderland. There will be rabbits out of my hat!

Oliver Huntemann tour dates:

Thu April 1 – Tatou Nightclub, Melbourne
Sat April 3 – Villa Nightclub, Perth
Sun April 4 – The Likes Of You Afloat, Sydney
Sun April 4 – Lot 33, Canberra