Belgium techno expat currently residing in Berlin, Peter Van Hoesen, is on his way to Australia this month to play play three gigs across the country which includes the Rainbow Serpent Festival in Victoria and the Strange Signals party in Sydney. In preparation for his arrival, Matt Costain threw some rapid fire questions at the techno don about living in Berlin, playing Berghain and his second LP 'Perceiver'.
Pulse: You grew up in Brussels. Belgium. You've previously cited the countries industrial, EBM, post-Punk and New Wave scenes as influences on your sound, and Belgium has left a huge legacy on house and techno. Do you still have any musical ties back to the country, and what's going on back at home? My musical ties are mostly rooted in the past. I don't really have an active connection with the Belgian scene anymore. What I do know is that there are several labels and organisations doing a good job, trying to push innovative music. Belgium's legacy is something that is often forgotten by Belgians themselves, which is rather sad really.
You've been living in Berlin for the past three years. How long do you see it's dominance as the epicentre of modern techno lasting, and could such a strong scene ever emerge elsewhere? What conditions allow such a scene to precipitate? The main thing over here were the conditions created by the fall of the Berlin wall, combined with Berlin's history as a city used to providing entertainment and culture - even in the 1920s Berlin was a party town. These conditions do not exist anywhere else, so it is useless trying to compare other cities to Berlin, or even to try and emulate what is going on over here. Every city has its own story and circumstances. How long Berlin's importance for electronic music will last is not something I can predict. But I hope it has a long way to go.
How would Berlin be without Berghain - say as in if it was suddenly to close? Same as it was before I guess. Berghain is a very important club but it's not the beginning nor the end of electronic dance music. This music lived in Berlin long before Berghain, and will continue to do so long after.
You played Berghain towards the end of 2012. Does a performance there elicit different preparation to any other club gig, mentally or musically? It's more a matter of preparing a longer set than usual. It does not really matter if it is Berghain or The Bunker. If it's a set that is longer than usual I need to prepare it differently, for sure.
Your interpretation of Japan's Labyrinth festival as ritual is well documented. Have you experienced this feeling or sense of ritual elsewhere either as a performer, or as a dancer? Nope. Only at Labyrinth.
2012 saw the release of your second LP 'Perceiver' (as PVH) and a debut hybrid live/DJ performance at Labyrinth which incorporated material from the album. Can you describe your live setup? Until now the one constant has been change. I don't think I have ever played the same live set twice, either track-wise or gear-wise. This is about to change, as I am currently preparing a brand new live set which will be more stable in terms of equipment and approach. It consists of two synths, two drum machines, some effect units and a laptop. The main idea is to have more options for improvisation. The Labyrinth set was a good test in this regard.
Sendai, your A/V project with Yves De Mey also saw an album this year, and you also performed a '4D' high concept sound performance at ADE. Are there common threads through your different alias' performances, or do they stand alone entirely? I would say that each project has its own definited characteristics, so they kind of stand on their own. With Yves it is very much about the interaction between us two, and the will to push sound a bit further than usual.
Finally, Sydney is very much looking forward to having you play, is there anything you're particularly looking forward to doing in Sydney, or Australia? Enjoying the sun, since it's rather grey here in Berlin right now.
[Peter Van Hoesen plays the Rainbow Serpent Festival (25th-28th Jan) and Sydney's One22 on Jan 25th]