German electronic maestro Butch is on his way to Australia this weekend, bringing his chunky, versatile and defined sound to lucky punters down under including a set at Sydney's Abercrombie Hotel for Mantra Collective. On the eve of his arrival, Telly Maragopoulos shoots a rapid fire Q&A to the man about his epic release resume, his home country, and thoughts on popular music.
How does the Sydney crowd compare with the rest of the world? I'm under the impression that you guys are really open to experimental sounds and I feel really free to just do what I feel in the moment. Other places I stick more with my safety nets, with you guys I know that you want to hear the far out kind of music, I can really go wild with you all down under!
You have over 100 releases under your belt. How do you manage to balance this with touring and your personal life? Funny you should ask me that, my wife is complaining why I'm not spending time with her as we speak. It's really a difficult balancing act, but where there's a will, there's a wayl, as they say.
When you are producing, how does your approach change when making an album compared to an EP? An album has to have a connecting flow to me. Not that every track has to have the same vibe, far from it, but the listener has to enjoy what he is listening to at that very moment as well as want to know where it comes from and where it is leading up to. An EP isn't as tightly woven, the songs might be related but they also stand more for themselves.
What are some of your influences outside of electronic music? Every sound and every note.
Increasingly we’re seeing more and more commercialisation and money being invested in electronic music. What are your thoughts on this explosion of popularity in the U.S.A.? I guess it'll be the same as with any kind of music, it happend to rap, it happend to rock 'n' roll before that. First Little Richard and then Elvis Presley. First A Tribe Called Quest and then Vanilla Ice. Certain interest groups acknowledge the financial potential of a sector, but instead of supporting what really made it popular in the first place, they push money into uninspired acts to sound like acts which are successful, just with a little less edge and more mainstream appeal. It's sad, really.
Have you noticed an impact of this in Europe? Yes, very much so.
Your home country Germany remains a hot bed and epicentre of quality house, tech house and techno. What do you think drives this creativity and underground scene? If I knew, I'd tell you. Maybe it's the weather, people get more sun than in the Scandinavian countries, so they don't get too depressed, but don't get as much sun as maybe the Spanish, so the Germans can work all day, every day. Germany truly is the paradise for the working man and I guess many German music producers also have a strong working moral. But as I say, it's only a theory!
What track are you most proud of from your own production? I love all my children (grins). If I had to put one or two on a pedestal, it'd be “Nomad” and “Faith”. They're special to me, but as I say, all my babies are!
What’s your favourite track at the moment by another artist? Snoop Dogg's '(OJ) Wake Up'. Can't get that song out of my head right now (laughs).
You are playing at Mantra Collective’s day party! What can your audience look forward to most from your show? Anything can happen, we will see what the moment brings. I know I will embrace it fully and I'd love to share that with you guys!
Butch 2013 Australian Tour Dates
08.02.13 - Brown Alley, Melbourne
09.02.13 - The Abercrombie, Sydney
10.02.13 - The Court, Perth