On Friday 27th of March to kickstart their 2015 calendar Sensu’s Junior & Barry Price will be sharing the bill with two of their favourite DJ’s who also happen to be two of their favourite producers, running some of our favourite labels. Ahead of the event Sensu caught up with Oskar Offermann and Edward and chatted over architecture, artwork and escalators…
Glasgow and Berlin both have the great tradition of amazing architecture, both modern and old. It is often said when in Glasgow you should always look up when walking through the city centre to truly take in this aspect. Is there a specific place or building that you like for its design and architecture and why?
Edward: Paris Charles de Gaulles Airport. Walking through this airport is like living history. You feel what the future was looking like to the people from the seventies. Riding to this absolutely absurd escalator system makes you feel like you jumped into a Moinseur Hulot Film. Especially when you get there right after your gig; maybe a little soundtrack in your ear…It’s like traveling back to the future. Really intense!
Oskar: Yeah, for me it actually feels like going to the future in the 70s. So it still feels retro in a way. That makes it even more special. Very Tati like indeed or kinda like watching a Utopian Kubrick…
Is there anywhere you love going back to play? Whenever you look at your calendar and see it and get excited and what is it about that place that you love?
Edward: Japan is always a great highlight to us. Not because of a specific party but the crowd. Its nowhere else that people push you so much to bring on something really special. There are no such trax as sure shots when it comes to Japanese crowds. That makes it always really challenging and we mostly end up playing really weird sets…
Oskar: Japan is very special, because the appreciation for music is so different. But we also get very excited about Oma in Hong Kong, Output/Panther Room in NY, Robert Johnson and Panorama Bar in Germany.
Obviously each person starts in a different place musically from where they end up and everything in between is a journey. Where did you start?
Oskar: We both have different backgrounds. Mine was mainly hip hop. Gilles (Edward) was more eclectic. I got sucked in to electronic music for the first time when I was 22 and I just moved to Berlin. I went to a party called “get perlonized” at a place called Ostgut. That was in 2001. And after that I probably went there quiet frequently, but I don’t remember...
Do you still listen to a certain style of music other than the electronic stuff you play when touring?
Oskar: Oh yes, I actually don’t listen to much techno & house music at all at home. Just for preparing a set or when I am record shopping. I prefer oldies. and lately I’ve been into old ambient stuff and new agey stuff.
Edward: I listen to a lot of folk such as experimental stuff from various genres. But I also enjoy to listen to some good podcasts of contemporary club music. Listen HERE to Edward’s new RA podcast. This is a trippy more ambient mix, way beyond the dance floor.
Every artist has one (or 10) records at hand that can totally change a dance floor. Whether it is for completely lifting the mood or absolutely making a statement of intent. What is yours?
Oskar: Basically you can do that with every record depending on what you played before, or how. But for me that would be a record by Marco Zenker called twenty three on Ilian tape.
With that in mind, do you have anything in your bag at the moment that not a lot of other people do? Whether it be something new or indeed old?
Edward: When we get into more monotonic sections of our sets I always try to lay some ambient kraut sounds over which I edit at home. We also play a lot of our unreleased tracks which obviously not so many people have.
Oskar: Yes many many edits from ourselves, but also from good friends.
What do you enjoy more, running the label, being in the studio or playing out?
Edward: For me it’s definitely the combination of playing at the night and producing straight afterwards. I have so many ideas when I’m coming out of a club.
Oskar: I am pretty much the same. But I mostly produce early in the morning after I slept. I don’t fancy label work at all, but that is the reason why we have a label manager now.
We can’t wait for this specific show and hope you are the same. What expectations do you have of Glasgow?
Oskar: We haven’t been to Scotland before, so we are very curious for the the new impression of course. Sadly we won’t have much time to check out some nature, because that is mostly what I prefer doing besides the gigs these days. Checking out the surrounding nature. And I am crazy for modern foods… people who can do alchemy on a plate. And record shops of course. Scotland has quiet a big history in techno and house culture from what I know.
It’s a shame you’re not here for longer guys, as Scotland’s scenery,wildlife and nature are second-to-none! Maybe next time…
Here at Sensu, we like to try very hard when it come to the design. Is there any specific record or record sleeve that comes to mind which you like for it’s design?
Oskar: The first thing which came to my mind without even finishing to read the question, is Output. Even though Trevor Jackson discontinued it years ago, I still think artwork wise it was so above everything else.
As well as being crazy about music, we all love seeing great films and obviously a big part of this is the soundtrack and score. This can enhance the film tenfold if done correctly. If you could score any film past, present or future, what would it be? Are there any soundtracks that you feel are completely perfect the way they are?
Edward: I love the Soundtrack of “There will be Blood” done by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. Its really special because he use typical orchestral instrumentation but he creates totally unexpected moods for these really calm pictures of the film. To me its a really outstanding masterpiece. I would also love to make a soundtrack but I would hate the fact that theres already a musical work done for this film, so I guess I wouldn’t choose any old film.. But as I already brought it up making a soundtrack for a Paul Thomas Anderson epos would be really great.
Oskar: Koyaanisquasi and Blade Runner for me. And Lost Highway maybe. And of course Clint Mansell stuff is also a winner. As for compilations I really like the Wes Anderson soundtracks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-t8w08QNJM
The quality of Oskar & Edward’s output and creativity is second to none. We’re sure you’ll agree, this is one not to be missed…
£8 tickets on sale HERE, then more on the door from 11pm.