Pantha du Prince - Glühen 4
Of trees, concrete and basalt - English / German
With his regular "Weald" nights, René Dachner brings quality techno to Hamburg's club scene. His recent list of invitees includes inventive sound smith Hendrik Weber aka Pantha du Prince with a live set at local club Uebel & Gefährlich. For a quick timeout from dancefloor bliss, read Weber's thoughts on probing the limits and grey areas as well as his peculiar infatuation with the "Swiss ur-yodel".
Your live sets tend to divide the crowds and focus on experimental endeavours. How would you describe your current sound?
Right now, I find myself drawn to live sampling, i. e. vocals, bells, kalimbas, tables, chairs – anything on stage could find its way into my set. The result is a mixture of improvisation and rearranged pre-existing tracks. From a certain point, however, I try to emphasise the clubby vibe – my experimentation should also work in a club context.
Your particular flavour of techno is drenched in melancholia – how could this possibly get people dancing?
I don’t see the conflict. It is all about probing the limits of what can be done in a club framework. Sometimes, even I don’t know what’s going on. It always catches me by surprise when I find myself – and the crowd – dancing to some very strange chords and sounds, to music that doesn’t pander to current trends or dancefloor efficiency, but somehow packs a punch and has its own swing. When this happens, people actually savour and appreciate the uniqueness of this situation.
Many of Hamburg’s DJs and producers have rediscovered early house sounds. Your own label, Dial, has played a vital part in paving the way for the trend. What is your take on this latest development?
The current review of the genre’s history was necessary and inevitable. The sheer wealth of technical possibilities has led to a period of extremely empty consumerist club music. As a DJ – even more so than as a musician – I welcome this trend and still enjoy scouring the archives for old gems.
Do you adjust your live performances to each particular crowd or city?
Before each gig, I explore the location; this helps me to adapt and react to specific situations. Sometimes, I play seated venues or festivals, which allows me to play a very different set, although the source material stays the same. People and places play a major role in shaping the direction of my live set.
What are your current musical influences?
Films have become very important, as have photography and painting. More often than not, visual works strike me as ‘more musical than music’. At the moment, I explore oriental sounds as well as vocal-based, but language-free music like one of my latest inspirations, Swiss ur-yodelling.
Will your third album – already in the works – also resound with voices and chimes?
It will resonate with trees and concrete, rubies and basalt, snowstorms and sun flares. It will sound like a new world altogether.
Laura Dunkelmann