Patrik Gebhardt, a DJ from Upper Frankonia, or to be more specific from Kronach, or, as he would call himself, “a musiclover with a screw loose,” stands for a pretty catchy techno sound. Every electro junkie, even those who have just once listened to his sound, knows what he means when he describes it as “deep”, “dark”, “impulsive” or even “evil”. That is comprehensible especially when he philosophizes about sampling from horror movies, which he ranks among the numerous experiences he has already made in the large field of electronic dance music. Playing this evil style of techno, however, does not necessarily entail gloomy thoughts. “On and off there are states of mind when you can’t make music, like when you are in a bad temper or something,” Patrik admits. To the question where this more or less evil style may derive from, Patrik replies that the cause was probably the difficult childhood he went through. At this point one could start to feel sorry for the lanky boy, if this had not formed the extraordinary sound he is able to perform like magic today.
Everything started when watching a scratch world championship on MTV when he was 11 years old. The fascination kept hold of him and as he tuned in to a live recording of the Love Parade the phenomenon of electronic music started to unfold its pleasures and embrace the then little boy.
At that time the scene of electronic music was still in its infancy, but when he heard tracks by those “newbies” like Plastikman (a.k.a. Richie Hawtin) the already captured boy was finally lost. So the inevitable took its course: when 13 years old, his first two channel mixer and a disc player marked the beginning of a passion that has persisted until today (and will probably never stop).
The now 18-year-old describes himself as rather withdrawn. Maybe that is the desperate bid to protect existing creativity on the inside from the supposedly corruptive outside world and using one’s mind as a shelter? While trying to exemplify this statement, it falls into place that he simply does not see the point in having meaningless conversations with people, who are not really interested in the music or everything else that comes along with it. But there are always people who want to talk. These mostly superficial not really interested ones might consider him a more or less disturbed person, because they just don’t understand his passion. However, for people who have seriously tried to get into the act, it is obvious that this person sitting right in front of you is damn serious about it. “There are always new plans and ideas that want to be put into practice”, Patrik explains. And that is by no means a bad thing. He knows that people sometimes have got problems in carrying out their ideas, because of a lack of will or dedication. Patrik on the other hand is persistent enough to take the initiative and hence heeds the advice of some DJs who are already big in business that he was talking to.
At the moment, for instance, he is working on a website on which he plans to publish some podcasts about techno/electro musicians from the area, in order to introduce the performer and to create a network of these artists and their listeners. In the long run he is aspiring to get into the music business and to produce his own techno tunes. Sending demo tapes to record labels in order to get a contract is definitely a long and difficult road to success. Though in this case he will take his time and first try to improve and gain some more experience, just in the spirit of “good things come to those who wait”.
For him it is like a tunnel you walk through, but never see the light at the end, and you have no demand for the tunnel to end. That means never stop walking through that tunnel, never stop to learn, never stop to long for amelioration and never give up. “Or”, he adds, “it is like a never ending game, you will never get to the final level”.
That brings up another essential question: Why? Or what abets him to make music and not to lose interest? What is so fascinating about it?
First, one has sheer endless possibilities and no rules. Working as a “digital-DJ”, which means, broadly spoken, working with a laptop but without a turntable, breaks so much creative freedom to you. Experimentation gains new significance and a whole new meaning. It means an unfettered manipulation of tunes, compared to a DJ who works with vinyl. It should be noted that in his case the chliché that digital-DJs can’t handle turntables does not prove true, actually it is the opposite: he can work them perfectly because he had a lot of practice when he was a child. But for all that he prefers to work with his Mac, and that is not detrimental to his music at all.
A second aspect would be the fact that the music is on all night long and without cease. So there is no assessment on one particular fragment, but on the whole set and that “makes the bomb blast”. A DJ can create suspense and release tension with a few tiny but intelligent changes in his “endless stream of music”. One thing that is especially fascinating for Patrik is the possibility to make the listener go on a journey with his music, but only if they let it happen of course. So there always has to be an amicable relationship between the audience and the musician.
It is clearly noticeable that Patrik Gebhardt plays for keeps when he tells in earnest that he feels obliged to throw down some tracks at home every day. If he does not, then there are always pangs of remorse and a feeling of not being able to keep up with the rest.