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A Dose of Trance and Acid – 5 minutes with Kai Tracid
There should be a sense of déjà vu emerging; Back in Australia next week on Anzac Day to grace the decks at the Digital Electronic Music Festival at South Atlantic Warf, Kai Tracid is no stranger to us, constantly globetrotting, hanging at any place with turntables, anywhere between Frankfurt and Sydney. Although the handsomely athletic DJ/Producer from Germany spends a lot of his time playing to the masses around the world with up to 150 shows a year through residencies and at major musical festivals outside Germany around Europe and the U.S, he also spends many hours within the four walls of his production studios.
The founder of ‘Tracid Traxx’, his label, and sub-label ‘Acid Files’, Tracid has played a central role in the dance charts in Germany, the rest of Europe and all over the world. He has sold over a million records which fundamentally carry his love of both the genres acid and trance, hence how he formed the name ‘Tracid’. Tracid Traxx has over 50 artists to its name, and like a true heavyweight, these collaborations and productions are constantly locking in top 40 spots on the dance charts around Europe, U.S.A and Australia.
The once an electro-mechanical engineering student working from his computer at home, experimenting and using second rate equipment, Kai Tracid is now one of the most successful DJs/Producers around the world. We took some time to pick his brain…
Tell us how you first got interested in electronic music and subsequently djing and production?
It was in the late 80's when friends took me to techno clubs in Frankfurt I got infected. In this time there were a lot of fascinating techno-shows on the radio, so I spend a lot of time listening to the sounds on air at home and decided to produce that kind of music on my own. In 1997 I decided to become a DJ again (in the 80s I was involved in the Hip Hop scene and made even first experiences with DJing) to have the chance to test my sounds in the clubs.
Your sound combines underground acid with a more delicate/melodic trance; What probed you to mix these distinct styles together? Are you slightly more partial to one than the other?
Acid and Trance were the both styles which moved me most. As Music is an Art without rules, I combine my personal most favourites. Some times I prefer one, sometimes the other style, but the most powerful emotion you get is in the combination.
What type of message do you think your music conveys? How does your music make you feel?
My music conveys all different kinds of emotions, positive and negative emotions. What is important for me is to feel the intensity of emotion, sometimes they´re happy, sometimes depressive but always strong.
Who would you say your biggest inspiration has been when it comes to djing and production?
Emanuel Top / Jam and Spoon
Having successfully graced the dance charts in Germany & the rest of Europe, it’s no doubt that your beat is a unanimous favourite. Would you say the underground/acid trance scene in Europe is dying or evolving into something new?
In Europe Acid is getting reanimated at the moment! Definitely Acid is going to get the next huge thing in Europe. That´s why I founded a new sublabel called "Acid Files" and I produced some Acid Tracks with Rob Acid, Mijk van Dijk and Ramon Zenker (well known producer of "hardfloor")
Do your performances differ from larger scale events to the smaller, more intimate venues? Also, do your sets differ depending on where the audience is from?
For sure you have to discern between a performance in a small club or one in a huge arena. In a small club it is more possible to play a long time, because you are able to experiment with the crowd and to build the tension slowly. In a big arena it´s more comfortable to have a short gig, because you have to present the big shots very precisely. Inside my style/spectrum I always try to react to the crowd - when I feel they want it more tougher I´ll give it to them or the other way around. But I don´t care about the colour of the audience´s skin, the feedback is important! ;-)
Do you listen to any other styles aside from what you play? What do you crank up on your home stereo?
I don´t care about musical genres - music has to be emotional. My home stereo plays all of it! Today it was the new Moby album called "Hotel".
What is your favourite place to spin?
I don´t have a favourite club or venue, it depends on the crowd. But all in all I have to confess that Australia is one my favourite places to play!
What was the biggest and best gig of your life? How did you feel?
The biggest indoor gig has been the sensation in the Netherlands (Amsterdam), the biggest outdoor was the Love Parade in Berlin. It´s inconceivable to spin in front of 35.000 people - you feel like a rockstar - it's a flash and it's hard to realize it.
Tell us about your current and forthcoming production work and any forthcoming releases.
This time I´m working on my new Album. Last month we released the A*S*Y*S Album together with Frank Ellrich. Today we produced an other secret track. Upcoming we will release a track with Ramon Zenker on Acid Files.
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Published / Thu, 14 Apr 2005
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