You will find in this category each week, an interview or a biograhpy of a Dj or artist which is breaking the news. All styles are on the “menu” of this category: minimal, house, electro, techno or even trance in some cases.
The topic will be supplemented by other Djs following the latest electronic music news.
Marc Romboy has been in the techno scene since the early 90s working for music labels such as Le Petit Prince, Terminal M or PSI-49-Net. His current project is Systematic Recordings which he set up in 2004 and has quickly become one of the top tech house imprints and maybe the best.... Today, we have the chance to offer you an exclusive interview with this German producer that is for me the best German producer and certainly in my worldwide top 5. It followed notably the interviews of other famous German producers like Thomas Gold, Extrawelt, M.A.N.D.Y., Thomas Schumacher, Butch or Solee and soon Stephan Bodzin. First, I wanted to thank Marc who answered our questions.
"Hello Marc,
Honestly it’s a real honor to interview you, because you are simply for me in my top 5 of best producers of the world! As simple as that! I think I’ve almost listened to all of your tracks and there are so much great productions. Some of my favorites are “Callisto” but there is also “I need” featuring the legend Robert Owens, so acid or “Helen Cornell”!
Some days weeks ago, I had the chance to interview one of the most promising French producer Rodriguez Jr.. Related to that, more recently you broadcasted a video with him, as you went to Bruxelles to record some tracks with him, as you’ve done before with “Lac de Nivelles”. How were the record sessions? Can you give us more details about these upcoming releases? I’m sure it will be crazy…
> Hey, thanx for your respectful words. Yes, I have joined some studio time with Rodriguez Jr. again and it´s always a great pleasure to play music with him. We have finished a track called “Picnic electronique” and used a lot of analogue machines and twiddled all the knobs live and in real time so that we had a lot of fun. He has many old classical synthesizers, pretty much like a museum (laughs).
More precisely, what will be your next release?
> Well, there are a couple of coming out this year. Besides the collabo with Rodriguez Jr. there will be a 12 inch with KiNK on Ovum and a single release with my friend Gorge from 8 Bit in Mannheim. You know I love to work together with friends and musicians I like. But I’m also working on remixes for Detroit Grand Pubahs and Steve Rachmad and of course my solo single is currently on top of my priority list.
Some weeks ago you released 3 fantastic CDs, produced with your team mate Stephan Bodzin, with a lot of tracks you produced together and that have been remixed by the most famous worldwide DJs. How this amazing project was born, knowing that some of your productions like “Miranda” or “Callisto” have been produced years ago?
> You know, Stephan and I simply felt the urge to round up all our works and unite them in one album although most of the tracks were produced some years ago. But we were happy to find the time to produce two new traxx, saying “Oberon” and “Triton”. When we started to create a concept for this long player we decided to offer something very special to the people, something which totally stands out of the other releases. So we contacted a huge number of producers we like and to our surprise all of them replied positively. So there was no way out and we said, hey, let’s do remixes with all of them and make a huge three CD box and six vinyl set for a low price!
After you give us these infos about your music news we would like to go back to your musical roots. Could you briefly tell us how did you become DJ and producer? I’ve heard somewhere you have been influenced notably by Kraftwerk.
> Yes, Kraftwerk are coming from my area, from Düsseldorf and without them, I argue, there wouldn’t be techno house music as it is nowadays. When I was eight years old I felt pretty fascinated by their music because it sounded soooo different from the other stuff and futuristic. After Kraftwerk I listened to Breakdance, Italo Disco, New Wave, Electronic Body Music and finally Chicago Jack House and Detroit Techno came up, I was totally flashed and still am.
If I’m right you released your first track in 1992. Where you afraid about that? What was the name of this release?
> Yes, you are right, at was back in the days, in 1992. The project was called Unknown Structure, produced together with my friends Jürgen Driessen, Klaus Derichs and Stefan Bossems. It was released on a label called “Adam & Eve” and became a huge hit record on the second Mayday party in Cologne. All big DJs spinned that tune (smirks).
At the beginning, did your family understand what you did for a living? And now are they proud of what you achieved along the years?
> Yes, I have to point out that my mum always supported me big time. She always mentioned that I have to do what I feel to. She was always proud and collected my records, actually until the presence.
Besides your production schedule, you have worked tirelessly to bring your imprint “Systematic Records“ to fruition since 2004. It became one of the top minimal/techno imprints in the world. You’ve released so many fantastic tracks… How do you manage all these tasks? You need to have a good team to help you I can imagine! When we interviewed Fedde le Grand some weeks ago, he was mainly help by his family. What about you?
> I totally agree! You need a good team surrounding you to run a label like I do. But it´s not the typical office I’m running, it’s in fact a team all over the world because I have outsourced many different working fields like DJ promotion, statements of the artists, digital distribution and of course the record distribution. Besides this my wife Tascha is supporting me a lot as she is coordinating my shows and taking press pictures and recording promotional videos for our TV channel Systematic TV. But hey, it still makes a lot of fun to run the label. I’m doing this job for almost two decades now and it’s simply in my blood.
Are there one or two German artists you would like to introduce us, that has maybe been signed under your imprint recently or that you would like to sign?
> Oh, there are so many pretty talented people so that it’s maybe unfair to underline one or two people. There is one artist you should really keep an eye on and he hasn’t released anything on Systematic yet. However he comes from my home town Mönchengladbach and his name is Thyladomid. He released a couple of great, rather deep groovy tracks and is about to release a track on Diynamik. I like his stuff a lot and I’m proud that there is someone else from here producing soulful techno house music.
Some days ago you played in Paris with Stephan Bodzin, one of your best friends for your Luna Live Tour. How was the party? I missed it, but the video I saw are just crazy?
> Oh, man, for all who haven’t seen the video yet, please watch it on Youtube under our channel Systematic TV. This night was simply legendary and unforgettable. Definitely one of the best and most emotional shows Stephan and I did during these two months. I must say to all the people who were there, thanx for joining us and be happy because this tour was unique and we will never repeat it again.
Concerning your tour, are you always playing the same tracks in the same order like the Daft Punk live Tour, or do you change the tracks on every date? I think there are each time different. Do you confirm it?
> You are right, the running order was always the same, but and I have to underline the “but” here, every show was totally different as we played the songs in different manners. With our four iPad apps and the analogue machines every show was a new one with new surprises, also for us. But, hey, thanks for comparing us with Daft Punk, what an honor (smiles).
Marc, the interview will be published on a website mainly read by French people. So, what do you know about the French electronic music scene? Are there some artists that you personally know or especially love their music? As I said you know very well Rodriguez Jr. is there anyone else?
> First of all I must say that the French scene and party people mean a lot to me. When Stephan´s and my career began, most of our shows were in the South of France, in Montpellier, Toulouse, Aix and Nice. And I must say thanx to all people who supported us, like Delon & Dalcan and Fab G who managed the Studio 88 back in the days. Without the support of the French people everything would be different now. And also the parties in Paris, doesn’t matter if Rex or a different location, were always outstanding.
Besides music, what are your hobbies?
> I really like Soccer and I support my team Borussia Mönchengladbach and besides this I love to read a nice book when I have time. But my main hobby is music of course!
Is there anything you would like to add?
> Thanx but you made good questionsJ
Marc, before we conclude this interview we have a few more questions. Sometimes one word is enough!
The track you advice us to listen to in your (fantastic) discography?
> “Elif” and “In my mind” with Robert Owens
An artist you would like to work with one day?
> There is no one particular I have currently in mind
3 words to define your music?
> Electronic, energetic and soulful
Are you using vinyl or mp3 for your mix?
> WAV
The software you use to produce?
> Cubase
One privilege, being DJ, gives you access to?
> See the world
Your favorite track these days?
> Three new tracks I did with KiNK, very proud of them and can´t stop listening to them myself.
Marc, thank you very, very much for the time you devoted to Actualités Electroniques and particularly for this full and exclusive interview. We will wait for sure for your next productions notably the one with Rodriguez Jr. A bientôt!
> Thanx a lot DJ Aroy. Your questions were very good and enjoyed answering them. I know it has taken a little time and patience to wait for this but after the tour when I couldn´t look after my real life, I had to sort out and look after many things. I´m sure you understand ;-)
Marc”
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