Chris: Actually I started even earlier, but that was just from time to time at parties and school events. About 8 years ago I started spinning in a small club playing stuff from soul (good old James, Gloria, Chaka, Dennis E. and so on), over Hip Hop, Acid (Dancefloor) Jazz to House, even some charting Commercial stuff. It was fun at that time. I always had quite a mixed up crowd, so you couldn't stick to one style tooo long, but there I learned quite a lot to work with the crowd as well...

Were you a DJ turned produced or producer turned DJ?

I was a DJ first of all, but slowly built up a studio parallel to DJing.

You have had lots of residencies as a DJ, such as Spinclub and Omen, you also have played some parties (Mayday, Save the Robots) that make the average American raver's dick get hard at the mention of the event, do any stand out?

To have resident Clubs to play in about twice a month is nice, cause you have to work with the same people all over again and again for more than usually 5-7 hours (that was the length of a usual OMEN night), if you played completly alone even longer up to 8 - 9 hour sets. And that is I think the ultimate DJ test, to keep a crowd happy for so long. Well some outstanding gigs? Hard to say... Mayday was fun, cause people were into it and there were a lot of them!!! But still I always preferred Club gigs, as they are always a bit more personal. Most OMEN gigs were special, there I developed my sound and the base for my label Audio. The crowd was always very special. But wait, did I get the question right? Do the Raver dicks stand out???? or what?

Also, you are a resident at Omen? How often do you play there? What is it like playing with the talent that plays there? Do you get awestruck at who else spins? If I am correct, that is Sven Vath's club, how is dealing with ol' Sven, I have heard some interesting comments, politely saying he can be difficult..

Yes, I was resident at the OMEN and played there about twice a month. But now it closed down for good, cause the whole building is gonna be removed. But, hell, there is life after OMEN. Yes, it was Sven's club and he always decided who played there and who didn't, and he did quite a great job doing this. Sven is a very nice person to deal with, once you know him and he knows you..... He would give his last shirt for music, that's for sure, and he had a big (positive) impact on most people's life around him, including me. Maybe he can be "difficult" sometimes, but I really can not agree to that, as far as I know him, he's a very nice man.

Do you ever play live? Where all have you played? England? France? USA? Botswana?

No, I don't play live, maybe someday, but not now. I think I like DJing better (it's easier to carry). No, I haven't been to Botswana, but I get around quite well for a Techno Head. In December I am doing a little Tour in Brasil. In Febuary I get back to the States and in-between I run around here in Europe. I like to travel.

Okay, I know you produce, I got a few of your records... Audio 7 comes to mind, do you just sit and pop out a track? Do you need inspiration? Also, with what devices do you channel your creativity? Gear and such? Or are you scared someone will buy all your gear you list and sound just like you?

No hell, I would be pleased if people get inspired by my music and start sounding alike, therefore I am not afraid if they buy the same equipment. It's one thing to have it, and another to use it. I have a partner who helps me out a lot, his name is Andrew Wooden, you might have heard of him on some records too. Well, here's just some of our studio stuff: I use a Mac with Audio Logic as a sequencer, sometimes I use the Harddisk too. The Mixer is an old Allen and Heath 32 channel, but I'm about to get a new Soundcraft. As a sampler I have an Emulator 4, which I really recommend, cause it's the best quality for the price. Plus, there are quite a lot of old Rolands (my favorites of course the 909 and 808), as well as Sequencer Pro One and Prophet, Nord Lead, MKS 80 Super Jupiter, JD 800, Jp 8000, Microwave, Juno 106 and so on and on. Also not to forget (probably) the most important, the Compressors and effects. With all that stuff around me, I just sit there and start with a groove, the rest works around it or it doesn't. There are good days and bad days(Audio 07 was a pretty good day!!!). However, I feel like. I learned to stay home on bad days.

What are some of the names you produce under? (this is the "increase my record sales question") How many records do you have under your belt as of this interview?

Check the attached profile, all records with pseudonyms are usually all produced together with Andrew.

I know you work with a few other artists... such as Andrew Wooden, how is it working with him? Do you just have a connection that is easy to go? Anyone else you work with?

Hey, here we have my friend and partner Andrew...(I didn't read the question before!!?!). Well I have told you about him already. There are some Co-productions also, one outstanding one was with Marshall Jefferson. Try to get the record (SOAP 08), it was a lot of fun...

You own SOAP, Touch Tone, and Audio... what do you look for in tracks that you put out on each label? A feel? A sound? A style? A tempo? A name?

I actually don't look for anything (especially not for a name). I feel it in my bud and my stomach. I can not really describe it, but so far it worked quite o.k.. It's especially hard to refuse tracks from well known artists, especially by explaining to them that their track didn't create a certain feeling in my stomach. Sometimes people just don't get my point.

I notice you do lots of remixes... notably for Terry Lee Brown Jr., Spacegirl, and um.. Planet Soul... so... what was that like? Strictly Rhythm? heh

Hurray, Strictly Rhythm... that was BIG, that was my first release on such a well respected (at that time) foreign label. I was really happy; I still carry a copy of that $500 remix fee check with me!!! (great fee by the way, they sold about 10000 copies of that record....). Terry Lee Brown is a good friend and Spacegirl was produced by George Acosta (as well as Planet Soul), who I used to meet with quite a lot too. I think Remixes are more like a who knows who business...

Are there only special producers you remix for?

All who have lots of cash to spend!!! Just joking, but only partly true- you always need that bloody cash to keep your bank, studio and stomach happy. Actually there are lines, I wouldn't remix some asshole's track for any money in the world. All friendly mates, who live for music are welcome, if time allows.

What producers and labels to do listen to? Spin? Respect?

Producers: Marco Carola (he also makes great Pasta!!!), Claude Young, Cari Leckebusch, of course all my Audio Artists, the Advent (Cisco's backcatalog is really incredible!!), Luke Slater, Richie Hawtin, Surgeon and and and some more.

Labels: Svek (cool housey stuff), Drumcode (Respect to Adam), Tresor, Kanzleramt (label of Heiko Laux), to mention just a few.

What else do you listen to besides techno, cause we all have to admit, sometimes a break from the beat is a nice thing... what hobbies do you have? Soccer being huge in the world, you ever kick it around? Or you just veg out? Do you watch wrestling? Stone Cold Steve Austin fan?

Right now I listen to a lot of Depeche Mode again, sometimes even Madonna. Dubby stuff, like Rockers HiFi, Portishead and Massive Attack, mostly quiet stuff. Mole is one of my favorite labels there, check it out. Time right now leaves me no hobbies, but I used to do a lot of sports like Basketball, Skiing, even played 5 years of american Football (wide receiver, some broken ribs and dislocated shoulders, but I loved it!). I always found Soccer very boring. Now I just drive a car, spend a lot of time on the telephone and get fat. I don't watch a lot of TV, it makes people stupid.

Any closing comments, endorsements, shout outs, or threats and insults you would like to mention now?

Watch less TV, get smarter about whats happening around you. Get fucked; sex all night is better than any than anything on TV. Have some fun, give some positive energy to the people who need it, simply cheer up. Smile and someone will smile back (I tried that two weeks ago and it worked!!!). Oh, not to forget, go into record stores and buy anything from Audio, I need a new mixing desk. Come by when you happen to be somewhere where I spin, open up and let the music in and... bring me a drink!