And now, Dj Audiorapture.
[sidenote - Dj Audiorapture is rarely photographed. Unfortunately, we couldn't include any photos with this feature. Sorry, everyone!]
Bio
Born and raised in Germany, AR started his DJ career in Frankfurt/Main, Germany - arguably the birthplace of techno and a capitol of EBM. He has been spinning for more than half his life, going full-circle: Starting out with EBM in small clubs; moving on to tech-house, hard-house, and trance in small and mid-sized raves; back to EBM in clubs all over Virginia.
AR has a weekly radio show on WNRN-FM in Charlottesville, VA, spinning a wide variety of electronic music, with a current emphasis on Noise, Breaks, IDM, and "mainstream" electronica.
His live sets are a genre-blending, seamlessly beat-matched mix of hard-pounding electronic tracks designed to make you dance.
Interview
What made you start DJing?
That's hard to remember after almost 20 years… (yes, I am old)
I guess it was just like a lot of things happen – you watch someone else do, want to try it yourself, and become hooked. In my case, I watched Sven Vaeth and Talla 2XLC during the beginning or their TechnoClub (that night is still running, by the way). What did me in was the revelation that you could do "this thing" with the music I liked (Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Front 242, etc.), as opposed to just rap and hip-hop.
How was your DJ night created? How did you start it? How did you mold it into what it is today?
Curiously enough, I haven't technically created any DJ night I have…
Umlaut was more or less thrown in my lap because at the time I was the only beat-matching DJ in the goth/industrial scene in town. As far as I know I still am. It's a small town, though.
Space Program is a different story, the aBetterEarth team had already had a few successful one-offs, but where looking for a permanent home. I simply pitched the idea to the right person at the right time, we will see how it goes.
What would your ideal night be like?
The setting would probably be an empty warehouse, with an event going from dusk till dawn. Music-wise, electronic dance music, of course, without many restrictions on genres. I easily get bored when I hear the same genre for an extended period of time, especially when it's a very specific genre. Very few people outside of DJs can pin-point a specific genre anyway, and even then they might be "wrong" in terms of what the artists intended. Trance and FuturePop are cousins. As are Power/Rhythmic Noise and Techno. It's more fun to mix it up than staying in your little corner.
The fundamental element is the ability to dance to something you like, even though you never heard it before. I want to see masses of people dancing. For a club DJ, that is the easiest way to tell that people enjoy themselves.
When you're spinning and you look out into the crowd, what do you see? Feel?
Fundamentally, I see people who want to be entertained. That's why they are in a club, right? It is my responsibility to entertain them with music, some times that does mean whipping out the old familiar over-played favorites, some times that means pushing the envelope with things out of the left field. Going into the night you never really know which way it is going to be.
Having a full floor to a song the crowd has never heard before makes me very euphoric. Those moments are rare, but when they do happen they keep you going for a looong time. But even if I "had" to spin nothing but club hits and requests, as long as people enjoy themselves it is all good.
What kind of gear do you use?
A laptop, an external sound card, and DJ software. Yes, I do know how to use turntables and CD players. I simply chose not to bother anymore about 2 years ago. And my back is thankful for it.
What is your mantra for your event night?
I really have no idea what you mean with this question. I probably don't understand something here, I really don't chant the same thing repeatedly to myself to find my inner peace during an event…?
How do you feel about filesharing on the internet?
It's the proverbial genie in the bottle. It showed music consumers that there is a more convenient and easier way to get the music they like. Does sharing copy-righted material hurt the artists? Absolutely. Are record labels obsolete? In their current form, definitely. Is DRM working? Not at all.
Have I downloaded copy-righted material? Yes I have. But I also buy music from online retailers who don't wrap their files in a layer of DRM. I also still buy CDs.
Personally, I don't need artwork, fancy booklets, and what have you. There are exceptions for artists I am really fond of. Otherwise, just give me a way to pay for a single song, no matter who made it or when it was made, and I am happy.
There is a giant music catalog out there, and – unfortunately for a lot of artists – file-sharing is the easiest way to get to it. Make the "proper" way the easiest way and most people will pay (iTunes has potential). Some never will, and that is not news.
If you could spin anywhere, where would you go? Why?
Fabric in London. U60311 in Frankfurt. Fabric is a DJ's dream. I'd love to throw a set down there – unfortunately, it would probably only appeal to a crowd to small to fill that place. Similar things go for the U60311 – but its underground location and the fact that it is in Frankfurt has me itching to go.
What is your favorite song to spin at this moment?
There are so many great songs to choose from… Right now it's probably Virtual Embrace's "Hate me". Just because it "stole" a trance synth line from years past. ;-)
What do you think of the current club nights in your area? How would you approve them?
Another curious thing is that none of the ones outside of Charlottesville I have been to still exist at the same location if at all. So it's hard to judge simply by hear-say. I think it's great that there are so many to choose from.
What problems/concerns do you come across in the scene in your area? How do you think they should be remedied?
Underage drinking is probably the biggest – at least perceived – problem. It the number 1 reason when we are being booted out of a venue.
Inside the scene it's the age-old question of music. Some like the classics, some like the new stuff, some like the industrial stuff (but not that genre!), some like "pure" goth,… The usual. It might be more pronounced in the goth/industrial scene than elsewhere, since goth-rock and electro-industrial are almost as far apart as you can get inside a single scene. You'll never make it right for all, and the only thing a DJ can do is keep things moving along, for the simple reason that stagnation is your enemy in the long run.
How do you promote your event? What is the most effective?
Luckily, I can rely on other people to do promotion, but I typically do some of the dreaded online-crossposting. Nothing beats word of mouth, though. Takes the longest, but yields the best results. Other than that – never concentrate on just a single avenue of promotion.
Other than DJing, what other hobbies do you do? (playing in band, art, sports)
Movies. I don't watch as many as I used to before I had a family of my own, but I still manage to watch 4-5 movies in a week. Luckily my wife and I have compatible tolerances.
How do you balance your job / personal life with your DJ night?
Badly. Very badly. Just ask my wife. It would be even worse if I still did out-of-town events on a more frequent basis. I'm basically limiting myself to in-town events. It has to be something really special for me to pursue an out-of-town gig.
What is your guilty pleasure? (internet site, music, food, or tv show)
Wrestling. There, I said it. I typically fast-forward through the matches, I only watch it for the hilariously bad soap-opera. Most of the time you can't say with 100% certainty whether it was meant to be that bad. Some of the bunch are wonderful entertainers, though.
Websites
http://www.audiorapture.com
http://myspace.com/audiorapture
http://audiorapture.livejournal.com
Related Links
http://www.wnrn.org
http://www.clubumlaut.org
http://myspace.com/cvilledawning
http://myspace.com/abetterearthrecords
http://www.beatport.com
http://www.native-instruments.com/traktor3
http://www.technoclub.tc
http://www.di.fm/edmguide/
http://www.ishkur.com
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