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Bas Mooy Interview by Submerge
By orlando | November 19, 2008
LIVE @ awakenings…
Orlando Impact: How did you get into music?
Bas Mooy: From an early age I have been interested in different kind of music, but have to say I was more into rock and punk than electronic music as a teenager. I used to go out clubbing a lot, but always felt like most electronic music was a bit too mellow/soft for me. It was only when I first attended the Strictly Techno parties in Rotterdam, when I instantly got hooked to pounding techno and the underground vibe around it.Those guys were playing proper banging stuff and they were the only ones in Rotterdam, maybe even in Holland at that time. My first night there made me decide to buy decks and a mixer. Pretty soon after that I also started organizing parties and after I had met Jeroen Liebregts through a mutual friend, we decided to look into the possibilities of starting our own label. When I started working at Triple Vision a couple of months later, they had just started distributing some techno labels (among them Heroes by Glenn Wilson), I decided to showcase our plans and they offered us a distribution deal. Audio Assault was born. We also set up sublabel Arms one year later. From the start things went pretty fast, since the first releases got major support from keyplayers such as DJ Rush. When I started to get more and more gigs I decided to quit University after seven years of studying. A major step, but it felt so damn good, even though it meant I had to work some shitty jobs for a while to make a living. Last year I decided to do music fulltime, so I left Triple Vision, which meant i can focus on my music 100% these days.
Orlando Impact: The techno scene around the globe had experienced a kind of difficult time with everything, after a lot of music converting digitally, especially when many companies went bankrupt. Do you think the electronic genre is once again becoming more vital?
Bas Mooy: I am fully confident that it will all pick up soon. Lots of distribution companies went bankrupt because of bad management and just too much low quality releases out there. People got greedy in the end and everybody was putting out way too much material on the market. Regarding the situation of music going more digital, I have to say I was kind of scared of the digital revolution and I actually was really sceptic about everything, since I always tried to support vinyl as much as I could. Releasing only digital didn’t really appeal to me and playing digital seemed kind of ‘too easy’. But after seeing Speedy J and Chris Liebing perform with Traktor and Ableton I got kind of curious and way more enthousiastic about it. In the end its not the medium thats important, its the result and what people experience on the dancefloor. If I can play a better set with Ableton, why shouldn’t I use it? I am even curious which way things are going in the future, dj sets can get so much more interesting. In the end I think everybody will switch to digital, that’s a process that has been started now and which is irreversible I guess, but sometimes you just need to accept things the way they are. Like minimal gave techno a new twist, digital will create a whole new dimension in dj-ing. I feel the electronic scene had some really hard times, but when I look at my own labels, I have to say that the extra digital sales made up for the loss of vinyl sales. Besides that people can start a label now without having to pay major costs for pressing records and transport etc, which lowers the risk for labelowners. I think the digital revolution will bring us many good things, making the scene definitely more vital in the end in many ways.
Orlando Impact: Do you think the whole techno scene has gone too Minimal, or has it returned to it’s roots? Where do you see the Techno scene heading in the future?
Bas Mooy: I think the whole minimal hype was a very logical step in techno getting more and more of the same. Some artist released a new record every 2 weeks and basically killed the scene with this overkill on loopy techno. The beautiful thing about music is that styles will return after a couple of years, it’s all based on trends and cycles, so I don’t worry too much. When techno returns it will probably have evolved a bit and has a slightly different face, but I am confident the more banging stuff will be back. After a period of ‘female-friendly’ slow stuff, people will always be looking for some roughness in the music, so they are gonna be looking for the more banging stuff again. In Holland more and more people are getting fed up with minimal, but it always takes a while before you will notice that in the clubscene. But on the internet forums it already started…more people are looking for pounding stuff again! I decided not to dive into this minimal stuff when it came along, since I really still like it more pounding, but have to say I am taking some of the influences with me in my sets and in my tracks. You should always keep your eyes open and try to be open minded about changes without losing your personal taste. I would never make or play any click-clack minimal stuff, but was very into some of the minimal influenced tunes. I think, at this moment, minimal is experiencing the same overkill as loopy techno did some years ago. Besides that, the minimal djs are starting to play more banging and faster these days, so I guess there will be sort of a crossover sound in the end. I just make and play what I like best, these days my tracks are more 134 bpm then the 140 bpm I used to make them. Not sure if it’s the influence of minimal in general or just the fact I am getting an old man….;) Personally I will still fight my guerrilla battle to put back quality pounding techno in the spotlights, by releasing and producing techno the way I think it should be: dark and pounding! Regarding the minimal hype: we got the message, something had to change, but let’s go back to techno now!
Orlando Impact: Which and how many labels are you currently running? Can you tell us what artists you have slated for releases in the future?
Bas Mooy: I am running Audio Assault and Arms with my labelpartner Jeroen Liebregts. Those are the two labels, where my main focus is on. Besides that I am involved in several other labels, which are distributed by Triple Vision, but more as a advisor these days, then really running the labels. Regarding new releases: We have just released a new Audio Assault by Wavemother, an alter ego of one of our favorite artists, Anton Pieete. Also upcoming are a release by Radial and a solo record by myself. Other stuff coming up I will keep to myself for now, but we have some interesting people who are currently working on tunes for us. So check out our website every now and then. On the next Arms we have a fourtracker by Radial, Luka Baumann, Agony Forces and Carlos Rios & Oliver Kucera. As always, trying to make a good mixture between talent and established names. Charlton an me are also working on some new Diabla Diezco stuff, which will be out in 2009. Also look out for my double pack on Planet Rhythm early next year, which will have co-operations with Radial and Ortin Cam on it and also some of my solo new tunes and remixes by Exium, DJ Boss, Anton Pieete and A. Paul.
Orlando Impact: Can you name a track from your own productions that you like the most, as well as a couple of tracks from other artists that you think are well produced?
Bas Mooy: Since I have been working in my new studio I have been working really hard trying to create a better and new sound. It took me a while, but recently I found the sound I want and I made a lot of new tunes the last couple of months. I am testing out a lot of stuff at the moment and I am very happy that many of the new tracks have been signed already. There’s gonna be a lot of new releases, starting in January, on which I am keen to get out there. Basically, if I have to name tracks I am happy with most it’s always the tunes I made last. So when I look back there are several tracks that I am very happy with, but I still feel that the track I am gonna make next week will be my best so far. At the moment I just finished two tracks for my Audio Assault release, which really stand out in my opinion. Artist I really like are mostly people, who make or used to make the proper banging techno I love so much: Cari Lekebusch’s releases on Kaun Trax, Secret Cinema, Thomas Krome on Corb, old Drumcode ‘techno’stuff, Glenn Wilson on Heroes, Anton Pieete’s techno stuff, Reeko, Go Hiyama, Dj boss, Surgeon (British Murder Boys), Steve Rachmad, Speedy J, Planetary Assault System,The Advent. And probably way more names I can’t remember right now. Ask me tomorrow and I’ll probably come up with more names, it’s just so many tunes that I like…
Orlando Impact: When you’re working on music what equipment are you using?
Bas Mooy: Basically in my studio I use a Mac computer, a good soundcard (Fireface), Genelec speakers, some small controllers and a midi keyboard, Komplete and Kore 2, don’t need more actually I think…
Orlando Impact: Some of techno artists have started returning to a kind of old school studio set-up like out-board stuff after going through new technology. What is your opinion on Hardware vs Software?
Bas Mooy: I’ve been trying out a lot of stuff over the years, mostly software but also some hardware, but have to say I am a big fan of software producing. I think most software is so good these days. With a simple set up you can get great results. It also made producing less complicated and you can work so fast with programs like Ableton. It’s a discussion that has been going on for years of course. Personally I don’t think there’s such a big difference anymore, although hardware producers probably disagree with me. I think software has made music more interesting and easier to work with. When you see that even a lot of the big respected producers sold their hardware and started working more software based, then I think that proofs the results of software are almost similar to hardware. It’s a discussion that will always go on I think, same with playing with mp3’s or vinyl.
Orlando Impact: Do you have any next break artists, Labels or DJs in your mind?
Bas Mooy: That’s a tough question actually. There haven been much new labels and artists lately, that fit the profile of my taste so most of the stuff I play is new stuff from artists that have been in the game for quite some time, combined with older stuff I like. New labels that caught my eye: Dynamic reflection by Paul Boex, Roots by Ortin Cam, Token by Kriz. But there’s not much labels out there anymore that deliver proper banging stuff. Recently I sort of rediscovered A. Paul’s tracks, but he has been in the game for years. One of the things I notice is that there’s not a lot of new producers that make banging techno at the moment, most of the new guys are into minimal. I am really confident there will be a new wave of techno producers in the following years. People that caught my eye lately: Reeko, Go Hiyama, Counterpart, Subspace, Agony Forces, Submerge, Industrialyzer, Ortin Cam, Charlton, Radial, CYP, Luka Baumann…Like I said, mainly names that are in the game for quite some time…
Orlando Impact: What’s coming up next for you? Will you be performing anytime soon in the U.S
Bas Mooy: I have been getting more and more gigs outside Holland over the years, I am playing most in United Kingdom and Spain, but at the moment there’s also a lot of interest from Italy. Up until now I have been in the States only once, 2 years ago. Seems kind of hard to get gigs in the US, although there has been some interest the past two years. But of course the ticket price is kind of high and the club-scene is not as big as in Europe. But i really want to support people who are doing parties in the States. Big up for them to try and put techno on the map in the US! I would be happy to help out spreading the word, so feel free to contact my agent 
Topics: Techno - Minimal Techno |
November 20th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
yeah,nice one from main man Bas,im supporting his work since few years,and i think he is one of the main guys in the techno scene and the scene cant exist without that man!
cant wait to see his new stuff out and hope that arms and AA will never die!
Respect!
Tony