Forgive us for suggesting it, but we here at Flaunt are starting to feel a little like Ickarus, the character played by Paul Kalkbrenner in Berlin Calling, who flames out and descends into madness. In other words, we’re starting to lose it a little. And who can blame us? The global chakras don’t exactly feel synced up.
For Kalkbrenner, Ickarus is just one chapter in an illustrious career that’s been synonymous with Berlin techno for over two decades (footnote: alongside releasing eight albums, being invited to play for 500,000 by the German Government to mark the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s falling, or riding aboard his beloved German football team’s victory bus as they paraded their World Cup trophy through the streets.)
Though touring has also been put on hold by the pandemic, Kalkbrenner’s getting through it, not by descending into madness and drugs, but finding solace in the grind: hitting the studio each day, spending time with his daughter, survival in routine. The result of that is a new four track EP of club focused techno, Speak Up. We caught up with Kalkbrenner in Berlin to chat about it.
How has your everyday life changed since the pandemic? What’s a typical day like for you currently?
My week days are not so different. I am at home with my wife and daughter in Berlin, i spend time with them, and visit the studio to work on music. My weekends, well they are now the same as the weekdays, and normally I would be playing shows. This year especially we had a very big arena tour planned and lots of festival shows. I miss not being able to play, and am also sad about all the work that so many people put into these events that now will never happen.
Speak Up is a return to a more club-focused sound for you. Did you know when you were producing these tracks that you’d release them in a moment when clubs would not be open? Did you have to think twice about releasing them now?
No of course we could not have predicted this situation. But for me, these records are ready to be released, so we are sharing them. What's the point in keeping them. For sure they will be played less, as people are not playing shows, but it's something for the fans, something for them to dance too at home.
You have always been famed for producing albums. Your last track “No Goodbye” was a single, Speak Up is an EP, have you decided to move away from the album format?
It's a matter of time and freedom. For most of my career I have been in a rhythm. Write an album for two years, release it, tour, and repeat. It's so much work to spend two years of your life on 12 tracks. This new method is quite inspiring. I am more free, it has allowed me to be more creative and unburdened. There is less pressure on every release. I think it's also good for the fans, they don't have to wait so long between releases.
The Bundesliga just returned, playing without fans. You are a huge Bayern Munich fan, did you ever imagine a time when they’d be playing in empty stadiums?
I never thought I would see this, could never have really imagined a situation that would have caused this. It's quite surreal, and I'm sure it will be difficult for the fans and the players to adjust. But I am glad that it's back, and that the season is able to finish. It helps with everything. Even though football has seemed quite trivial while this has been going on, i am sure its return will be comforting to a lot of people.
I watched your studio session this week where you addressed a lot of questions from fans. How hard is it for you not being able to play to connect with your fans in a physical space? Are digital events something you think can help maintain that connection while we are stuck at home?
Of course it's not the same. I think our music is meant to be heard in communal spaces, with proper sound. It's physical music, music that moves you, inside and out. For me the studio session was something different, something for the fans, a way to connect with them and answer some questions that I normally wouldn't. It felt like a better way to connect than a DJ set.
I got to ask you about the art work for Speak Up. It’s a car engine you own? Have you been enjoying driving around while traffic has been light?
This has been one of the few pleasures of being at home. The traffic is very light at the moment, and i have been enjoying taking a drive around the city, while its so quiet. It's a great time to relax. This engine image is actually from a vintage Aston Martin i own, it's a Lagonda Series 2 from 1985.
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