Wolfgang Voigt- The Voice of Techno Future

This October saw the release of Wolfgang Voigt's Profan project, Kafkatrax; avant-garde, twisted and loud, Kafkatrax is pressing Voigt on further, into now and into the future. His past works and productions may have shaped German dance music taking Cologne-techno to a global audience, he may have co--founded the super-influential label Kompakt and achieved mass-acclaim under dozens of monikers since the 90s, but he doesn't rest within his own achievements; he recognises time is moving and he must move, too. Wolfgang's still driving his own beat but not on past terms - it's all about the future.  Here Erin Kubicki catches up with the ever moving man of techno.

Pulse: Can you tell us a little bit about the just-released Kafkatrax? Why choose to use and rework Kafka audio for these productions? Wolfgang Voigt: I was trying to find the sound of recited text in order to turn it into groovy music, using deconstruction and superimposition. Although the decision to use texts by Kafka was due to my preferences as a teenager, the choice in fact is irrelevant. I was really only interested in the sound of the voice. In the end, the contents of the text are practically incomprehensible, anyway. It’s a kind of abstract literary rap.

What was the catalyst and intentions behind the (originally) 3-part series?  I usually work very project-oriented. And I’ve always had a liking for the serial. It all starts with a certain idea, I stake out the scope, and then something new emerges. Three maxis and one CD seemed to me the right scope for the Kafkatrax project.

Do you see your work and productions becoming more conceptual, more avant-garde from your prolific work in the 90s?   At the moment I am as productive as in the boom phase of the 90s, if not more. I have always been conceptual. But I am freer, clearer than ever before. In fact, the fast pace and the ennui in the music market over the past years has released my creativity even more because today I don’t care at all about sales figures and expectations anymore. This generates more exciting music, something that people become increasingly aware of too.  

Many people use your work in the late 90s, your tracks as Gas as huge inspiration to what they’re doing now, how does it feel to inspire so many, to be vital to so many other productions out there?  Music and arts are always about inspiration and inspiring others. Of course, I am pleased if other people love my 90s music and are inspired by it. But what really makes me happy is if they follow my current music. The past is of no interest to me because it’s over. I am interested only in the present and the immediate future. In other words: the next couple of weeks.

When you founded Kompakt – did you ever think that it would become as prolific as it has? Did you ever think this Cologne-based sound would have such an impact on electronic music?  When Kompakt was founded, techno had already developed into an international musical language with a multitude of worldwide dialects. We had already added the Cologne dialect to this musical language - that it would become that successful through Kompakt was not foreseeable but not entirely unexpected either.

How does a label with so much history and acclaim move forward into the future?  By keeping our feet firmly on the ground and never forgetting our origins. Especially in times of great change in the music market, Kompakt needs to remember where it started. Back to the roots.

With a lot of nostalgia and revivals surrounding electronic and dance music at the moment – do you feel at Kompakt you’re going against this or do you feel certain cycles returning with the music you’re putting out?
Our attitude has always been: “Archaeology, yes – retro, no.“ It’s okay revert to the old to combine it with something new, i.e. create something new. I detest retro trends with the sole objective of authenticity in the sense of the original. That’s death.

Who are you enjoying most on Kompakt at the moment?  I like The Field and Guy Boratto. And there is a small experimental platform of very limited records available only by Kompakt mail order. It provides a space for almost unlimited artistic freedom at Kompakt.

What do you think of the current state of techno? Has minimal as a general term been overused in techno? Minimal has been overused for 10 years. But who cares. For me, minimal is not minimal. There are loads of different forms of expression. I increasingly consider my work in this area to be minimal art. It’s a timeless art form which still has a lot to say. You only have to be able to think progressively.

What separates your own work from Kompakt? Can you make ties between your more minimal work as Studio 1 to the more ‘accessible’ pop-sound of Kompakt?  That’s easy to explain. You can’t really compare the major part of my music with the music on Kompakt. Most of my music projects, such as Gas, Studio1 or Profan had already been produced when the Kompakt label was founded. The foundation of Kompakt in 1998 was simultaneous with a longer, creative pause of my own music. Kompakt for me was not about my own music but about promoting the music of other people (the next generation) and about creating and drawing attention to a larger electronic/ambient/techno label with a certain pop attitude.

Would you ever return to Mike Ink or any of your earlier monikers?  I don’t think so. I occasionally fantasize about a kind of techno goodbye tour under the name “ The Best Of Mike Ink Is Dead“. But I don’t know whether it would work again. Fortunately, I am busy enough with the present and the future to occupy myself with the past.

What’s for the future (both the label and yourself)?  Awakenings. New beginnings. Maximum artistic freedom.

For releases from Wolfgang Voigt, The Field, Gui Boratto and more on Kompakt, head here

Listen to Wolfgang Voigt on Pulse Radio