Gabriel Ananda - Cologne but not forgotten

Following a move to Cologne in 1999, Gabriel Ananda has been a highlght of the their burgeoning techno scene. James Reynolds speaks to Gabriel about developing his live set, the influence of moving out the country and his Basmati imprint.

Gabriel Ananda @ Undertone Rotterdam - DJ set PT.2 by WIR Network

Hey, how are you? Where in the world are you right now and what are you upto? I am great, thanks, at home in my kitchen, answering some interview questions. But what I am actually up to is having a break from playing gigs for three weekends and using this time to produce some new tracks. I didnt make many tracks during the last months, so it took me a week now, just to really get into it again. I do have free time in January as well,so maybe it’s gonna be a new track that I make now. Let’s see.

So how does your production day look? Waking up at around 12:00, having breakfast, getting some things done like interviews, shopping, sports, maybe some house work. Then I try to be working on the music from 14:30 till around 21:00. In the past I worked all night long until 7 in the morning or so, got up at 17:00 when the sun went down, not a very sunny life. Now I try to avoid this and I feel and look much better.

How has the Cologne scene changed over years? When i cam to cologne in 1999 it felt like Kompakt dominated everything, not only Cologne, but the world. That has changed. Now we have many smaller, and really interesting communities like Traum / Trapez, or the WIR-Network of course, where I am.

How would you say Cologne influences your current music style? In the past it did for sure, but not because of the artists or the music, much more because of the urban atmosphere. I come from the countryside where it is so calm that as a young guy you beg for any noise. So my pre-cologne productions were really really hard. The darkest and hardest psychotic music you can imagine. When the noise was all around me all the time, I felt that I needed more harmony and beauty. I found out that when I feel bad I sometimes make the most happy and beautiful tracks. In dreams the sub consciousness gives you what you need, like you laugh at night when you have a tough time or cry, when something really beautiful happens. So I guess it’s a bit the same with the music, because it flows out of the sub consciousness, not the intellect.

You're one of the rare artist' that DJs and plays live, what do you think you bring to the dancefloor with a live set as opposed to a DJ set? My livesets are often much rougher and tougher than my DJ sets. During my live sets I play only my own tracks so the atmosphere is a little more condensed. But when I DJ I also play quiet intense [Laughs]  I think everything varies from party to party.

What would you say is a defining moment in your career so far? When Süssholz became a hit in 2003 i guess. Then my live changed from spaghetti with ketchup to caviar and champagne. 

One of my all time favourite tracks is your remix of Strobelight Network by Cold. How did you approach that remix? What's the story behind it? The major label zyx had a department for electronic music and they had the idea to re-release and remix old hits to make some good money. To be honest, I love that song, and I am not that proud about my remix, the original is 100,000 times better I think.

You've had many releases on numerous labels throughout your career, but which is a personal favourite that holds a little place in your heart? There are many, but I think one my perfect records is the basmati 01, “Bell / Schnee”.

What was your vision for your label Basmati and is it going according to plan? The plan is to make records with music and artwork working together and creating a clear picture. When I work on records I have picture in my mind how I want to combine different tracks and how the record would look like. If you release on regular labels, which only feature their label outfit and sound you can´t do that. It was most unsatisfying. Now I sell less because the label isn’t known that well, but I love all the records and I feel that I do something with real value.

Tell us about the concept behind the Live Series on Basmati? First I wanted to make a kind of live album with my live tracks but then decided to make some EPs with them instead. It’s just that I recorded tracks from my live set and made records out of them.

What plans do you have for 2012? Go with the flow. Maybe an album, maybe not. I think about studying composition cause I love classical music, especially string arrangements.

Listen to Gabriel Ananda on Pulse Radio