Hello Frank! Thank you for joining us today. How are you doing and whereabouts are you based right now?
Hey there and thanks for having me. I am doing fine, thank you. The family and myself are thankfully healthy and happy. Fortunately the year has been very busy and we are looking forward to some more quiet days around Christmas. I’ve actually always had my base in the Frankfurt area and have no plans to change that.
What have you been up to recently and what’s a normal day look like for you at the moment?
Due to the current logistical bottlenecks, some of my releases planned for 2022 have been postponed again and again and all came or are currently released at the same time. In this context, there is a lot of work going on in the background at the moment. Social media, press and so on. A normal weekday actually runs like in an office job. I get up early, take care of the family business and then I’m in the studio until the evening. A good balance to rave and travel nowadays.
We’re pleased to have you with us ahead of the release of your remix for Damian Lazarus and Gorgon City on ‘Start Over’, congrats on this! How did it feel to receive the call up this remix?
Thanks very much. Of course I felt very happy and honored. Damian has been supporting me for many years and I’ve been following the label since their early releases. Musically, Crosstown Rebels has an unbelievable range and always an open ear for more underground club sounds. I’ve been lucky enough to do a remix for the label in the past, so I knew working together would be great. And so it happened.
On your remix you successfully take the track in an entirely new direction. What were your initial thoughts when you heard the original? What jumped out at you and how did your ideas take shape?
Truth be told: I thought – damn.. this ain`t be easy.. hahah. My productions are usually very percussive, often glitchy and using little melodic elements or vocals. Very different to the original. But as always in life, things start getting interesting outside your comfort zone. When Damian asked me, I didn’t hesitate and straight away started trying out things. We exchanged a lot of thoughts on the direction and one afternoon it just clicked (in the truest sense of the word).
What was the creative process like on the remix?
When it comes to remixes, I usually go about it by first looking at all the material and sorting out everything that I either want to record myself or don’t want to use. In this case, the percussion and the vocals took center stage very quickly. At the beginning I tried to incorporate many of the melodic elements, but wasn’t completely satisfied with the result. So in the end it became what I enjoyed the most. Something crazy for the clubs.
2022 has been a prolific year for you in terms of musical output, with releases on the likes of Snatch! Records, Pleasure Zone, Cecille and more. How has the year been for you as an artist from your point of view?
Musically it has been a fantastic year for me. I’ve actually had quite a bit of new music coming out and as my sound has also evolved over the last few years, the great response and support by so many has been really beautiful to receive. I´ve had some personal changes in my life during the last few years and especially during the pandemic, I was not sure if I would ever go back on the road. The more it means to me, to get these positive reactions on my recent works. It makes me realize again how grateful and privileged I am to still be able to do what I love today.
With your years of experience and releases dating back to the 2000’s, we would love to hear your top tips for aspiring artists within the scene?
In addition to the good and proven standard answers like: believe in yourself, find your own sound, stay true to yourself or don’t stop grinding, it has personally helped me a lot to learn as much as possible from my favorite artists. Use the music as a reference to develop your technical abilities. When it comes to production, the ear is still the most important instrument. Also, I feel it’s more important now than ever to be connected. One of the few positive qualities of social media is that it can actually be used for social interaction. Use that.
What’s next for Reboot? Is there anything else lined up that you can share with us yet?
For this year, in addition to the EPs that have just been released on Cécille, Personality Disorder and Pleasure Zone, there is another EP on MOAN in the starting blocks. LEON (IT) delivered a great remix, it will be released at the beginning of December and is more in the deep tech direction. Last but not least and at the end of the year there is my remix for Damian & Gorgon City.
Thanks a lot for chatting with us today Frank! To round things off, where’s the best place for our readers to keep up to date with you?
The joy was all mine. Best via Instagram. I’m regularly active there, check all the news personally and try to keep the fans up to date as much as possible.
