The Harder View

I found this rather interesting interview with Technoboy on the Q-Dance.com.au site that I thought would be worth sharing here.

It goes through the thought process of Technbooy’s artist selection for his edition of X-Qlusive, his opinion of internet critics and what we can expect from him in Australia. He’s actually quite honest in his responses, which is great to see from one of the top names in the scene.

Looking at your new website I must say you are even busier than I already expected! Is this just an ordinary year in the life of Technoboy or is everything coming together after 10 years in the business?

Well… the past 10 years have been hectic all the time. That is one of the concerns I had before we started with the 10 Years of Technoboy project; can a summary of so many experiences do any justice to what I have actually done? For example: the ‘best-off’ album was just 34 tracks; I produced over 500 so it was very hard to pick the right ones. But with my X-Qlusive show in Holland earlier this year, I learned that sometimes one big climax is the best way to remember it all and leave people longing for what is yet to come. It was a perfect blend of past, present and future in just nine hours and had one clear message; the first 10 years were fantastic and the next decade will be too.

What do you think will be different with the Australian edition of X-Qlusive Technoboy?

Frankly I do not think there will be a big difference, especially music wise. I have always been one of the most internationally oriented artists in the harder styles and my music fits Australia as much as any other continent. I have just slightly different track lists when I perform there, mainly playing some hits that have been requested a lot. The show will of course be awesome again and the rest of the line-up will feature artists that I truly believe in and that will be able to represent my music from every angle. But I do not feel the need to do a different performance; Australia has always been ready for me.

Can you explain the line-up you chose for the event?

Headhunterz: apart from leading a new revolution of producers I admire this guy for his guts. And that’s serious; he has G.U.T.S. doing everything he feels he should be doing. He doesn’t care about the risks and just does what he wants to do. His style is energetic and powerful; gutsy move in an age where everybody just makes harder music to please the Internet critics. And the way he makes music is also the way he performs on stage. I hate it when an artist doesn’t move and that’s something you wouldn’t need to be afraid of with Headhunterz.

Stephanie: lot’s of female dj’s are just acts created by a team of producers while Stephanie is probably a better dj than all of us together. The chick has some serious skills; chooses records like they are nail polish and moves like nothing you have seen before. The girl is on top of the dj booth before you can say her name (which gives her some sort of a head start) and damn she is beautiful! But be careful; she does live p to her motto ‘Pink hard’, those black high heels are made for killing!

Tuneboy: what’s there to explain?

Isaac: we have a lot in common. Both of us have been trying to break new grounds and contributed a lot to the birth and revolution of hardstyle. And we travel the world like we are Jules Verne. The guy will be on an US tour just prior to landing in Oz and I can’t even guess where he will be flying next. We could play poker with our frequent flyer cards.

Hardstyle Masterz: when Antonio decided he wanted to perform a live act he went to prepare in the studio for months. And that’s exactly what makes my studio homey so special; if you ever hear a sound or kick from him that is not perfect I would certainly recommend a hearing aid.

Ruffian: my music speaks a language, and there is just one man who can translate that into a feeling everyone can understand. We have been on the biggest stages together and it wouldn’t be the same without him.  And apart from being professional he is funny as hell; better let him do all the other interviews, as you would be laughing your ass off! No but seriously; this scene starts and ends with him.

Do you listen a lot to requests and the opinion of people on Internet?

For me there is one opinion that counts; the reaction of the crowd. After every event, performance or release there are a lot of people that make comments, but in comparison this is always a minority of people. When a stadium filled with people is completely going to the roof on a record I don’t care what a few people say afterwards, let’s not forget how we do this for eventually. For me it is really important to perform everywhere in the world to see this reaction with my own eyes; you have to be a DJ in order to produce the right records.

German superstars Scooter just stole your complete album to make theirs; are you angry?

Who me? I gave a short statement on my website, I believe that ‘covers’ this issue. I get mad when people say I stole the ideas from my tracks from other artists! There is a really big difference between just sampling another track and rewriting a fantastic verse or idea to fit your specific style. I have used any form of music with respect to the original artist and I had every vocal sample rerecorded to be as I would like to have it. Don’t know a lot of artists who have been to that kind of trouble and that wanted that level of perfection. And sure; you will recognize some music, well that music took me three times as long as it needed to make the original, believe me on that!

What is your honest opinion about the Australian people? Are we cool?

Australian people have their own style, which is why you invented the laidback beach culture for instance. Same goes for the people that live in the Outback; they are copied everywhere! Any country that is such a huge export of lifestyles has cool people. And you know what you want to have from other countries; that is why it is great to get so many requests from you guys.

What do you think about Defqon.1 Festival in Australia?

I have to admit, I respect Q-dance’s choice a lot; instead of just exporting all their events to Australia they are really picky about what to do and where. I know they have been searching a lot for the best venues to make sure the whole picture was right. It is the same in Holland and Europe; I have never been to a Q-dance event that didn’t feel completely right in every detail.

Are you happy?

Good question. The life of an artist can be lonely; I certainly had my share of that. But yes, I am a happy man and not just because I have the best job in the world. I have had the chance to tell the world what I thought about music while I encounter so many people who did not have the same opportunity. I live from one height to another and it is important to enjoy the moments in between as well.

What will you not be doing in Australia?

Cultural things … I would like to but I am an Italian; as soon as I see shops I am done, can’t help it! Anyway, every time I ask people, they say I have to hug a koala, jump from a plane, eat sushi or climb the Harbor Bridge. Believe me; as soon as I jump from the plane I will probably discover I have brought a koala instead of a parachute, choke on my sushi and hit that bridge headfirst.

You have the name to be arrogant and it is rumoured you are a great cook. Is there anything else we need to know about you?

No, being arrogant in the kitchen is everything there is to know about me. You say one word about my pasta and you can be assured you end up in one of my coming tracks. I had an argument two months ago with Brad Pitt and George Clooney about the right type of blender and they are still apologizing and hoping I will never release Channel KGB’s. I did however but let’s keep them thinking they are save.

But yes, I love to cook and there are a lot of similarities with producing music; the right track can be made with just a few ingredients and these have to be of the highest quality. I have always spent a lot of attention to every sample, bassline or melody and I hope people can taste that. It is hard work and fortunately there are a lot of people that take the time to listen to it closely. And about me being arrogant; I hear this so often that it might be true, yes. Just imagine flying every weekend and giving everything you have on stage. When I wouldn’t be exhausted it wouldn’t feel right. So when I am done with a performance and there is not a lot of time for signatures just remember you and everybody else already got the best of me, every single second of the ride.