TEA with Norman Nodge

Pic Sven Marquardt

A lot is to be said about Berghain. Little of Norman Nodge. A self employed lawyer, father and true family man, not to mention resident DJ at Berlins infamous Berghain. Since 2004 Norman in company of its residents has helped cultivate Berghain into the concrete escapism as we see it today.

Norman caught up with TEA to talk meditation, autogenic training, Marcel Dettmann, evading the parallel world of techno and Roseship teas (he was kind enough not to mention the Germans 4-0 victory over Australia).

You’ve been djing and promoting events since the 90’s, how did your residency at Berghain come to fruition.

Since the end of the nineties I bowed out of the dj- and promotion-thing to concentrate on my family and work as a lawyer, but continued buying records and going to clubs as a guest. I never liked running around, knowing everybody and asking everybody just to dj here and there at all costs. Marcel Dettmann asked me to give him a mix-tape for the Berghain-owners before the club opened in december 2004. Luckily they liked it and gave me the chance to play there.

You seem to have a close affiliation with Marcel Dettmann, tell us a bit about the relationship between you two.

We have known each other for many years, we both have similar backgrounds and share for the most part a similar taste in music. He´s guilty of reactivating me as a DJ and spreading my music on MDR. He is my source of inspiration in how to speak emotively with my beloved ones.

How often do you play outside of Berghain?

On the one hand I enjoy travelling to other cities, playing in clubs and partying. On the other hand my aim is not to necessarily play as often as possible and make my living from dj-fees. I really love spending time on the weekends with my kids and my lovely girlfriend and just being at home. So for me it's cool to play once a month in Berghain and have maybe one to three appearances per month outside Berlin. This also helps me not to get too exhausted and sick of the parallel world of techno and clubs.

Recent years have seen dubstep gain momentum and form a close bond with techno. Its becoming more common for techno artist to ply their trade in dubstep whether it be production or dj sets, has this been the case for you?

In general I really like all that dubstep stuff and enjoy listening to the news at Hardwax. At most I have a few dubstep 12”s in my case but it depends on the situation, the crowd, the club etc if I embed them in a set. Regarding my own productions I don´t plan to make “a dubstep-record”, but I´m sure that dubstep just like any thing else that finds its way through my ears and to my brain will influence my thoughts about music and how to make a track.

Tell us about Norman Nodge when he’s not working on music

If you take 24 hours, making music does not rank first place in my activities. Though lots of the thoughts that circle my head really do have alot to do with music and ideas for tracks and dj-sets. Their are only a few hours left for twiddling knobs on the equipment per week so most of the time I live a normal, unspectacular, satisfied life which includes family and a job as a self-employed lawyer.

Pic Sven Marquardt

You’re a Gernot Hassknecht fan, for those who don’t know, who is he?

He regularly comments on current German political issues on a German tv-show called “heute–show”. Due to his choleric nature he always first tries to stay calm and objective but soon gets very vulgar, abusive and loud so that they always have to interrupt the transmission. Just the way I would be without years of meditation and autogenic training. I guess you can find samples of Gernot´s appearances on the usual video-portals on the internet. Even if you don’t understand German it is very impressive.

In terms of production what are your influences?

I am influenced by everything I've ever heard and danced to, by happenstances and the temper I am in when I start making tracks.

Whats next for Norman Nodge?

Prepare records for the next gig, be succesful in court and watch football world cup.

Finally, tell us, whats your favourite type of tea

I like a wide range of teas, from peppermint to black tea, from rosehip to ginger.

You can next catch Norman Nodge at Berghain on the 26th of July

View some more Sven Marquardt photography here

Watch some Gernot Hassknecht here

TEA Presents ROBERT HOOD

TEA proudly presents Detroit techno legend Robert Hood for its inaugural TEA Party!

Robert Hood will be playing an intimate Adelaide set at Hindley Streets Cuckoo Bar on Thursday July 1 along side HMC, The Carter Bros [Live] and Clyde Drexler.

Sir Hood will be making his way from Sonar festival in Barcelona where he just launched his much anticipated Omega Man LP.

Tickets for the M-Plant massive are $10 on the door or $5 for you lucky Cuckoo members.

Event details here

Become a Cuckoo member here

Download TEA Podcast #1 featuring Robert Hood - Saved By The Fire off the just released Omega Man LP

Dada - Glimpse & DJ Rahaan

Old, New, Disco, Techno, Newcastle, Sunderland, Jackie Milburn, George Holey....oh did I mention Glimpse (live) & DJ Rahaan

Glimpse and surprise addition DJ Rahaan grace Newcastle's Cosmic Ballroom for the North East's (UK) favourite late night soirée.

Fresh from the launch of his album "Runner" (Crosstown Rebels) Glimpse was an nominee for both DJ Mags Producer of the year and IDJ's Player of the year. The sheer wealth of varying super-labels who have released material by Glimpse (Cadenza, Planet E, Crosstown, Buzzin Fly, Kompakt, Get Physical) begins to hint at the depth of his live sound.

Only other place you catch him this year will be at 'Ibeefahs' Space.

Added inclusion and true legend amongst the real aficionado's of contemporary dance music is DJ Rahaan.

Rahaan's unparalleled skills as a DJ have taken him from the Chicago underground circuit to the international playing field of Japan, Australia, Amsterdam, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, England, throughout America.

Regarded as the consistent highlight of the world famous Southport weekender, expect a performance steeped in the mans personality which takes in his roots in the 80's during the birth of modern House Music, but manages to sound as fresh as anything being made today.

Local stalwarts include

Ward 10 (Garry Ogden, Keiron Sawkill)

One20 (Music/Slash/Art, Choice, Tokyo)

Last Waltz DJs (check out Geoff Leopards P45 mix here & Mick Rolfe's 'Alreet Summer Boys mix' here.)

Grevious Angel - 2Step Heaven Vol 2

I was never a maths kid and to this day I'm still not. But, I was big on history.

Grievous Angel brings us 2Step Heaven Volume 2 a perfect lesson in UK dance music culture. For those of you exploring your dub step side of things, this is a perfect taster of its origins.

2Step Heaven Volume 2 features the then fresh cuts of 1998 to 2001 and will help gain an insight into where the likes of James Blake, Mount Kimbie and Joe Goddard get some of their inspiration from.

RE! - E! - WIND!

1. Groove Chronicles: Life is what you make it (DPR 1998)
2. El B Feat Reis and Dee: Keep the Love (Scorpion Records)
3. MJ Cole: Bandalero Desperado (El-B VIP mix) (Talkin Loud 2000)
4. Sevi G / El B: Beautiful Music (Dub Mix) (Vinylocity 2000)
5. Ghost: The Club (Ghost 2000)
6. Ghost: Lyrical Tempo (Ghost 2001)
7. El B: Serious (Locked On 2001)
8. Ruff Cut Bias: Down (Locked On 2000)
9. Groove Chronicles: Faith In You (DPR 1998)
10. Sonrisa: Grooving Me (Splash It Like Champagne Mix) (Public Demand 2000)
11. Sevi G / Groove Chronicles: In the Air Tonight (2 Step Mix) (White)
12. Shade Sheist Feat Nate Dogg: Where I Wanna Be (Dub-A-Holics R&B Switch Mix – Explicit Version) (Public Demand 2001)
13. De La Soul: Ain’t All Good: MJ Cole Remix (Tommy Boy Music 2000)
14. Victor Romeo: Love Will Find A Way (Ray Hurley & Mark Yardley Dub Mix) Public Demand 1998
15. Ramsey and Fen: Love Bug (Bug Records 1998)
16. The Bomb Squad: Bad Acid (Big Kid Productions 2000)
17. Kevin Real Deal: Breaking Rocks (White 1998)
18. The Bomb Squad: No Dub (Big Kid Productions 2000)
19. Monie Love: Slice of Da Pie (El B Remix) 1999
20. Groove Chronicles: Be Happy (White, 1999)
21. Angie Lee: What’s Your Name? (MJ Cole Master Mix) (WEA 1999)
22. Roll: Let it Roll (White 1999)

Download here

autoreply 8

To help soften the blow of the Australians four zip thrashing by Joachim Loew's techno vikings, I've found listening to fellow antipodean j u g 's remix to Corfu born, Athens based Fog and his track 'playin low' released on the hardworking autoreply.

Unlike the socceroos, j u g 's remix mix is full of silky glides, seamless passes and solid kicks, hopefully this 'playin low' business doesn't soundtrack the rest of the Socceroos campaign.

Check out some more autoreply here here & here

Jug Fog Jog Fug

Tommy Four Seven - Sor

The slowly cultivating Tommy Four Seven bringer of 2009's London Town, Surma and the once mysterious Bauhaus EP's delivers us his latest baseball bat the the brain.

From the outset, Sor's awkward yet bound four by four beat matched with filtering sawtooth frequencies that threaten to shred any speaker from which it's played, drives us through 8 and half minutes of fascinatingly simple yet brutally complex textures and stubborn thunks.

Tommy Four Sevens slow building repertoire of machinist techno and his ruthless yet effective approach to the dance floor is fast tracking him to become as 'techno' synonyms as Chris Leibing, Joachim Papp, Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock.

Catch the Tommy Four Seven CLR Podcast 066 here

1 Giorgos Gatzigristos / rDNA (Harvey McKay Remix) / Manual Music

2 Speedy J / Trails (Speedy J's Bonus Beats Dub Tool Jam) / Electric Deluxe
3 Samuli Kemppi / Rymd / Time To Express
4 Truss, Donor / Sude 2 / Thema
5 Jerome Sydenham / Tonto / Apotek
6 ShadowSync / Point Z / KRD
7 Surgeon / Compliance Momentum / Dynamic Tension
8 Surgeon / The Crawling Frog Is Torn And Smiles / Dynamic Tension
9 Little Nobody / Metropolis (James Ruskin Remix) / IF Records
10 Mark Morris / 4pm / Ketra Records
11 Bauhaus / A / Bauhaus
12 Tommy Four Seven / Sor / CLR
13 Peter Gual / Devor Des Terrat / Dynamic Reflection
14 Tadeo / Winds of Glory (Marcel Dettmann Remix) / Series 02
15 Makaton / Paradise Lost / Token

TEA with Azuni

Behind a foray of national languages, chocolate to die for, watches worth more then your annual salary, super villains bank accounts and Ursula Andress (the first Bond girl) lie Switzerlands Gianni Siravo and Sven Lacoste.

Present Azuni, the Wilhelm Tell's of Swiss house music. Sven and Gianni have each been Djing for close to 20 years and have been producing under the Azuni moniker since 2007, releasing on local imprints Drumpoet Community, MorrisAudio and Sthlmaudio.

The two caught up with TEA to talk of the 'The Little Big City' and it's expanding scene, warm timbres, layered claps, Zurich's 'Blunt' Tea house and the Azuni floor monster.

How did the two of you meet?

Sven: We met for the first time around 1991 at a local disco near Zurich, Gianni was resident DJ at the time. We went to a lot of the same parties and also DJed together a couple of times. We’ve been making music together since 2007.

Gianni: Yeah true, it was around 1991. I was playing alot of acid, hip house and techno at the time. Sven was a very music minded teenager, he was usually at the club where I had my first residency, we got talking about underground music and up coming 12"s and that's how we became mates, a studio collaboration between us had to wait 16 years! (laughs)

Are you guys based in Switzerland?

Sven: Yes, we both live in Zurich, 'the little big city'! a nice place to live and work.

The Swiss seem to be holding their own in terms of house and techno music with labels such as Cadenza and MorrisAudio, how is the Swiss circuit at the moment?

Sven: Switzerland has the well-known labels Cadenza & MorrisAudio as well as some great younger labels such as Sthlmaudio and Drumpoet Community which are building a great rep internationally. Currently, in Zurich deephouse and minimal techno are the trends. Zurich has a lot of DJ's but people producing and releasing music is more often the minority.

Gianni: House & techno was always big in Switzerland especially in Zurich, but also in the french-speaking part of Switzerland Lausanne where the great couleur 3 radio is stationed. In the nineties when house and techno was at its peak Zurich had plenty of great underground and illegal parties with a lot of international bookings. I'd say the Swiss clubbers and DJ's where into really good underground music at the time, which I really miss nowadays when I hear the Swiss youngster dj, I think back to the days when Swiss labels were still learning, there was no platform for Swiss techno & house artist to be discovered. Then came Cadenza, MorrisAudio and a few others which gained a good international rep. Today other great labels such Drumpoet Community, Mountain People, Sthlmaudio are releasing great music. Don't forget that Switzerland is a small country, only 7 million people live here.

In terms of production without giving away too much how do you go about producing your music?

Sven: Computer, Ableton live, Plug-in Synths and FX's, Samples, Groovebox.

Gianni: We both work on our own at home, starting with some ideas, then we decide together what we want to continue with and finish. My favourite equipment is my PC. I still have some synths & drum machines around but to be honest I use them sporadically. Sometimes we sample some drums or play some chords or bass or synth and record it so that we can use the audio material with Ableton's sequencer software. Working with just a pc made my studio life so much easier, no midi, no cables, no studio needed. We can just work at home and if I have an idea for a tune I just sit down and produce it.

Tell us a bit about your remix of Leif, how did that come about?

Sven: Ben from Boe Recordings asked us to do a remix. We love the label and leif, so we made a remix in a old school nineties house style.

What are you working on at the moment?

Gianni: Just finishing our new 3 track ep at the moment, we're just making music and having fun, if we like something we arrange it and finish it.

Do the two of you DJ together?

Gianni: Yes, most of the time together but we do DJ individually as well.

Quickly run us through a typical Azuni DJ set

Sven:Everything starts with a relaxing walk... deep basses and cheerful chords. Fat ass beats, pumpin' grooves. The azuni set grows to a floormonster! Classic and moody house tunes with some Detroit tech stuff thrown in.

Gianni:A good mixture of deep house & techno, tech house, older and newer tunes between 1990-2010. We always try to keep the groove stripped down, a lot of chords but not to monotone, happy feelings and of course always keeping it deep. If the club and crowd allows it we love to play early and old school house.

What artists are you feeling at the moment?

Sven: Delano Smith, Shed, Cavalier, Johannes Lehner

Gianni: It changes from day to day, Im feeling the older stuff between 1990-2000 at the moment.

Finally tell us, what is your favourite tea?

Sven: I drink all kind of tea's! My favourite is fresh peppermint from "Blunt" a great Tearoom in Zurich.

Gianni: Funny question, I actually am not a tea connoisseur or drinker at all, but when i'm sick i like to drink "Sidroga" healthy tea's. they work wonders (laughs)

For all you lucky Zurich-ians you can next catch the two at Zukunft on the 26th of July.

You can also take a listen to Azuni's soon to be released remix of Leif here.