Exclusive Interview With Martin Landsky

Interview | 22.07.2015

Martin Landsky has now been living and breathing underground house and techno for almost three decades. He has featured on a number of Germany’s vital labels; from deeply chilled dub house for his own Efforil/Intim imprint, through sampladelic disco-influenced sounds for Dessous.

He has long been associated with Steve Bug’s “Poker Flat”, influencing him to create more techno and minimal sounding productions. Its been 15 years since Martin released his first track on “Poker Flat”, and UpFrontBeats got the privilege to ask him a couple of question’s on his brand new release, “Da Geh Bo” Ep and his current future plans.

Hi Martin, thanks for taking the time…

Growing up/Moving to Berlin, what has been you main influences and how has this defined your career direction’

I moved to Berlin 16 years ago, I was born and raised in Hamburg.

In the 1980s Hamburg had a very vital Black Music scene, there were so many clubs and record stores dedicated to Funk and Soul, it was a very inspiring and influential time for me.

Hamburg also had a big and active gay scene with the one and only legendary Front club as figurehead, it was one of the first clubs in Germany to play this new thing called House Music. The club was so radically different to anything else at that time, and the djs Klaus Stockhausen and later Boris Dlugosch played this new weird music, mixing it in an unheard fashion. This certainly was my biggest influence. If i would be asked to design the perfect club it would most definitely look a lot like the old Front (RIP).

With nearly a decade under your belt, what would you say has been your highlights so far’

It’s more like two or almost three decades. My first record was released in 1997 and I was a Dj years before already.

I started dj-ing as a kid at times when house music was not even invented. Professionally I am in the biz at least since the early 90s.

So as you might imagine I’ve seen a lot of things and experienced numerous highlights. The biggest highlight might be to be able to live this dream. I dedicated myself to electronic music a long time ago and it’s magic to me how satisfying this live still is after all these years.

Your still touring strongly, what has been your most enjoyable experience and where, and what do you like to do on your downtime’

Actually to be able to travel the world and get all this inspirations from different cultures is an experience I am very grateful about to make. Even though the traveling is really exhausting at times it is so rewarding as it simply broadens your mind.

Downtime, what is that’ But i do like sleeping ,good food, extensive walking and great conversations a lot.

Lets talk about your new release ‘Da Geh Bo Ep’ on Pokerflat, how does this track differ from previous tracks’

Hard to say, I try to have a different approach to every single production I do, so yes they differ of course, but at the same time I think this record has a very strong “me” stamp attached to it.

Production wise, do you still prefer the old methods, or are you a purely digital man.’

It’s kind of a mixmatch here, a hybrid setup. I try to combine the best of both worlds in a way it works best for me.

When it comes to musical expression though, I really need hardware, I need an instrument that inspires me and i need lot of knobs..I love knobs..

Your last album was released way back in 2001, do you have any future plans to release a full LP again’

My last album was released in 2010, but that was more or less just a best of album, so yes the last “real” album dates back to 2001, which was actually also my debut album, “In Between” on Poker Flat Recordings.

And yes, most certainly there will be another full length album by me.. When the time’s right.

We have noticed you have just teamed up with Chopstick on a collaboration ‘Feel It’, do you have any plans for any more hook ups’

I was involved in a couple of collaborations in the recent past. there was the release with SHOW-B on Highway records, then the Landsky & Resmann release from earlier this year on Upon You Records. Marco Resmann and me are actually already working on the follow up. I also finished a production with Namito which hasn’t been signed yet, and some other collaborative work is in progress but still “top secret” =)

You have remixed some cult classic from D.H.S’s ‘House Of God’ to John Tejadaâ”s well known ‘Sweat On The Walls’. Do you have future plans to rework some old gems’

I always feel pretty honoured when being asked to remix such classic records. But it’s not up to me to decide these things, labels or artists usually ask me for this.

Would you like to give anyone a shout out’ People who may have helped carve your legendary status in the underground electronic scene.

First of all thank you for describing my status as legendary, I am not sure if I would call it that way but of course there are several people and instances that helped me carving my career to the status quo.

First and foremost I have to thank the whole Poker Flat Recordings team and Steve Bug for the longstanding support and relationship over the last 15 years. We evolved together and without them I would not be the artist I am today.

I also thank all the promoters and clubs especially the ones from my early days that believed in me back in the days, clubs like Front, E-Werk, Tresor and many more.

I am really grateful to all the amazing artist that keep me inspired everyday by their outstanding art, too many to name them all here but without these inspirations i would not be able to create what i create.

And last but not least I definitely thank all my fans, supporters and followers for the power you give me. It is your attention and respect that makes me as an artist possible.