Butch: I make the music I want to make

As one of the most prolific techno and tech house producers working today, Butch has garnered a name for himself through the quality of his releases and his insatiable love for his craft. We manage to pin him down ahead of his arrival in our capital and find out how he manages to keep his work rate so high, what influences his sound, and, er, large arses.

Butch - 6 Hours Mix May 2013

Hi Butch! So how did you get into producing? What would you say your early influences were?

As a kid I loved the whole HipHop culture, spraying, MC-ing, breakdancing and of course DJing. The movies Wildstyle and Style Wars had a profound impact on me, I got into HipHop from an early age by listening to Wu-Tang, Onyx and other Rap crews from the late 80s/early 90s era. My older brother was the one pumping the Techno tapes, back then they had some appeal to me, but it wasn't until I actually went clubbing that I really felt the music. Back in 1998 I got my first production software and a year later my first synthesizer and ever since then I've been producing music.

And how do you think your sound has developed over the years?

My music has become a lot more precise and really communicates what I want to hear myself. The first few years of producing are more about trial and error and getting to know your soft and hardware, not really about transforming ideas into reality. Now I make the music I want to make, because I know how to manifest what I hear inside of me. In general though one could say my sound has become a lot rounder and fuller.

You’re probably one of the most prolific producers around! How do you manage to keep up such a high work rate whilst maintaining the same high standard?

Thanks for the compliment! There isn't really a great secret apart from the fact that I simply do not allow myself to be lazy, I go to the studio 5 days a week to work on my projects. I take a lot of time working on each song, because I want it to sound the way I need it to sound to be happy with it. I don't put myself under any pressure and will usually just work on a song until I notice that its time to take a break from it. Then I will continue working on another song instead, because there are always so many other unfinished projects. The reason my standard is so high is because, before I release anything, I try it out first at my gigs and then work on it again the following week in the studio. When I'm finally pleased with it, I'll pass it on to friends and listen to their feedback and If they love it then I might start to think about releasing it. 

Where do you look to for inspiration with your producing?

I don't need to look far, anything that happens around me in life is enough to inspire me. That's what an artist does, convey his perception of aspects of life to his audience. I might see a chubby lady walk down the street and the way her big bottom wobbles up and down, I immediately translate that movement into a “ka-dong-ka-dong” laid back bass groove. Suddenly I've got a bass line to work with for a new song.

Your records appear on so many different labels. Is this a conscious decision to keep things varied or just the way you prefer to work?

I simply enjoy so many different styles of music, it wouldn't really make sense to release an aggressive Techno tune on the same label I release a House production. Also, I simply get on very well with different people who run different labels, so it's just a natural occurrence that these collaborations come about.

We’re looking forward to seeing you appear at Egg, London on Friday. What can we expect from your set there? How do you find the British crowd?

Haha, I never even know what to expect from my own set until I arrive at the location. I love playing at Egg, but even in the same location the vibe and mood of the people can vary so much from time to time. I'm just as excited as you are! I think I'd lose the joy of DJing if my set was already organised a week in advance, I love to keep things fresh. The only thing I can promise is that you will definitely be hearing some unreleased music of mine. My experiences with Brits have been great, every time I've come to Britain the people have been lovely, open hearted and a whole big barrel of fun.

Butch @ Time Warp Festival

Your diary is looking pretty full this year, where in particular are you looking forward to playing?

This weekend alone is simply incredible. The Egg on Friday, Merkwürdiges Verhalten on Saturday and Pollerwiesen as well as Hof Ter Musschen on Sunday. The weekend after I've got gigs in California and then the birthplace of Techno, Detroit. I'm really fortunate because I can't pick a highlight from my tour calendar. My whole tour calendar is a highlight.

Are there any artists at the moment that you are impressed by, or that have caught your attention?

Well, it's no secret Ricardo Villalobos and Thomas Heckmann have had a big influenced me. They both still make really good music. Some other cats I really enjoy at the moment are Shifted, Luly B and Kink.

What does the future hold for Butch?

Well, many many gigs and wonderful collaborations I hope! Otherwise I'm setting up a new label, which focuses on a different musical style than bouq. It will release more trippy Techno, music to dive into. We will be setting up showcases and I'm really excited to get it going, but I'm not going to reveal the whole concept now. Let's just say, I'm really looking forward to getting this up and running and have already got great artists willing to release on it - I'm sure it's going to be great!

And finally, If you weren’t a DJ or producer, what would you be?

A graphic designer I guess. I already worked as one, before I could make a living as a DJ. I would definitely have to do something creative, but honestly, there has never been a plan b. Making music has always been it for me!

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