Interview: Kompakt's Michael Mayer

Hi Michael! Where do we find you today?
Hello there, I'm at the Kompakt office and hope you weren't expecting a more glamourous answer
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You're part way through your 'Mantasy' tour - in support of your new album of the same name - how is it going so far?
I've got five nights in my back and enjoyed all of them. Naturally, the kick off in Cologne's 'Gewölbe' was my personal highlight so far. 11 hours of joy with loads of friends around me. I couldn't have asked for a better start...

Can you explain the album title and how it relates to the content of the album itself?
'Mantasy' is a word made up by my subconscious. It was suddenly there and didn't go away. The whole album was conceived under the influence of Stefan Zweig's biography of ancient discoverer Ferdinando Magellan. The word 'Mantasy' became a place holder for the imaginary destination of my journey. An undiscovered continent or island, a mystic place.

The album draws on a really diverse range of influences. What do you think is the common thread that ties it all together?
The common thread is my taste, my imagination. The album is a result of all the different kinds of music I've listened to, places I've visited.

For this tour you've chosen to play all night, extended sets - presumably to reflect the epic nature of Mantasy? How have you been enjoying that?
For me it's like Santa Claus came early this year. I've always loved to play long sets. I adore playing the warm up as much as primetime and the end. Unfortunately, in my normal DJ life I rarely get the opportunity to play warm ups. It makes a huge difference if you get the chance to set the pace of the night rather than taking over at 2.30 at 128 bpm.

Do you play a similar set every time or does the journey change depending on the night?
Oh, playing the same set over and over would be kind of boring. Here's the reason why I'm not interested in playing live. For me, DJing is about improvisation, being able to adapt an audience's vibe, to read the dance floor. 

Are there any new styles of music you've been getting into recently?
I've developed a passion for world music. That's something I thought that would never happen to me… but it's really entertaining and fascinating. This world is brimming with sounds that are worth being discovered...

What is your studio like? Can you describe your set up for us?
I'm working with Logic, some old synthesisers, effects... nothing that would get the nerds excited. I'm passionately loving my Studer mixing console. It's a beautiful piece of furniture and it keeps you warm in winter.

You grew up in the Black Forest. Where did your musical eduction come from?
I've had piano lessons from the age of 6. Then I moved on to clarinet and saxophone. I was playing in a proper folkloristic brass band, Polka, March music and all... that's where I've learned everything about drinking, too.

And when you  grew up, why did you decide to move to Cologne rather than Berlin, which might have seemed a more obvious choice?
Berlin wasn't such an obvious choice back in 1992. None of my friends there had neither hot water nor telephone or heating. Overall, I'm not so fond of the Prussian vibe... I belong to the Rhineland. Culturally speaking, I feel closer to Brussels and Paris than Berlin.

Would you make the same decision, given the choice again?
Absolutely!

What was Cologne's club scene like when you moved there, and how has it changed and developed over the past 20 years?
Techno was pretty big in Cologne back then, I mean rave, hardtrance, bells and whistles. And there was the Whirlpool family around Hans Nieswandt, Eric D Clarke and Justus Köhncke. They sort of adopted little Michael and taught him a lot about underground house music and what it can do to you. All in all, there was (and still is) a very positive vibe in this city. The typical Cologne club is a basement that holds 300 - 500 people. And then there's the temporary venues in defunct industrial spaces, warehouses and all. Last month alone, three new clubs opened their doors. After an unpleasant downslide in 00s when a lot of folks moved to Berlin, nowadays I feel that Cologne has fully recovered. There are plenty of new faces on the scene, new crews that are throwing parties and I hear more and more fresh music. Looks like Cologne is coming back in style.

For your Liverpool date you've chosen to play at the Williamson Tunnels. It's a pretty unique venue - why did you choose it? Have you played there before?
No, it's going to be the first time. I've never played Liverpool before. But I've played in front of a bunch of Liverpudlians this summer during the Electric Elephant festival in Croatia. Well, that was some of the best fun I've had this summer so I felt confident in including Liverpool to this tour.

Christmas is approaching - if you could get one gift for Christmas - no matter how unrealistic - what would it be?
A world without cars, please.

Interview: Jayne Robinson

Michael Mayer plays all night long at Liverpool's Williamson Tunnels on November 24th. Tickets are available now through Skiddle - get yours below.

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