Interview Henrik Schwarz

Considerato uno dei più abili dj originario di Ravensburg ma berlinese d'adozione, Henrik Schwarz dimostra di possedere una verità della musica, indipendentemente dai generi, ovvero che essa resta sempre e comunque musica dell'anima quando essa finisce per evocare e scandire fasi della vita di ciascuna, definizione che va ben oltre quella di soul music, rinvenibile dai dizionari, definizione che comunque Henrik sembra non disdegnare del tutto, visto il tenore della sua pregevole selezione, l'ennesima uscita sotto il ragguardevole segno Dj Kicks, che ha fatto e sta facendo la storia del clubbing inteso in senso lato della gloriosa K7!. Noi abbiamo voluto fargli qualche domanda a riguardo. Date anche uno sguardo al simpatico sito di Henrik (www.henrikschwarz.com)! Buona lettura e buon ascolto! Henrik Schwarz Dj Kicks (K7, Distr.Audioglobe) 01.Intro 02. Moondog "Bird's Lament" 03.Double "Woman of the World" (Long Instrumental Version) 04.iO "Claire" 05.D'Angelo "Spanish Joint" 06.James Brown "Since You've Been Gone" 07.Henrik Schwarz "Jon" (Live Version) 08.Jae Mason "Let It Out" 09.Cymande "Anthracite" 10.Henrik Schwarz "Imagination Limitation" 11.Drexciya "Black Sea" 12.Amampondo "Giya Kasiamore" 13.Coldcut "Walk A Mile In my Shoes" [Henrik Schwarz Remix] 14.Robert Hood "The Core" 15.Artist Unknown "Chant Avec Cithare" [Track 1] 16.Pharoah Sanders "Summun Bukmun Umyun" 17.Luther Davis Group "You Cab Be A Star" 18.Arthur Russel "Get Around To It" 19.Womack & Womack "Consciuos Of My Conscience" 20.Rhythm & Sound w/ Sugar Minott "Let Jah Love Come" 21.Doug Hammond "Wake Up Brothers" 22.Marvin Gaye "You're The Man" [Alternate Version 2] 23.Outro

Hi Henrik. I'm sending some questions while listening to your djkicks.. First of all, what was your reaction when K7ists noticed to you their intention to involve in the brand new volume of this glorious series? Oh I was very surprised and honoured. I was listening to many of the DJ-Kicks myself during the years and now Ishould do my own one - great!

In your opinion, what's the line of your CV they were struck by? I have no idea.

Anyway, it's a nice selection... disvealing your love for funk! A propos of it, it seems that there some peaks... someone announces "the return of funk", but then the phenomenon got "underground" again... what's your viewpoint on it? Hmm - for me it is all dance music. And in dance-music it is all about innovations and new inspirations. So sometimes the most inspiration for producers comes from funk, then again from jazz, then again from disco or from Kraftwerk or whatever. For me a new piece of music is always a result or an essence from music that other people have done before.

But your background is jazz...? Yes it is Jazz mostly - but also may other styles that are connected to Jazz - like Hip Hop and Rap, Soul, Funk, Techno and a lot of African Music.

Which club's hosting your chubby tunes at present? Luckily I get invited to many places all over the world. Maybe more the smaller clubs between 100 and 1000 people rather than the very big Raves.

What are the main differences between mixing tunes and rhythms in studio and in a club? In the club there is this exciting moment when you get immediate feedback on what you do. I like the energy that is floating between the DJ and the dancers. If things are running well and it is a good party, the energy level rises and rises and everybody is connecting to everybody else. That is what makes you feel good. In the studio it is in a way similar but the energy seems to float between yourself and the piece of music you are working on.

In an official bio, I read you admitted your likings for complex music and that you dissect it in order to create something new! Such as a surgeon, a manager applying Activity Based Costing methode or a chef? :) I think there is a part of anything in it. Sometimes you have to cut out a little part - sometimes you have to clean up confusion, sometimes you have to go into a straight direction and sometimes it is the other way around: Create confusion, add a little part etc. Its more the complexity in music that I like - rather than complex music. I think any piece of music is a complex thing in itself.

What are your favourite colleagues? I am travelling and working with Dixon and Ame from Innervisions a lot at the moment. That's great!

Nice idea that form of interaction on your website! Not new, but nice! A propos of imagination with no limitations, how do you imagine the future of music? For me music is bringing together people. On my website I am asking the visitors to send in a short comment on what they think about different things. I am interested in what is playing an important role in their life. Everybody can inspire everybody else. I think I became addicted so much to music because I believe development in music never comes to an end. For me it is the most powerful tool for inspiration, it is culture on a most abstract level, more than any other art or architecture or fashion or anything else. In addition it is the driving force that brings people and peoples and their ideas together - it's a connection machine that will never stop.

Is imagination the world's salvation? (very very esoteric!) For me imagination is the driving force of mankind. (Haha very esoteric!) That's why we do what we do. We want to go on. However peace seems to be the world's salvation. That's even more important.

I don't remember the author of a famous citation according to which "the only way beauty could be imagined is a flat white panel"! What about you? Complete opposite! I don't agree at all. A flat white panel is the most boring thing I can think of. For me beauty is created by the combination and the right balance of extremes. If you manage to bring two things together in the right way - you can create something beautiful: analog and digital, black and white, soft and hard, sweet and sour, pomodori and parmigiano etc.

Any particular reason justifying Marvin Gaye's You Are The Man as the "ending" track? No - it just felt right.