The Standard: You were in New York last week to perform live with Tosca at Le Poisson Rouge. Is it a different state of mind to come and perform 'live' versus 'as a DJ'? Do you feel more freedom, more relaxed before a DJ set?
Richard Dorfmeister: That's a good question. I enjoy both setups. Recently I have been focusing more on the Tosca side of things... Producing live shows and setting them up in various cities in a very close timeframe is definitely challenging. We are investing a lot of time in sound-checks and getting the feel of the venue right. We have to adapt very quickly and be extremely dynamic. The great thing about this live thing is that we are presenting our Tosca sound and we can get the instant reactions on new songs, that are not even released. We put so much work into it. It is just such an intense feeling and it makes you forget time and space.
Tosca The Chocolate Elvis Dubs
What about the DJing?
Playing out music as a DJ is much more dance-orientated and it's very easy to set up. It's more about reading the crowd and there is no fixed running order of tracks - much more improvised. Working hours are much later than in a concert gig so at 1am people are already in a different state than at 8pm. There is definitely more freedom in terms of music selection.
If you have to put your DJ performance into words, what would be the story?
I always have been trying to balance out deep sounds and still make the people move. At the same time avoiding to be too commercial. In a way, I just play out music I love and feel and that normally works. I try to merge all my music history into it as well - so that the result will be a mix of new and old stuff but always with a certain dance groove. What makes the difference is the constant quality filter.
Johnny Guitar Watson, Ain't That A Bitch
A recent source of inspiration that really struck you?
Inspiration often comes unexpectedly but most of the time it comes out of an extreme life situation and if you break your routine and try something new. But it is still music that drives me. Recently I heard Johnny Guitar Watson's Ain't That a Bitch track and of course I was aware of the man but this track I just discovered for me as new - the tightness and funkyness of it is simply amazing.
