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PV and Toneman elite Austrian producer Mike Tales has not had an easy path to follow to enter the dance industry and shedded some incredibly personal feelings with regards to just what it takes to make a name for yourself these days.
It seems the old English proverb “Too many cooks spoil the broth” applies only all too well these days and that “Too many DJs spoil the broth” is an ever recurring conscious thought in clubland. He proves the constant battle between balancing shift work, studio work and family life is not everything you may have imagined behind every successful producer, DJ and artist, more an image that has been hidden and hung out to dry by the glossy media. Like every other performing art, it’s talent, dedication and how determined you are to get where the rest of the industry will let you prosper, that will ultimately spell out your career path for you. DJ Alixir spoke to Mike about life, love and borderline house/techno music just before his hectic Christmas and New Year’s schedule beckoned.
Al: Hello Mike, just where and when did the DJ trip begin for you? What made you want to become a DJ? How long have you been doing this now?
MT: Because of a friend, I had my first contact with records and turntables. It intrigued me and tried it all by myself. After some time, and quite a lot of hard work, I had the chance to prove my flawless abilities in an amazing club. After a successful debut performance I was quickly hired as the resident DJ for the venue. Now I have practiced it since 1998.
Al: What was your first major gig and what style of music were you playing? How did it go? Were you nervous?
MT: My first Major gig was in Croatia in the year 2000. It was at a fortress near the sea, it was a wonderful Location. I was very nervous at the beginning of the set, but after some time I became more confident cause the people were in a good temper and freaked out!
I started with groovy minimal techno and than I raised into driving party techno and the guests celebrated. It was a really formative experience. I will never forget.
Al: How would you explain the Mike Tales DJ experience to others?
MT: In the first 3 years I never had to ask if I could play in a club or at a party because I had a good reputation, and so I got to know a lot of acquaintances. The other thing is that I also played a different style to the others and so I got a lot of bookings without asking. I´m very proud of that. Today, it’s not so easy anymore.
Al: Do you hold any residencies in any clubs at the moment? Do you have a busy schedule for DJ'ing?
MT: No, because I live in a city with about 130,000 inhabitants and there is no longer a Techno club. It has been closed for 1 or 2 Years. The next good club is about 2 and a half hours away and it´s too far away to play there for bad money the whole year. In this time I mail some demos around and contact them per email and so I try to get my gigs. I’m still looking for a good booking agency. It’s not so easy these days.
Al: You must have played with some very well known European DJs, who have you played with and who would you like to play with if you had the
choice?
MT: I played with DJs like Pascal F.E.O.S., Monike Kruse, Massimo,..The Last good gig was in one of the best clubs in Germany called “Nachtwerk – Electric Delicate” with Monika Kruse. That kind of gig I like very much. That was a really good party!! If I can choose I would like to play together with Carl Cox.
Al: What is the club scene like in Austria at the moment? Where are the best clubs to play?
MT: At the moment I have less bookings in Austria. There are some good clubs over the other side of Austria and there are some parties with good headliners like Sven Väth, Chris Liebing, u.a. In Clubs like Flex – Vienna, Cazin Club – Linz,... . I’m at the wrong side Austria!
Al: Have you DJ'd outside of Europe yet? Where would you like to go?
MT: I’ve played in Germany, Switzerland and Croatia already. I hope that I will also get some bookings out of those countries. I don’t like the Austrian scene and I would rather live in Germany-Frankfurt or England–London, but it’s too chancy for me to emigrate cause I think the whole techno scene is very bad these days.
Al: Being a producer and a DJ must be very time consuming! How do you find the time for studio work?
MT: I have got a “shift work” full time job, so i can produce one week in the morning and one week in the evening. If i have to work between the times 1 pm to 10 pm, I wake up at 6 am and drive at 7 a.m. I then go to my studio and produce there until 11.30 am and then I have to go to work. In the other week it changes. Long and hard work, but if you want to be someone you have to do so!
Al: You've had a lot of successful releases on Toneman, PV, Decomplex Audio and featured on a Global Compilation mixed by Carl Cox amongst
numerous others, are you going to continue releasing on these labels?
MT: We always want to update our sound and want to keep up with the times so we produce some songs we like and then we mail it to those labels associated with that sound. They pick out the songs they like and release them. If they don´t find some tracks then we make a few new and mail them again. Up to now the labels have always found something, so I think that we will continue releasing on the labels we have had success with.
Al: You must be proud to have a track on the Carl Cox mix, which track is it and is it one of your personal favourites?
MT: Yes, I am very proud of it because it was my first release and was selected for the cd of the famous DJ Carl Cox. What an honour!!
This track is also one of my personal favourites. It’s not too hard sounding but grooves and it´s not too straight. I like it!
Al: Your production partner is Garry Trace, how did you come to release tracks with him? Have you known each other long? Are you old
friends?
MT: Garry founded a record shop in Innsbruck which is where I bought my first records. We found out that we had the same interests and nearly the same talent. Both produced tracks on the computer with a tracker programm. After some time I bought my fisrt synthesizer and then we built a studio to work more professionally together in 2000.
Al: When producing, do you use hardware and software? What's your favourite hardware and software?
MT: I use both. My favorite hardware is my “Waldorf Pulse”! As for software, we use Logic with many plug-ins and I also like the programm “Remix”. So I produce.
Al: Do you use sample CD's? If you do use samples off of sample CD's, do you put them through Recycle or use them as they are?
MT: I use a lot of samples. I re-process it completely. I Copy, pitch and effect the samples until they groove.
Al: How long would it normally take you to finish a track? Do you engineer and master the tracks yourself?
MT: For one track, we sometimes need about one and a half weeks, because we try to make it perfect. Garry always does the engineering and mastering because he likes it<grins>
Al: Personally, I love "The Game", it's just so different from any other track you have produced. How did this track come to be? Was it inspired by the sample of the woman? Who is the woman!
MT: I don’t know who the woman is! Also some samples off of a cd. We tried to make this track like each others, but suddenly it wanted to become more and than the voices, perfect, different from any other.
Al: What future releases do you have coming out? What is next from Mike Tales and Garry Trace?
MT: Now there is a small release stop cause of the economy. There is no money around and we have to wait a little bit until the whole scene recovers itself. But something is in arrangement. We´ll never stop!!
Al: Thankyou so much for talking to HKCLUBBING.COM, it's been a pleasure!
MT: It’s been a pleasure too!
Interview by: Barry Hinselwood
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