Alongside his remarkable contribution to the series, we sat down with TRUNCATE who shared his thoughts about his career, his label, inspirations & aspirations!
- Hi David, thanks for answering our paradoxical questions! With over a quarter of century in the scene, what could you say have changed in electronics in this period of time? ?
Well that’s a loaded question haha… in terms of the techno scene I would say quite alot with the introduction of smart phones and social media. There’s no longer any mystery behind the scenes. You have backstage access to DJs lives and also the scene. You can be halfway across the world and still get to somewhat experience what a festival or club is like. You get to know DJs more personally in a way and see what their lives are about behind the scenes. The mystery is sorta gone.. and it has its positives and negatives. In terms of music production and DJing, well technology has made things also alot easier. This is also I think both positive and negative.
- I guess you also experienced a change in generations of Techno fans. Do you feel the crowd interacting with electronic music the same way as back in the days ?
As in the previous question I answered I think the mystery behind it all is gone… you get a front row view of artists lives and also how parties are without having to actually be there. Still there’s no comparison to actually being at a party. With this kind of music I still think its best to be consumed live on a big sound system. Watching or listening thru your phones doesn’t do it justice.
- US is for sure a must visit spot in the Techno circuit. Any special venue you would recommend there?
There aren’t any specific venues I would recommend but in each city the scene has a special community that’s worth visiting. For example in my hometown of L.A. we have our own parties called OBSERVE, and our friends here who help keep the scene alive, 6AM, Synthetik, Dirty Epic, Incognito and many more. NYC has Basement and many others. Chicago has Smarbar, Smoke & Mirrors and others… Phoenix has the Techno Snobs holding it down. San Francisco has Direct To Earth. Dig deep into each city you visit and you can find some sort of scene.
- Some months ago we read from an article relating the experience of several DJs such as Laurent Garnier that a DJ’s lifestyle is pretty tough to handle sometimes. We know passion helps a lot, but can we say that making a career out of your passion is exhausting sometimes ?
Definitely. You know you first get into this because you love it so much and its a part of your lifestyle. I’m still extremely lucky that I can do this for a living after so many years and I would be lying if I said its getting easier. You spend most of your weekends traveling alone with very little sleep going from gig to gig and you have to show up with a smile on your face. Of course, be happy that you have these opportunities. But its also a very lonely life. As I get older I’m realizing the little things that make me happy and its not always just about having a full DJ schedule burning myself out. I’m learning about balancing my gigs with my normal life (whatever normal life I have left)!
- Do you have a precise moment in your career that you’ll never forget, or that was a key moment for you ?
I think when I started my ‘Truncate’ alias is when things really took a turn for the best. Before Truncate I was DJing and producing under the name ‘Audio Injection’ which at the time as a bit more darker sound and I wanted to go back to my roots with the Truncate sound. Simple, raw, jacking loopy DJ tools. Once I started releasing this music it opened up a whole new world for me, playing at parties and festivals all over the world. I’d say that was a key moment for me.
- You played all around the globe, from Belgium to Japan, in Lebanon or in Georgia, do you adapt your sets regarding to the culture you’re going to face and its taste in electronic music ?
Not necessarily, because I get booked to play my sound and I think most of the promoters and fans know what they’re getting. I do of course read the room and try to adapt but also stay within my sound, but most of the time I’m lucky enough to be able to play whatever I want and the crowd is up for it.
- Next August, you will have a new gig planned in Colombia with Sandrien? How was your first experience in Colombia back in the days?
Colombia still till this day since the beginning has been one of the best countries to play in for me. The crowd is always so responsive and wild. The people are so nice and hospitable. I’ve been playing down there for the past 15 years now and they never let me down, it’s really a lovely country.
- As a DJ, you must come across loads of promos. What do you think about the current production in the techno circuits? Is there enough sense of creativity or innovation according to you?
I am currently bombarded with promos yes which is great but can also be very tedious because I really have to go thru so many tracks to really find the special ones that stand out. It’s a blessing and a curse lol. The good thing though is that in all that noise I am hearing alot of cool innovative/creative music coming thru. That gives me some hope for the new generation that not everyone is just trying to be a copy of someone else.
- What would be your advice to a young artist that is emerging on this scene ? Be focused on what is being released and go with the flow or always keep in mind what was done before ?
I’ve always said this to the new emerging artists is to be yourself and be unique. Be influence but don’t be a copy. Take your influences and try to carve out a sound that’s unique to you, that’s how you stand out because right now everyone is trying to be a DJ and a producer. How will you stand out?
- How did you record the podcast for Paradox ? Can you pick a record from the mix and tell us why you like it or how you found it ?
I recorded this mix at home in my studio. This mix is mostly newer music but I picked out an old Kanzleramt record from Diego to put into this mix because I recently came across it in my collection and thought it was the perfect way to close out this mix. It has this vibe of old Detroit mixed with some hardgroove elements its really a timeless track.
- Do you have any connection with the techno scene in France? What do you think about it?
In the past I played in France alot but these days not so much anymore, besides in Paris. Recently I played at FVTVR and it was really an amazing space and vibe. Another notable club I played in the last couple of years was Kalt in Strasbourg that was also an amazing club and vibe.
- The world of electronic music is based on debates nowadays, is it better on vinyl or mp3 in terms of mixing, can a dj be only someone that creates a set based on other’s productions or does he have to produce too… Does this mean that electronic music has become something to gossip about? Do we care too much about what’s around and not only about the music?
These days with technology and all I say use whatever you think works best for you. If you wanna play vinyl over digital that’s totally fine. In the end, what matters is what comes out of the speakers and on the dancefloor. No one is dancing thinking “hey this sounds like a 320kbps mp3, I’m not having a good time anymore” We tend to get too caught up on internet arguments. Just have fun and do you.
- What artists/labels are holding your attention this year?
Hayes collective for me has been very consistent. Ben Sims’ labels Hardgroove and Symbolism also been holding it down. Newer artists on my label like Bidoben, Clotur, s/h/u/y/a, Metapattern have been putting out some great music. There’s really a ton of new talent out there.
- Can you give us a glimpse about your future projects?
At the moment I’m finishing up a collab EP with Pushmann which will include a remix from Kink. I have another collab with Ben Sims as ‘Assailants’ which will hopefully see the light finally this year 😀 and also just various remixes and solo EPs that I’m trying to finish. You will definitely see them when they’re out!
Thanks a lot David, we hope to see you very soon somewhere, keep the good vibe on!
Love and respect