Trained in the discipline of classical music and well versed in jazz, Paul Frick leaped into the world of dance music with surprising ease, finding his senses and skills well attuned to its constant pulse and openly familiar structures. Offering both sharpened bits of his classical past (“Do Something EP”) and the inventive way forward (“Knock On Wood EP” featuring the stunning “Steal My Heart”) on his Kalk Pets releases and an adroit sense of construction which transformed Scott’s “Memory Core” into a deep-house groover, Frick’s music positions him as a burgeoning talent destined to make waves rather than swim with the tide. For LWE’s 13th podcast, the Berlin-based producer performed an exclusive live set drawn largely from unreleased and live-only tracks that has us wiggling with awed enthusiasm.

LWE Podcast 13: Paul Frick (52:08)

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Tracklist:

01. Paul Frick, Untitled [live only]
02. Paul Frick, “Got The Blues” [Kalk Pets] (groovebox version)
03. Paul Frick, “Five o’ Clock” [unreleased] (groovebox version)
04. Paul Frick, Untitled [live only]
05. Finchhatten, “Hey Bob” (Paul Frick groovebox remix) [unreleased]
06. Paul Frick, “Do Something” [Kalk Pets] (groovebox version)
07. Paul Frick, “Steal My Heart” [Kalk Pets] (groovebox version)
08. Scott, “Boh” (Paul Frick remix) [unreleased]

When and where did you make this set?

I recorded it some weeks ago at home, after practicing for a live gig at Flex, Vienna.

What is the concept behind the set?

It’s entirely a groovebox set, which gives it a little old school touch, I guess. I wanted to see what comes out when I make music with different equipment than normally. And Strobocop (who runs the label Kalk Pets) also encouraged me to do a set without computer. So I bought this Korg ESX which has a sampler in it. Of course, its technical possibilities are reduced compared to Ableton, but this certain challenge gives me a lot more excitement while performing. With this I really have to sweat And it can be very creative to be reduced to a small amount of knobs to turn and elements in a pattern, it also gives you more control of each one of them. I really enjoy playing live with that little machine! Of course, the live versions of already produced/released tracks sound very different from the originals. It is actually a strange thing for me to reinterpret some of my own tracks with less freedom, but interesting because there is always a new aspect of them coming out.

Who are a few of your favorite DJs past and present? What about performers of live PAs?

I got into electronic music very late; I think Akufen’s album My Way was the first time I really admired house music. So I discovered a lot of great older stuff only years later, like Theo Parrish, who I haven’t heard DJing, unfortunately. The DJs who most impressed me lately are Stefan Goldmann, DJ Koze, Strobocop (who plays a lot of great old records that I have never heard before!), Crawford, Cassy, Carsten Klemann, H30H and Mark Henning. I tend to get a bit disappointed by dance music live acts, ’cause I am often trying to figure out what they are actually doing, instead of just enjoying the music (if possible) and dancing. So under the performance aspect, I would say I have been more touched by classical orchestras or bands. Anyway, great live acts I have seen are Sound Stream, dOP, Le K, Akufen, Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, and above all, Scott.

What can we expect from you in the next year’s time?

Some new EPs on Kalk Pets, 30porumalinha and other labels, a couple of remixes, and probably an album in the end of 2009. I am recording material with several classical or jazz musicians which I will turn into house music. And I have a new project I am very enthusiastic about. It’s called Brandt, Brauer & Frick, the other two are Daniel Brandt and Jan Brauer from “Scott.” We make house/techno inspired music, only with acoustic drums and percussion, a prepared piano, vibraphone, Rhodes, bass guitar, objects and sometimes a synth (no plugins). We only made a few tracks until now, and we are really happy about the results and the way of working together! I guess our style could bring to mind Steve Reich as well as old school loop techno. Our first gig will take place at the monthly My My party at Watergate, as soon as we are ready. We are actually aiming to do fully instrumental concerts in a concert hall or festival context. But this will take some time. I am more and more trying to bring together my classical composition background and my love for dance music.

LWE Podcast 13: Paul Frick (52:08)