Fritz Kalkbrenner Interview
Sometimes far too much value is placed on the live performances of traditional rock bands. This is not to say that they can’t affirm lives like nothing else on the planet but it’s starting to annoy me how many people talk smack about the live performances of electronic artists and DJ’s because they “don’t even play an instrument”. It annoys me because it misses the point pretty much entirely. Who cares whether the music being played is being created live on stage? When it comes down to it, what’s important is whether the audience is enjoying themselves. That’s what creates the atmosphere for band and DJ alike, it may not be identical but both of them can produce moments of beauty and euphoria that the other one can’t, and isn’t that what counts? When a DJ can capture the attention and adoration of a room full of people simply armed with good tunes and a laptop, that’s some kind of magic and few in the business are as adept at that as Fritz Kalkbrenner. The Berlin native’s Deep House sets are cut above from most others not only for his inspired blend of tried and tested deep house with soul samples and deep bass frequencies but also for his own singing and song writing, which turns up in his sets as often as any other artists tunes. A huge festival draw in his native Germany, a set of his could hold its own against any modern rock band for sheer entertainment value and delivering moments of sheer, untrammelled joy to thousands and thousands of people. Elitism aside, that’s all that counts in the live arena and it would be a true shame to miss out!