Featured interview: Reboot

Featured interview: Reboot

30 October, 2008 | 10.34AM

• Written by: Ryan Keeling
• Filed under: Music News: reboot

Undoubtedly one of the finest production talents to emerge in 2008, Frank Heinrich aka Reboot has become a darling of the underground seemingly over night.

His sparkling releases for Cadenza, Cocoon and Below have left him in ridiculously high demand as the remix man-of-the-moment.

Gearing up for his debut performance at Mulletover’s infamous Halloween party in London this Saturday, we caught up with Frank to chat about live sets, bigamists and the magic behind his intricate productions.

Although you have shot to prominence only recently, you have been producing for a number of years. Can you fill us in?

I made my first steps in producing electronic music at the age of 13. Well, it was more playing around with Tracker programs. I bought my first drum machine when I was 15 and since then I’ve constantly been working on productions.

Until three years ago I never really had the ambition to have something like a career as a musician, so I didn’t send out any demos. It happened that Carsten and Bernd from Below heard some of my stuff and they straight away signed me. After that, it all went very fast from there.

Is your background in live performances or DJ’ing? You currently appear to be doing both in equal measures

Hard to say. I started buying records at the age of 13 and made mix tapes for my friends. My first live performance was at the age of 16 so I’d say DJ’ing came first. But for all these years I’ve been doing both with equal passion.

You have released on the likes of Cadenza, Cocoon, Moon Harbour, Connaisseur and Below. Do you think it’s important for your career development to spread the love around a number of labels?

Well, I guess I’m just a bigamist! No - seriously, for my career I think it was the right decision. I don’t want to speak generally for every artist but I personally try to stay as independent as possible. Also, I am producing a lot and only one label couldn’t (or shouldn’t) release that many records from one artist. 

Apart from Below, are there any labels that you have established a permanent home for your releases with?

That is definitely Cadenza. These are the two labels I feel at home most and I have a strong connection with the people running them. Most of the other labels I’ve been working with have more or less been ‘one-night-stands’ because I’ve mainly made remixes for them.

Are you concentrating more on remixes at the moment? Although you have released the odd original production recently your output seems to have been more focused on re-rubs.

I never wanted to release too many EPs per year. I always tried to avoid boring people. After my Cadenza EP in January I got tons of remix requests and in the beginning I accepted most of them. I love doing remixes and I love playing around with other people’s ideas, but now, I am actually a bit tired of doing them. They were just too many. For the next few months I will focus on my own productions (and maybe produce an album).

You can almost tell a Reboot production without being told this is the case - are you striving to establish yourself a little sonic niche?

Not on purpose! Having something like a “trademark sound” is not necessarily a bad thing. It makes people recognize you. But you also take the risk that they get tired of this special sound. Every artist develops his sound over the years and of course I try to do the same. I think, that my latest EP on Motivbank sounds very different to my stuff on Below or Cadenza.

Your records are highly detailed, particularly in terms of percussion. Are you a producer who spends great lengths of time on your tracks or are you more adept to outputting high volumes of work?

I am definitely not a producer that spends too much time on one track. Most of the artists I’ve been in the studio with, tell me that I work quite fast. I didn’t really realise it until I started some projects with other artists.

If there is a good idea, it only takes me a few hours to finalize it. A few days later I re-check it, play it in clubs and possibly change some settings. In my opinion it’s elementary to make final decisions. I know so many good producers that are not able to finish their tracks. Sometimes you just have to say: “OK, that’s it!” But don’t get me wrong - I can also spend three days just twisting a bass drum!

Touching on production briefly, are you more of a laptops and software kind of guy, or is it more desks and hardware?

For years I’ve been experimenting with different setups. I started only using hardware, jumped to only using software and ended up using the best of both worlds. All my drums and synth sounds come from hardware instruments and drum kits, being recorded and twisted in Ableton Live. I found a perfect workflow in that DAW. Even if I am not too happy with the audio engine.

I think it’s important to mention ‘Charlotte’ the track that ‘broke you’ last year. Did you realize at the time the record would garner you with all these new followers?

This track is a perfect example for what I mentioned earlier. It was produced in four hours. If the idea is substantial, it often doesn’t need a lot more. I never expected it to be so successful and I was so happy about it. That track means a lot to me. Personally, and of course for my career.

You’re playing the Mulletover party in London this Saturday. Have you played in the UK previously?

Yes, and I absolutely love to play there! First time I played in the UK was NYD 2008 in Leeds. We had an amazing time. I also played at the T-Bar in London and Mint Club in Leeds this year.

I am a total UK fan. I love the crowd and how they get lost in partying. Everybody told me, that the Mulletover Halloween Party is one of the highlights of the year. So I am really excited to be there!

What people can people expect from a Reboot DJ set and of course a Reboot live set?

Booty shaking disco funk! And they can always expect 100% from me! I really enjoy what I do and I always try to give my best. I just want everybody to have an amazing time to and get lost in the music.

When I play live, there’s only a short amount of time to present the music to the audience, so I always try to show a broad range of what I produce. Of course I leave plenty of space for improving. Every live act is different to the next one.

Playing DJ sets is something I really enjoy. Especially because you have more time to build up an atmosphere and take the audience on a journey. I play a lot of my own productions mixed up with new records and classics.


Mulletover tickets: http://residentadvisor.net/event-detail.aspx?id=65985

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