Interview: Argentinean techno hero Jonas Kopp

Interview: Argentinean techno hero Jonas Kopp

11 March, 2008 | 10.30AM

• Section: Music News Topics: South American Music Conference
• Written by: Terry Church

Wherever Beatportal went in Buenos Aires during the South American Music Conference, the same name kept being mentioned. Jonas Kopp.

You want to know who’s hot in Argentinean techno? Check out Jonas Kopp (pronounced ‘h’onas).

When we caught him playing on the techno stage during the main SAMC event, he tore it up with a bleepy Adam Beyer-esque techno set that had the crowd dancing strong with its unexpected rhythms and build ups.

The anticipation he created from spinning jiggly beats and throbbing basslines was impressive.

We finally bag an interview with Jonas Kopp on our last day in Buenos Aires with the help of a translator. 

“I began making music in 1999,” says the 27-year-old, grinning politely as the questions-and-answers circulate slowly back and forth through the translator, a visible Chinese whisper, some words lost in translation no doubt.

“I’ve only ever made techno and that has always been my sound.”

Jonas Kopp is tipped by Matthew Dear to be a big name, and he’s had a few underground hits on Spectral Sound, Vinyl Club and Weave Music.

The story of how Dear met Kopp turns out to be sweet.

“Last year I went to Creamfields in Buenos Aires and saw Matthew DJing, and he played three of my records during his set,” says Jonas.

“So I emailed him to say hello and asked if he would like me to send him some more tracks.”

Since then, Jonas Kopp has been making a name for himself and his tunes have been featured on influential compilations like Sven Väth’s ‘Cocoon: Sound of the Eighth Season’.

Ricardo Villalobos, Chris Liebing and Josh Wink have all been playing Jonas Kopp’s records too.

The unexpected international attention led Jonas to set up his own label Traut, which will be a musical melting pot aimed at promoting Argentinean artists by getting big international remixers to rework their tracks.

“Traut means ‘honey’ in German, but not the food – it’s the endearing name you might give to your girlfriend,” explains Jonas.

“The label will feature Argentinean artists like Franco Cinelli and Seph; and international people like Chris Liebing will do remixes.”

On the international techno circuit, Jonas Kopp is already an underground name, having played gigs in Barcelona’s Club 4 and Rome’s Goa club.

As well as DJing, he also plays live using a laptop and a MIDI controller.

“When I play live, I only play my own tracks, loops and clips,” he says.

“I use Ableton Live to do live sets, and I also use it to make music.”

Beatportal asks what philosophy Jonas Kopp follows when he makes electronic music, but he shrugs his shoulders.

“I make what I feel,” he says.

“I don’t think about what will sell, I just make music I like.”

That’s not so much a philosophy, but an emotional connection to electronic music.

The passion, as expected in this South American producer, runs deeps.

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