In the Box: Mano Le Tough

In the Box: Mano Le Tough

1 June, 2011 | 2.38AM

• Written by: Beatport Mike
• Filed under: Music News: in the box, mano le tough

Being the musically obsessed people we are, it’s hard to talk to a favorite DJ or producer without having the desire to know their musical secrets. An Irish-born, Berlin-based purveyor of deeper delights, Mano Le Tough has quickly climbed the ladder from obscurity to closely watched producer with a slew of must-have tracks in his catalog—and we’ve been quite curious about him. From his diverse and crowd-pleasing DJ sets all around Berlin (and Europe) to his outstanding output on labels like Dirt Crew, Moodmusic Records, and Mirau Musik, Mano La Tough has established a signature sound that’s impossible to pigeonhole; deep disco, melancholic tech house and warm, atmospheric house music are just a few of the characteristics in his tracks.

We were curious to know a bit more about Mano as a DJ, so we asked him about some of the music you’d find if you were to steal his record box. (Which, by the way, we totally don’t advocate—it’s a thought experiment, people! And in any case, with a name like Mano Le Tough, you’d be taking your life into your own hands if you tried to get your mitts on his crate.) Read on!

Favorite set opener:

This one always changes, depending on what the DJ before me plays, and if you want to keep the flow going or make a statement… At the moment I have been starting a lot of sets with Michael Mayer’s remix of Who Made Who’s “Every Minute Alone” [Life And Death]. It sets a great mood to build a set on…

Trippiest record:

Donato Dozzy’s remix of Tin Man’s “Nonneo” [Absurd] is a tripped-out acid bomb that I enjoy melting minds with.

Bassline weapon:

Todd Terje – “Ragysh” [Running Back]. Amazing synth bassline from probably my favorite release of the year so far.

Killer vocal track:

Aloe Blacc – “Loving You Is Killing Me (Mano Le Tough Remix)” [Universal]. I play quite a lot of vocal tracks. I was just joking recently that my style of DJing was “vocal house"… But I guess the vocals I prefer are less diva and more abstract and melancholic. I like to play the remix I did recently of Aloe Blacc, “Loving You Is Killing Me.” It was a joy to work with such well-performed and recorded vocals.

Oldie that everyone else has forgotten:

MyMy – “Fast Freeze” [Cocoon]. It’s not that old but is at the age where people don’t really play it. Very underrated track in my opinion.

Secret weapon that only you have a copy of:

Usually it’s something that I have made or something isn’t released yet that came from a friend. There are a couple of Axel Boman tracks that he gave me a while ago that aren’t out yet but are absolute bombs. I think they will be out on Studio Barnhus some time in the future.

Closing track for those “one more tune” encores:

I usually like to play something fun and that people can sing along with, like the Irish national anthem, Baby D’s “Let Me Be Your Fantasy” or Chet Baker’s “I Fall in Love Too Easily.”

Fallback for when one record is ending and you have no idea what to follow it with:

I don’t have specific record that I do this with; sometimes I just search frantically through my CDs or records for something that will fit, or, failing that, I put something on that is quite different to the preceding track and seems like a dramatic change in direction in my set… I try and make it seem like I planned it and that I am brilliant whereas I was probably just talking to someone or not concentrating. I guess I like it to happen as infrequently as possible but in some way I like the challenge.

Record with a great intro/outro, for occasions where you want to change tempo/mood:

Adam Marshall – “North at Night” [Cynosure].

Record outside your usual tempo range:

“Idioteque" by Radiohead is about at the limit of my usual tempo range, but I love playing it.

Guilty pleasure:

Too many to mention.

Record you play when you’re in a bad mood:

This is a funny one; it depends if you want to get into a good mood or wallow in the sadness. I like really melancholy stuff like Brian Eno’s “By This River,” which is good for a cry, but if I am playing out I realize that I better not make people cry on the dancefloor so I usually play something that’s kind of sad but makes me feel good like TC Crew’s “I Can’t Do It Alone” or Womack and Womack’s “Teardrops.”

Happiest record:

Tigerskin – “Feel for You” [Dirt Crew].

Two records that you *always* play together:

Don’t really have any, I might have a certain combination for a few sets but I usually get tired of it after a while and move on…

The record that will never leave your box:

Mr. Fingers – “Can You Feel It” [Trax Records] or Lindstrom – “I Feel Space” [Playhouse].

The record that’s so good, you’re actually afraid to play it:

I’m not afraid of playing anything!

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