Interview by Joe Delon, November 25th 2019
The fourth mix of our series comes from German artist and Slices of Life boss Barbara Preisinger. It’s a pleasure for us to host another mix from one of our favourite DJs, and the mix itself is one hour of groove and classy selection. Read the Q&A below and get to know more about one of the most respected DJs of the underground.
Q: It seems that in the past few years 1990s techno has been experiencing quite a renaissance. As a resident at Munich’s Ultraschall club in the mid-90s, what feelings does the music of that time and place bring back to you when you hear it around today?
BP: Definitely a lot of great memories! I went to Ultraschall almost every weekend. I started dj-ing there at 1996 and played pretty weird experimental and ambient tunes in the chill out area (so called flokati room). But I also was very much into hard techno and electro and bought quite a lot of vinyl – although I was not spinning for the main floor that time. Since music is always coming back in circles, the 90s revival was not a huge surprise to me, but it is interesting to see what is coming up again and gets repressed, or how artists making up references to that time with their new productions.
Q: Anyone visiting the Globus floor of Tresor is greeted by potent contrasts between austerity (the building, the bare dancefloor) and elegance (the bar, the lighting). How do these contrasts find expression in the Deep In The Box parties you run?
BP: Deep In the Box has been standing for certain musical styles, and the parties are about the artists and their sound. I started with DEEP IN THE BOX at CDV 2009, then moved to other locations (a.o. Wilde Renate) before Tresor became the DEEP IN THE BOX homebase in September 2015 in collaboration with Tresor booking. The pretty straight forward Globus floor with the great sound system is the perfect place for me to present various styles of house and deep techno.
Q: You played at the Portuguese festival Waking Life this year, which has become known for its paradise atmosphere and attention to detail regarding sound and decorations. Did you have some time to explore the festival and what stood out for you about your time there?
BP: I only had a few hours on the Thursday evening and night to experience the festival, so I can´t talk for the whole event. But what I experienced during the few hours was a very friendly and family style vibe among the audience and as well among the very well organised crew. Not to mention the nice landscape with the stages placed around a lake.
Q: Slices Of Life is celebrating 10 years of existence, in which you’ve released 10 records by a very close-knit group of friends. How much is this measured approach the result of choice vs simply being the ‘way things happen’? And what plans do you have for the next 10 years?
BP: It always has been very natural for me to release music by artists to whom I´m having a personal connection, either through friendship, events or similar musical ideas. It´s much nicer if you have the chance to get to know the person behind an artist moniker a bit before you start working together. A friendship itself would not be the criteria for releasing a track, but it makes the communication much easier and opens the doors faster for productive discussion about the music and the release. For the next 10 years I think I would continue this way and if everything goes super well I might well reach the level of releasing more than one 12 inch a year. 😉
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