Dan Curtin is a gent whose music I’ve admired for years, ever since I came across his double-vinyl LP Art & Science back in about 1996. The reason I picked it up was because I loved the record label it came out on (Peacefrog), but the moment I set needle to wax I was enamoured.
I’ve kept a close eye on his output ever since, and 15 years later we finally started chatting – and I quickly realized I admired him for his personality and ethics as well. He has a cool sense of humour but also isn’t afraid to say what he thinks. I love when that happens; truth to tell, it isn’t always so.
He consolidated my new-found opinion when I recently asked around to see if anyone was interested in submitting tracks, gratis, for the new benefit-for-Japan compilation Kibou that’s being organized by Elektrax.
He was one of the first people to respond, in the resounding positive, and has further been incredibly supportive of the people over here and their travails.
So kudos all round.
Curtin has actually been making tunes for almost two decades, debuting with 3rd From the Sun on Sinewave/33 RPM Records, then shortly after the Planetary and Space EPs through his label Metamorphic.
“I still really like that first record,” he says now, despite the benefit of production hindsight. “It was exactly what I wanted to do at that time, so for that reason I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Curtin’s debut LP The Silicon Dawn was also released through Peacefrog, in 1994.
“That was definitely my science fiction/space/future-influenced album, also very Detroit-influenced. I wanted to do one solid project that was an homage to Detroit and that was the one; after that my sound started to diverge more and more from the Detroit sound.”
So how does he feel about that long-playing journey now – and what he change now if he could, à la George Lucas? “I still love it and I wouldn’t change anything because it’s honest – it represents how I was thinking and feeling at that time.”
Then how would Curtin compare his more recent album Lifeblood (2010) with the earlier LP?
“In one way all my works are the same because, like I mentioned, they’re always a representation of who I am at that moment. But they’re still very different because I’m in a different place now, with different goals so many years down the road from The Silicon Dawn. The other important difference has to do with the production values of Lifeblood – in the beginning the ‘sound’ wasn’t important to me at all, but over the years it’s become very important.”
Where exactly were you born, and what’s it famous for?
“I was born in Youngstown, Ohio, USA – but only lived there for the first couple years of life. Famous? No idea! Wicki it!”
Where do you live now?
“Berlin, Germany.”
DJing and production work – which of these outlets fuels your own fire, or is it a matter of a little bit of both?
“Definitely a mixture of both; they work together and feed off each other. Two very different ways to be creative.”
You also made records under the aliases of Apogee (for Peacefrog), Entity (for Sinewave), and Time Undefined (for Strictly Rhythm), although most of these projects seem to have been short-lived. What was the intent behind them, and would you explore the notion of aliases again? Or is “Dan Curtin” enough?
“Ahh, but you’re forgetting Purveyors of Fine Funk – my main alias! I think I was just having fun with different names and also I thought that every different sound should have an alias. But then I realized that for me there were only two significant sounds, house and techno. These days I still do use an alias from time to time.”
What negatives and positives have you experienced within the electronic music biz over the past two decades?
“The positives are everything we all love! Real music, people with passion… these are the things that keep me going. But I really hate how the music is so flooded these days with so much junk. Contrary to what some people believe, art should definitely not be created by everyone. Everyone is not an artist just like everyone is not a doctor or airline pilot!
“Can you imagine going to a surgeon for heart surgery and his only credential was that he thought it was cool to be a doctor so he illegally downloaded the heart surgery app?! So we really do have an impossible amount of terrible tracks out there, basically ruining it for everybody. Then the most troubling aspect of the business now is how control of all music sales has fallen into the hands of just a couple of entities. This music began with such passion partly because people wanted to get away from the grip and control of major labels. This spawned a wonderfully vibrant and future-forward music scene, but now with all control over all music is in the hands of essentially one entity, things have never been more limited and restricted. There used to be a young and energetic, punkish, fuck-you attitude towards creating art and music, but now everyone is falling over each other to conform, to get into DJ Superstar’s chart… and witness the result!
“But this does not mean that there is no good music; there’s so much great music these days, it’s just that it is excluded from what has become a huge mainstream.”
So what on earth keeps you motivated after so long working in this business, and what do you foresee happening with the music we care about in 2011?
“I just love it and need to create. It’s what I would do in my free time as a hobby if I didn’t make a career out of it. I’ve been asked that question about what I foresee happening so many times over the years, but it’s impossible to say now. It used to be possible to predict, but nothing’s happening on its own now; there’s no more organic or natural development of the music. It’s all controlled by a few and they have an interest in keeping things as they are – which is quality low and quantity high. All I can do is do my thing, chart my own course, and as usual stay away from the sheep!”
What gear/software are you making most use of in the studio at the moment?
“Mac, Logic, a few key plug-ins, and analogue outboard gear.”
Which part of your studio is the most vital facet?
“It would have to be Logic. I’ve been using Logic since v4 and it’s the centre of everything. No doubt about it.”
Which of the current crop of artists and labels are grabbing your attention?
“Right now I’m very much into what is coming out of Detroit and Chicago – the new generation of producers from those cities. Delano Smith, Kyle Hall, Hakim Murphy, and some of the ones who have been around like Omar-S and Theo Parrish. To me these ones are pushing things forward now in terms of expressions of the soul. Then on the European side you have Livejam records and Mojuba taking things to new levels, and of course Rush Hour and Delsin always maintaining the quality.”
How is the scene in Berlin right now, compared with the rest of the world?
“In Berlin the party scene is out of control as usual – it’s like no other city. Many big clubs always packed full, but Berlin has the ‘techno tourists’ filling the clubs every day; no other city has this.”
Do you think there are still “home scenes” defined by cities or countries – or is the music scene truly international now?
“Chicago and Detroit definitely have scenes. Other than that the internet has made it international for sure.”
You’ve lately released through labels like Mobilee and Self Defence. How do you feel your music fits together with these people, and how do you find working with labels in general these days?
“I think my music is different from anything else on Mobilee and that’s what makes it a good arrangement. Mobilee is known for it’s Berlin roots and presence in the party scene so it’s good to inject something unexpected into that mix, like me! Working with labels hasn’t changed, it all comes down to the relationship you have with them.”
Any upcoming Dan Curtin remixes/events/releases we should know about for 2011?
“Here are a couple for spring: The Fugitive EP on Autoreply Records, EPs on Metamorphic and Mobilee, a remix of IBO ‘Rejuvination’ for Soma Quality Recordings, a remix of J. Alexander’s ‘Reminisce’ for Friends Electric, and a remix of ‘March of No Coincidence’ by Uniforms, featuring Maria Nordström, on Trunk Funk.”
Is vinyl dying a slow death – or just becoming more of a select option?
“It seems as though things are leveling out. Many DJs are still choosing to play vinyl. I think it’s just another one of the options out there – and therefore no longer really an issue.”
Is digital download really the future of music?
“I can’t see anything else happening. Vinyl will be a select option for the highest quality sound and for heads who choose not to release in another format. CDs will go away, and everything else will be downloads.”
© 2011 Andrez Bergen
