Chukwuma Agubokwu
Child-like, not childish.
Paul Pre
Electro-Hop, Electro-Soul, Soultronica, Glitch-Hop, Broken Beat, Space Music, Robot Funk? My guess is as good as yours when it comes to what to call this new guard of music. It has progenitors from every corner of the planet but sounds like it’s from another one altogether. Whatever the case, Paul Pre can and does give a nimble cross-section of the budding genre on a monthly basis. The German DJ was kind enough to share some insight on this music and more.
How are you today?
Pretty good. Sun is shining and just got myself a cup of nice tea.
Please tell me, in a nutshell, what you do.
Okay. I’m a music addict. I listen to music as much as I can, make mixes as the time permits, got a passion for sneakers, clothes, bikes and street art, [I also] like watching movies, play basketball and spend most of my time at work.
How did you get into all of this? Did you say, “I want to be a music addict when I grow up”?
This is a pretty long story. I think it all started when I was 13 and a friend from my basketball team introduced me into his small records collection. He was the only guy with a DJ-setup (crappy low-budget turntables and mixer) I knew. Together with some friends we started making hip-hop, and because I can’t rap, I thought about being a DJ. Back then I only had tapes and CDs. I was buying my CDs at the only record-store we had in our hometown and then after some weeks the owner asked me to DJ at a small bar. This was the first and the last time I was playing CDs. The guy at my local records-store convinced me to buy only vinyl from [then] on. Little by little I got myself records and borrowed my friend’s turntables ‘til I got my own setup when I was 15. So I never thought “I want to be a DJ when I grow up”, all this happened by itself!
What music were you raised on?
When I was young, I heard what everybody was listening to: Michael Jackson. But my passion for music started when I was 12 [un]til then I heard most of all hip hop (the golden age hip hop… Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Pharcyde, Artifacts, Gang Starr and all the Rawkus stuff) but also some soul and funk.
Do you have any kind of definition for the style of Hip-Hop and R&B that you play?
It’s even not hip-Hop and R&B in my opinion. For me this kind of music is the music of “ascendancies”. It has parts of hip-hop, soul, jazz, dubstep, house, techno…it’s hard to describe this music in words. I read an article about some of these artist (Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, Débruit, Dorian Concept…) and they mentioned the names “Glitch”, “Wonky” and “Aqua-Crunk-Step” to describe this style…well…you should listen to it…
Did you see yourself where you are now 5 years ago? And where do your see yourself 5 years into the future?
Not at all, maybe it’s the influence growing up in a very small city but I never thought about reaching so many people with the music I’m playing. But when you’re influenced by so many artist and different styles, you won’t know where you’ll be in the next few days, so that’s why I don’t even know where I see myself in 5 years. Maybe playing some future music we never heard before? I don’t know. I’ll just try to concentrate on being more productive and everything else will get done by itself. It always depends on the circumstances what comes next. Right now a lot of interesting and exciting things are going on and if everything works out fine, there will be new and better circumstances, this is what my future looks like.
Tell us about an advance in technique you have made in the last week. In the last year?
Regarding to creating mixes probably nothing. I’m still using turntables and vinyl. The only advance in technique came in late 2007 with Serato scratch live, when I was able to put some [scratches on] the “online-only releases”. But talking about advance in technique, generally I have to mention the whole Internet movement. Especially MySpace and a lot of very cool blogs helped me to promote my mixes and made it much easier to get in touch with new music also (not getting paid for this). I’m not pretty old but even I released my first mixes on tapes and CDs, so I really appreciate using the Internet for my music.
Dead or alive, with whom would you most want to collaborate?
Hm…toooooooo many names to mention and most of them are alive.
You play many danceable genres of music, what dance do you think you can do the best?
None! I like/need the people doing the dancing because I’m only good in freaking out and making very bad robot-moves. But [that is the] cool thing about being a DJ: you don’t have to dance.
What 3 things are on your person at all or almost all times?
Sneakers, mobile, beard.
Your website’s tagline is “better than your favorite DJ.” Who is your favorite DJ?
[Laughs] this tagline is embarrassing. I’m not really creative in relation to my identity as a DJ (except my mixes) so I don’t think much about things like a claim and I’m sorry for this one…
I have a lot of favorite DJs but most of all, is Benji B. [I’ve] heard most of his shows since 2004 and there’s no other DJ which such an influence on what I’m playing and listening to like Benji. But I’ve seen/heard Martyn playing a set some weeks ago and I was very impressed! I really enjoy the Gaslamp Killer mixes and some of the best mixes I ever heard [are from] the “Thank You, Jay Dee” series by J Rocc.
Do you have a favorite mix (of your own)?
My favorite mix of my own is the Pandasession #1 mix. [It was] probably not the best one but this was the beginning of playing “this sound” and took far longer to make this mix than any other. I think my best one is the “Best of 2008 Mix” which I did for Nalden. But it’s always like “I like the newest mix best” ‘til I heard it more than 10 times…
What and who do you love?
[Laughs] hard to answer without making the impression of a freak, but I love my records, my sneakers, my friends, my work and my family of course…
Leave us with a quote that has meant a lot in your life, and some hello’s to friends.
“Work hard and be nice to people.”
Hellos to my everyday fellas at Markenwerk, my boys (you know who is meant!) and all the supporters!
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