|
They've just celebrated their 3rd birthday
and regularily they draw about 500 ppl to their dances. DeeJay
Stefano (aka Skeptikah) just released two mixtapes. Earlier
this year they've been on the World Report Tour with the Germaican
Showcase and the unique remixes and selections are talked
about not only in their hometown. Reason enough for Peanut
Vendor to talk with the selectors Kid Loki and Mr. K about
Rotzlöffel'z HiFi…
 |
Germaican Observer: Is Dancehall now a
different kind of fun for you compared to when you've just
started?
Kid Loki: Yeah, after two years you start to understand
the lyrics better. When we've started with the sound I used
to listen to the music already and it was more a fun thing.
Nowadays I think more about what I'm playing and many of the
new tunes aren't really my thing anymore. When I was at the
Splash! Festival this year I realised that not everything
of the culture is "mine". In the beginning I went more for
the beat alone, but now I'm really checking the lyrical content.
And so it is like 50% of the new stuff is just not funny compared
to 3 years ago. We were always Scare Dem fans and that was
badd enough to but artistes like Alozade bring something good
only once every 6 months. Apart from this it has nothing to
do with fun for me.
But after all I do enjoy the playing after 3 years still and
you've got more routine. You look more on it as work than
as a hobby. I used to be excited every single time when I
was spinning now it is more like... it depends what kind of
show it is.
Mr. K.: For me it's more or less the same. In the beginning
you had problems with the language, obviously you need some
time to adapt. And like Loki said some of the DeeJays chat
only foolishness instead of making real good lyrics. But still
there are a lot of good artistes, good lyrics and music on
a high level that give you pleasure.
K.L.: Still I can explode playing Dancehall...
G.O.: That's very interesting because
other older sounds admit that they don't think to much about
such things. Their main focus is on the music and the beat.
Is it maybe so because Far East who were popular in Leipzig
for quite a time played a bit more rootsy or conscious also
in a time when there were not so many haters tunes. What are
your guidelines and what are your aims compared to "back then"?
Mister K & Stefano aka Skeptikah |
K.L.: Our aim is to spread the music
amongst everybody not only 20-30 hardcore fans. In this sense
Far East were role models for me because they could even turn
a hard rock fan into a reggae head. I think it's in the mix
even though I love to blast every now and then. You've got
to be able to play conscious to, or give the ppl a ska tune.
Representing the "next generation" we managed to establish
a new crowd who knows about the music. and Leipzig became
a good town for reggae.
Mr.K.: You'll always look up to ppl who are further
than you. My aim is to rock everybody everytime so that they're
going home saying:"Yo, that's the shit".
G.O.: How you want to be different from
other sounds?
K.L.: First of all through the name (Rotzlöffel'z HiFi
- Snotty Boy's HiFi) and our name is like we are. Even if
we were 30 we're still gonna be snotty. I don't like the development
right now in the sound biz. Everybody is a sound and bying
dubs, dubs, dubs. But that doesn't mean you can rock a crowd
or make ppl dance. You realise excactly wich selector was
already in JA. and has the vibe. Why we should pretend, so
of course we're gonna deejay in german every now and then
or we're playing mixes only we can play. In JA. You hear Pat
Kelly on a sound and everybody gonna know it, because everybody
used to listen to Pat Kelly on the radio back in the days.
So of course we mix Reggae with tunes that everybody know
in Germany maybe from their childhood days like Milli Vanilli,
Technotronic or Snap. In the end you're playing music, you
shouldn't be to much of a poser. Who knows if we're gonna
play the "Rotten Rich" in 10 years. By then it's gonna be
our oldie selection...
Mr.K.: I don't like the competition to much. We've got
cultural roots we don't wanna ignore. We're in Germany after
all…
G.O.: How serious you are about your future
as a sound. It's more like a hobby, or is it more?
Kid Loki aka Kid Logistik |
K.L.: It's definetly more than a hobby.
First of all we promote all our dances ourselves. We always
try to improve our technique. We're getting more records especially
unusual ones to bring more variety into our selections. With
our deejay Stefano we're working on the live show to tighten
everything. It's got to be like we start and everybody must
be ready 100% at least. Everybody got to know what's going
on.
Mr.K.: It's still a big experiment, financially. You
invest countless hours and noboby gonna pay you. No food in
the fridge. No money for records. But here differently from
elsewhere the ppl giving you their personal support. Last
Friday nuff a dem come said "Happy Birthday" and even brought
presents. It was overwhelming. It gives you back so much of
the energy that you invested before. We're very grateful for
that. We don't have a fixed plan for the future. What we're
doing we're gonna be doing 300%. The reward is coming some
time in the future...
G.O.: Any wishes for next year?
K.L.: That we're still playing. That nothing gonna happen
to us. That some ppl might get a Rotzlöffel'z HiFi tape in
their hands or they're told to go to one of our shows. That
the old fans are still coming to our dances and that we will
stay down to earth.
Personally after all this time with the music, I would
love to go to Jamaica…
Mr.K.: I hope that we're gonna be able to continue what
we've started...
G.O.: Thank you very much for the interview
and all the best for the next 3 years.
K.L. & Mr.K.: Thank you and dear readers: check the tapes,
allright...
Peanut Vendor, G.O. Crew, Leipzig/Sn.
|
