Lutzenkirchen - A Box Of Beats
3D’s Cyclone speaks with German DJ/producer Lutzenkirchen, hitting Sydney this week with his latest record, Pandora’s Electronica.
Germany has yet another electronic superstar in Tobias Lutzenkirchen, but he’s determined to separate himself from the electro pack. While he’s deployed different handles, including XLR, Lutzenkirchen first generated a serious buzz with his club hit Daily Disco. Now, with a burgeoning back catalogue, he’s presenting his debut album, Pandora Electronica.
Lutzenkirchen blends the ethnic techno of Oliver Ho with Ed Banger-style electro-house and even tribal trance. He gets a kick from knowing that his music can’t be readily categorised.
“I never wanted to be put in a style case,” Lutzenkirchen says. “I really try to stay away as far as I can from being put specifically in this kind of style or this kind of style or this kind of music...
“I really like to cross things, and to sometimes combine strange things, because this is the most fun part of making music. Then, even if I do a lot of new stuff in quite a short time, it never loses the fun, because it’s just different and new all of the time. It’s not repetitive. So it’s always fun to go into the studio. I never get bored.”
Most of the tracks on Pandora Electronica are new, but trainspotters will recognise 3 Tage Wach (‘Up For 3 Days’), originally out on Oliver Koletzki’s Stil vor Talent. It’s now accompanied by Tobias’ memorable ‘rave bunny’ video.
Like Carl Craig, the Bavarian took to DJing relatively late, being primarily a producer. He started as a studio engineer, his first love. Lutzenkirchen ventured into music-making after discovering electro-house in the mid-2000s, although he draws on older Detroit techno and Chicago house. He’s since developed a “hybrid live set”.
Lutzenkirchen’s career has gone from strength to strength following his move to Munich from Neuss in Germany’s north-west. “I think it was my best strategic move,” he reflects. He’s determined to foster Munich artists with his label, Platform B. The city has “a lot of potential” over Hamburg and Frankfurt, he argues. For this reason, too, Lutzenkirchen chooses to remain in Munich rather than joining Berlin’s madding crowd. “I’d hate to go where everyone else is going!” he insists.
Tobias knows of producers in Berlin who are distracted by the partying. “They’re telling me, because Berlin is such a hectic party city, it’s so hard for them just to stay in the studio and close the door and work,” he says. “I know a lot of people who, when they want to produce something, they move out of Berlin on a short holiday, take their equipment with them and produce. They then have their peace and their time when they can produce.”
He’s not alone in Munich. Tobias has his pal Tomcraft. Lutzenkirchen is half Cuban. He departed Cuba in childhood and has, regretfully, forgotten his Spanish. Lutzenkirchen attributes his fascination with the groove to his South American heritage, but that’s where the influence ends. “I don’t have any Latin American influences in my music – I’m doing a way more straight European style of music!”
WHO: Lutzenkirchen
WHAT: Pandora Electronica through Great Stuff/Inertia / Plays Lost Baggage at The Cross
WHEN: Out now / Saturday 30 August
MORE: myspace.com/luetzenkirchen