Addliss

This is a translation of the previously published German interview with Ingo Vogelmann which you can find here.

After a period of repose, the musician, composer, producer, DJ and whatnot Ingo Vogelmann has become more active again. On his Facebook page or on Twitter one can read that something is going on, with suggestions and hints of many things being made. This is why I met Ingo on Skype and asked for more information about what is happening, which developed into a spontaneous three-and-a-half-hour conversation about a band Ingo produces, his own new album, technology issues, label concerns, creative work, Ingo as a DJ, and, of course, FriskyRadio! You can read it all here.

Addliss: Hello Ingo, it’s lovely that you can take some time for an extended interview today. As we will see later, you are really busy.
Ingo Vogelmann: Hello Jakob, you are giving me a very welcome break from work. Good to talk to you.
Addliss: During the last few weeks we could read on Twitter and on your Facebook page that you have new studio productions in the pipeline. You recorded with the band Singvøgel and published some photographs as well. Who are Singvøgel, and what exactly is in the making?
Ingo Vogelmann: Correct. Singvøgel are three people from the south of Germany. I have known Sven, their drummer, for about ten years. For around a decade, the band has been making poetic rock and pop music, with very sophisticated lyrics that are almost poems. It all began with Duke and Karan as an acoustic songwriter duo; Sven joined them later. And then everything became more rock-like, last but not least because of the drums. We were in touch, on and off, for some time, and I softly bemoaned the recording and production quality of their CDs. Finally, I offered them my services as a producer, which resulted in me spending a week with them in their studio in the Kraichgau region, where we made the recordings I am currently producing. We are talking about nine songs here, which will be the new album.
Addliss: At first glance, rock and pop seems to be far away from your own style. How do you develop a feeling for this music during recording?
Ingo Vogelmann: That is only partially true. As a young lad, I was socialized with rock music. During my childhood, my brother, who is ten years older than me, played progressive seventies rock all day. This had, and continues to have, an influence on me. As a producer or recording director I have no problem at all to plunge into this kind of music and to do a good job, because I know how it works. And with my own stuff I am not always very far away from it either.
Addliss: That is true; your chill-out productions often feature guitars and drums.
Ingo Vogelmann: Yes, I have always had a reputation for an organic sound.
Addliss: You said that recording took a week. Did you spend all that time in the studio? Or did you rather work with the songs and have short studio sessions?
Ingo Vogelmann: Basically, we recorded all the time. We worked very disciplined, but also had a lot of fun. It meant that we began in the morning, finished in the evening, and really got things done in-between. We had an extremely productive workflow, because the chemistry was right and we spoke the same language as musicians. This made the work much easier for all of us.
Addliss: I am sure that this was extremely helpful. The workflow can enable a musician to dive deep into the music. Did you write the songs together? And did it happen in the flow, or did you have pre-composed songs?
Ingo Vogelmann: There was pre-composed material, which we just needed to record. But I changed such a lot of the concept prepared by the band that we ended up with a lot of new material, and then we had to compose additional stuff, because some things were just sketches. Here I was able to contribute some of my ideas, which worked well. But the pre-composed songs were recorded fast, even though I made some changes here or there. The band knew very quickly where I wanted to go.
Addliss: This was certainly due to the good chemistry between you all.
Ingo Vogelmann: Sure. It could have been a failure. But it wasn’t. And we all had an inkling about this. Even before the project started, we had a positive gut feeling about it. If we hadn’t got on so well, the result would certainly look different today.
Addliss: And then a week would not exactly have been a lot of time for recording.
Ingo Vogelmann: Yes, we played for a rather high stake when we had the crazy idea to record a whole album in only a week. All or nothing, so to say. And we were successful.
Addliss: Did you have the opportunity to get to know the other two band members in advance, or where they total strangers? How could you have the notion of the chemistry being right between you? After all, only Sven was an old acquaintance you knew.
Ingo Vogelmann: I also knew Karan a little bit, having had contact with both her and Sven over the internet. We all relied on our intuition, and it was a good idea.
Addliss: I am happy to hear this. Now the question is: you are not exactly short of work. Why do you spend all that time? Was it because of the new experience, or “only” because you wanted to offer a quality production to Singvøgel?
Ingo Vogelmann: Both. I already had a certain sympathy for the band members, as well as for what they did. On the other hand I perceived it as a challenging task, and I was extremely keen on creating something really good together with the band. It looks as if this plan will be successful.
Addliss: That sounds really positive and fascinating. If you, as a perfectionist, are so optimistic about a production, we can certainly be excited.
Ingo Vogelmann: I am positively impressed myself. The band has definitely never worked so well before. They surpassed themselves. And the material I am now editing sounds incredibly good in the production. It is absolute fun.
Addliss: Fun seems to be one of the most important factors in music.
Ingo Vogelmann: You have fun when something is going well, when it is successful. And I love each and every one of the songs we recorded. I can identify with them; I feel both the content and the music. If this were not the case, I would not deem the project as effective, and consequently I would not have fun. I am not talking about economical things. These are aspects none of us has thought about until now.
Addliss: A very idealistic work, but not overly intellectual.
Ingo Vogelmann: A very emotional, honest work. And, yes, we all have this certain idealism in common, which is definitely one of the reasons why we worked so well together.
Addliss: A community of musicians, that’s nice!
Ingo Vogelmann: Yes, in spite of the fact that I am not exactly cut out for this sort of thing.
Addliss: I have already mentioned that there is even more going on at the moment. You are really busy. After the production of Aquarius, the fourth album of the GOD cycle, not so much has happened any more. There were many remixes, as well as one or the other single release. However, I read between the lines that a new album is in the making. What is going on? Will there be a new album, and what can we expect?
Ingo Vogelmann: After GOD I tried to have a proper private life, at the cost of making music. It is very difficult to connect these two things. One of them always seems to suffer. But I also needed a longer production pause in order to develop musically. I do not want to repeat myself, although the Vogelmann style is always easy to be recognized. But now I create things that reach a new level. In every respect. I have made a development as a human being, which means that the music changes as well. Indeed, my new album is in the making, and for the first time I really take time for it. I never did this before; everything always had to happen quickly. I am convinced now that this wasn’t my thing at all. I am so much looking forward to my new album, because I believe it will be the best I ever made, although I continue to be proud of some things from my past. When you take enough time, you work more accurately, take into account more details, produce experimental sections in a way that they do not sound like experiments any more, but natural. This creates a cool sound.
Addliss: As far as I remember you said after Aquarius that you never want to set a deadline for yourself any more. Does this have to do with the fact that you wanted to develop? Was the result that you now take more time?
Ingo Vogelmann: Exactly. I never kept deadlines anyway, because it just was not possible for some reasons. Now I do not have one, and I just let the juices flow when they want to.
Addliss: This is not a bad concept, especially for music, which is such a creative thing – sometimes it comes, and sometimes it doesn’t.
Ingo Vogelmann: I just collect the material that comes to me and that is good. Fortunately I have a very productive phase at the moment, and almost every day I harvest something nice.
Addliss: But on the other hand there are the fans, and perhaps a label, both eagerly awaiting the release of the new album. How do you co-ordinate this with your “juices”?
Ingo Vogelmann: My fans have always been pretty patient. They are just happy when the time has finally come, and I also have the impression that they love to enjoy the anticipation. There is no pressure from a label, because I do not work with major labels that only think about their annual turnover. Fortunately I am far away from such nonsense.
Addliss: This is a happy position. Not all fans are so patient.
Ingo Vogelmann: My fans know that a normal bloke with normal problems is behind all this.
Addliss: That’s true, and it is often forgotten when more well-known celebrities are concerned. They are often perceived as nothing but production machines or service providers. Or they are venerated like gods. We will come back to this later…
Ingo Vogelmann: But most of the time they have brought it upon themselves. This seems to be the price you have to pay when you allow yourself to be bought.
Addliss: You just answered one of my questions: at the moment you collect material for production. You just wait what comes. But it might be interesting to know whether the new album will be a concept album like GOD, or can this not yet been foreseen at this stage?
Ingo Vogelmann: Oh yes, I already have a plan in mind. I just do not know yet how the music will be in the end. This was different in previous times, when I exactly assembled the music in my head. It will not be a concept album, but individual tracks that still fit together. As always, I will integrate my personal experiences, emotions and sufferings. And this will unite me again with the listeners. They will understand what I want to say, what I felt when I wrote it. Since there will be more guest musicians this time, mostly singers, there will be more lyrics than usual.

Addliss: It seems as if the “new Vogelmann”, who takes time for the music, is reflected in the concept of the album, as well as in the individual tracks.
Ingo Vogelmann: Well, this sounds like an overly clever concept. The truth is that I was unable to do it differently this time. I was not in a state to proceed in an other way. Since some time I am dependent on my strength and fitness, which, on a particular day, allows me to be creative, or not. But even this fact will probably be audible later. I can already hear it. And I like it very much.
Addliss: Does this mean that there will be more diversity within the album? So far, the albums sounded rather homogenous within themselves?
Ingo Vogelmann: Yeah, well, this one will be more versatile. There are many aspects I illuminate, so to say. As always, I will not tie myself down too much.
Addliss: Great, this really makes me curious about a sneak preview!
Ingo Vogelmann: This will be different, too, this time.
Addliss: What will be different?
Ingo Vogelmann: I will not release anything until the CD has been pressed, the first edition is on my desk, and the release date has been fixed. Fortunately I am beyond the stage when I needed advance praise in order to feel secure enough.
Addliss: OK, this means that we will have to be patient.
Ingo Vogelmann: Yes, indeed.
Addliss: One more thing about the album. You mentioned collaborations. Who will participate? Singers, you said.
Ingo Vogelmann: Yes, exactly. At the moment I work with Jane Silence, a Greek who lives in New York, and with Helene Hørlyck, who is Danish but lives in London. I got to know Jane through a remix of one of her songs I did for her former label. She has an incredible voice, exactly what I love. Helene is a world-famous classical singer. Very impressive, a real pro. I once mixed a track by Jens Gad, the former co-producer of Enigma, and she sang in it. She loved my remix so much that she asked me one day whether we could collaborate. I did not have to think long. Jane’s recordings have already been made. Helene will come to my studio in Germany at the end of May, and we will work together for a few days.
Addliss: I can imagine that one does not have to think long about something like this. What kind of productions have been planned? Club tracks, chill-out music, pop, or something entirely different?
Ingo Vogelmann: A little bit of everything; I do not want to say too much now. Let me surprise you. One thing is certain: it does already sound tremendously good.
Addliss: Ah, I see! Then I do not want to probe too deeply for what will be in store. You must keep the artistic freedom to continue to be able to change things on the way.
Ingo Vogelmann: Which can happen, of course.
Addliss: Are there any other collaborators, apart from the singers?
Ingo Vogelmann: My dear brother has contributed some guitar. At the moment it is not yet certain how it will be used. But it will be. Then there are a clarinet player and a church organist.
Addliss: A large variety of influences. Organ sounds exciting, and the clarinet is an instrument that is really used very rarely.
Ingo Vogelmann: Everything depends on whether it is possible to create a context where such things sound normal.
Addliss: The organic environment is vital for the sound anyway. The use of such unusual sounds will definitely require new modes of work from you as well.
Ingo Vogelmann: Not at all. On GOD I already did it extensively. I connected electronics with orchestral sounds in a way that I myself had never heard anywhere else before. What is new now is the way the songs are written. Because that is what I do now. It was different before. At the moment, a concept album is not attractive to me.
Addliss: Ingo, you value great album art. How will it look like, and who is going to do it?
Ingo Vogelmann: This is a wonderful story. A while ago, I discovered a 3D artist from Athens, Adam Martinakis, whose art totally blew me away. That is what I wrote on his Facebook page. He immediately replied that most of his works had been made while he listened to my music! I just had to ask him whether he wanted to make my next album art. He immediately agreed. I am absolutely happy about it.

Adam Martinakis - Recreation of Adam (Like Father, like Son)

Addliss: The question is: which label will publish your music? You said that it will not be a major label. You have your own, L2 Music, but you also publish a lot on other labels. And such experimental or unusual music might not be so easy to place.
Ingo Vogelmann: I have sold L2 Music and only continue to work for them as their advisor. But the album will nevertheless be published by them. As I already said, it will not sound extremely experimental. I work in an experimental way, but then it does sound natural.
Addliss: What I meant is that organ and clarinet are still unusual, since the sound environment does not necessarily have to be what one is used to.
Ingo Vogelmann: Let us put it this way: the names of the instruments may sound daring in connection with Ingo Vogelmann. The music won’t be, really.
Addliss: OK, we shall hear it later.
Ingo Vogelmann: Of course I do not want to limit the scope of interpretation now. It will sound differently for everyone. But at least I have the intention to let it sound this way.
Addliss: We shall be able to judge this when the album has been released. Are there any other productions you make “on the sideline”? You already have a lot on your plate, but you are quite well-known as a workaholic.
Ingo Vogelmann: Sure, there are always a couple of commissions where I am not in the foreground. I still continue to compose music for advertisements, videos, films, as well as audio material for every conceivable and inconceivable occasion.
Addliss: Are there advertisements, videos and films with your music, which we can see soon, or which have already been published?
Ingo Vogelmann: Most of these things are of such little significance that the world hardly notices them. They pay my bills.
Addliss: We got sidetracked when we talked about experiments. Your album will be released by L2 Music. What will happen with the Singvøgel album?

The three Singvøgel

Ingo Vogelmann: They have their own label and will handle the whole process accordingly. I can only advise them to do this.
Addliss: Why is it so vital to have one’s own label?
Ingo Vogelmann: It is not necessarily important to have one’s own label, but in this case it makes sense. Singvøgel make very unique music, which is not streamlined for the masses. In this case you are better off when you keep the reins in your own hands.
Addliss: With all your experiences, you definitely have much insight into the matter. Did you recommend this to Singvøgel, or was it their own idea?
Ingo Vogelmann: They have had the label for some time, and I think that it is a good idea to use it for the new work, too. The band has a very good network and a certain fan base. This is a basis one should use.
Addliss: At the moment, a copyright war is fought in the German public. Especially in view of a label publication, the copyright law issue is important, because major labels – similar to literature publishers – have certain total buyout contracts they offer to artists. Is this also a reason why Singvøgel will use their own label instead of a major label, just as you do?
Ingo Vogelmann: Aside from the current copyright law debate, major labels have been dispensable since the time they were conceived. I will try to summarize this. When I go to the bakery, I buy my buns directly from the baker. He made them, using his craft, his art even. I consume his rolls and pay for them. The baker does not require an intermediary who transforms him, or his product, into something he, or his product, is not.
Addliss: But the baker does not want to sell his products all over the world.
Ingo Vogelmann: Yes, he does. But he gets on sufficiently well when he has enough customers who support him. The talentless have always wanted to handle the affairs of the talented, precisely because they themselves have no talent. It is a parasitic system.
Addliss: Does that mean that you perceive the major labels as the main problem of the music industry?
Ingo Vogelmann: At least to a large extent. The other aspect is the strange development of human beings, who desire something that does not correspond with themselves.
Addliss: What exactly do you mean? Who desires something that does not correspond with him- or herself?
Ingo Vogelmann: Fans desire to live a lifestyle that is epitomized, at least on the outside, by superstars – regardless of how much of it is true -, and major labels are the institutions that procure those wares. All of this has not a lot to do with art. These issues are also often found elsewhere: in the sex industry.
Addliss: And do you perceive this as human alienation?
Ingo Vogelmann: It is not its only source, but, yes, one of them.
Addliss: Or do you believe that people’s desire for a lifestyle is legitimate?
Ingo Vogelmann: For me, everything is legitimate when you bear the consequences with sincerity. People are not exactly prone to do this.
Addliss: Where do you see consequences that are not borne?
Ingo Vogelmann: People complain about many issues. And rightly so. Then they come home and switch on the TV. Do you see where this leads?
Addliss: You mean anaesthetization or distraction from the problems? Repression instead of solutions?
Ingo Vogelmann: More than this. They create exactly the problems they complain about. And then they want to have nothing to do with the causes. I am unable to develop a lot of sympathy for both sides, neither for those who supply nor for those who demand. Both are interdependent and exist in a constant relationship of constraint.
Addliss: Reproduction of the problems in order to distract oneself from the problems and their causes. An interesting perspective. May we conclude that you do not allow yourself to be influenced by this?
Ingo Vogelmann: Yes, you may. Most of the time. But I would be dishonest if I claimed not to succumb to one or the other meaningless entertainment.
Addliss: Sometimes one just has to switch off the brain for a while. Let’s just call it a guilty pleasure.
Ingo Vogelmann: You are absolutely right!
Addliss: OK, let us return from this little excursion and talk about the productions. We have digressed.
Ingo Vogelmann: I couldn’t help it.
Addliss: No, it just developed, and it was very enlightening as a little background for the producer Ingo Vogelmann! Let’s talk about technology. As almost all of your fans will know, you work a lot with Reason, you even wear a tattoo of the Reason logo. How exactly do you produce? There are several options for working with Reason: as a native source, or by integrating it via rewire into other programs. How do you do it?
Ingo Vogelmann: This is correct. I work with Propellerhead Reason, rewired with Ableton Live. A choice of select VSTs is then added. Here, too, less is often more. Reason is just an inspiration machine, leading quickly and efficiently to the desired goal, like no other software does, and yet you do not get prefabricated material, for example ready-made synth lines or sampled drum loops. Nevertheless, everything works fast and easily. I am not totally opposed against samples, I use them myself, but never as they come. I always modify them. Currently, I work with so many good VSTs that I do not want to use Reason alone. But I could. I have done it for a long time, before Ableton Live existed. Since 2005, I use Ableton Live constantly. I have worked with Reason since the very first version came out. This is why I have the tattoo.
Addliss: What kind of select VSTs do you use?
Ingo Vogelmann: I am an Izotope fanboy. Almost everything they make is excellent, especially for mastering. Antares has a couple of very good things I use regularly. Of course there is Autotune, but also the whole Avox Suite. When I use Autotune, I make sure that the infamous “Autotune effect” is not heard. It is horrible and gets on my nerves. I can not listen to this nonsense. As a reverb I use a virtual Lexicon, probably the best reverb in the world, a very good imitation of the physical machines. But most of the stock plugins of Ableton Live are very good as well, and are put to work continuously. Oh, and the Roger Nichols Mastering Plugins have accompanied me since the time they were still made by Elemental Audio Systems.
Addliss: The Lexicon is indeed pretty legendary. You seem to use quite a number of VSTs. Do you also work with the synths and effects of Reason, or are they more for the creative phase when you take quick notes?
Ingo Vogelmann: The RV-7000 effect module has also been modeled after the Lexicon, and they did a good job. I use it regularly when I work with Reason.
Addliss: And the synths?
Ingo Vogelmann: I use no VSTis, if that’s what you are hinting at. I never needed to, because I have Reason.
Addliss: I was wondering whether you use the Reason synths or VSTis; this was not totally clear up until now. Not all synths are appropriate for everything; each of them is useful for certain things, sometimes less, sometimes more. Is there a synth you love to use, or do you just work with everything?
Ingo Vogelmann: I recommend everything by Lapjockey, the whole Flatpack series, as well as everything by Sonic Flavour. All refills with excellent synths. But I make special use of the opportunity to modify preset sounds until they are not recognizable any more.
Addliss: This seems to answer my next question a bit as well. Do you sometimes build sounds out of nothing, or does it happen only rarely?
Ingo Vogelmann: I often build sounds of out nothing. Mostly with Thor or with the Subtractor, which is far more simple. And if I do not have a proper idea, I open my file of Moog patches and twiddle around with them until I am satisfied. I think that Moog synthesizers are sensationally good. Minimoog.
Addliss: They did not become successful for nothing. What do you find so special about them?
Ingo Vogelmann: Warmth, atmosphere, simplicity. Things I love.
Addliss: Now we have gained some insight into the Vogelmann productions, but what about the more remote issues? How do you proceed when you master? Mastering for a club is different from, for example, rock or folk. Do you have a setup you match to fit, or do you always build it up from scratch?
Ingo Vogelmann: I do not perceive mastering from this kind of perspective. For me, everything must meet certain standards, which are not separated into club, rock or folk styles. I need full, juicy basses, fine but not penetrating trebles, and warm mids. A balanced sound. And, to be honest, I do not care about its purpose. Until now this has worked well, no matter what kind of music it was. The human ear does not begin to function in a different way when you listen to another style of music.
Addliss: This is true. And yet one might think that the club requires more pressure and the home listening products more dynamics. At least this is what other producers often claim.
Ingo Vogelmann: It is always about pressure and dynamics. At least in my work. I place a lot of emphasis on both. By the way, I do not join the loudness war. None of my productions suffer from shortness of breath, if you know what I mean.
Addliss: Yes, I think you mean that there must be air above.
Ingo Vogelmann: The human ear rewards this by not becoming tired so easily.
Addliss: This brings me to my next question. Maximizer or limiter? Yes? No? Or do you achieve everything “just” with conventional compressors?
Ingo Vogelmann: A little bit of maximizer, here and there, it can make sense. No limiter at all. I believe limiters have no purpose whatsoever. Those who need limiters have a bad mix, this is how it looks. I use several compressions. Individual audio tracks and then the whole mix.
Addliss: I just wanted to ask you: how do you compress individual audio tracks? Regularly or only now and then?
Ingo Vogelmann: When it makes sense, I compress individual tracks in order to make them stronger in the mix. If it is not necessary, I let it be.
Addliss: Let us look at the musical part of the productions. You briefly mentioned it before. Before your current album you worked very fast, now you take your time. How do you record an idea when you have it?
Ingo Vogelmann: Unfortunately I am something like a slave to my habits. Mostly I wake up with the best idea, and then I have to run to the studio so that I do not forget anything. This is not a joke, but exactly how it happens. The bathtub is a great place as well. Often I take notes in Reason with a simple piano track, if it is a melody. Otherwise I note down beats on manuscript paper, in classical handwritten style.
Addliss: Ah, beats in measures?
Ingo Vogelmann: I draw a pattern of boxes and insert circlets or dots for the drum notes. Very simple.
Addliss: But also very creative!
Ingo Vogelmann: Sometimes I use a beer mat or a napkin, whatever I find nearby.
Addliss: When you have taken your notes, do you then work bit by bit and let it rest again, or do you finish an idea immediately as soon as you started working on it?
Ingo Vogelmann: I implement it as soon as I am in the studio. Otherwise it is gone.
Addliss: This would be such a pity!
Ingo Vogelmann: I am not somebody who works with trial and error. I do not produce like mad until something good happens. Very rarely I throw something away. Mostly it is good enough to keep.
Addliss: Quality instead of quantity.
Ingo Vogelmann: There are many people who make 30 tracks for an album and then choose the best. If my album is to consist of eight tracks, this is exactly what I make.
Addliss: Does that mean that there are no apocryphal Vogelmann tracks that might be discovered somewhere?
Ingo Vogelmann: Nothing that could not already be found on Soundcloud, to be downloaded for free. I am totally behind the shit I make.
Addliss: This is a great concept for the fans, who get a good idea of Ingo Vogelmann and who he is.
Ingo Vogelmann: I do not try to be somebody I am not.
Addliss: This is very good. A while ago, we could read on Facebook that you had a camera team with you in the studio. You wrote that the Electrical Reporter [German Television Format] had come. What does that mean?

The "Elektrischer Reporter" (Electrical Reporter) in Ingo's studio

Ingo Vogelmann: Oh, yes. Stefan Meyer from Switzerland had heard that the production company Blinkenlichten was looking for a musician who could talk about music on the internet. This is how I was recommended for the TV feature, and I invited the crew to visit me in the studio. The funny thing is that everything was arranged via Twitter.
Addliss: Was it about music on the internet in general, or more specifically about your role?
Ingo Vogelmann: Both.
Addliss: How do you connect the internet with your music?
Ingo Vogelmann: I use the internet in order to make myself, my music and everything that has to do with it, accessible to the public, and in order to collaborate with others. As a private person I would not be so present in the web. I would have better things to do.
Addliss: There are more “conventional” paths as well, even with the internet being well established as a publicity medium. Do you still use them at all?
Ingo Vogelmann: Which ones do you mean?
Addliss: For example radio promotion, or sending promotions to DJs.
Ingo Vogelmann: Even this would happen via a data connection now.
Addliss: No more burning of CDs?
Ingo Vogelmann: No, absolutely not.
Addliss: Do you already know when the Electrical Reporter will be broadcasted? Or when will you hear about it?
Ingo Vogelmann: I do not know exactly yet, but it should be in May. I will be told.
Addliss: Good, that means that we will certainly be informed via Twitter. Apart from producing, you are also on the road as a DJ, and you take a lot of time for this. You are known as radio host for FriskyRadio, for as many as three shows: Lightworks, Time Out, and Release Promo Hype Charts. When, and where, can you be heard live at the moment? Do you still play live?
Ingo Vogelmann: Well, if a really interesting booking offer comes my way, I play live, but apart from that I enjoy my time in the studio at the moment and keep clear of bookings. I want to be able to concentrate fully on my studio work.
Addliss: Are bookings not so important any more, or is it just a momentary situation of preferring to do studio work?
Ingo Vogelmann: I love to play live! Don’t get me wrong. But my coming new album is near and dear to my heart, and very important to me. This is where I concentrate my energy at the moment.
Addliss: Sometimes it can be very liberating to know one’s priorities and to be able to implement them. Doesn’t it mean that you get more eager to play live again, too?
Ingo Vogelmann: I must admit that after two or three months I get this urge. I miss the people, the direct feedback, the interaction. It really is something very special.
Addliss: The question whether you play live is also an issue in connection with getFrisky! Germany. Certainly it is an opportunity for you to reach out exactly to the kind of audience you interact well with. How will getFrisky! Germany continue?
Ingo Vogelmann: Unfortunately we have lost the club in Essen where we were running getFrisky! parties on a regular basis. Shit happens! I was unable to foresee this. The parties were very well received. But there is something in the pipeline. It will continue, of course, but I can not yet reveal any details. During the next couple of weeks I will learn more and announce it officially. Of course I will continue to work with other cities and projects, all over Europe. Soon, something might happen in Tunisia again.
Addliss: You are really always on the go. Tunisia is not exactly around the corner!
Ingo Vogelmann: But not at the end of the world either.
Addliss: That is true. Apart from you being unable to give any details: do you want to stay in Essen, or are there any alternative cities?
Ingo Vogelmann: Cities all over Germany are under discussion, but we only work with people we deem as reliable. Essen is my home turf, which means that, as long as I live there, things will always happen there.
Addliss: The Ruhr district will definitely be happy about this.
Ingo Vogelmann: Not only the Ruhr district. People come from far away to attend a getFrisky! party.
Addliss: For example?
Ingo Vogelmann: Oh, there were visitors from France, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, and so on. Mostly neighboring countries. It is astonishing how much effort some folks take.
Addliss: It makes sense when there happens to be a getFrisky! party. You do not get to hear these DJs every day.
Ingo Vogelmann: This is probably the reason.
Addliss: Talking about Frisky: on the website it says that an iPhone-App by Frisky is planned to be released soon. And since you belong to the team that deals with a little office work in the background, I have a few questions about this.
Ingo Vogelmann: Of course.
Addliss: What will the App do?
Ingo Vogelmann: Haha … this is exactly the question I can not answer, because we want it to be a surprise.
Addliss: OK, no problem. Then the second one, which probably will have been asked often: Why so late? Apple smartphones exist since 2007. An app could have been released earlier.
Ingo Vogelmann: We are convinced that it is better to do something well rather than doing it quickly. It is a little bit like my new album. Better right than fast. The iPhone App will definitely get a great response. I have to correct you, by the way: the app is finished. We are just waiting for the app store.
Addliss: Yes, I already thought so. Will it cost something, or will it be for free?
Ingo Vogelmann: It will be for free, of course. There are enough others willing to put up obstacles. They are better at it.
Addliss: Will there be an Android version and, for example, a Windows version? Android is a wide-spread operating system as well.
Ingo Vogelmann: Of course. But we had to start somewhere. And the experiences and the feedback of the users will help us to make the other platform versions equally good. We believe that mobile applications are very important, which is why we spend a lot of energy on them. This is what the fans want, therefore we will make it.
Addliss: All right, we have a lot to look forward to. An orientation towards the fans can not be bad in this case.
Ingo Vogelmann: FRISKY fans have made FRISKY into what it is now. We know this and will never forget it.
Addliss: This is a great statement at the end. I believe we were able to gain a good overview of your productions, the future of your work as a DJ, and Frisky. Thank you for your time, Ingo.
Ingo Vogelmann: Thank you! All the very best to you, too!