Sleeparchive Interview

Berliner Roger Semsroth has revolutionized the Techno/Minimal scene under the guise of Sleeparchive. Often compared to early Plastikman releases, this stripped down sound combined with the right amount of bleeps, clicks and various other mysterious loops has won over a legion of fans. Many big names in the dance music world have featured his tracks on their mixes and/or compilations. Plastikman himself Richie Hawtin has put a number of Sleeparchive tracks on his DE9|Transitions compilation.

Performing with legend Jeff Mills last year at Womb and set to rock the Taico Club Festival both in Japan, HigherFrequency was able to catch the mysterious minimal mastermind and find out what’s really going on.

> Interview : Nick Lawrence (HigherFrequency) _ Introduction : Len Iima (HigherFrequency)

HigherFrequency (HRFQ) : Last year you came to Japan as part of Jeff Mills annual Womb residency. Did that visit and Jeff’s help open up any new opportunities?

Sleeparchive : For me it was a great honour to got invited by jeff mills. I`m a big fan of his work for many years and I got really nervous about that evening. And he is a really great guy, very friendly and down to earth. He gave me the opportunity to play in japan for the first time. It was a great experience!

HRFQ : This year you are here for Taico Club which is an outdoor festival held in the mountains. Will the change in environment affect the music you’ll play at all?

Sleeparchive : Actually I don’t really think so. It`s not so important if an event is in a big city or in the countryside. For me it makes a difference if I play in a club context or for an audience sitting on chairs like in galleries. But I saw pictures of the environment and it looked really great. i`m very excited about the nature and I hope I will find some time to chill there and enjoy it.

HRFQ : During your live show you always appear quite reserved, is this because of nerves, concentration or something else entirely?

Sleeparchive : First it is because of concentration. But also i am not a great entertainer or performer. I have a more quiet temper and prefer to just listen to music instead of dancing. I`m one of those guys who goes to a club standing in a corner for the whole night, drinks a beer and just listens to the music.

HRFQ : Your music has quite a unique deep and eerie Sleeparchive style that is instantly recognizable, is this something you aim for on purpose?

Sleeparchive : No, actually when I make music I don’t think about making anything unique. I just make the music I like. It is hard to say for me…

HigherFrequency (HRFQ) : To date all releases on your label Sleeparchive have come from yourself and you don’t seem to make original productions for any one else’s label. Do you prefer for your music to be a solitary process?

Sleeparchive : “infrared glow” was made by someone else but was also released as sleeparchive. The guy who made the tracks doesn`t want to use an own name. but, yes most of the releases are made by me and we are not going to release records by other people or on other labels. Sleeparchive is a label for my work and from time to time for really close friends. Yes I think you can say I prefer to do everything on my own so I have everything under my control.

HRFQ : Also, you have done a few remixes for others but there are no remixes of original Sleeparchive material. Do you have some negative feelings towards remixes?

Sleeparchive : No, but i`m not so much into all that rmx thing. To be honest i never really understood what remixes are for. But if other people like it, no problem. Sometimes it can be very interesting to work with different sounds.

HRFQ : Currently “minimal” is becoming more and more popular in Japan, but is the situation the same all around the world?

Sleeparchive : It`s really popular in germany and europe for years now. I`m not sure if it is still getting bigger and bigger. Sometimes it feels like it will be over next month but then again it feels like it is still starting off. I just notice that it is big in the clubs everywhere I play. Me personally I don’t follow this kind of music so much, so I cannot really say so much about it. For example if I go out in Berlin I prefer to go to dubstep parties. This scene is definetely raising bigger and bigger at the moment.

End of the interview

Party Report: JEFF MILLS WEEKLY RESIDENCY 2006 "ONE MAN SPACESHIP" (20/10/2006)