Rico Henschel has become an undergound superstar with his brand of minimal, tech house in a very short time. His first big break cam when his track 'Tacky Wakeup' was remixed by industry heavyweights Dominik Eulberg and Marek Hemmann. His productions (and DJ sets) have won over even the most die hard fan and he's been featured on compilations by Matthew Dear, Craig Richards and Chloe.
Even though Sweet 'n Candy is now playing out some of the biggest clubs on the planet, he was able to take some time with HigherFrequency and talk about his new first album, his past and some stuff in between.
> Interview : Nick Lawrence (HigherFrequency) _ Introduction : Len Iima(HigherFrequency)
HigherFrequency (HRFQ) :Why did you pick the name Sweet 'n Candy?
Sweet 'n Candy : That's a good question…next question please! I don't know, when the first record came out the guys from the label (Musik Krause) asked me what name should stay on the record. My real name sounds like shit and I had another project earlier doing music for small movies, together with friends, and we were called Sweet 'n Candy. So in some years when people can't listen to minimal music I will change the project name.
HRFQ : Your album just came out. What's the difference when we see you live and listen to the CD at home?
Sweet 'n Candy : You can listen to the Album at home, and the live set is more danceable and pushing. The live set starts out quiet and builds from there. You can listen to the live set or album at home but I think the album is more relaxed.
HRFQ : Did you do that on purpose when you made the album?
Sweet 'n Candy : No, it's more music from my stomach than for the dancefloor. When I produce a live set it's only for the floor, people who are dancing. The album is more of my own feeling of music. I produced a lot of tracks and in the end it was more danceable than I wanted but…
HRFQ : Listening to the track 'There', it is very up beat and has a summer feel, it is so different from your set.
Sweet 'n Candy : It's crazy because I have to try and search for a new style of music for myself. I will start a new label Dialogue which is more this style of music. It's more housey stuff, more analogue sounds and stuff like that.
HRFQ : Are you getting tired of making the same music?
Sweet 'n Candy : No, I like minimal music as well but it's boring for me to do the same thing for over a year. I need a new input and new sounds, a new thing for myself.
HRFQ : Your early stuff was so different. What do you think when you listen to you old tracks now?
Sweet 'n Candy : Shit! No, one or two years ago I thought that but at the moment I think it was a good start and I was very young to produce music. Some artists make music over years and have no releases and I have built up myself.
HRFQ : Do you choose to only work with independent and very underground labels?
Sweet 'n Candy : No, in the beginning it was luck. I sent my stuff to thousands of labels and I didn't know what kind of stuff they were releasing. In the end, I had one package left in my bag, and it looked crappy because it was in there for a month but I sent it anyway and they called me and said we want to make a release with you, that was my first one. After that, I found Raum Musik, and they support me, give me energy, and they are my friends now and that's the reason why I’m releasing my album through this label.
HRFQ : Most of the people you remix are very underground artists, are they all friends as well?
Sweet 'n Candy : A lot of people come to me on Myspace and write "We want to start a new label" or "we want to do a remix but we don't have a big budget". The problem is time, I can't do every remix. If I like the music I want to do a remix, I think in the future I will have a look on the other side of that. I want to try and release something on another label like Pokerflat.
HRFQ : On your new label, do you have any other artists?
Sweet 'n Candy : I'm searching for new and talented artists, I think it's time for a bit more housey sound. In Germany everybody is doing the same and playing the same, and only the guys who have been in this business for a long time have changed their sound. All these small DJs and producers are only doing this minimal click clack sound, I think it's time for a more analogue, warmer sound. It can be more strange sounds but it should be a warm sound. Some friends of mine for example Pan-pot produce some different sounds and we wanted to make Dialogue to release stuff from (a bit) more famous artists and a more Housier sound. For example, when big artists from the minimal scene want to make a house track, then we can help them.
HRFQ : Will you switch to only analogue equipment?
Sweet 'n Candy : No, I try to sound analogue with my digital equipment! But I bought some analogue synthesizers and I've used the different sounds from that, the brighter sounds. I mean this record is minimal as well but it sounds different.
HRFQ : When you started listening to dance music, where did you start from?
Sweet 'n Candy : I was very young, I think 14 years old, and in school a lot of people listened to some harder stuff like techno or hard house. I liked the sounds but it wasn’t the tempo and arrangement I liked. One day I met some friends on the street and they asked me where this club that Steve Mason was playing at that night. I said I can show you this place and we went and it was one of the greatest parties every! After that I went to school and I told my friends to listen to this sound!! And that’s why I’m producing this kind of music now.
End of the interview
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