Prosumer's Panorama Bar 03 [preview stream and interview]
Panorama Bar resident Prosumer (Achim Brandenburg, that is) has put out some of the most essential slices of house over the past few years. Taking his cue from the soulful quality of early Detroit and Chicago records, he’s released for Running Back, Playhouse and Ostgut Ton, collaborated with Tamo Sumo, and put out his debut album Serenity – a joint work with producer Murat Tepelli – in 2008. Currently, he’s working on a solo EP and has some remixes lined up.
Soundstore | Steffi | Hunee exclusive vinyl release for ‘Panorama Bar 03’ by Melissa
Following on from Tamo Sumo and Cassy’s work for the series, Prosumer will unleash ‘Panorama Bar 03’ this May. Blending together new exclusives and classics, it’s a set of energy-charged action, swinging from the rough and playful, to the soulful. Tracks from Hunee, Steffi, Lil Silva and Theo Parrish all beating alongside each other. Here you can stream the vinyl preview release for the compilation, which draws together the giddy, propulsive way of Soundstore’s Take U, moving into the gorgeous, deep, starry lilt of Steffi’s Sadness, and on to the summery adrenaline shot that is A Leaf For Hand In Hand by Hunee.
How’s it going?
Had a bit of a stressful time the last few weeks, been traveling a lot and I was moving out of my old apartment. Right now, I am relaxed, enjoying spring in Berlin and looking forward to the release of the CD and the vinyl of the exclusives.
Can you tell us a bit about Panorama Bar 03? Whilst it is very much a “Panorama Bar” mix, it differs from the previous two as it reflects your own personal tastes. What do you think the mix says about you and about Panorama Bar itself?
I think all the mixes – be it Berghain or Panorama Bar – reflected the personal tastes of the DJs who mixed them. And you will notice that they are quite different to each other. So what the mix says about Panorama Bar itself or Berghain would be that it is a place that encourages diversity. It is hard for me to tell what the mix says about me, that is more easy from an outside perspective. I guess you can tell that I think that slower, more melancholic music can have its place next to more banging stuff. I hope you can tell that I love the music I play.
How has the music in Panorama evolved over the time that it’s been open? Similarly, how has your DJing style evolved over this period of time?
What changed about me is that I have become more secure in what I do. One night, years ago, a girl came to me and yelled at me for playing Our Love by Donna Summer. I didn’t play that record for months after that night. Nowadays, I would just kindly ask the girl to go to the bar, get a drink and come back to the dancefloor when the music was more to her liking. I think I am at the moment going back to playing a bit rougher stuff again after going more soulful for a while. People are more and more accepting of sounds coming from dubstep. But you cannot talk about “the music” in Panorama Bar, every resident has evolved and I guess we are too diverse to talk about one evolvement.
There is definitely a tangible musical difference between Panorama Bar music and Berghain music. How would you describe the difference and do you ever feel constricted by the styles of the two clubs?
There will always be the tracks which are at home on both floors, take Tyree’s Nuthin Wrong which was featured on Ben’s CD, it has been a favorite of mine for years also and could have ended up on my CD. There are records you cannot play upstairs at Panorama Bar because they need darkness and smoke and green strobe. And I do not think that people would enjoy Blaze singing “It’s a lovely day and the sun is shining” in Berghain’s eternal night. I guess every room in every club has its own atmosphere that tells DJs what to play and what not to. In my opinion that and the energy of the crowd are the only constrictions a DJ should follow.
Berlin’s changed, and is changing, rapidly. Do you still love it? Why?
The city is changing, so is the world, so are we. My love for berlin involves so many places, people and experiences that I can only explain it by saying that here is where I feel at home, I am meant to be here. I still haven’t experienced a place where I feel as free as I do in berlin.
We all recently celebrated Record Store Day in a lot of cities. Seeing as you worked at the Saarbrücken Hard Wax for a while, what is it about record buying and record stores that’s so special?
(I was also working at Hard Wax in Berlin for 2 and a half years) Ideally, a record shop is the place where you can exchange with others. I think there is a lot about music you cannot put into words. Sometimes you need to see somebody’s face to see how a record is resonating within him. These things, you can only come close but never fully describe it in print or in the web. So the record shop is next to the club still the most important space for people to get passionate together about music.
What direction would you like to see the Electronic Dance Music scene go in over the next few years if you could have it your way? Where do you realistically think it’s going?
I would love to see everything being less about hype and more about passion for music. I wish there to be more people not looking at the media to tell them what is hot but to go out there and experience and find out themselves. Realistically, we will get to the point where people have been overexposed, get bored and forget about house and techno again for a while. And then there will be the big comeback and it starts all over again.
Do you have any advice for anyone going to Panorama/Berghain for the first time… aside from not annoying the door staff?
I would give them the same advice I would give to every person in the world, regardless where they are going or what they are doing. Be yourself, do not fake anything because it will leave you sad and empty. Care about who you are and care about others, respect the people around you. Enjoy the ride that life is, love and you will be loved. Have fun. 🙂
What are your favourite records to close out a set at Panorama?
Mahagony – Ride On The Rhythm
Schatrax – Sunshine
40 Thieves – Don’t Turn It Off
The Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds (Pal Joey Remix)
and many many more 🙂
Zara Wladawsky interviewed Prosumer via email on 20th April 2011
Ostgut Ton will release Prosumer’s mix CD ‘Panorama Bar 03’ on 9th May 2011
