It gives me great pleasure to introduce a newcomer to Spencerville and this time round its one of Berlin’s veteran superstar DJ’s who’s been deeply routed in the heart of the electronic music scene and making waves with devastating effect. He’s none other than label boss of Mobilee records, Mr Ralf Kollmann.  We caught up with him before his gig’s in sunny old SA and this is what he had to say…

Firstly Ralf, we are looking forward to seeing you in South Africa. Is this going to be your first time here?
It will be my first time on the African continent and I am really looking forward to go there and make some new impressions. I am really happy that I have the chance to present our music in collaboration with Excuse The Mess. I had the chance to travel around and see a lot of places in the world the last years, but this will definitely be a new experience for me. Even though South Africa is exceptional compared to all other African countries, I hope an independent club and music scene developes in other parts of Africa soon. Africa seems to become a huge inspirational source for a lot of electronic music producers again, not to mention that Africa is probably somehow the main source for all the kinds of dance music we know today.
 
You’re a fine example of a music business man who started running a small label what is now known as a full-on music entertainment enterprise. Tell us a little about Mobilee records and how it came about?
First of all I am not alone. I started this little music adventure trip together with Anja Schneider 5 years ago and now we have some great people working with and supporting us. Anja and I were both working in the music industry for quite a while before we decided to do our own thing. We just followed our instincts and what we wanted to do using the experience we gathered over the years before. When we started Mobilee the whole industry was already in a big change and we learned to be flexible and down to earth. The most important thing for us is making the people dance. Whether we release a record, send our artists on tour or organise our own events, its just about making the people dance and giving them a great time.
 
You’re a resident now for the London label brand “Excuse the mess” which you are touring with in Joburg and Cape town. Can u tell us a little bit more about the brand?
They invited me to play for their parties in London and we had a great time together and messed everything up at an after hours party at their place. This all ended up in doing a little tour together across South Africa now. Another nice example of what is possible if like minded people come together.
 
You guys have definitely signed a couple of fantastic DJ/producers to the label but you haven’t released any of your own material on it yet? Can we expect a track anytime soon?
This is probably the most asked question. I am trying to keep the balance between running the label and being a creative person. I really like to DJ and of course I get a lot of inspiration when I travel, meet people or just work with artists and music every day. I just need to find the time and focus on it and then it will just happen. I have some good friends and talented producers who offered me their skills to sound engineer before I start to produce ;) 2010 and mobilee 5th year anniversary is maybe the right time to come out with something. Thanks for reminding me!
 
A lot of DJ’s go the route of starting a label to promote their own music but instead your label promotes all the artists on the roster. Do you find that this way it gives you great depth as a DJ to play a very cutting edge sound and keeping up with the latest music?
The fact that too many DJ’s started their own label is in my opinion another reason why the independent electronic music scene fell apart in the last years. Only a few have the capacity to run and organize a label properly instead of just flooding the market with releases nobody needs. I believe in the necessity of a selective institution within the process of releasing music. It’s important to have another perspective and see the bigger picture if it comes to releasing and establishing an artist. The concept of Mobilee, developing our own artists and having a variety of different talents, personalities and music styles definitely helped us to boost the label. We don’t like uniforms and are always moving. I have been listening to electronic music since the early nineties as Anja did. It’s more about a feeling than a specific sound and this is always reflected in my DJ-Sets. Of course I am always trying out new stuff and I am at the source of freshly mastered upcoming Mobilee releases.
 
Can you name us a few artists who SA should definitely consider bringing out here?
You mean beside all Mobilee artists on our roster like Marcin Czubala, Dan Curtin, Rodriguez Jr, And. Id, Hector, Miss Jools and all the others? I think Mathias Kaden or Daniel Stefanik are amazing DJ´s and would also rock your Clubs.
 
Tell us a bit more about the DJing side of things. You’ve been dubbed as the labels secret weapon. What can the clubbers expect from your sets?
Give me a good sound system, give me a smile, give me a dance and we see what happens and where sexy Mobilee science fiction minimal house can lead to.
 
Berlin is definitely a prime spot for minimal techno lovers the world over but with an ever changing music cycle in other countries do you see the sound changing yet or maybe evolving?
Berlin is and will be the epicentre of underground club music and not only minimal techno thank God! There are always influences and new things popping up in other cities and other countries but Berlin has a unique clubbing environment and this is a huge inspirational source and gives DJ´s, producers and clubbers unlimited freedom to try out new things. Beside the fact that most of the big names and labels from all over the world have moved to Berlin in recent years and are operating from there. Berlin is the new Techno Babylon.
 
With 2009 almost done and dusted, what’s in store for you for the rest of the year?
We have a great package for the end of the year. We just released GummiHz debut album "Sleepless Nights", we will release the new founded collaboration between Argenis Brito and Miguel Toro exclusively on Mobilee in November and have a remix package of Pan-Pot´s "Confronted" in stores soon with contributions from Adam Beyer, Slam, Dapayk and Martin Landsky. And finally we have a new Sebo K track coming out in December called "Spirits".
 
Do you have a Podcast where fans can tune into?
We have a monthly podcast and a rather entertaining newsletter you can subscribe to on our website www.mobilee-records.de

Where can one check out the latest productions from Mobilee records?
Join us for one of the tour stops in Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town and you will get the full load!

Thank you so much for your time Ralf, I’m sure the party goers can’t wait to get down to some dirty underground tunage.
Thanks a lot for having me. I am really looking forward to have fun in SA.

Excuse the Mess featuring Ralf Kollmann happens in Johannesburg on the 30th October at Voodoo Lounge. Check out all the details here.