Interview: Pleasurekraft

Few artists come close to doing anything as exciting or innovative in 2011 as Pleasurekraft. My introduction was a sort of baptism by fire – after a VIP shuttle with Skrillex’s tour manager and visual productions guy, and a golf cart ride backstage, I came upon Pleasurekraft playing for an audience of several thousand at this year’s Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas.

I’ve spent my time in Ibiza, and I agree with the criticism that tech house can sound pretty homogenous sometimes. Not with Pleasurekraft though. Their unique blend of hooky-vocal-sampling and hedonist aesthetic lends itself to instantly recognizable AND lasting, substantive, memorable tunes.

Pleasurekraft will be in Toronto on New Years Eve, playing at Loft 5 Eighty! I’m also super proud to announce that I will be supporting the night. Tickets and comprehensive information here.

Full tour listing at the end of this article!

Pleasurekraft Official Site | Soundcloud

The Interview:

Cal: The artwork for Satyr Song looks vaguely like a penis with wings, am I right? What’s the backstory there?

Pleasurekraft: Actually we had no say on the artowrk – in fact what I actually suggested to 1605 (Umek’s label) was something along the lines of a Satyr – the half man half goat beings from Greek mythology that were all about pleasure – but the artist who does all of 1605’s artowrk doesn’t take art direction from anyone (including Umek) and just delivers what he wants – so that being said – I personally never looked at the Satyr Song artowrk and saw a penis with wings, but perhaps the fact that that’s what you saw maybe says more about you! ;P

(Cal’s note: my favourite track of the year!)

Cal: If you had a clay phallus hung outside your front door would you hope it would bring you luck or fertility?

Pleasurekraft: We don’t need any more fertility on this planet – there’s already too many of us here – give me the luck baby

Cal: What does the word hedonism mean to you? What bearing, if any, does it have on your life and music?

Pleasurekraft: Well – unless the Hindus & Buddhists are right, in which case we’ll keep coming back and living this life over and over again until we get it “right”, it looks like we only live once. But who knows. If we do only live once – you certainly want to make sure you make the most of this one chance you have been given to experience this amazingly beautiful, sometimes disturbing, and always interesting thing called life. Experiencing everything life has to offer full on is what hedonism is about to me.

Cal: Wine or nymphs?

Pleasurekraft: no comment but isn’t that kind of like the chicken or egg question? 😉

Cal: I have a bag of marshmallows. Do you want one now or two in the future?

Pleasurekraft: Depends, is there a fire around? I only like toasted Marshmallows, otherwise I don’t want any.

Cal: Aside from phone and laptop, what is the most important item in your travel bag? Why?

Pleasurekraft: Deodorant, and ear plugs! I think both for obvious reasons!

Cal: What country has the best beer?

Pleasurekraft: Belgium + Germany have the best beer. HOWEVER – as far as a simple beer just to be had with some simple food – nothing too cerebral – I personally love Mexican beer (and I’m not talking about that Corona bullshit)

Cal: Wrapper on or off?

Pleasurekraft: I don’t even know what that means lol.

Cal: You are charged with presenting 3 awards to edm artists for 2011: rookie of the year, most improved, and mvp. Who are your picks?

Pleasurekraft: Fuck. I wish you hadn’t said EDM artists, it would have made my choices so much easier. To be honest I really don’t listen to much EDM when I am not going through promos or listening to things on Beatport – I think it does a disservice to the music you make if you listen to that very same genre all the time. The best EDM is made by producers who draw their inspiration from non EDM sources in my opinion – but lets see if I can give this a shot…

1. Rookie of the year – defining rookie in terms of a timeline is tough – but I’ll say for this case Mike Vale
2. Most improved – again difficult one here – as improvement for me here would be just change of production genre – for me I would say Miami’s Jesse Perez – who used to have a more prog/electro sound, but as of this year has been churning out some great techy numbers on his fine fine label called Mr Nice Guy
3. MVP – Again a toughy here – but I find myself playing alot of Hungarian producer Belocca’s stuff lately – so maybe him?

Cal: Which are more fun: dive bars OR swanky clubs?

Pleasurekraft: def dive bars. I like it dirty 🙂

Cal: Pick up lines: art OR science

Pleasurekraft: no contest : Art

Cal: What three songs from 2011 have the most memorable hooks? OR what are your top three most memorable hooks of all time?

Pleasurekraft: I don’t like to do All time things cuz they’re always too much pressure – so for 2011 – if you mean EDM? Style of Eye & Magnus the Magnus “The Antidote” has to be in there. I personally LOVE Format B’s “Country Girl” little hook. Simple but so great for me. And probably this Belocca bootleg I have of Earth Wind & Fire’s “Boogie Wonderland” that just smokes everytime I play it out. Easily one of my fav tracks to play out. Non EDM? Pretty much anything Kanye West did this year. 🙂

See you all NYE in one of my favorite cities on the planet : TORONTO!!!!!

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