May 26, 2008

The Kruder & Dorfmeister Experience: Nothing Else Matters

By Cheryl Leong

They are the famed names, often credited with the birth of downbeat, their distinctive sounds being that of mellow bases and bossa grooves. Having had quite a prolific career in churning out successful vinyls and records, they are mostly known for their excellent remixing work (most notably for Madonna's single "Nothing Really Matters"), and live DJ performances. Seeming to have dropped from the radar save for touring and smaller intimate sets, the duo is now back on the festival circuit, and promises to be around for quite some time to come. Oh happy days!

MTV Asia snatches the opportunity to double up as music journalist and groupie, and engages in the ultimate K&D experience, speaking to them about album releases, career fortune and unrealistic vocations.

MTV Asia: You both grew up in Vienna, where it is pretty much sated in classical musical culture and influences. What kind of music did you grow up listening to?
D (Kruder): I grew up only on classical music, and then later discovered all the other styles.
K (Dorfmeister): I grew up more on '70s Rock. [Laughs]

MTV Asia: How did you guys get into DJ-ing the music that you do now then, seeing as the styles are so different?
D: I think Peter DJ-ed before I started. As for me, we just came together with the album in '93, went to London to check things out and just get to know people and get our label going.

MTV Asia: From 2000 till the present, there was an 8 year hiatus. Can we expect a new album this year?
K: Oh that's really very positive thinking! [Laughs] When we got the question 10 years go, we said 2017! Only then will we be ready!

MTV Asia: What have you been up to before WWF?
K: Richard became a father. Second time father! That's the main event, really.
D: We just went around, traveling to Australia a month ago. Constantly playing sets on the weekends. But this worldwide thing, we're lucky that our music is not nailed down to one country or language. Actually we've been building it up, not just a sudden thing, it's a step by step process. We've chosen the right things to do as well. It's not every time everything works out in the music business, with such a short lifespan as well. If you look at bios of other musicians, everything always changes after 3-5 years and it's over. People say that if you last longer than 10 years, you're doing something right.

MTV Asia: What do you think is your something right then?
D: Our excellent taste for women! [Laughs]
K: Yes, and Richard's fantastic looks!
D: It's a joke, but it's true though about the right selections in life. You need to have luck, and choose wisely in the things that you do. It sounds easy but yet that's the main point. It's a lot about luck and fate or something like that. When we started a record, people thought it wouldn't work. We just followed our own path and everything turned out to be good. Like everything you start with, people are always not so encouraging but you just stick to your guns and go from there

MTV Asia: How does it feel to hear your music being played?
K: It's boring. I always say, Turn it off! [Laughs] It's nice to be appreciated though, and have your music being spread across the world, of course. We did start only from our living rooms after all!

MTV Asia: What's the music scene in Austria like?
D: Like in every country, each part usually takes care of one genre or another. But it's a classical music city originally. Vienna's famous for opera and all. Completely different to pop music in England where people grew up on a diet of Beatles, or America on Elvis and the blues. We were pretty much growing on ourselves.
K: Yes, we're influenced by lots of things, but it's our own thing that's been generated. We have no one singular musical stronghold. I think that's why we do what we do.

MTV Asia: So has fame changed anything?
K: We're not that famous. We're not Robbie Williams! [Laughs]
D: And actually the thing we do now, we haven't done for a really long time. We didn't play big festivals for a really long time.

MTV Asia: And why's that?
K: We needed a break.
D: It became quite restrictive, and not so fun anymore, I guess. Tensions abound that you have to fulfill a lot of requests. We're not a band, we're like a sounds system thing, DJs and all. There's a lot of pressure, but we still have to do it. Everybody's looking at you, you need to be on point, there's plenty to do, and you also still need to be exciting and fresh. You also need to be lucky that it works.

MTV Asia: So now you're ready to make a comeback?
D: Somehow, yeah. But it's a constant thing, us. Don't call it a comeback! [Laughs] We've always been around! We tour and all, on smaller sets that's all. Like touring and all before releasing an album, and people already know you are.

MTV Asia: If you were not a DJ, what would you want to do?
D: I have lots of interests, but I can't pin it to one. Perhaps a wine sommelier. A real one with deep knowledge.
K: I would be an architect.

MTV Asia: Wow. Did you go to school for architecture?
K: Nope. But I would! [Laughs]