Re: Kruder & Dorfmeister

Gene R. Smith (grs@cldc.howard.edu)
Mon, 15 Jan 1996 17:36:08 -0500 (EST)


On Mon, 15 Jan 1996, Jonathan Hurwitz wrote:

> Can anyone accurately explain why K & D have been coasting on 4 songs they
> made in 1993 for a few years now? Do they do new material, are they DJs,
> what is the story? G-Stoned is a wonderful little collection, but I have
> all the songs on it on other colections also...
>
> - Jonathan
>
>

Maybe this will shed some light. I found this interview in the
Eighteenth Street Lounge newsletter in Washington D.C.

How long have you two been working on music together?
Since 1993. We were each involved in music before that,
primarily as DJ's. Richard (Dorfmeister) and I were always friends so
eventually we hooked up and now we work together.

You recently did a track for Rafael's (Rafael Sebag of United Future
Organization) compilation. I hear that there is an unusual story about
that track.
It was quite funny actually. Rafael called and left a message on
our answering machine asking if Richard and I could do, as he put it, "a
tune for us." We liked Rafale's voice so much - you know he has this
half French/half Japanese accent when he speaks English - that we decided
to sample it and build the track around it. The song is called "A Tune
For Us." It will be coming out on the new Multidirections compilation
in Japan.

How's the scene in Austria right now?
Austria is interesting because everybody seems to be going in different
directions. People are going away from strictly House and Techno clubs
to places that create a more eclectic style of music. Personally I get
bored of places that play all one style of music like hip-hop or house.
People in Austria are definitely getting into our sound, sort of
tripped-out jazzy stuff. Although it's unfortunate that we don't have
many good clubs right now. Richard and I are spinning at parties in
Vienna more than clubs.

What are you working on currently?
We have taken a break from production lately although we just did
remixes for Bomb the Bass, United Future Organization and Bone Thugs. For
the most part we've been busy spinning records all over Europe and remixing.

I'm sure there is a big demand for K&D remixes these days.
Well there seems to be but you know we refuse most of the offers
we get for remixes. There has to be something about the track that can
open our minds up to be creative, otherwise we turn it down. Not even the
money can open your mind.

So you're now able to work full time on music?
Yes, we are paid well for our DJ gigs and the remixing is good
for us as well. Money seems to always come in as we need it.

I wanted to ask you about the Tosca project and the song "Chocolate Elvis."
Richard did that one with an old school friend as a side
project. His friend tapes all kinds of odd voices and sounds with a
portable recorder. He was in New York and there was a street musician
who was playing and joking that he was the "Chocolate Elvis." Richard's
friend taped him and they created Tosca's version of "Chocolate Elvis."
We released it very quickly because it's a bit different from our other
stuff and we knew that timing would be key. Sometimes with strictly
dance-oriented music, you must release right away. Thus we created the
side project and did it as a single.

Your work is always so complex, much more than the current crop of
trip-hop and future jazz. Why is that?
This is exactly the point that we wanted to make with G-Stone.
We only want to make classics (laugh). You know how you always have in
your DJ box several records that have been there for years. Those are
the types of records we want to make. We spend a great deal of time on
each track. The process is sometimes painful but it's the only way we
feel confortable doing it.

Well I thing you're achieving that goal. We have all of your tracks in
our crates.
That's good to hear.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In case you ever find yourself in DC for whatever reason, you should
really check out the Lounge.

ESL WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Monday: Soul Jazz, Old Funkies, Latin Jazz on main floor
Tuesday: Trip Hop & Future Jazz on main floor (DJ Eric Hilton from the
Exodus Quartet [Instinct Records])
Wednesday: Trip Hop, Funk, Rare Soul on main floor (DJ Ric)
Thursday: DJ Farid Ali from the Peace Bureau [Eightball Records] on main
floor
DJ BKS on in the second floor lounge
Friday: DJ Eric Hilton on main floor
Various jazz combos play in the second floor lounge
Saturday: DJ Farid Ali on main floor
Various jazz combos in second floor lounge
Sunday: Closed

Peace,

Gene