Well known for his productions Rune, Reilly Kölsch has sold millions of records all over the world under his many different monikers and production work includes some of the biggest artist in the world. Being a true techno head, paying homage to his underground roots is very important to him. So he started the slightly mysterious Tattoorecs with his brother Johannes Torpe, and together they are enjoying great success with their blend of romantic techno with strong influences from the heydays of Detroit and Chicago. Kölsch is mainly renowned for his releases through the German label Kompakt and so he shares with us here at MEOKO a little bit more about his creativity within this.
Kölsch, thanks for taking time to sit down with MEOKO. What are you currently up to and where in the world are you at the moment?
I’m in Dublin right now. I was Djing here yesterday and I’m chilling until I’m bound for Copenhagen later. I’m currently touring like crazy all over the world, so I’m trying to balance producing my new album, with being gone most of the week. It’s challenging, but great fun.
Firstly, you share your name with a particularly fine type of Reine brewed German lager… do you have a connection to this area of the world?
My last name is Kölsch, and my grandgfather was from Cologne. Actually if you are from Cologne you are a Kölsch, hence the name for the beer. Michael Mayer (label head of Kompakt Records) spotted my last name, and insisted I used it for Kompakt. (Kompakt Records is based in Cologne) It seemed very fitting.
You're going to be playing a set at Extrema Outdoor Festival… for the uninitiated it's not just about EXTREME forms of dance music. Have you played before and can you give us an insight into the festival itself?
I played last year, and all I can say was that it was really fantastic. Super great setup, and the people went nuts. Generally Extrema is a very special festival. I’m happy to go back.
It's billed as a 'quality music holiday' rather than a festival how important do you think it is to offer the crowds something a little different from the average 'festive'? People are looking for more than just music these days…
I really don’t know. I’m not a festival kind of guy. I do the music and I do enjoy playing at Festivals, but mud and tents are really not my thing.
Tell us about Tattorecs… it’s a white label series but in the sense of each release has no title, just a stamp. Why did you decide to do this, to allow the music to speak for itself?
Tattoo Records was a project I had with my brother. It was a concept about tattoos and music. The idea was that music is like tattoos in the sense that they both represent a moment in time. When you look at old tattoos, and they are faded you will remember the day you got it. When you I listen to old productions, they might sound outdated, but I still remember everything about them. It was great fun to do, and we made some really good records.
When you're not releasing on Tattoo, you frequent Cologne's seminal Kompakt label… how did you come to hook up with the guys and what is your relationship with them like? Are they mentors to you?
Tattoo is closed down. We released our last record in 2009, so I only release on Kompakt now. We definitely have a mentor relationship. They actually encourage me to experiment more in my productions. They don’t care about hits, they are just pushing the boundaries all the time. Def the best label I have ever been on. It’s a great privilege to be part of the crew.
Has the idea of art ever been prominent in your releases and work. Do you think art, image and m
usic are tightly linked and do you think that all have to be focused on these days when releasing music?
Art is such a diffuse term, but as I regard music as Art, I consider myself an Artist. I always loved concepts, and my brother and I always explored the combination of visual identity and music. That being said, at one point for me the visual side became less important, as I’m foremost a musician. These days I explore the emotional sides of music. I find it fascinating that music is the only language we have to express the emotions we can not express with words. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words, I believe that sound is worth a 1000 emotions.
What’s coming up in the forthcoming months? Are you going to be working on a long player album? And will you re-explore your Rune roots?
I’m currently working on my new Kölsch album. I’m exploring my early influences from media. Which movies, and what music shaped me to who I am today. There is a complex web of influences in your life as an artist, and I’m trying to decipher some of this.
Finally, your music has been gaining a certain amount of commercial success in recent times… did you ever think your music would have this reach? And are you adverse to the more commercial / mainstream strands of electronic music?
I would never have imagined that my music would have this reach. I’m by heart a blossomed nerd, and all I wanted from life was to make music. Although I tend to distance myself from the more commercial side of the scene these days, as the music has developed to a place I’m simply not into. I still have the deepest respect for all artists. Everyone is working hard on their respective dream irrelevant of musical style. We all know that nothing is given in this business, so we all share a common bond in that sense.
Catch Kölsch play live at the Extrema Outdoor Festival on Saturday 7th of June.
