Timo Maas Interview
The Electro music maestro Timo Mass joined The Guestlist Network this month giving us the scoop on his up coming projects and his success over the past year. We got the chance to find out how the nice guy on the Electro scene kept his feet on the ground...
So can you tell us the biggest highlights of the year for you right now, as an artist?
Doing the album. Definitely doing the Balance album and freshening it up is also something to mention and I’m super busy making new music, with my partner, working on my new artist album and gigging a lot I have played EASY 10 several times this summer. Something was quite outstanding in Poland 3/4 weeks ago... There was a rave in an old monastery, the 2nd biggest monastery in the world which is not used anymore. I was playing with Kevin Sonas... in a church which was cool. It was an outstanding venue.
Don’t you find as a DJ they are the best kind of gigs you always remember? I remember playing in a castle in Romania. Its not something I could forget!
I was like what the hell there were 20,000 people or so, 5 stages, super good production, super professional just the VIP area and the most beautiful VIP area I have ever seen in my whole career. Stone Angels and on the roof Historical paintings everywhere and the walls. I took some really good photographs.
Can you explain what the lemsip sessions are?
The legendary DJ/Sound engineer from the end.I was super sick, he saw me and we were talking about good guys and he is a good guy actually he.. he came in every hour and presented me with a cup of lemsip... i have no idea what stuff is in there but it was kicking my ass nicely and with a few vodka’s mixed up perfect. He recorded the night and sent it to me a few weeks later with a note calling it the lemsip sessions which made me laugh. It was really intense.
What do you think about the techno movement at the moment?
Trance, is not the word anymore. Minimal is out and not interesting and not worth talking about.
Why?
It was boring a few years ago ... for me personally its all about techno and house its the reason we go tht clubs. trippy music for me is the thing. I am not saying next year its going to be all about trippy music... It’s about taking the listener out of the real world. shake them really heavily and put them back.. so they wonder what the hell was going on. It is very driving but still funky.
How did the collab with Santos go?
We knew each other since 2000 when he was having his number ones in the UK and my career was going through the roof.We liked each other a lot but we lost contact. I met him a few years ago in Rome and played a few gigs together in various clubs. He has a great sound besides him being such a lovely person. We understand each other from the first second. We live in the same place too... in fact he lives across the street next door in the other house one of the 20 that are there and one of the studios are on the farm.
Has your sound gelled or are you still working towards that?
Its a continuous process.. I still write on the train but my music has changed for example. I always love the underground but I couldn’t always express myself as Timo Mass because there were too many high expectations from myself and whoever was there in the market and I just wanted to do what I love. This is mutant clan also we have Lost Veteranos that no one really knows about its on the Balance album. We just have a bunch of harmonica’s there can be a Timo Mass thing or a Mutant Clan thin... just a lot of opportunities the most opportunities I have had since I began producing music
You played in London’s SW4, how was it?
It was amazing! We had an unbelievable slot 1-40 -3-30 in the afternoon. I thought 1-40 okay its a daytime party but at one 1-40 I'm maximum having my breakfast acts and my third cup of coffee But no it was full at the beg of our set and packed by the end, and people were freaking out and they loved me and even flying straight back and sleeping in my own bed.
Dice mentioned you were a great guy and how down to earth you are. How have you managed to keep your feet on the ground?
It totally depends on your ego or ego problem. and it depends on how seriously you take the show you are making out there ,to your real person and personality. I think I am slightly crazy but it belongs to you its totally up to you to make what you make of it. I know extremely successful and rich people who are so down to earth you wouldn't even expect them to be someone special but I also know some maximum middle class artists in whatever direction who behave like Puff Daddy. Its a show, we are creatives and when we are performing it is a part of the show. either you take it seriously and take it into your private life and live your private life like a superstar or you don’t. I embarrass myself, I am one of those guys especially when I try and be extremely cool. It is quite hard to point out a particular moment where I say ‘Fuck yeah!’ but I don’t know it was definitely fun when someone accidentally gave me mushroom tea at DC10 right before I was meant to go on stage it was pretty trippy! I didn’t even realise but it was amazing, obviously.
What do you prefer blonde, brunette, red or shaved?
Blonde.
