While it would be naïve to attach a genre to each passing summer on the island of Ibiza, it's fair to say that a very particular strain of tech-house will be dominating the white isle throughout 2015. It's a sound that Viva Warriors has been cultivating for years and as experienced heads such Steve Lawler and Miguel Campbell return to the island for a Sankeys residency, they bring with them a host of exciting newcomers. Chief among these is Detlef, who will remain a fixture within every star-studded Viva Warriors line-up this summer and he's understandably delighted to be working with his friend Lawler.
Detlef is known for playing a variety of house genres from throughout his entire back catalogue. He shot to prominence with his rework of Carlos Sanchez' K15, well known for being a favourite at Marco Carola's Music On party, one of the most popular on the island. Here he's back on remix duty for Sabb, Kosovo's premier dance music producer, for his new release One of Us. Detlef's stripped down, chunky edit is sure to be rattled around Sankeys throughout the summer and it embodies many aspects of the tech-house sound which has helped make Viva Warriors so popular.
The remix runs at a slower pace than Dennis Ferrer's more acid-tinged rework which goes before it; somewhat more rough and raw. The style of Detlef's productions varies massively, making it difficult to pin him to any one sound and the man himself rarely gives interviews. Fortunately we were able to catch up with him as Ibiza season moved into full swing...
How did the opportunity to rework one of Sabb's tracks come about? Was he a producer you were looking to work with or was it primarily a result of your previous works with Moon Harbour?
"I sent some new music to Matthias Tanzmann and he asked me if I was interested in remixing Sabb's record; he is a great producer and I love the label so of course I decided to do the remix. It was a combination I couldn't refuse."
Your production style and touring schedule has always been varied and eclectic, why did it feel like now was the right time to commit to a residency? And why with Viva Warriors?
"VIVa is a family to me. All the people involved are my friends so instantly having the chance to spend more time around them means that you have the chance to have more fun. VIVa Warriors as well is an amazing party with great vibes and people. I love playing there and a residency means more playtime."
Your first release on VIVa Music, which included Feelin and Hold On, was way back in 2011 - how has your style changed since then? And why was it time to return to the label?
"When I started the Detlef name it allowed me to express myself through music in every direction I wanted. I don't have a specific style of house music that I play, but I play house music in general so I can't say for sure if my style has changed that much. I do change the sound of my productions through but I could easily play lots of tracks I did back in 2010."
How big of an influence was Steve Lawler when you were deciding which musical direction to take this summer? And how are you looking forward to working with him so closely?
"Steve is always a great influence to me. He is the one that found me, believed in me and presented me to the people. He is more than a label partner, he is my friend and I am always looking forward to playing with him as he always inspires me with his sound."
What does the rest of the summer hold? Are there any other parties you're particularly excited about? And will you get chance to do any producing?
"I feel really excited about the summer since its almost fully booked until October and have some great parties lined up. HD festival, Hideout Festival, The Egg, The Rainbow Blackbox, Solid Grooves, Ostend Beach Festival, Happy People festival in Greece are some of the amazing parties I can't wait to play there."
"Yes I will do more work this year because I decided to stay in Greece for the summer so that I have more studio time to work on remixes, collaborations and original music since the schedule has been really heavy the past months and that was the only solution to keep my routine in the studio and work more on music."
Sabb's 'One Of Us' EP is out on Moon Harbour on the 26th of June, featuring remixes from Detlef and Dennis Ferrer.
WORDS | Jonno Coll
