With all focus on Kölsch this episode, this was one podcast where presenter Ralph Moore and fellow movie geek Kölsch could discuss everything from Dune, Star Wars and Blade Runner without the addition of a third party. Sharing an innate love of Science Fiction, this episode also gives an insight into Kölsch’s development as an artist and how film soundtracks directly influenced his technical production.
With all focus on Kölsch this episode, this was one podcast where presenter Ralph Moore and fellow movie geek Kölsch could discuss everything from Dune, Star Wars and Blade Runner without the addition of a third party. Sharing an innate love of Science Fiction, this episode also gives an insight into Kölsch’s development as an artist and how film soundtracks directly influenced his technical production.
Ralph Moore: 0:00
Welcome to little more conversation with Ralph Moore. Get closer to the biggest names in electronic music. In this episode, Ralph gets closer to award-winning DJ, an artist Kölsch In a geek Battle Over Sci Fi and the power of the perfect smooth way. Welcome to a very special one off one on one episode this week off a little more conversation of one time only offer this once in a lifetime opportunity. Will never be repeated,
Kölsch: 0:40
has a special money back guarantee.
Ralph Moore: 0:43
And quite frankly, if we had five hours, this conversation would probably last for seven. We're gonna deviate from the slight, normal one, which is normally a deejay, you know, with someone you don't know. But there's a normally Connexion, but we get on so well that we figured that we could make this one work without needing George Lucas or, indeed, Stanley Kubrick in
Kölsch: 1:04
the room. And I agree completely on the fact. I mean, I I fresh remember the extravagant three hour conversation we had about which a daft punk album was the best, so we'll try and keep it brief this time around. That
Ralph Moore: 1:16
way I think we should start, though, because normally we talked about how? How the pairings Mezzo Cassie. We reunited with her drama music teacher from drama school. That's cool on DH. He's 82 or 83 they hadn't seen each other for 20 years. I mean, I haven't seen you for about 20 days or 11 but I would say that we sort of first got to know each other in this sort of what you would now probably call the utter glory days of the end ofthe older Betha. Yes. I mean, I
Kölsch: 1:50
to certain extent we'll have to agree with you, but also would have to disagree, because I reckon that the glory days of the beats are still existing. But we met, I guess thinking back around 2000 for five. And I recall I guess it was secret loco in that area. But I'm not quite sure exactly when we met the first time, but I remember very, very fondly Ah, that we had some incredible times there
Ralph Moore: 2:16
and also a pasha for, you know, we used to go and see Eric. It's subliminal Whoa! And he would be hammering Calabria. That's very true on DH. I very much think of older, be tha as the world before social media and I think of new a beef as the world we now live in which you can't escape it. Obviously, the island has changed and everything has changed. And that doesn't mean there aren't great parties. I just like remembering a time where you weren't attached to your phone making a picture or a video or something to remind yourself that it was good. So not that there aren't great memories now, but I have a lot of memories which is just stuck in my head rather than stuck on a USB stick. I
Kölsch: 2:55
recently came across the realisation that I think social media is saved the clubbing industry interesting out. And the reason being is that a ll the reasons we used to go to clubs back in the days to hook up to get drunk. Tio, you know, be social, are replaced by all kinds of APS. Let's say if you were to go and meet a girl, you could go on any old app on your phone right out and you would have that option, whereas the well, nobody Well, let's say 80% of the people that went to clubs back then were not particularly musically interest that they were there out of AA out of a lack of choice, if you will. And I think the social media thing, the fact that people need to show off interesting an exorbitant lifestyle has changed the fact that people need to go out again.
Ralph Moore: 3:40
I guess going out is the only way that you can show this lifestyle to
Kölsch: 3:44
unless you're animation. Schools are incredible.
Ralph Moore: 3:48
It has obviously bread, a sort of a new breed of complete super superstar producer, which in the old days you might have got on the cover of, you know, mixed Magal deejay or whatever. And now you know, you could have a social media following that's so enormous, which is partly about the music, but partly about what you put out there and what you project and what you say
Kölsch: 4:10
the as Ah, let me quote a good friend of mine's when first you'd say it's about a 24 hour of lifestyle. It's a party lifestyle for 24 hours.
Ralph Moore: 4:21
Has a good impression. I could do a good one as well. You said it. Nobody starts with Bob. Good to see you.
Kölsch: 4:31
Ah, Madame it tomorrow land. And he said so ruin were way spoke German after I'm half German. But anyway, he said, Sharon, where where you playing? I said, I'm playing on the main stage And he laughed so much. And then he said, Have you rehearsed murder? Nice Little speaks between Iraq's obviously reckoned that would be the good thing to do it tomorrow. Let Well, yeah, And he was right, I guess
Ralph Moore: 4:57
exactly. Now the next question tell me something that you've learned from May and I need to think about some of that I've learned from you. But I've learned
Kölsch: 5:07
from you is that I think you, but probably the first person see, the thing is in Denmark where I'm from. We didn't have money options in the in the nineties. I guess we're in a elite group of, let's say, 300 people that were into electronic music and there was a couple of parties and there were some small clubs that ran for a long time, and there was a small but very I don't know how to explain that. It sort of it was just too small to be international. The whole scene with the DJs on DH, the tracks on the record labels. I think the first thing that I I learned from you was the fact that you had all the same interests that I had beat. Music beats films being culture, but whatever but without having to deejay, you were never an aspiring artist now, which I always thought was incredible, because normally the people that were around that had an interest in records on music and generally people that wanted to exploit that by performing in some sort of way, and that was never your ambition. I was admired that a lot. The fact that you just have such a deep passion for music,
Ralph Moore: 6:13
and I think from you it was sort of a similar thing as well. In the you know, they were the daft punk conversation we had around the mix mag cover Shoot where you know, we argued and argued, and there's a line isn't there? There's a line that you can go down in music. If you're it's called the middle ground on. I think daft punk for a very long time. We're not the middle ground. They were cutting edge Absolute. This is incredible. The remix was incredible. The Net tombs were incredible and everything, you know, congealed in this wonderful way and then get lucky came along and it's so divided everyone in a way that none of the other records had done previously cause even the album before which they made in like, 12 days Sounds like people, you know, someone Carol Alcon who remixed it would say, Yeah, I know, but you know, D I y punk ethic, So I kind of got away with it was sloppy. They would always get
Kölsch: 7:07
the benefit of the doubt, wouldn't they? Yeah, and well deserved so up until get lucky in my opinion.
Ralph Moore: 7:13
And now we're in this sort of funny place where they disappeared. And it's been so long now that it's almost a bit too long. But I mean, you know, at some point they are going to come back, but well, I mean, wasn't
Kölsch: 7:23
a huge break between human after all. And the latest album that was I mean, what is
Ralph Moore: 7:30
it? Wass? I think the interesting thing now is that eight years and dance music now compared to eight years eight years ago is enough for people to forget who you are So I'm noticing now that sometimes if you you know if people mix mag, who are you know, 23 24 25. And they I haven't heard about an artist from eight years. They really weren't feeding into that. Originally,
Kölsch: 7:54
that's true. But also doesn't count argument because the peep the fans that you then have you can keep active via social media stress, so you don't have to feed music in the same way. I mean, I remember is you hadn't had a record out for six months in the nineties. You were completely forgotten because that's how it was. You know, you needed to put music actually, even more for equal in the now, because that's the only media you had is the only way of reaching people you had. There was no way of putting a post up about your latest gigs or anything like that. So it was a different time for sure.
Ralph Moore: 8:23
I was going to ask you about some of your productions because I think it's been a huge part off your career. Especially recently, I do like the way that Grey particularly has had a life of its own in Amongst this Pete Tong Orchestra. I know that that's been
Kölsch: 8:40
it's it's nuts. What happened to that record? I've been very, very fortunate in my life to sometime touch upon something that has created a life of its own. I mean, probably the first time I did that was was back in the days with Calabria that I that I wrote in 2002 and its various versions, and the latest part has probably been great. I guess if we're talking on that level, they have been records before. Like Laurel, I cash a pyre that have had it all that matters. Was, was also very big record, but greatest exploded in a way that I never really intended it to, because the thing is, I've consciously stepped away from the commercial end of dance music because I didn't feel comfortable in that spectre anymore. In the sense that I was tired of producing records that would three minutes 20 I ended up despising the format, and that's why I started making culture records. I wanted the freedom to express myself and not be limited to to these ideologies that are always forced upon artists these days, which is a depressing thing, and all of a sudden I'm in the middle of it again. You know, I was offered ludicrous amounts of money to let various rappers hop on up on grey and cold lives and what? No, and I've declined them all than on DH. The reason being that I just didn't want I didn't I didn't want it to be that I don't What's beautiful about these days in the music industry's ALS you don't have to. There's no necessary is. You don't need that anymore, really. Because because again, if you build a following with what you do in your greater vision, that is pretty much all you need. It doesn't have to be a commercial success success. It doesn't have to be measured by radio plays or by video plays or even by Spotify. Place it. Khun B. How many tickets can you sell? It could be how fulfilled are with what you do, and can you make a living of it. In the end, the biggest question is, how much money do you actually need to have a good life? And I've decided I don't need the money that that would offer I am fine with what I'm doing and I'm very, very content and happy with it.
Ralph Moore: 10:48
And we also should touch on your remix is because you do them from time to time. Whether it's London grammar. Didn't name a couple of your favourites, I've
Kölsch: 10:58
got to say, even though it will come across a little cheesy, I think the Coldplay one I did was that was the call plea and VT One I did. I really enjoyed that because I love the fact that I well, my my ambition was to change the atmosphere around the whole song was the original was quite jolly, and I wanted to be wanted it to be sort of Ah, morning. Ah, loss of someone that was important in the person's life. I wanted to change the storey around the song on. I think I achieved that to a certain extent. Obviously, London grammar. That was huge. And ah, actually what I really like about remixes it is that it leaves it opened to be even more experimental. This may sound a bit weird, but all my remixes end up being 11 12 minutes long because I just I can get away with it pretty much and I just I love the fact that I can I can do that and there's no one that's gonna go. We need that radio at it. Lately, there's been a few people asking for sport. If I did, it's which is not happening either. Terrible
Ralph Moore: 12:03
on DH Before we get into the main part of this conversation, which is obviously beyond music, we're gonna be talking about SciFi and Seif eyes influence on techno music Yes, on DH movie soundtracks that play into that mother. That's Vangelis with Blade Runner, Um, a friend of mine said to me recently, I actually think the new Blade Runner film is my favourite film of all time, which I was really all my favourite film of the last, you know, But we'll get into that later.
Kölsch: 12:32
We should get into that because I don't necessarily disagree. I think it's a very good film.
Ralph Moore: 12:37
And where do you think your sort of love off SciFi started? Was it movies?
Kölsch: 12:44
Um, it's always been there. I mean, I remember the first time I was introduced to the whole SciFi Ah, as a genre. Ah was via my cousin who was a huge scifi nerd and he would sit me down. And I'll just watch all kinds of stuff that he had recorded Soviet. She was the first guy to actually show me Blade Runner on old crummy television, and there's a funny storey attached to that lady. But we'll talk about that later on when we get to that, but they're two sides of it. First of it. I was a lonely kid in Copenhagen. I did have friends, yes, but the thing is, my, my my parents split up and I'm half Irish, half German. So I spend a lot of time either in London with my Irish family and Marble Hill or with my German family involves, which is in Germany. And I didn't I had cousins in London, but I didn't have any friends in Germany. Son always just watch television pretty much all day long. And, ah, at the time during the mid eighties, especially late night television, which I always would end up watching, it was pretty much just badly synchronise SciFi and a lot of the blaxploitation films back in the days on German, which was in itself quite funny.
Ralph Moore: 13:53
I'm quite fond memories and vivid memories of sort of certain eighties American shows which really, really caught my imagination. So Manimal Street
Kölsch: 14:03
Hawk Oh, Street Hawk Amazing Soundtrack Street Hold. Yes. Knight Rider, Air Wolf,
Ralph Moore: 14:09
All of those. You're not really SciFi. I guess There was one Manimal. Manimal was kind of verging on that, but obviously, this is before things like morphing technology. So, you know, special effects were amazing. Well, I mean, they had
Kölsch: 14:24
that charm. My guess. I always really loved the technical stuff. It, though. I mean, I remember watching Knight Rider and always waiting for was that car to do something incredible. The rest was just I had no interest in that. What So Hee? I didn't remember what they're all about pretty much. But
Ralph Moore: 14:42
recently I just saw David Hasselhoff has a new single out covering. The cars are a random side, And I saw this week he's doing it. He's doing very eccentric things these days. Well, I mean,
Kölsch: 14:51
he brought down the Berlin Wall. You could do whatever you want.
Ralph Moore: 14:55
Let's bring this. Let's bring this back, Teo. The sci fi techno thing will come back to Blade Runner because I think it is one that in mixed Magan you know in people interview, whether it's people like Steven, all or whoever. They always always talk about it always. But we're gonna look at someone like George Lucas as one of this sort of key contributors to what he might say. It's sort of scifi Western rather than straight. Saifi, THX 1138 Yes, let's talk about that. I
Kölsch: 15:29
remember the first side fires I was watching when I was a kid. Badly synchronised in German was stuff like Logan drawn the early 70 stuff, which always had some sort of morale to them. And I remember watching Jay cheques in Germany is what fortune A lots I find back then, not quite grasping the whole concept of it on, then ran rewatching it later on. And it's I gotta say, is pretty great. I mean, I'm sorry to say so. It's it's a basic. It's a simple idea, but it just works really well. And it's fun to see the traces that George Lucas traces. For instance, the police officers with helmets that cover their faces is very similar to a lot of the aesthetics that are in the Star Wars movies. I think Andi inspirations are interesting to see an interesting to spot as well
Ralph Moore: 16:20
on DH. It's not a film that a lot of people know, though. Is it because I mean it kind of it was a cut Is a cult film, isn't it, right? I guess
Kölsch: 16:27
it is. Yeah.
Ralph Moore: 16:27
Yeah, but it did it lead him to Francis Ford Coppola on DH that led to Star Wars. I mean, we could talk about Star Wars for about seven hours as well, if you wanted to. I think for me, those films were probably the most important. Those three films are really the most important film for me growing up because my mum took me to see Star Wars are
Kölsch: 16:49
That's a different storey in
Ralph Moore: 16:50
the 1970? I was, like, full, um, Empire strikes back in 1980. And I remember seeing a return of the Jedi in Brighton, and it was the first time remember to this day seeing a huge sign that said playing all summer and I felt what film plays or summer starts way turning the jet. I don't even think it was the biggest one at the time, but it wass obviously the only film that I can see right now that's doing that is like at the moment the Joker is playing like eight times a day at my local cinema eight times a day.
Kölsch: 17:23
It is also very, very, very great film I just recently what's just as we are, as we talked about earlier,
Ralph Moore: 17:29
but to bring it back to SciFi and its influence on techno music, I guess you know, whether that's you or Jeff Mills or or Carl Craig or any of these people who unite the sort of twin ideas of psychedelic space exploration and tripped out music. Where should we start with this fascination? Is it, you know, because in a way goes back before even the seventies, it would probably go back. We would go back to 2001 wouldn't it? But would be probable.
Kölsch: 18:02
Yeah, absolutely. Well, an old friend of my mom's used to be in one of the first electronic bands in Germany called 69. His name was sick, actually dedicated. Attract him on my first album, and I remember going to his home studio a lot. Ah, when I was in Germany and he'd always have the space odyssey playing, and I'd feel around in the studio playing with these simple drama. See, Sheen's inside. This was, I guess, mid eighties or something like that. And I just remember the fact that I was this kind of music, electronic music and and the futuristic way of looking at things. It just kind of fit together. There's that side of it, the whole visual aspect of it, the whole cultural aspect of it. But there's also a different side of it, which I actually funny enough. Spoke to Carl Craig about when I met him in in a dinner of some years back, and we were talking about this whole dreaming yourself away aspect of it. I was, Ah, kid in Copenhagen. We have quite cold winters. I was not doing well in school. I was struggling to figure out who was on what was the identity. Everybody, all my parents would say, our music career. Forget about it. You should to go to university and study. You have all these people that are pushing you to do something that you have absolutely no interest about, and it's escapism. It's pretty much I guess I fire is very, very relatable to Copper Club culture in the sense that it's the same, a similar form of escapism. You're dreaming yourself away in this complete fantasy world, whereas that's pretty much what we do now, just in dark rooms.
Ralph Moore: 19:34
Yeah, interesting on, I guess That's why, you know, in some, like Star Wars you had, you know, you would identify with one of those characters whether, you know, I guess, actually share my birthday with Mark Hamel. So I only found that out last year. That was quite funny, because I grew up in a small town and advocated a small town. Dreams of getting out that small town, which, you know, I think the reality is, you know, it's London for May on DH. We went well for the mixed my cover featured. You should tell people about that. Well, we went, Oh, Christiania, Yeah,
Kölsch: 20:08
Yeah. I'm born in Christiania, in Copenhagen, which is a is a hippie village. It's sort of a free town kind of squat thing, or it was isn't anymore. But in the seventies, where I was, there was it was it's a very weird place, you know, It was full of ups, and in the mid eighties it was sort of conquered by the local junkies because they have, ah, free space to go there and do whatever they wanted. There was no authorities such and we moved out, but it's it's it's actually taken a big hold of me. This whole free spirited attitude towards art and toward music is still something that I have deeply embedded in in my soul. Lack of better terms. But yeah, we went there was good. It was interesting. It wass and only the photographer is in itself. Quite a character was incredible. He was so much fun.
Ralph Moore: 20:56
But Teo, I remember growing up, my friends would have bootleg tapes off. You know you're high five films. I
Kölsch: 21:05
remember briefly very vividly that that we used to have VHS cassettes from a place called Brian Video, and they have these texts going across the screen there. Obviously, somebody been sitting in a film in a cinema, filming it with a camp. I was terrible quality, or that's the options we
Ralph Moore: 21:21
had on DH. We've talked about 2001 and Andi style was a little bit so I guess that's, you know, not sure what year 2001 was 69 70. I think yours was 77 and price strikes back was 1980. So we're up to 1980 now. Did
Kölsch: 21:38
you know that none of the technology that there was in 2001 has translated this day? I think the only thing was the credit card or something. All those visions were absolute bolt test. I didn't know that. Oh, yeah, Absolutely. Absolutely.
Ralph Moore: 21:52
And then obviously, if you've got if you watch, you know, as time goes on, if you want to feel like Empire Strikes back, which is one of my favourites for sure, you now realise that as time goes on, it's probably gonna be seen by, you know, kids in 30 40 years time The way that we looked at something like Gone with the wind because in the hair styles And you know, because in the end you look at these films The technology summed up the time, Yeah, with hair cuts. Look at Laura was the haircuts of pure seventies because that's all they could bay.
Kölsch: 22:25
But that being said, would those rules apply to sci fi movie, I think, looking back on eighties movies, even though they're not said in a particular time, you would have the same
Ralph Moore: 22:34
Blade Runner, although we'll get back to that and admit because it's stuck in its own wonderful little universe. Doesn't really age in
Kölsch: 22:42
a way because that's it. That's true. But you're right, because actually, Star Wars does age. I don't know exactly why, but, like there are other films that don't age about 2001 even though it has a very, very particular star. I don't think it ages in the same way now. Maybe because they weren't on the same level. Such a cultural phenomenon off time, I'm not sure. Or maybe they just weren't this fashion conscious.
Ralph Moore: 23:06
Now we were also going to talk about terrible 80 SciFi. Yes, now I was saying before we started about, you know, about the Stargate lacked who was kind of like a cheap knockoff Star Wars. But it, you know, it was popular. You like the new series there, right? I
Kölsch: 23:21
really like the new Siri's. It's become a whole saga, really. I think they're The new version was from why, sure, like 2005 that the seasons went on for six seasons. I mean, it's it's a pretty low budget Siri's. But the storey is just so good, and it all stems back to, well, the whole metropolis idea the whole thing. Whether a robot can be human and are are, you know, the human consciousness. Is it alive, is it not? This whole thing was just basically from Frankenstein, I guess a little
Ralph Moore: 23:55
apart from that. What terrible scifi TV shows Do you remember?
Kölsch: 24:00
Um so much. I recently re watched V for victory, which was an early eighties at the time, the most expensive TV series ever made, and they had a budget of a $1,000,000 per episode. It ran for a year from 85 to 86 and it is utterly terrible. It is pretty much, ah, sort of pseudo SciFi version of the Holocaust. That's what it is, all right, and it's just so depressing. It's similar, even though, so the people that aliens are called the visitors and their logo is pretty much a swastika with some parts cut off and is even read. It's just I I just realised that I remember watching it when I was a kid. It was just Wow, this was so fascinating. In the visitors are lizards in disguise and human bodies, Yes, and then re watching it. How it was just such a blatant Holocaust reference, and I just didn't get it back then Obviously Tionne t get it. But every day I wish I hadn't rewatched it. Actually, it was a better a better memory.
Ralph Moore: 25:04
Well, that's the thing with, you know, some eighties pop culture. I got really liking the show called It Was Robin of Sherwood on DH. It was with Michael, Prayed and then remember that Sean Connery son Jason Connery. I love that, too. They they did something which very few TV shows did or films, for that matter. They had to change the main character from one person to the other. So old old Sean Connery is Sean Connery's on Jason. Replaced. Michael prayed, you know, halfway through, because Michael Pray took an offer to go and do either Dynasty or Dallas. I think you couldn't really do that now, like you'd have to keep the same.
Kölsch: 25:44
It's happened to Batman a few times, isn't it? I'm a joker. TV shows quite bold. That's true. Continue Tio, not not Spawn.
Ralph Moore: 25:57
Let's bring this back to SciFi and technology. Yeah, because otherwise, we'll get you. Keep going round the houses. Tell me a little bit about how you think, sort of SciFi, you know, for you, for example, How does it influence house influenced your music? Well, they're two
Kölsch: 26:13
sides of it. The a lot of the early eighties had pretty cheap sound productions, which basically consisted of some Giza blocking around on a synthesiser. But to me, that was dead exotic back then, it was just the most fascinating ever. Remember buying a cassette tape off a cheap German version ofthe alien? Pretty much. That's what it was. It was called something else. It was like a storybook on on on a cassette and the sounds which just might blow This was 85 or something. And I got this. I got this post. Listen. So what are these sounds? It's you. And it was, I guess, early synthesise. I actually sampled a lot of that later on because they just sound so ridiculously funny. Put them in some of my early releases. But for some weird reason, futurism and side fire was always paired with synthesisers. So it was the only outlet. Did you would get to hear that kind of stuff and remembering another pretty dreadful time if I move you running, man. The soundtrack is incredible, too, that I think it's Harold felt a Maya or one of those guys. They were very much three guys making pretty much all soundtracks. And the soundtrack is mind blowing on a non scifi note. Even the Miami Vice Syria's I. Recently we watched the whole 1st 2 seasons, and the music is just really, really good. Um, but I think it was out of lack of funds. They would hire these guys to produce for the Sapphire films. And I think early on you you get that kind of vibe there whole. If you are watching those films, you get that sound indoctrinated into your brain. And that is that leads directly to techno music.
Ralph Moore: 27:54
And I think, you know, if you look at someone like Carl Craig, he grew up listening. Teo, obviously a lot of prints on DH. I forgot the name of the guy in Detroit. There's there's a famous teacher that he listened to that would like mix everything up on DH. You know, I think SciFi was definitely a part of that and and I guess in Detroit as well. They loved the synth UK sound, then mixed it up with their own sensibility and love of so off space exploration. And Jeff Mills, for example. Everything he does feels like it's a little bit spacy, doesn't it? It does. I
Kölsch: 28:28
thought of it here the other day. That's the beauty of techno music, because yes, you can say that it originally from Detroit. But then again, they're influences were so European and obviously also African to certain extent, it came from pretty much everywhere. You know, the whole disco thing. Where did that stem from? I mean, it's a very worldwide musical genre when you think about it in the end, because the influence is so obvious, I think that's what makes it so. I mean, it's a versatile thing. It belongs to all
Ralph Moore: 28:59
of us. Somehow, if you look at the way that right now, Hollywood movies are really trying to be more progressive, certain ones with soundtrack. So let's talk about the new Blade Runner.
Kölsch: 29:11
Oh, yes, I was a little bit disappointed by one thing, and that was the fact that as far as I remember it was originally is it all up for Julius and was supposed to do with soundtrack. He did arrival for Density, and, ah, apparently he couldn't really get to terms with. So they brought in handsomer to help out with a soundtrack, and I was a little saddened by that. Not that handsome is in any way a bad composer, but I just went thinking back on how amazing the soundtrack for arrival was. I'm just sort of dreaming of thiss film. There's pretty much the same film Blade Runner, the new one. But with that kind of soundtrack to it, it would have been a completely different experience without the Hollywood esque farts from From From Handsome, it would have been something else. And I'm I'm still Maybe one day we'll get that version. Probably never. But I just love the idea of it.
Ralph Moore: 30:08
But the sound designer, that film was incredible.
Kölsch: 30:11
It wass and I know I'm not saying that it was bad because there's nothing wrong with handsome at all. But I was just dreaming of that more artistic approach to it, which would have been so edgy
Ralph Moore: 30:22
if you're gonna work with someone off that ilk. Yes, who is there someone at the very top that you would like to work with. The you know, with the Collaborate with, though, that you would like to remix
Kölsch: 30:32
or worked with off neo classical stuff. Yeah, news from of course is ah, I'm a huge fan. I mean, I went Teo, I've seen him twice. It's incredible. How silent people are is his concerts. I mean, you know, usually is people are blabbering away filming everything. But I went to concept with my sister and we didn't utter a word for 1.5 hours, which was unusual in these day and age. Same effect, actually, with Bo never went to one of the concert people was so quiet. Sometimes music just catches you. It just does something to you, which is obviously the whole point with music. But in certain cases, just to a lesser degree, you know, when you go to tea, regular rock concerts, even club nights, people just openly chatting away over the over the performance, which I find is kind of sudden expend quite respect with Ah, now I'm obviously just a d j. So maybe it's the respect its nest less needed in my case, in some pretty much playing other people's records. But I it detract from the immersive experience of going to a concert, I reckon,
Ralph Moore: 31:40
right on DH off the new SciFi films that have come out recently, in which any of them really grabbed you. You know, you mentioned arrival.
Kölsch: 31:50
Oh yes, arrival. It was chillingly good is one of the best films I've seen in many, many years. But I will say the new Blade Runner was also incredible. Obviously, play one of the original had a huge impact on me b from the musical side Vangelis at the genius years. But the film in itself uttered a whole new approach to science fiction, which I thought was quite incredible. But I loved about the new one was the fact that they dared to go back and mess around with the original manuscript. The fact that they would suggest that the whole meeting between decade and Rachel was a planned thing to create? Well, I'm not goingto ruin it for other people who may have not seen it yet, but I just love the fact that they dared do that, cause it, to certain extent was quite sacrilegious for the for the fans of the original
Ralph Moore: 32:35
film. It blew most people's expectations out of the water. I think that film I was very, very worried that they were even making it. Yeah, um, I'm even Harrison being in it like he delivered in that film. I was I was very impressed. Apart from Star Wars and Blade Runner and arrival, are there any other incredible SciFi movies that you hold very dear?
Kölsch: 33:02
Oh, let me just think for a minute. You know what? Honestly, I'm a big fan of Joon.
Ralph Moore: 33:07
Ah, yes.
Kölsch: 33:08
And a lot of people would have to do scream in the under because I will say, I love the fact that was David Lynch's first film. As far as I remember, if I'm not completely wrong
Ralph Moore: 33:17
in his first film, it wasn't his first SciFi feel okay, because he made the elephant man before that. Oh, you know, of course you made
Kölsch: 33:23
the Elephant Man before that. Yes, which is also great. That's a different storey altogether, but I really like June Universe isjust incredible love the fact that it has such huge Arabian influences, both stylish but the whole. The whole culture around is it's It's really fascinating. But what I really like about this June film is there such an incredible tension throughout the whole thing, which, obviously David Lynch since has perfected and pretty much everything else since then. But I think this was the first Endeavour into creating something so atmospheric in a sci fi film. Well, Blade Runner has a little of that, too, but there's a whole sheer we'd paranoia feel to June that I really enjoy. I recently watched a four hour long version of it, which I found somewhere now was that it was, Ah, I'm not gonna say good, because it really isn't a very good film, but there's just so many cool things in it.
Ralph Moore: 34:18
I haven't seen that for our version in issue that you also that
Kölsch: 34:21
you it's it's really it's hard to say what really bugs me because the storey so good mind you haven't read the books, which I probably should. I've kind of grown fund of it. It's such a weird thing that I remember seeing it back in the days and immediately realising. So I had distinct I had a pact with myself that I had to watch all sigh. If I even the most dreadful stuff. And all through the eighties the nineties ended 2000. I've done so. I've watched so bad, Rocky Horror sci fi films you wouldn't believe it on. I'd go on rent them paid t be disappointed time and time again. But this film somehow stopped with me is probably the atmosphere in it. There's something there that I just like.
Ralph Moore: 35:03
Baron Harkonnen is a particularly nasty
Kölsch: 35:06
villain. Oh, talk about nasty villains. I mean, dollars later is a joke compared to I
Ralph Moore: 35:12
mean, I don't think of Darth Vader's Is that evil? But Baron, How Conan with those those weird pustules on his face and the heart plugs. What is that? I don't know.
Kölsch: 35:25
It's such a I remember seeing it as a kid. I thought, That is just absolutely insane. What is that
Ralph Moore: 35:32
on? I bet that stings. Children have a field day when you know he's being annoying. Yeah, but it wasn't half bad, though it wasn't that bad. Do you think that techknow on DH? You know, techno is bigger now than it's ever been ever been. Yeah. Do we think that, like in techno music and being into scifi has kind of made it cooler than it was when we were growing up. So, for example, the obvious thing would be strange things. You know, we do sort of very much sums up a lot of the visual, my ideas and, you know, it's kind of it's a bit TT, isn't it? And it's a bit John Hughes Goonies Guineas, but it's great, you know, I enjoyed it. Yeah. Um, I think it's It's cooler now to say that you like SciFi, isn't it? Well, we're about to tell that to my wife. No,
Kölsch: 36:28
pretty much. Everything that was dreadfully uncool in the nineties is now kind of cool. I'm in. Techno music was the most uncool thing ever. Skateboarding was depressing. Leon Call. Sitting in front of a computer was uncool. Dressing. The way people do now is really on call. And I mean, it was all so left field and so particular that it was bound to become cool at one point. So I call it Will blossom Nerd's pretty much that's what we are to certain extent, you know, we've come from sitting in front of a computer, reading comics, watching sci fi on VHS cassettes to standing on stage, performing in front of people, which I would have never in my lifetime imagined. I remember when I started producing in making records, I'll just first of all, I never thought I'd be able to live, make a living of it. Second of all, I never thought I'd be able to make a good living on it. And I never thought that I would be playing for tomorrow. The mainstay 70,000 people watching me play techno music. If you told me that when I was 17 when I put on the first record, I would have just laughed at you would have an absolute joke. But then again, all these influences, all these things that we've gathered in our memory banks over the years have added to that. I don't think that techno music, now in the same way as it was back then, has the same lifestyle attached to it. In the sense that is not an identity as much as it was, it was pretty straight edge. When I got into, it was very much an identity that you would lean towards. Now it's, I think it's more of Ah, it's a thing you choose to be part of for a foreign event for a moment, but you don't necessarily buy the accompanying lifestyle in the sensor. You don't have to be a nerd. You don't have to like SciFi movies. I see a lot of bro's out there. I don't think they dig THX or
Ralph Moore: 38:14
I could be completely mistaken. Now I think you're right, which I kind
Kölsch: 38:21
of love that also, I like the fact that something that has been so precious to me always for the last 25 years of my life has become something that everybody can enjoy because I still believe that that techno music electronic music in general has such a primary emotional feel to it that it should belong to everybody should be open to everybody.
Ralph Moore: 38:43
This way's now that people are experiencing. For example, you could go to Royal Albert Hall and you can see James Bond with an orchestra on DH. Obviously, Pete's done it as well, you know, there's definitely, you know, I think Don Zimmer's doing it. Yeah, exactly. I think there was a style was one of the 02 that you go and see, so you know, it's sort of bringing these things to life in a way that they weren't those of, you know, dusty VHS videos,
Kölsch: 39:09
but more to a degree of romance. There isn't There's something there that, but I think that goes with everything. You know, I have a big I'm a big sneak ahead. First things I bought when I were able to afford them, wear sneakers that I couldn't get. When I was a kid, I'd buy all the old air walk skate shoes that I couldn't get because I just didn't have any money by all the early Nike shoes that I was into. And it's same thing goes for a lot of things. The same thing goes for all the studio equipment I couldn't back then. I recently bought a 909 I never owned one our border, 303 All those things I could never afford, a Nam in a fortunate position to fulfil those weirdly romantic dreams that I have about these machines. Was it worth it? I'm not quite sure because I haven't really used the machines much, but I like looking at them wth these days. The technology is somewhat obsolete compared to modern technology, anyway. when it comes to producing music.
Ralph Moore: 40:01
John Williams Are you a fan of John Williams? I've
Kölsch: 40:07
honestly never really gotten involved in John Williams. It's interesting. Yes, which is or isn't it?
Ralph Moore: 40:14
I think I like the fact that he's the one remaining person from Star Wars culture, apart from Anthony Daniels, who is the link to every film. And he's probably 83 or 80 for now. Is that because there are it's a bit too Hollywood. It never touched me.
Kölsch: 40:34
I mean, I think that's one of the main differences between Star Wars and a lot of the sci fi films that I'm really in love with is the fact that they are absolutely beautifully made. They are really good storeys, but they're more about storytelling than atmosphere. I'm always drawn to vibes, if you will, to salmon clubs. You integrate something out of nothing, and I love films. May they be ever so bad. If they have a certain thing to them, I'd completely fall in love with him. Hence the whole June thing. But obviously John one is a genius. I mean, the composing is incredible. I've been desperately searching for the disco version of all the Star Wars teams. You remember that one? Yeah. Especially the part where it's the Cantina band playing. That's not my favourite thing. Ever love that country in a band?
Ralph Moore: 41:26
Then if you write that, maybe he did. I don't know. Who knows? Well, listen, is there anything else that we haven't touched on? We might have to wrap up soon.
Kölsch: 41:36
You were blabbering on again. We should go have a coffee out here and then finish that. Ah, discussion. We started about the daft punk albums.
Ralph Moore: 41:46
I think just 11 final thing I think we're gonna D'oh! I'm gonna ask you, like five quickfire questions. What's the proudest moment in your career?
Kölsch: 41:55
Proudest moment in my career. Ah, I could tell exactly what that was. That was about six years ago. I was playing in Paris on DH. I brought my step Mom and all my aunt Ese on to stage. And they're about six of them. They're all in their late sixties. At the time, I gave them all the free champagne that they could ever dream off. And they went absolutely nuts for six hours when I was playing and all the kids in the club looking at these older women standing in the V I. P absolutely losing it. And they would think Who are these ladies? And that was That was beautiful. It made me so happy.
Ralph Moore: 42:33
What's your favourite rock album taking away from dance music?
Kölsch: 42:36
Steely Dan. Age, of course, of course. Of course. Why? Because they were the duff bunk off their times.
Ralph Moore: 42:43
Exactly. Right? Exactly right. Tell me why you love London again.
Kölsch: 42:48
It's Ah, it's It's a Bible thing, you know. You go here, you Dusty's 30. Are you actually used to love London? Mohr. I used to go to AA cut dub plates, Music house. The whole experience of going to these weird rooms and back yards and finding all these treasure chests of good things, I mean, especially record shopping here back in the days was incredible. You'd find such gems everywhere. Now it's ah, little more gentrified was still good
Ralph Moore: 43:13
on DH. What's your favourite place in the world to go and relax and kick back?
Kölsch: 43:19
Ah, pizza in the north? No question. I recently did the hike to Atlantis in a pizza again, which was rudely interrupted by a new English man on the boat who who swam across to the to the well. So Atlantis is a little rock formation in a beat that I've been searching for for many years finally found its absolute, most beautiful, pristine spiritual place. And we were sitting there enjoying the moment, and a big boat came on. The guy was sweeping across the sea with his hand on the water, and he came up and he was completely wasted. Didn't want against cocaine. What? He was gonna do it. Atlantis. So you got it completely wrong. Wait. Why don't you swim back to Big Boat into your cocaine there instead of you did?
Ralph Moore: 44:03
And finally, you're not wearing your hat today because they only come out on special occasions? Or is it just not coming out? Because you're
Kölsch: 44:10
I'd say these days not worrying. That's the special occasion, isn't it? It's just that ubiquitous thing, this hat thing. Um, yeah, the hats. I like that. I just That's it. People will keep asking, What's the whole thing? Actually, I will say this what I really like about fedoras. It'd harks back to film. The wild harks back to a different time, a different era and I like the silhouette. I love the fact that even with low lighting, the silhouette of someone wearing hat looks instantly classic.
Ralph Moore: 44:38
Thank you. We're gonna stop. You've been listening to a little more conversation. Make sure you subscribe for more intimate conversations with music industry icons including Pete, Tom, Fatboy Slim, Cassie, Errol, Alcon Flood on DH Black Madonna.