Germany’s Emanuel Satie has situated himself as one the scene’s most dedicated producers and also one of the most dependable. His back-to basics productions keep it simple, but he does it effectively. In fact, he was so effective he was rewarded with the ‘Best Producer’ award at 2016’s DJ Awards. Check his recent release on Crosstown Rebels, the highly contagious and interesting EP ‘Addis Abeba’, an Ethiopian sampled ride through dance floor dynamics.

With his regular annual tours he is quickly becoming a fellow Australian, and he is currently gracing us Down Under in his most comprehensive tour to date. We caught up with I’m just as he was preparing to leave for Australia, and talked to him about scene developments, new music, DJ showcases and more…

 

NR: Hi Emanuel, we can’t wait to have you in Australia again! What are you looking forward to the most about his upcoming trip?

Hey guys, thank you, i can‘t wait myself. Since it‘s getting pretty cold and grey in Berlin at the moment the thing i‘m looking forward to the most is summer. Obviously also all the gigs. The Thick as Thieves team have put together a great run of shows again. Revolver is one of my favourite clubs worldwide, so can‘t wait to play there, as well as Bohemian Beatfreaks festival, which looks crazy, also the Junction in Bondi which is the new club by my buddy Ben Nott, and all the others as well. Looking forward to visiting some new cities like Perth, Byron Bay and Erina. Most importantly it‘s gonna be great to hang with old friends again and make new ones.

NR: You recently played at Watergate as part of the Moon Harbour label showcase. if you could organise your own show case which five DJs would you book and why?

Wow, how amazing would that be. Definitely Sven Väth, as he‘s my favourite DJ ever. Damian Lazarus, to bring the Crosstown Rebels vibes. I love a good live set by Kink. Let‘s throw in some good techno with Dettmann and Klock back to back and finally a disco set by DJ Harvey or some eclectic madness by Seth Troxler; I can‘t decide!

NR: Your latest release on Crosstown Rebels ‘Addis Ababa’ is amazing. How did this relationship with Crosstown Rebels start and do you have more plans to work with this legendary label?

I had these 2 tracks with Ethiopian musicians at my hands that just started as an experiment, the music was so unusual that i wasn‘t even sure if i wanna release them officially. I thought no label would be brave enough to do it except Damian and Crosstown Rebels, that was the only option in my mind. Luckily he loved the idea. He invited me to London to play with him the same week and even took a third track called FADE for his Spirits compilation. I couldn‘t be happier. And yes, I‘d love to do more on Crosstown Rebels; in fact, i have some new stuff cooking already.

NR: Have you ever considered starting up your own label?

Yes of course, I’ve been playing with the idea for some time now. I love the thought of building my own crew and developing something bigger than myself. There are still a couple things that need my whole focus which I wanna do before starting label, like my debut album for example.

NR: What would you say, if any, has been the most significant changes this year on the global scene

There have been a couple interesting developments this year. As always the scene is changing very fast. I feel like the most important is that the scene is answering the rise of right wing populism by supporting diversity more than ever. We have seen the rise lately of many new talented women and DJs, and of minority groups. I love the fact that in times where the world is more and more divided, our scene takes a clear stance. Never openly political, but the core value is clear, everyone is accepted here.

NR: Looking back over your back catalogue what is the track you are the most proud of?

I have to say it’s still ‘Come As You Are’. I remember how the track was just flowing out of me effortlessly, I didn‘t write it, it felt like I was just a vessel for the idea. It still works wonders in any situation every time I play it. Creating timeless music is what is important to me, to have achieved that with that track makes me very proud. ‘Don‘t Forget To Go Home’ feels like it could be the same, but it‘s too early to say, it still needs to stand the test of time.

NR: Are there any news or upcoming release you can tell us about ?

Many! I’m very happy to have another track on Crosstown Rebels lined up for November. It‘s called ‘Fade’ and features my dear friend the singer Nanghiti. The feedback is already very good. Same goes for the last release of the year, my remix for Sabb‘s hit ‘Jeopardize’. For months now it’s been turning heads everywhere I play and I look forward to finally put it out. Up next are EPs on Knee Deep in Sound and a collaboration with Pete Tong on Saved Recordings… there’s so much more music in the vault. 2019 is gonna see a lot of Satie releases.