PURPLE DISCO MACHINE IN DUBAI
Make sure you’re free tonight for Purple Disco Machine. City Times spoke to the DJ and producer about his career so far, his favourite city to perform in and what makes a real DJ.
FOR THOSE IN the know, you know (and are probably excited) to make sure you’re free tonight. International DJ, producer and remixer Tino Piontek aka Purple Disco Machine will be performing tonight at Zero Gravity.
Since 2009 Purple Disco Machine has been perfecting his brand of Deep Funk Disco House but it was his 2013 breakthrough hit My House, on OFF Recordings, that really propelled him into the scene. Since then he’s created a series of classic original tracks including his collaborations with Boris D’lugosch on Defected, L.O.V.E. and Set It Out, his collaborations with Aeroplane on Spinnin’ Deep, Sambal and Counting On Me, his incredible double Pete Tong Essential New Tune the Yo EP on Kittball and the unforgettable Magic on Exploited.
City Times spoke to Purple Disco Machine before his performance and asked him about his musical journey, upcoming trends in the industry and his take on the music scene in Dubai.
What are your thoughts on Dubai?
I’ve played in Dubai a few times now. It’s a great city for nightlife with a real party crowd. I’m looking forward to opening Zero Gravity’s season!
How do you find the Dubai audience compared to every other place you’ve performed in?
Definitely a party crowd who enjoy my music. I’m not really a DJ for dark basements at 5am, so the outside, beach and pool vibe of Zero Gravity in Dubai works for me!
How did you come up with your onstage persona and how did you think up your name?
I wanted a name to fit the music I loved and was very keen to pursue as a producer and DJ. Which is disco house. But I also wanted a name that was a bit fun and not too serious, so that I could stand out from all the super serious German minimal and techno artists around at the time. I always liked Miami Sound Machine as a kid and I loved the famous disco breaks track Scratchin by Magic Disco Machine so I combined them with the colour of Prince who is one of my favourite ever artists!
How would you say the DJ and music production scene has changed from when you started in 2009?
Germany is mostly famous for its techno scene and so to even be a German house producer is rare, especially when I started. There was a new crew coming through out of what became called ‘the deep house scene’ in 2009 but mostly they came out of either minimal techno or big room electro house. I guess I was one of the only ones who was influenced by disco & funk and old school house like the Hamburg guys. Being in the East of Germany, Dresden was even more away from the influence of disco and house than the Western cities. Techno and hard trance were more popular underground styles there. The deep house scene eventually split into either tech house or the tropical house of Robin Schultz. There was pressure on me to jump one way or the other but I stuck to my funk, soul and disco roots. It was hard for a few years as my sound was not really popular in many places, but thankfully the scene has really come around again and disco house and house generally are very much in vogue.
Where is your favourite place to perform in the world and why?
It’s still probably Ibiza. Just the history and legacy of disco and house on the island and the amazing clubs. The audience only really come to Ibiza to go to the clubs so they are pretty educated – well, at the clubs I play for.
Who were your musical influences growing up?
My parents are still huge fans of music. They had a big record collection which was really hard to acquire back in the East Germany days. They loved the East German rock like Karat as well as the English progressive rock style and I grew up with Genesis, Pink Floyd etc. In fact my parents turned me onto Phil Collins as he was the singer of Genesis! I followed in my parents’ footsteps and also became an avid record collector, but my tastes went more into funk and soul and disco.
What do you see coming up in the horizon in terms of new sounds or trends?
House music has been around now for 30+ years - and disco for more like 45 years, so these are really established genres. They are not going to go away. People’s tastes change, but every 4-5 years house music returns to the centre of dance music culture. The last time it was more ‘deep house’ in 2010 etc, but this time it feels like it is going to be disco house which has not been the main house sound since the French Touch scene probably. So it is the right time for it to come again.
How important is social media in what you do?
For me the music is the most important thing. Social media is a great way of reaching the audience and building a fan base. It’s wonderful that nowadays the audience can feel more part of what you do as an artists with the interaction, but without good music to back it up then it’s just a new way of PR and the audience will disappear in my opinion.
What do you think makes a “real” Dj?
No question that the mixing side of Dj-ing has gotten easier with digital technology but being a good DJ is more than just blending two records in the same key and bpm. A deep knowledge of music, a sense of timing and the ability to read the room are very important. And not playing bad records of course!
What advice do you have for young artists in this region trying to make it?
Study and learn how to produce records. Learn to play a musical instrument as that can be liberating when you are producing. Try and work with good people. Search the musical archives for lessons and influences from the past and then try and add your own contemporary touch to them.
Every 4-5 years house music returns to the centre of dance music culture.” Purple Disco Machine