Rebekah Interview

When it comes to techno they don’t come much harder than Rebekah. The British artist has been making waves with the sort of sets which pummels the senses as much as it does the dance floor. Celebrating 20 years since she first stood behind the turntables, Rebekah has now established herself as one of the leading exponents of techno. Taking her cue from the likes of  Dave Clarke, Derrick Carter, Richie Hawtin and Billy Nasty, Rebekah’s musical outlook is also inspired by the homewtown she grew up in, Birmingham. Now, off the back of her recent release on Slam’ s Soma Records, Rebekah is finally returning to Australia, and we managed to catch up with the Brummie before her arrival…

In your bio the following is stated: ‘The need to push the envelope, have new experiences, and share new creative impulses is deep rooted, and yearns to be nurtured. That is the position Rebekah find’s her self in during the early stages of 2016.’ We are almost three quarters of the year into 2016… do you feel like you’ve achieved those points i.e.. pushed the envelope, have new experiences? If so, what were they? Or are you still on your way of achieving them?

As always things just take such a long time especially with playing most weekends and then being creative in the week to work on new projects. But yes I am in the process of realising some long term goals, my album is almost finished, I have collaborated with an amazing visual artist; Malika Maria to bring a handful of parties this winter. And over the summer I have managed to get more comfortable playing festival gigs, which I struggled with in previous years. As for pushing the envelope, I will have to let the audiences decide on that but what I can say is that I have stuck to my guns with the harder more UK side of techno, and I am super happy at the moment.

Although you are now based in Berlin, your love affair with techno started 20 years ago back in your home town of Birmingham at the legendary Que Club. What is the lasting memory for you from those days? Which DJ’s back then for you was the standouts?

I think prior to going to the Que Club I had experienced house nights, which were cool and definitely made me want to DJ, but at that point I wasn’t sure which kind of genre I liked most as I was listening to everything and being influenced with sounds coming from France and Chicago as well as some deep house and trip hop. When I visited the Que Club for my first Atomic Jam all that changed, I had never experienced the rave scene as I was just too young (and young looking) to get in to the events a few years earlier, so this was my first big party and the atmosphere was like nothing I had experienced before. The music was just amazing, minimal vocals but just raw sounds and grooves and the way the DJs played was just so different too.

Dave Clarke back then was pure fire, he would play these sets and from the start would just be insane, how he would captivate our attention and we would go with him as he told his story, a pure master, and of course still is. I also liked Billy Nasty as just when you would think he would never be able to follow on from Dave Clarke he would take it up a notch. Back then no one would really mix into one another’s sets either and that’s something that got started up again in recent years. When I started playing in Europe I realised that the scene never really died off like it did in the UK, so the kids now are still getting to experience techno how it should be perceived, as a huge rave and this is what keeps me excited!

Other popular techno artists from Birmingham include Surgeon, Regis and Female – that is quite the list! What is it about Birmingham that spawned such a healthy techno scene, and a unique sound? And is it a tight knit community?

Birmingham is such an industrial city, back in the early 90s it had so much car industry that really the only jobs going for young people would have been to work in a factory. In this sense I believe it mirrors Detroit in some ways, but what these guys did is take influences from other places, such as post punk bands, and they made something new – and the Birmingham sound was created. I speak from time to time with Surgeon, who is such a gentleman and Regis was definitely instrumental in getting my earlier music noticed and signed just before I moved to Berlin, which of course was a huge honour.

Surgeon recently collaborated with Lady Starlight which obviously attracted very extreme opinions! if you were to collaborate with anyone artist (form any genre) who would it be and why?

It would have to be Liam Howlett from The Prodigy, the guy is one of the biggest talents we have in the UK dance scene and isn’t given much credit, but he basically moved the hardcore rave scene on to techno in the early 90s, and of course pioneered the breakbeat scene. He is just absolutely astonishing in the studio, so I think I would learn a lot and I would also love to hear his take on 4/4 techno. Wouldn’t that be exciting?

You had a flirtation with the house scene in the 00’s. What sort of house acts were your looking towards for inspiration? Do you still have a healthy interest in house?

Nowadays unfortunately not, I will go and dance to it occasionally but it’s not something I follow and collect anymore. Back in the 00s I was listening to lots of different sub genres of house from the soulful vibes of Masters at Work to Junior Jack, but I think my all time influences within house is Derrick Carter and DJ Sneak. Chicago jackin was in my blood, but I got caught up with funky house for a while where I sold my soul for a little while and had to buy it back at an extortionate rate.

Any upcoming releases or campaigns you can tell us about?
I’ve just had my latest release Anxiety out on Soma, it’s still gaining some momentum with the DJs and is also doing well on Beatport. I’ve also been working on my Elements project which is now moving in to events where Malika Maria supplies her visual art and I curate the line-up. It’s all very exciting and we have the first international event in Rotterdam at Factory 10 in December where I will be joined by Paula Temple, Perc and Stranger. The combination of techno with the visuals is really intense and works hand in hand to bring in different “elements” to the whole techno clubbing experience.

In your opinion which country is currently the best territory for techno and why?

Naming a specific country would be impossible, but as a whole Europe is the place where the parties can be big or small and the people will gravitate towards the sound. Whether its the cooler climate or just the history and venues that are available, but the past few years the return to more straight “proper” techno has been growing and growing. Also they seem to get it in Colombia and Argentina too, something to do with their latin blood!

If we were to come visit you in Birmingham, what would be the number one tourist activity you would recommend to us?

Most of the tourist attractions are a bit predictable so I would just say take a walk around the city centre, starting at Centenary Square and work your way through the older part of the city taking in the new Library, Pigeon Park and then winding through to New Street, and then the newer developed part. The latter is great for shopping whilst the first part has the best architecture which in my opinion is very beautiful.

What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming Australian tour?

The gigs of course!!! Returning to play in Melbourne as last time it was such a great party, the parallels the city has with Berlin make’s it now a special place in my heart. Also playing at the Burdekin as I know they have been putting on techno’s finest so think this party will be fun too. 🙂

Tour Dates
Friday 23rd September: stranger @ Sorry Grandma, Melbourne
Saturday 24th September: Burdekin Hotel, Sydney