Tensnake Interview

Making music with Nile Rodgers might be a simple dream to many, but for Tensnake, real name Marco Niemerski, it became a reality with the release of his debut studio album, ‘Glow’, in which the American musician features on two songs. The collaboration might just top the success of ‘Coma Cat’ back in 2010, a song that shot Niemerski straight into the spotlight. The DJ and producer and since continued to change the way dance music is made, appreciated and danced to, with the vocals of Fiora, MNEK and others to help him. Spending the start of 2015 in Australia, Tensnake will be at the Royal Melbourne Hotel on 23rd January, with a DJ set to kick off the Australia Day weekend with a bang. Here, he talks to us about his time Down Under, working with Nile Rodgers and his plans for future releases.

You finished 2014 in Australia; was it a good way to kick off the New Year?
I had such a blast. Australia was always fun to play, but it seems the vibe and crowd has even improved since my last tour one year ago. Left of centre house music is becoming bigger and I am very pleased that people are open for that.

You return on 23rd January for a special show at the Royal Melbourne Hotel, do you have an idea for your set yet? Do you expect a certain atmosphere in a hotel compared to a festival setting?
My festival sets are usually more commercial than my club sets. People on a festival do not care about a nice build up, they want to have a great time and get entertained. Fiora did a fantastic job on the Falls Festival tour, she sang two songs in the middle of my set and people loved it. In a club environment, it is a bit harder to get a good vocal sound, so I think it will be a DJ set without live performance for Melbourne. But people will see Fiora supporting on the dance floor.

What are you up to now until then?
I will be mostly travelling Australia and will also try and make some music. The nature here is just stunning and very inspiring. I have a lot of plans for 2015. I just started a new label called True Romance and there will be some exciting releases featuring Tuff City Kids, Tiger & Woods, Magic Touch and many more.

Have you been able to travel Australia much? Where would you like to visit and what would you like to do?
I have been lucky enough to see quite a bit of Australia. This time I decided to spend most of my time in the Gold Coast Hinterland and the Tasmanian landscape. You can literally feel the power of nature here; it is very healing and inspiring. I have never been to Uluru though – will hopefully make it to the [Red] Centre next time.

We’ve enjoyed your pop and house-infused dance music lately, particularly with the release of ‘Glow’ last year; what kind of album were you hoping to produce?
The idea of Glow was to create an electronic pop album – the type of music you are listening to before going out, to get in the mood for a great night, and then again when you’re coming home. It is basically a collection of songs rather than tracks. Some of the songs are almost five years old now… Can’t believe how long it took me to release them.

It’s a collaborative feast with Nile Rodgers, MNEK and Fiora; were you keen to work these artists specifically?
Obviously the collaboration with Nile was a highlight in my career so far. I’m a huge fan and it was incredible to work with him. I got it all on video to remind me one day it was not a dream [Laughs]. But every one of the people you mentioned were amazing to work with; Fiora and MNEK are very talented and it felt very natural to work with them.

Whose music would you listen to when growing up? Was Nile Rodgers an influence with his disco-funk riffs?
Definitely a lot of disco and funk music, and a lot of pop music from the late ‘80s and ‘90s. I used to sit in front of the radio for days and record my favourite bits and pieces on tape. It literally was a hunt for music. Quite different compared to nowadays where you can download everything in a second.

Do you have plans to head back into the studio soon?
Absolutely. I will get back to Europe in February and will start working on new music then. The plan is to release a few singles over the year and then maybe start working on a new album.

Did you make a New Year’s resolution?
No I didn’t. I don’t really believe in them. If you want to change things in life, you could start everyday.

Tensnake at Royal Melbourne Hotel

Tensnake ‘Love Sublime’ Featuring Nile Rodgers and Fiora