It’s Thursday April 23 2015 – this is the sixteenth TEA at the ZOO and we are proud to present you someone, who was with us straight from the beginning. Say hello to Florian Kern from Animal Instinct | Nuremberg. So open your ears and hark to what he plays and has to say:
Where are you from? I’m from Schwabach, a small town near Nuremberg, Germany.
Where are you living most of your time? On the moon.
How old are you? 28 years.
When and why did you start DJing? A few years ago, perhaps 6, I was bored of listening to bad music from others [laughter].
Which equipment/set up is your favourite and why? Digital and/or CDJs. Not because of syncing (beat matching is something I learned years ago on my Technics 1210 which I got very cheap), but because of looping. I hated it, yes really hated it! And still hate this “bang“ beat in, “bang“ beat out style of mixing I heard a lot before I started DJing myself. Of course there were some masters where you didn’t really mention mixing the new track in, but mostly I heard “BANG” and in my opinion this is rude and not very sensible, especially not very musical. So I decided to play digital or with CDJs where I can loop the track. Perhaps I’m not good enough in mixing Vinyl for my standards, that’s probably a reason. Traktor or the CDJs allows me to loop the beginning and the end of tracks and it’s always my decision when this time has come. With that I’m able to put an end right in the middle of a track, if I want to, and switch in the new one as slow as I want. A normal ear needs time to acclimate to new sounds and if you’re putting in to many frequencies at one time it could lead to a strange incorrect feeling while listening. Another reason for the digital decision was and still is that I’m allowed to have 4 decks at one time, so I always can prelist to 4 decks and take the track that fits most in my mix even if I know my library. But, having 4 channels open on the mixer at the same time nearly always sounds like shit and I tried it many times, there are too many frequencies. If you’re not Chris Liebing with a huge library of self-made samples etc. you simply shouldn’t do that. Same with CDJs, it’s possible to switch between tracks very fast if they don’t fit together with their harmony. Not so easy with vinyl. Another reason for digital DJing for me is when you play vinyl, once your decision about a track is made you have to be very fast to find a new one if you change your mind in a short time, and the quality of mixing suffers in this example. Besides that, playing vinyl does not automatically stand for quality. Equipment I use: MacBook Pro 13’’, Traktor Pro, Native Instruments Audio 10 DJ, Allen Heath Xone K2 and I always prefer an Allen Heath Xone 92 mixer. 2 Pioneer CDJ 850, 900 or 2000. Two USB sticks are easier to carry.
How would you describe your music? From deep to dark, to bad ass industrial, to acid and often melodic. It depends on the season, but mainly I would call it Techno.
Who are your idols? [Puuuh] There are so many people that influenced me privately or music-wise. But for my whole life I think it’s Ché Guevarra.
Where do you get your inspiration? Everywhere. If I’m bored, if I have a good/bad mood, being pissed off, if there are impressing landscapes at a vacation etc. everything is inspiration! Open your eyes and minds!!!
What was the first vinyl you bought? A locked groove vinyl for practicing, can’t remember the name but something from Sender Berlin.
What was the last vinyl you bought? Something from Len Faki’s Figure-Label, Cryptic!
Do you have any residencies? Unfortunately I do not. Yet!
Where was your first gig? At a small club in Nuremberg which does not exist anymore, with REBEKAH. Man, I was so excited; I almost peed myself [laughter].
Where did you like it the most to DJ and why? In small dusty and sweaty clubs, no colored lights, just strobe. And at small open airs. I love being out in the nature with good music, this bear grills thing while mixing 😉
What was the funniest/craziest thing that happened at a gig? At Magdalena, a club in Berlin. A guy thought he was a masseuse during my gig – I guess in his world he was doing something really good to me, but in reality his kneading hurt a lot! But I always kept in mind that if I don’t say anything to him he probably might get bored giving me a massage. FAIL! Not until one hour later and me DJing like Quasimodo he stopped. Later that evening he was escorted out of the club, don’t know whom he massaged after me [laughter].
Are there any upcoming releases or recently released stuff? Not yet, work in progress.
What are you plans for the future? This is something I will see tomorrow.
What is your favorite animal? Elk
Try to catch Florian Kern playing one of his harmonic but pushing sets, it was a pleasure doing the interview with him and a pleaser listening to his set. So don’t forget to say hello from us!
– Larry
www.facebook.com/floriankern.official www.soundcloud.com/floriankern www.residentadvisor.net/dj/floriankern dj.beatport.com/floriankern