This past Friday, fryhide‘s Tim Engelhardt wowed the eager Montreal crowd at Newspeak with a power house performance of his live set. After strong support from locals Jimmy Be and Dexter Crowe, the stage was set for him to show Montreal what he can do and he certainly did not disappoint. The set featured live remixes of a number of his hit tracks but was primarily comprised of unheard material, all conducted live on stage from a set up that he was able to fit into his back pack. It was a true exhibition of what passion, talent and technology can produce in the 21st century. The show came as a pre-cursor to the highly anticipated return of the abandoned__ concept party hosted by Husa Sounds and Frontrite which will host the first fryhide showcase to happen in Canada, on May 5th as part of “abandoned factory”. Montreal’s Tone Depth and Groj will play alongside fryhide’s founder, HOSH, for what is shaping up to be one of the parties of the summer before it even begins! More info about the event can be found below.
After the show, we had the chance to sit down with the Cologne born producer and ask him a few questions about life, touring and music and gain some insight into the life of the young super talent before heading on to the last leg of his North American tour. Tim will conclude the tour this week at Desert Hearts festival in LA before moving on to play alongside Henry Saiz in London on the 11th of May. Read the full interview below:
So Tim, how did you find your first show in Montreal?
I had a lot of fun! I was quiet surprised actually, I didn’t know much about Montreal before coming but the energy on the dance floor was great, it was a really fun party.
When leaving on tour, aside from your laptop, headphones and USBs, what do you make sure to take with you?
I always have my Kindle with me to be able to read when flying.
If you had to pick one highlight of career thus far, what would it be and why?
Drafting, finishing and releasing my album was definitely the most interesting, frustrating but also rewarding process of my career. It’s such a huge project that it’s not comparable to anything else I’ve done so far.
As a live act, you have a lot of gear on stage with you. How do manage to make sure you have the set up you need for every gig around the world?
I always bring every piece of equipment myself and luckily, I‘ve almost never had issues!
I usually send to only a handful of people like HOSH, Atish and a few close friends which are not involved in the scene, so they have a different perspective on the tracks than I do.
Do you have any rituals before playing?
I don’t believe in rituals to be honest. I try to to get in a state of mind where I can focus without being distracted by all the other things happening.
What was the musical experience you were most nervous prior to at this point in your career?
When I played Strawberry Fields in Australia last year, I felt a lot of pressure prior to the gig because it’s quite a big festival. Anyhow, the pressure was quickly gone after I began playing my set and I transitioned into a really concentrated state of mind.
Since touring and realising the reach of your music and experiencing it first hand, how has your sound or approach to music changed, if at all?
When you are always playing music and also listening to sets in club environments, I think it’s natural to be influenced by this and over time be drawn to certain kind of sounds which have a physical impact on the dance floor.
If you compare my music now to the records I made three years ago, I think this influence is very obvious, but still there’s a common thread that hasn’t changed.
In a life that is full of new things, excitement, intense schedules and experiences, and on a steep trajectory, do you ever think about what you would like to be doing in 5-10-20 years?
I do, but so far, none of these possible situations don’t involve music. If possible, I’d love to work in music for the next 10 to 20 years.
Do you have any ambitions that mean a lot to you outside of music?
Well, right now, no. I’m a very creative and impulsive person though, so this could change any day!
Seeing as you released your first track at 14, how did you find the inspiration to make house/techno music? Normally people find themselves in this music on the dancefloor in clubs or festivals. Where did your exposure to the music come from?
When I was around 11, my older brother gave me a bunch of albums and sets which were mainly tech-house. I kind of tried to ‘decode’ that music and I really wanted to know how it was made, so I got a DAW and made my first attempts at producing the music I do now.
What are the other genres of music and artists that you listen to most when you need to refresh your ears?
I listen to a wide range of music. These days I really like the music from LCD Soundsystem, Jamie Woon, Tom Misch, but also Nils Frahm or Nicolas Jaar. Also my interest in classical music is growing.
For many young producers, the cost of analog gear can be a barrier to incorporating it into their set up. Did you find yourself looking for work to fund new additions to your set up in the earlier days? If so, what did you do?
Actually, I was able to buy every piece of gear that I have with the money I made from producing music, so I never had to get another job to allow myself to buy new pieces of equipment.
Where in the world could you see yourself living long term, aside from your hometown in Germany?
I could totally imagine living in Melbourne or San Francisco, but Cologne is where my friends are located so this is the place to be for me.
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