Jacob Groening is a highly respected German artist who is prominent within the indie dance and organic house scene.

Jacob Groening is a skilled DJ who plays regularly at Berlin venues like Kater Blau, but also plays international gigs in countries ranging from India to Brazil. His style incorporates everything from indie dance to afro house, and he also runs the influential record label Kamai Music.

Kamai Music is a regular outlet for Jacob Groening’s original music, but he has also featured his tracks and remixes on other respected record labels including 3000 Grad Records, Cosmic Awakenings and Earthly Delights.

Next up in Jacob Groening’s schedule is his debut album ‘Timefades’ and to celebrate its full release on the 24th of November, we invited him for this interview… 

Hi Jacob, it’s a pleasure to be talking with you, could you start by saying what part of the world you are currently living in, and what the local scene is like at this time of year?

Hi, I am currently based in Berlin. The scene here is diverse and offers clubs that cater for various Music tastes. I feel that Berlin is one of the best music capitals when it comes to electronic music. Although I have a lot of love for Berlin, I am currently building a new studio space for myself in Hamburg. I grew up in Hamburg, and I’m still very attached to the area.

What’s coming up in your schedule, as I understand you are soon to release an album?

Yes, I am very happy and proud to finally release the album. It is called ‘Timefades’ and will be released digitally on the 24 of Nov. There will also be a gatefold vinyl release that will come out around a month later.

This is your first album, how stressful did you find the production process, I assume it took a long time to finish the album?

I started working on the album last year when I was in Mexico, and I’m really excited to release my first LP. Working on the album has helped me try new ideas and experiment in the studio. I also feel that the process has helped me improve my approach to making music.

For the album, I played a lot of electric guitars, and rediscovered synths sounds from my childhood in the ‘80s. I had tried to avoid these sounds in the past, but I decided to embrace them for the album, as I think they work as part of a larger project. Using sounds from my past helped my express my inner self, and embrace what has influenced my music taste on a whole.

Making the album was a lot of work, as I did all the mixing of the album myself, which is something I’d often outsourced before. On a whole, I feel very proud of what I’ve accomplished with this release.

Do you plan to play the album live or does it consist only of studio tracks that will fit into your DJ sets?

While working on the album I was conscious of making music that I’d also be able to perform in a live setting, which is why I played the guitar and sung the vocals myself. Earlier this year, I was invited to play a live performance at one of the most iconic stages at Burning Man, and I wanted to make sure I’d be able to perform the album at similar gigs. Playing live at Burning Man was such a rewarding experience, and something I’d wanted to do for a long time. So, I really hope I get asked to play there next year, and want to give a special thanks to the hard-working team behind all the stages at Burning Man… it was one of the most professionally run gigs I’ve ever played!

Talking of DJ sets, what gigs do you have planned over the coming months, anything you are particularly excited about?

I recently played at ADE for a new music platform called “We R 1” which is a new artist friendly royalty collection system that’s due to launch soon. It was a lot of fun playing at ADE, and soon I’ll be playing in Istanbul, followed by a Tour of Mexico and America.

I’m always curious what’s it’s like playing in other countries, is there ever a language barrier or do you speak multiple languages?

Yes, of course, but I find that most people speak English, and that’s the language I often use to communicate with people living outside of Germany. I also speak French, but I’m not as fluent as I used to be, as I didn’t get to speak it that often. I am starting to learn the basics of Spanish, as I’m travelling to Mexico and Colombia quite regularly. My girlfriend is Colombian so we make trips to visit her family.

Have you ever played in Australia, and if so, what did you think of the scene Down Under?

I’ve not played in Australia yet, but it’s somewhere I’d love to visit, as I’ve heard good things about the scene. There are good festivals happening around January and February that I would like to perform at, and I’m always hopeful that one day I’ll be asked to play at one of them.

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, do you have a message for fans or anything else you want to add before we finish?

I hope that one day everyone will be able to live in peace. I find it very sad watching the news and seeing what is happening in the world. Peaceful dancers being attacked at a festival, then retaliation where civilians are being bombed and cut off from electricity and water supplies. Land being taken from people for no legitimate reason, and a young woman being beaten to death by the police in Iran. None of these things should be tolerated, and I hope humans can unite to find freedom and peace without conflict.

You can pre-order a copy of Jacob Groening’s new album “Timefades” from …HERE…