Benny Grauer is yet another artist calling out the numbers obsessed culture in dance music that’s coming before quality

Hi Benny, tell us about you? How old are you, where are you living and how long have you been producing and Djing?

Benny Grauer: Hi guys, I’m actually 36 and turning to 37 in two weeks. Born and grown up in a small student city in the south of Germany called Tübingen, I moved to Berlin in 2008. Since end of the 90’s I have been DJing. And producing since 2007. My first EP entitled “nine days wonder” was released in 2010 on my own Label Deep Circus, which I had run until 2015.

What made you get in to dance music?

Benny Grauer: I have always had a special preference for electronically produced dance music. As a little boy, I listened the synth sound of the 80s from my Mums record collection and as a teenager the trance and Rave CDs of my older brother. When he took me to the Streetparade to Zurich at the age of 15, I was finally done for it. I started to search and buy techno and house records, and begun to learn more about electronic music and to live and love its culture and lifestyle

Where was your first gig?

Benny Grauer: It was in ’99 at an event of a good friend. The venue called Sudhaus in my old hometown Tübingen.

Talk to us about your latest release on Mood Music and the inspiration behind it.

Benny Grauer: I did’t release much in 2016, but took my time to work on my sound. That was also due to the fact that many of the styles that House and Techno currently dominate have begun to bore me. As a DJ, my roots have always been Dub and Detroit influenced House and Techno. It’s still the preferred sound in my recordcase and I wanted to do this in the studio too. “Into Clouds” is my 3rd release on Moodmusic. Sasse is a good friend and gave me always lot of creative space for my releases. I’m happy for his support and to be back on his Label.

https://soundcloud.com/changeunder/cupremiere-benny-grauer-into-clouds-moodmusic

What’s the music scene like where you’re based and how often are you playing?

Benny Grauer: I live in Berlin, guess no more words to say 🙂 I moved to Berlin 9 years ago and think it was the best and most important step for my career. This place allows subculture and creativity in a unique way. I am very glad to have the opportunity to live this freedom daily. Usually I play around 4 shows a month, sometimes more sometimes less. Most of them in Europe, but also in South America, Asia and Australia. In Berlin, I play once or twice a month.

Which other DJs or producers are you really liking right now?

Benny Grauer: Artists such as Robert Hood, Delano Smith, Mihai Popoviciu, Radio Slave, Steve Rachmad, Heiko Laux, Joel Mull and some others have been inspiring me for many years and still doing it. Beside there are a few new talents actually really rock it. Truncate, Yotam Avin, Jon Hester, just to name a few …

Are there any things about the industry that really piss you off? If so, what could we be doing better?

Benny Grauer: Well, I guess the industry itself is the problem. Capitalism has come to the full in the electronic music scene and this is noticed on all channels. Through digitization, music is consumed differently than in the past and tracks have become pure consumer goods. In addition, the market is flooded with new labels, producers and DJs. This makes the business extremely fast and forcing artists to publish almost every month. And labels are only searching for the next potential hit, which works on Beatport. This has nothing to do with art and how we should consume and support it! I think the focus has to be more on music and quality again, not only on numbers. And artists must be able to focus on the essentials again and not how to get more Facebook likes.

What are your preferred labels?

Benny Grauer: Sushitech, Kanzleramt, Hotflush, Delsin, Rush Hour, Soma, Dekmantel, Mosaic, M-Plant, Figure, Cyclic, Poker Flat, Dystopian, Still Hot, Curle, Moodmusic, just to name a few…

Tell us about your DJ setup

Benny Grauer: 3 x Pioneer CDJ 2000 NX, 1 x Mixer (Pioneer or A&H or Rane). From time to time i include 2 x Technics 1210 Turntables in my setup

What’s been your biggest achievement

Benny Grauer: Still to live out what I love

What can we expect from you soon

Benny Grauer: After 3 EPs, 3 remixes and a single track on the Still Hot Contemporary Compilation I will finish my release plan 2017 with a Remix for the Swiss based Label Sirion. As mentioned, I’ve worked a lot in the studio. There are some finished tracks that I am very proud of and have been playing in the clubs since few months. For the moment I’m not able to tell anything about where the Tracks will be released. But there will be a lot upcoming stuff in 2018. Maybe my first album?