Berlin’s Housemeister grew up on a diet of techno, machines and has produced more than 30 vinyl records, 5 full length albums and has toured in over 50 countries worldwide.

Let’s go back a few years and talk about the OP-1 album project which I’m sure you get asked about a lot. You made the entire album on just a Gameboy and played live shows around the time using only a PSP and a Kaosspad. Do you have any more plans to do something cool like this?

In my studio I have many machines, synthesizers and effektboxes + a big analog 32 channel mixer, but sometimes I like to do music with just one instrument, a small one which you can take with you and create music everywhere, but not a laptop. I like the limitation of these instruments and enjoy the challenge with these restrictions to complete something.

For the PSP I once had this amazing non-official 8 channel sampler software which I put my samples inside and programmed awesome stuff and played live with it in front of 1000 people. Big fun, but then I got this new GTA game which updated my PSP and the software was not working anymore.

My game boy album I made on Thailand’s beaches with headphones and wav-recorder, but the best for this was the OP-1 which I took with me on tour and made the track in airplanes and hotels.

In moment I have no plan like this but we will see what the future brings. I have installed on my Nintendo switch this korg gadget app to make music but I’m not sure about it. It’s too much a computer already.

You’re a resident at Suicide Circus. How long have you played there and how does the crowd differ here to other venues and what’s made you stay? 

Actually I’ve been a  resident in Suicide Circus for ages. The old club was end of the 90s near Hackescher Markt in Berlin. After they had to close, they moved to another location in Mitte and called it the 2000 people club Casino, where I was resident too until they re-opened the new Suicide at Warschauer Strasse 9 years ago. I’ll play there every 2 months, invite artists I want and for sure I´ll play at the big birthday party in June 24th. The crowd is good like everywhere in Berlin, tourists and a bunch of Berlin techno lovers come around all the time.

Mostly I just go out in Berlin when I play, sometimes going to Tresor, Berghain or Kater Blau or I go to a nice concert or hang in bars.

You run your own imprint All You Can Beat (AYCB) but seem to collaborate a lot with Boysnoize Records. How did the relationship start and develop to the level it is now? 

My first vinyl on BNR I released in 2004 followed by 3 Albums and many EPs, but I still had more output so I started AYCB in 2005 where we have now reached 51 releases. Alex (Boys Noize) was a fan of mine, he loved all my stuff and always supported me. He gives me my artist freedom I needed to do what I want, even design my own covers. We are good friends and we were touring the planet together.

We’ve premiered one of the tracks from the Stand Up! EP and there is some real diversity on the release. Was there any plan in mind when putting the release together?   

I think I´m like this. I like diversity and for me it fits. It’s all techno, a bit ghetto, old-school, a bit Chicago and 1 EBM track.

https://soundcloud.com/changeunder/cupremiere-housemeister-anark-boysnoize-records

What’s your plan for AYCB and which artists are you proud to feature on your roster? 

Normally I have 6-8 releases a year with great artists like DJ T-1000, d_func., Klienfeld, 0010×0010, HD Substance, Deadwalkman, Robert Armani and myself for sure, but in 2018 I’ll take a little break with my label and focus releasing on different labels.

We heard you’re a pinball wizard. How long have you been playing or practising?

Since the Reunion of East and West Germany I had the chance to play pinball. I´m from east Berlin, so we don’t have them. I played more or less since 25 years and I really enjoyed French airports some years ago, where you always found some pinballs which was a perfect way to kill the time. I wish every airport would have some.

I also had my own one at home, the high-speed from the 80ies. I bought it from my friend Jan Driver once who always had pinballs in his studio where we made battles with Siriusmo. At the moment I’m more addicted than ever, the new ones, like Stern Star Wars LE or Guardians of the Galaxy LE are so incredible. It looks like the best pinballs ever are coming out now which is amazing!

Close to my house in Friedrichshain in Berlin at the Feuermelder bar I’m going nearly daily for some hours playing them and they always have the limited editions. Pinballs are real analog machines, where you have to finish missions. You play against gravity and the only thing you can win, is more time (free games, extra balls) and fame when you can write your name inside as grand champion. This year I was attending to German Pinball Open in Hamburg where I came 26th out of 160 players. I had good chances to win, but it was my first tournament and I didn’t know that I had to register again the next day and I arrived 15min to late. I was out before starting! Very sad. I´ll try next year again.

What other things are you looking forward to for the rest of this year?

There is another EP coming soon this summer that I’m really proud of. Matthew Herbert has been a fan since my OP-1 album on BNR, so he asked me for a vinyl on his label Accidental JNR which is finished now and it comes out with a Matthew Herbert Remix. For me it’s an honour, because I’m into him since ´93. His Wishmountain project, Doctor Rockit or Radio Boy influenced me a lot.

Pre-order Housemeister – Stand Up! on vinyl here: https://www.diggersfactory.com/vinyl/212952/housemeister-stand-up