With a track history that boasts residencies in iconic establishments such as Under Club and Tresor – it’s no wonder that Jonas Kopp has earned his place on the global stage. Whether it’s his latest Telluric Lines project, which focuses on his deeper experimental side, his infamously symbiotic back to back sessions with Pfirter, or even his mesmeric solo sets – Kopp is one to always turn heads. In this interview, you will get an insight into how the Argentinian carved out his unique sound and take it all the way back to his roots as a teenager – while enjoying a one hour exclusive podcast for Monument.
Hello Jonas,
Can you talk a little bit about the direction you took when piecing this mix together?
This mix is what I’m currently playing in my deeper DJ sets. Some mental and spacey stuff – I hope you like it!
You were amongst a handful of artists emerging from Argentina who brought attention to the country’s techno scene. Where did it all begin?
It began really early around 1997 when I started to go to the techno raves in Buenos Aires by myself. I was just getting into the Detroit techno sound at that time , which was something really unknown for me and blew my mind instantly. After that, I started to play in some local clubs and began making my first beats around the year 1999 , exploring and making jams in the shadows until 2006 when we decided to create a label together with Pfirter .
Then I took some inspiration from the Spectral Sound label through Matthew Dear and I have released some EPs on the label and an USA tour around 2007. That was the beginning of it all.
Cocoliche was a monumental club before it closed down – how important was that to yourself and others?
It was a great era where all the artists were united and collaborated with one another. We were brought together for a unique reason. The underground scene that was happening in this club at the time was something very special. We had a lot of fun playing at Cocoliche until really late in the morning. Meeting interesting people who were there just for the magic and the music we have created through our art.
I’m interested in your release as Area 64 – can you speak a little bit about this? What made you make that and what did it sound like?
Area 64 was my very first project , with really precarious equipment and software. It was mainly copying and pasting sounds from VSTs and editing everything on the audio edit “Sound Forge”.
I was deeply influenced by the Chicago techno scene at the time. Names like : Robert Armani , Dj Rush , Green Velvet , Frankie Bones were people who were really new and unknown in Buenos Aires at that time.
It’s hard to ignore labels such as Krill Music, Mindtrip and your own Traut Muzik, when thinking of Argentinian techno – you played a part with all of them, can you talk a bit about this arose?
These are family labels. I feel very comfortable working with them. It was an honour to make the first release from Krill. I also I felt the pressure of being the first – meaning I had to deliver something really solid to really make a big splash.
Anklad was the first track I made for the label and it took me a while to get this track done – Espen was getting impatient haha! But the waiting finally worth I guess.
Under Club is the most burgeoning venue in Argentina, how important was it for you back when you were there and how much does Argentina need it to stay open in the future?
It’s very necessary for me to be there often. I need that connection with my people , family , friends. I get a lot of energy. Energy that I need for touring in Europe during the rest of the year. Under Club is great and I can get all this energy from the crowd , they are fantastic!
So from Argentina, you made way for Europe. What possesses someone to move to the other side of the world?
I guess the distance is the main reason , 12 – 15 hours of flight every weekend may kill you physically and financially. It’s better to stay based in Europe and travel from there to the different cities every weekend; also it’s much better for buying music and equipment. Buying gear for music is almost impossible in Argentina due the importations regulations of the country. Basically it kills the artistic career of anybody over there.
You boast an infamous residency at Tresor which must have changed you musically. How did the move to Berlin influence your music?
It was a natural process. It began in the 90s for me. Going out to the raves and listening to the same kind of techno I’m still playing these days in all my gigs. In Berlin I re-confirmed all my roots and that was magical. You feel very solid at this point as an artist. You take the right roads and the next thing you know you’re playing at Berghain or Tresor – these are all things that were benchmarks in my career.
Photo Belt will be your sophomore album on Tresor – what different approach did you take from when you made Beyond the Hypnosis? Have you gained more of an insight into making music since the first album?
This album is less dance floor oriented maybe. It’s more complex in certain ways. I played with the rhythms and tried to reach new horizons musically. I feel it’s my deepest expression so far. But of course you have to listen to it to get your own thoughts about it .
You played in Oslo Norway back in 2012 in the infamous Void party what can you tell us about that gig? Are we seeing you in Norway in the near future?
That was an outstanding party , proper warehouse basement with a monster sound system and very cool people behind the production of the party , I have some really good memories about that night. I hope I can visit Norway more often , we are talking about some future gigs, so stay posted!
What can we expect from Jonas Kopp or any alias’ in the near future?
I have a lot of new projects coming up. There’s a new label called Tremsix to be launched in September. A new album under my Telluric Lines ambient project , a double vinyl with 8 tracks under my house project called UNTIDY and lots of EP under Jonas Kopp on Semantica and Tremsix .
Thank you Jonas for your time and let’s keep an eye out for what 2017 will have in store.
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Photo credits:
Oscar Mulero
Agudelo Matias – @agudelo.matias.fotografia
Tresor
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