Focus on an ethical and fair industry Dogu, half of Ancient Astronauts, is a Dj, beatmaker, producer and digger from Cologne-Germany. Recently he celebrated the twenty anniversary of Switchstance Recordings, a record label that releases mainly Downtempo music, between Boombap and Lo-Fi beats. Nowadays he has decided to do more collaborations with artists based in Africa than from the American or European continent, thus it has forged an atypical identity. Back from Uganda, we met the owner.

Where and did you grow up in a musical environment? 

Through my parents I was raised in a very musical environment. My father was a Jazz head and a drummer and he took me and my brother to a lot of Jazz concerts in my teenager days, especially to concerts with very good drummers cause he was always focused on very skilled drummers. I think that was one of the main reasons I also am very focused on drums and beats.

Your first encounter with Hip Hop culture, was where and how old were you?

My first touch with Hip Hop was through Breakdancing in 1984. That is where I heard Bboy Breaks and Rap music the first time. But that still was not my real introduction to the Hip Hop culture. When in 1988 I heard the music of Public Enemy for the first time (“Yo Bum Rush The Show”) that was the turning point in my musical life. That music and message hit me so hard that I never listened to pop music again. It showed me that there is some serious music out there with lyrics and beats that are talking to me. It had a big impact on me that I could not resist. From those days on I dived deeply into Hip Hop culture, which then also introduced me to Funk and Breaks.

Could you speak about your early days in music when Rock met Hip Hop in music venues ?

I remember those days very good because the first ever Hip Hop club me and my friends at that time visited was the Logo Club in Bochum. The main big room of the club was Rock music and they had a smaller club in the back which was the Hip Hop club. It was amazing. I never really liked Rock music too much, only some of the funkier versions of it. But those Rock places where really the first to introduce Hip Hop to an openminded crowd.

When did you first start making beats? Since have your way of producing and your gear evolved?

I first started making beats in the late 90´s, a couple of years before I started my label Switchstance Recordings. But I never did it alone to be honest. I always was a DJ and I wanted to travel abroad through music so I knew this could only happen through the medium of recorded music aka vinyl, CD and now digital. The first guy I ever produced beats with was our man Protassov. Working with him was kind of the start of my label Switchstance Recordings too. A short while later I started also making music with Kabanjak who is an old friend from my youth days. We then formed our group Ancient Astronauts. Making music for me came always from my view as a DJ. I wanted to make songs that are timeless but can also be used by DJs. In the last years I was not so much involved in making beats anymore cause my partner Kabanjak took care of that and I was the one creating ideas and concepts for albums, selecting artists to work with, making the deals, giving advice on the mixing, etc. It has just started in the last 2 or 3 years that I got involved in making beats and music again. I started a new project with the singer and producer Brazen Rule from Lira in North Uganda and also did a song with the Congolese producer Majestik Legend and the singer Akongo Wero from Uganda. And this year in may I started a whole new album project with the producer Amani Greene from Kampala / Uganda who is part of the production crew of my partner label East African Records. Working with Greene was unbelievable fun and it was so easy to work with him that after one day in the studio we decided to work on a full album. 

Have you had the same inspirations from the start? And are you still in contact with J-Boogie?

Yeah kind of. Our biggest inspirations in music was old Funk and Jazz from the 60´s and 70´s, Afrobeat, 90´s Hip Hop and Reggae. And that has not changed. These days the African influence just gets stronger and stronger cause I am travelling frequently to Uganda to work there, give free workshops or just do some holidays and visit family, my wife is Ugandan-German. No, sadly I am not in contact with J-Boogie anymore. That last time I saw him and spoke with him was in 2014 when I was deejaying in San Francisco. 

How did Switchstance Recordings appear? 

Switchstance Recordings was started to create a platform for the music of me and a bunch of friends. When I started the label I was heavily inspired by Ninja Tune Records cause I loved the way how Coldcut said FUCK OFF to the mainstream music world after they made many bad experiences with major companies and started their own label to release quality independent music that is beat focused and where artists get fair deals. I learned a lot from indie labels like that, especially when it came to making deals with artists that all were my friends. I did not want to lose my friends because of doing business together so I wanted to have the most fair contracts for both sides that I could find.

How did Ancient Astronauts appear, I believe your first Ep in 2009 was with The Pharcyde?

Oh actually Ancient Astronauts already appeared on our first label compilation “Fantastic Freeriding” in 2002 and then on some other EP´s on Switchstance Recordings. Through the release of our album “We Are To Answer” on Thievery Corporation´s label ESL Music we really got introduced to a bigger international crowd. Kabanjak and me were old friends, we even played Tennis together and our parents knew each other. I was doing parties with Kabanjak and another friend in the late 90´s in our home town Moers and when he heard that I was producing music with Protassov he then told me about his own productions. That was the time we first went into the studio. It was great times. I still was a student at university at that time but we met 4 times a week to work on music. Musically we both learned a lot from each other.

For nearly ten years you have collaborated more with African than American artists.

For your latest album "ZIK ZAK" there are singers and rappers from 10 different African nations...

We have worked with a lot of African American artists such as The Pharcyde, The Jungle Brothers, Raashan Ahmad, Akua Naru, Azeem and more in the past. But through touring a lot in the US we have seen many places there. But Africa was actually always the biggest influence for us when it comes to music and harmonies. Through my first travels to East Africa I was overwhelmed by the young and raw talent in the area and that is the reason why in the last years we focused more on Africa. We always had our main focus on quality, not on big names. I have listened to a lot of African music in my life where I did not understand one single word of the lyrics, but I could feel the music and the harmonies of the songs. I love how African languages flow and groove. There is so much more to explore that I cannot even think of. Especially traditional African instruments. This is all much much more interesting for me than working with American artists right now. And you know, since Trump came into power it became much harder for international artists to tour or just do some single shows in the US. And this has not changed since Biden is in power. I honestly have no real interest in visiting the US in the near future, but I cannot wait to return to Africa. I have a partner label called East African Records in Kampala / Uganda and work with a lot of artists from the area and have toured East Africa two times with a bunch of them. There is so much talent over there and I still know just a small part of it. But watch out for my future releases !

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Do you have a message for the public or is your music only to entertain?

I think our message of Ancient Astronauts has always been unity, love and tolerance. We are all human, no matter what colour your skin is or what religion people believe in. I think especially in these times it is very important to spread love and understanding and support tolerance cause hatred, war and right-wing people are on the rise again. We have to stand strong and be a positive example of how people can live together in peace and harmony. Unity is strength!

Your music is often mid or down tempo, when you do DJ sets,

do you play in clubs and do you play more up tempo music?

I play every kind of tempo but I honestly love playing downtempo music like Hip Hop, Downtempo and Reggae. But I also love getting faster in my sets and take the tempo from 70bpm up to 140 and then go back again. These days I really love Afrobeats because they have such beautiful melodies and guitars and the beats are just pure joy for dancers. This also fits really well to other genres like Dancehall or Latin breaks. My DJ Sets always were a ride through the musical soundscapes of our planet and they should reflect real life. And real life is not just this and that, life is everything. So I try to represent as many musical styles that fit together. And this goes from slow to fast. 

Sharing time with peoples dancing care you ...

Why are you fed up about trap music... Is rap the new music to pogo?

For me most of the Trap stuff is just wack stuff. Most of the beats have no real groove and are not danceable. Hip Hop in the 90´s, and also Dancehall in the 90´s, was very danceable music. Trap is not really danceable music, it is more an ego thing I would say when judging from the lyrics that I hear. Hip Hop has changed. The quality stuff is as underground as it was in the 90´s. The commercialisation of Hip Hop has taken over years ago and very rarely some real good Hip Hop with real conscious lyrics becomes a hit. But the majority listen to Hip Hop that is so bad that I am missing words for it. And if people wanna pogo to it then let them pogo. It just shows that something really went wrong with the commercialisation of the Hip Hop culture.

What is your best memory as a Dj ?

I have some supernice memories from big Snowboard events in Switzerland and Austria we deejayed at but also from our US tour with Thievery Corporation. Actually really funny memories. And my nicest and most recent memories i have are from playing at Reggae and Hip Hop events in Uganda, especially the Reggae Chakula festival that happened in May this year which was a Rasta event that focused on Reggae music and ital food (Chakula means food in Swahili). I have to give much love to all the people in East Africa for giving me so much respect as a white guy playing black music. I have been greeted with so much love and respect over there that i feel very blessed. 

And the worst memory?

Arriving in New York City for our first ever Ancient Astronauts gig and then there were no needles so we had to wait 3 hours to start our set because it was difficult to get needles in the evening. In Germany we were used to not bring our own needles because they are supplied by the club, but in the US the DJ brings them on his own. We did not know that so it was a really strange situation. We definitely learned a lesson from that night.

As a Dj and with Ancient Astronauts do you tour a lot?

You particularly like Greece, can you tell us about it? Why is it special for you?

We do not tour a lot these days anymore. Actually my partner Kabanjak stopped deejaying a couple of years ago and only produces music. So it is only me still doing shows but not as many as like 10 years ago. Greece was always our most supportive fan base in Europe and we started to frequently deejay there about 18 years ago. We always loved visiting and spinning in Greece because people over there have a great taste of music. Nearly every time we had a support DJ in Greece who opened up for us we were very impressed by the great range of music they played. Greece is my favorite country in Europe.

Are you still diggin’ and what kind of music are you obsessed with?

Yes I am still diggin´ and buying vinyl records but not as much as years ago. First I do not have that much more space for vinyl but I also buy a lot of digital music for my DJ sets. But still the best way to listen to music is analog on vinyl. These days I do not buy any 12inches or singles anymore, only albums. The music I am very obsessed with when it comes to vinyl is African music, Reggae (especially old albums from the 70´s) and Blues. Sometimes some Hip Hop too but not that much anymore. 

Since the beginning of Switchstance Recordings you release so many records,

what is your best memory ? Your favorite songs are they selling the best?

Oh wow that is a hard question. There are many good memories from releasing records. Every release was special for me because I never released music that I do not like or feel. One nice memory was the success that the “Grow” album by Kabanjak and Protassov had in Greece. We really felt a connection with Greece through it. Actually my favorite songs are not the best-selling ones, but I love “I Came Running” a lot and that is our most selling song ever. 

Do you have a clear vision of the economic and artistic development of the label or is it according to the meetings only?

I have a clear vision of the music I want to release on my label. I also think that this can be heard out of the music I release. Sometimes it is very strange to see what people send me as demos, like they never really heard the music we release on Switchstance Recordings. The economic situation is a different side. It is so hard to break through with a new artist on Spotify, Apple Music and those streaming platforms. Streaming pays nearly nothing for one stream so even thousands of streams are just peanuts seen from a financial point of view. I work hard on making new licensing contacts worldwide for movies, series, ads, etc but that is also a hard market. The music I release has to be timeless and also have a potential for some licensing. But nothing of that can be predicted. I really never know when a new artist on my label becomes successful or not. I wish this for all my artists but I am also not naive after so many years in the music business. But I still believe what I believed 20 years ago, that quality underground music can become successful.

Last year did you organize something special to celebrate 20^th anniversary of Switchstance Recordings?

No not really to be honest. I planned a special label compilation but then life was a little up and down and some new artists came to the label and then the compilation got delayed and delayed. Now it will be released by end of this year. It will be called « Fantastic Freeriding – The Journey Continues ».

Could you speak about your collaboration with Nickodemus?

Nickodemus i know for a long time, nearly 20 years. We knew each other from the Downtempo newsgroup in the internet, which was even before Facebook. Some of the members of the group met in early 2002 or so in Miami during Winter Music Conference and that is how i met Nickodemus for the first time. We became friends and connected there. And then when we got signed to ESL Music he was also signed to the label so we were even label mates. What i love about him is that he was always super focused on quality and cultural music, similar to me. He is such a busy bee when it comes to deejaying the whole planet. I have a lot of respect for the brother.

Nowadays there are applications like Instagram with audio and video remix option… 

What do you think about remix and sampling?

To be honest that is just social media entertainment for me. Give the people something to play, you know? A real remix with all its feeling and arrangement and sounds is something for a pro. Of course it can be fun when it is an easy to use app but that is not more than a good idea for me. But to make something out of that idea and take it to the next level, that is the real magic of making music for me. In these times everybody can buy a DJ software and controller and with the help of beatmatching they can become a DJ. There are also very easy to use tools and programs for producing music, but music is not only done on a computer. It is the mix between analog and electronics for me that gives the real kick. But let people have fun with it. I come from Hip Hop so I have nothing against a good sample or loop, but then it has to get some good treatment and mix and trickery to become something new. That is what makes a good producer. 

You also do monthly radio show, could speak about? Do you play vinyl only? 

Yes I do a 2 hours monthly radio show on 674FM which is a local independent radio station here in Cologne. The station is very well organised and all show hosts are also members of the union so we pay monthly members fees. Through this we are able to have high quality radio equipment there which is on the same level as our national radio has. When I started the show a couple of years ago it was every 2^nd month and I played an eclectic mix of Hip Hop, Downtempo, Funk, Afrobeat, Reggae, Soul, Jazz and Jungle. But then came Corona and I thought why not make also a Reggae show. So now the show is monthly and one month it is Switchstance Radio with the eclectic music mix and then the next one it is strictly Reggae, Dub and Dancehall. I love making radio because I can play music that is amazing but too slow or chilled for sets in clubs or bars. On the radio you can create your own atmosphere and soundscapes. I also love interviewing other artists and talk about their music, influences, goals and more with them. Until now I have interviewed artists such as Damian Marley, Morgan Heritage, Micah Shemaiah, Marcus Gad, Macka B, Third World, Black Sherif, Capleton, Tanya Stephens, Meta & The Cornerstones and more. 

Also, could you speak about African scene in Köln? Germany and Berlin are famous for Techno scene but Jazz, Rap, & Afro music is living since long time too...

The African scene is growing bigger and better. Afrobeats took over the place Dancehall had for a long time. There is nearly no Reggae and Dancehall party where they do not also play Afrobeats. And i love it cause that music is highly danceable, like Dancehall was in the 90´s. There is a big African diaspora in Germany and Cologne and i love what is happening musicwise around it. African music, especially Afrobeats, finally got the attention it deserved. I hope that it will spread more far and wide cause it does not only represent African culture but also delivers unity and togetherness, things that we need more and more in these times. African parties are the nicest you can go to in my eyes. I nearly never see fights but lots of laughing and dancing people. These people love real dancing and not Pogo like on Trap beats (hahaha).

What do you dream of tomorrow?

A world with less war and more tolerance and fairness. A world where dialogue on eye-to-eye basis is established between countries from the global south and the global north, not those power politics we have seen in the past. A world were neo-liberalism and harsh capitalism are things from the past. A world where governments invest 10 times more money into social and cultural projects, playgrounds and health than into war. I know it sounds a little naïve but I still believe in the power of the people and the power of unity. The majority of the people do not want war but it has become a too big business. This has to be regulated again.

Any last word, Any subject that you want to talk about? 

Each one teach one. We should share our knowledge with everybody who wants to learn and develop. We should be the positive examples for the next generations. In these times of big ego and self-centrism it is time to build communities again, to connect with likeminded people and make this world a better place. We owe it to our people and mother earth.

Interview Dogu by Dj Coshmar / Photo by Adam Kroll.