Schlachthofbronx Did Us a Mixtape

When we asked the two Munich guys from Schlachthofbronx to make a mixtape for us, we knew we'd be in for a treat. Using such a multitude of bass, Bene and Jakob's music can only be described as cracky; they frequently destroy the speakers of the venues they play at. With their so-called “Busta Rhymes Give Us A Call Overcompressed Drummachine Workout Mix”, you can look forward to exclusive stuff from the lads themselves, as well as new mixes of already beloved tracks (they love Rihanna, for instance). Just make sure you look after your speakers…

YNTHT: Hi! Are you alone?

Jakob: Yes, my friend [Bene] is in the basement right now, but it's always hard to telephone in pairs.

What do you do in the basement?

We’re busy working in the studio. Right now it's not that hard, because the weather is bad. But instead of taking a vacation we play music. We'll be playing some festivals and then we’re going to London Carnival.

So you didn’t have a real summer, you were just sitting in the basement all the time?

Well, summer comes at the wrong time.

When I first heard about you guys, it was one of your first gigs at the Munich Registratur and you broke the speakers within minutes.

Oh yeah, that was early. Really?

Don’t you remember?

Well, it didn't happen just once. But most of the time the organizer tries to work it out so that nobody realizes. When you're on stage, you always have your own speakers which they turn up so you don’t even notice. But in general we try to create a loud and powerful sound for everybody. That’s our program.

Do we have to be afraid that our speakers will break while playing your mixtape?

No, it will be a pleasure to hear it. In the end it becomes a classic mixtape with all the stuff we listen to at the moment – sometimes full of action, sometimes a bit quieter and so really rich in variety. In the beginning we have a drum machine workout mix, as we call it. We put together some machines, aged drum machines, effect boxes and did a little jamming. The result is definitely something special.

Is there any new Schlachthofbronx material on it?

Sure. Playing live we always do our own stuff, and sometimes a couple of other people’s songs that we haven’t worked on yet. With this mixtape we took the chance to play things from colleagues and people we like. But there is also previously undisclosed material on it, very exclusive stuff.

Wow. And Rihanna is also on it.

Yes, I’m a huge fan. Bene only sometimes, but strangely enough I like her a lot. Not everything she does, but when it comes to plastic pop, she’s the best.

Did you have to fight for Rihanna to become a part of the mix?

No, we always come to an agreement. We both have our own likes and interests, but we always get along. I like Rihanna, he listens to gangsta rap. If you veto something, it won't be played, but we have to adapt to each other.

How do you work towards such a mixtape?

I listen to current music that I like, and play promo CDs we’ve been sent. Most of them are shit, but once in a while you find some pearls. But to be honest, the stuff we play or listen to at home is rarely the stuff we’ve been sent. We're not the kind of guys who listen to music at home all the time. We like listening to old albums, and not just sticking to one type of music for the entire day. Back in the day going to a club was really mono-themed: there were techno nights, rap nights, something nights, but no mixed nights. But that's how we do it. We match different music together, so that people start to open up a little.

When did you start making music together?

We started in 2008, so Schlachthofbronx has existed for five years now. We've known each other for ages and have been in a graffiti crew together, but we didn’t really like each other for a long time. We always went to the same shows and met every once in a while. At that time we were DJing in different areas; eventually we decided to make music and DJ together. It was a natural process - we only lived two streets away at the Schlachthof district in Munich.

Why didn’t you like each other?

That’s the way it is with guys. Sometimes it takes a bit longer until you appreciate each other. Now we're like an old couple spending lots of time together. We get on well with one another, especially during travelling, even with all the stress and lack of sleep.

Didn’t you have the same graffiti style, or what was the problem?

No. We had lots of mutual friends, but Bene played more electronic music back then and I was more into HipHop, so electronic music was almost like my enemy. The musical approach took some time. Everybody develops their music tastes over time.

Not everybody.

Yeah, right, not everybody. Some just stand still. But most of the time there is a certain progress. We work hard to make people develop, that’s why we always play stuff they don’t know but might like. We don’t make it easy for one another, especially playing live. We like to confront the audience with stuff they don't know, which might be irritating in the beginning. But it works out well. People can always expect a surprise at our shows – something which might seem abstruse at first, but which they end up thinking is really cool.

Are you working on a new album right now?

We're always working on a new album, but more intensely at the moment. We'd like to release it next year, in the middle of 2014. We've worked hard on it, and so far its good. But it's not official yet.

You often hand out your Schlachthofbronx logo at your shows. Do you also have a Schlachthofbronx tattoo?

No, we just have adhesive tattoos that we hand out. And we have no real tattoos… at least no Schlachthofbronx tattoos.

Thanks a lot!

TRACKLIST
Schlachthofbronx - drummachine workout
Rihanna - No Love
Dengue Dengue Dengue - Lokumba
Dubble Dutch - Dipso Edit
Symone - Buyakasha!
Schlachthofbronx - Unknown
Brenmar - Let Me Bang
Douster - Cajon
Dub Phizix - Never Been
Hood Regulators - Good Girlz (Schlachthofbronx Remix)
Schlachthofbronx - Unknown
Schlachthofbronx - Slowine 2013 Edit
Schlachthofbronx - Unknown
Busta Rhymes - Wohaa

Schlachthofbronx on Tour:

24.08. Ulm GER Obstwiesenfestival
26.08. London UK Urgent Union Float @ Nottinghill Carnival
11.09. Munich GER "Edition Warngau" + G.rag & Die Landlergschwister @ Feierwerk
14.09. Glasgow UK Psychedelic Forest Carnival, Kelburn Castle
20.09. Nuremberg GER K4 Festsaal
26.09. Munich GER "Edition Warngau" + G.rag & Die Landlergschwister @ Herzkasperlzelt, Oktoberfest
11.10. Vienna AT Suburbia Festival @ Ottakringer Brauerei
18.10. Amsterdam NL ADE @ OT301
19.10. Paris FR Siren Festival @ La Java