Anyhow, Cosmin—who is from Romania but currently based in Berlin—apparently chose this super-intellectual title because Gordian is his second album, and every artist knows that the second album is always the most hand-wringing, like the “AHHH can I live up to the expectations of my fans?!” part of someone’s musical career. Added to that, Cosmin’s also got a pretty prestigious background. His debut track, “Put You Down,” had the honor of being the first release from the pioneering UK bass label Hessle Audio and he’s now signed to Modeselektor’s forward-thinking 50 Weapons label (who are releasing this album).
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After listening to this track we’re premiering, “Desire Is Sovereign,” I can vouch that Cosmin has did a pretty good job of slicing off that metaphorical knot. It’s technically Berlin techno–with the muted pressure of a steady 4/4 beat–but it’s also super melodic and crackling with texture, meaning you can play this at a party and not put the hip-hop heads to sleep.
We asked the brainy DJ to educate us on his olympian influences, existentialism, Baudrillard, and Twitter. Read the interview and listen to his new track below.
THUMP: You’re originally from Romania. What’s the electronic music scene like over there?
Cosmin TRG: Well, it’s like everywhere else really. I’d love to say that they wear bear skins and swig moonshine while listening to gabba but it wouldn’t be true. Ask anyone who’s ever played there and they’ll tell you that it’s a fun crowd that likes to party (sometimes too much–I should know). They also love a bit of drama, and are big Dionysian spenders.
You’re now based in Berlin and spin pretty regularly at Berghain. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve seen from the decks there?
I always hope I get to see something completely insane and it never happens. Well there is this time when I played their 7-year anniversary and they had flamethrowers in the club. Nobody got torched though.
What’s the best thing about being a Berlin-based DJ? And what’s the worst?
Probably the best thing about it is Tegel—it’s a 25-minute taxi ride and it takes like three minutes to get on the plane. You can’t miss a flight if you wanted to. The worst is you always get the same questions about being a Berlin-based DJ.
Hah, sorrryyyy. Your sound has been described as “constantly shape-shifting” which makes it difficult to identify you with a specific scene. Are you sticking with the “anything goes” mantra for Gordian?
Well the “shape-shifting” observation usually comes from music journalists, or the other people who don’t really like music. Genres only serve a catalogue purpose, so music shop employees don’t put Demdike Stare next to Fiona Apple’s CD. In that sense, I don’t think there are multiple “genres” on my album. It’s all techno to me anyway.
Are you into Greek mythology??
I’m definitely not an expert, but I’m interested in observing ancient myths and archetypes represented in modern ways. I thought “gordian” described a lot of things at once–it’s a very functional word. Also, I was chatting to Gerd Jansen around the time I was working on the album, and when I told him the title, he went like, “Of course! The difficult second album!”. I was so relieved that I didn’t have to explain my own shaky and tedious theory behind the name…
You said that your album’s title refers to “the impossible task of discerning between the authentic and contrived.” Sounds like a pretty existential question. What did you mean by that?
It is quite existential. I’m aware it’s not cool these days but existentialism’s something that’s always interested me. It’s also a Baudrillardian reference to impress smart girls. Before you chase me out with the hardcover edition of A Thousand Plateaus though, music is a very tangible thing for me. It’s full of codes and signifiers and this is how I relate to it. Certain chords make me sick, the right high-hat perks me up. So to me the right product, the veritable one, the original track is essential. I’m looking for honest music, individuals, and contexts. And that task is not very easy, at least for me.
Your tweets are pretty great. Who are the top three people who you follow on Twitter and why?
I only tweet once in a while when I feel really smart… which is exactly when I shouldn’t tweet. @sincretic is a very interesting individual whom I also know in real life. His tweets are always very poetic. He’s the only one I should really follow on Twitter, the rest are a bit… uneventful.
