Ahead of his four city India tour, Patrice Bäumel sat down with us to talk about the experiences that continue to shape his music and approach to DJing.
From growing up surrounded by music in East Germany to learning from decades of long sets and travelling the world, Bäumel reflects on intuition, happy accidents, cultural exchange and the art of storytelling through music.
Here’s our conversation with Patrice Bäumel.
1. Hello Patrice, welcome back to India. It’s been quite a wait for us to have you back in Mumbai. How does it feel to be back?
Every time I come to India I regret not having more time to learn and discover. A tight touring schedule makes that difficult. But I try to fill the small gaps in between shows with meeting friends and eating fantastic food.
2. You grew up in East Germany with a father who was a music journalist and a huge record collection around you. How much of the way you listen to music today was shaped by what you absorbed as a child?
Exposure to music at an early ago probably helped to develop the ability to retain music and understand its emotional impact. With many thousand hours of listening under the belt I was able to grow a vast musical vocabulary, which makes me a better storyteller and communicator as a DJ.
3. You’ve spent decades travelling the world and playing to completely different audiences. What has travelling and constantly being around people from different cultures taught you about yourself that you probably wouldn’t have learned otherwise?
That it is useless to judge other cultures from my limited Western perspective and that simply accepting, respecting and embracing the differences is a much better way to connect with people from other cultural backgrounds. It is so much more rewarding to simply listen and learn than it is to preach.
4. You’ve been making music for a long time but your sound continues to evolve. What is something about your music today that the Patrice Bäumel of 10 years ago would never have done?
As a dj, to go deep at the peak of the night. It is the moment where people are the most open and where it is not necessary to simply chase after the next climax. There are so many other emotions we are capable of feeling and I want to make people feel them all. 10 years ago, I would not have had the confidence and ability to do that. Playing lots of long sets have been a great teacher of crowd control.
5. What stands out to you about the energy of Indian audiences compared to the West? Do the culture, places, or vibe in India inspire ideas that you take back into your studio work?
What stands out is the eagerness of the Indian crowd to personally connect after the show, to take pictures together and share a hug. I love that openness.
Anything that is unknown is a potential source of inspiration. India as a culture that is still very autonomous and different from the West has a lot of that to offer.
6. You’ve spoken about enjoying “happy accidents” when making music. Have you ever discovered a sound, rhythm or mistake in the studio that completely changed the direction of a track?
Every good track that I have made has had such a pivotal ‘mistake’ in it, a moment where an idea was born, not in my brain but randomly. To me, good music writes itself, I am just a channel to manifest it into existence.
7. If you could sit down with Patrice Bäumel who was just starting out, what would you tell him and what would you tell him not to worry about?
Have big dreams and go after them without worrying what other people think of you.
8. When you’re putting together a long DJ set, how much of the journey is planned before you step into the booth? Are you thinking in terms of BPM, key and harmonic relationships or do you deliberately leave enough
room for the room itself to dictate where the set goes?
Nothing is planned. I step into the DJ booth well prepared for many scenarios but with a blank mind. Then I let the dance floor and my intuition tell me where to go.
Thank you for your time Patrice, hope you have a good one in India.
Cheers guys!!
Catch him live touring India during the Independence weekend in the below cities.
13th August – Big Bull, Hyderabad
14th August – Mirage, Bengaluru
15th August – Raeeth, Goa
16th August – antisocial, Mumbai
