OK – to save your soon to be tired eyes (cus this is a long one!), we’re skipping the intro and going straight to the meat and potatoes. Here is everything you need to know about Schadenfreude. Apart from their shoe size.
Oh and you should also know, if you don’t already, that their next release is out NOW at Beatport…Rio Bravo Del Norte!
What does ‘Schadenfreude’ mean?
Haha, we always get this! Long story. In a nut, it roughly translates as: finding amusement in the misfortune of nasty people. So kind of what goes round, comes around-ish. The story behind it; needed a name for a release ASAP, made a bet that id take the “word of the day” on a dictionary website. Guess what it was….?
Who or what has been the biggest influence?
Mark: On a production level, growing up with DnB, has had an effect on the time and effort I spend getting the bass line right and tight production that DnB certainly has. From an inspirational level, without a doubt, travelling.
Dan: I grew up playing House in some club in my hometown. It wasn’t until I moved to London that my passion for all types of EDM grew and that’s when I began to get into the production side of it. Just moving from a small island to London really opened my eyes.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Mark: Abroad. With a bit of luck, doing what I love
Dan: Hopefully we will continue along this path…if we don’t I might end up being a squatter, as I don’t really know how to do anything else.
Do you sample, use old records to make your tracks?
We use some cheeky samples but not from old records….honest.
How does your producing process go?
Kick and Snare, Bass, Melody / ‘hook’ then the rest….Keep the whole track in a 8/16 bar loop with maybe 35/40 channels and get the track how I want clear in my head before I arrange and automate. Sometimes the master channel gets kitted out before it’s out of a loop.
Which is your personal favourite track that you’ve produced & why?
Mark: ‘Rio Bravo Del Norte’ and ‘Sibir’. Two completely different track and styles. ‘Rio..’ because of the minimal, tongue-in-cheek, South American groove and the fact the vocal was recorded 5500 miles away in San Francisco with the help of Brian Wikner AKA ‘Means+function’ and Laurel Bentley (Cheers Guys!!). ‘Sibir’ because it was the most fluid and ‘freely’ written track we’ve done and makes me reminisce of my time away.
Dan: for me at the moment, ‘Rio Bravo Del Norte’ has been getting a great response. This worked really well for us over the summer. I’m also pretty stoked with the way that ‘Norrec’s 24hr Street Carnival ‘has turned out. We’ve been smashing this out in the clubs a fair bit, I’m all about the hard rolling bass lines at the moment.
What are your favourite production tools /gadgets?
SSL Compressor (Software)
CM Fuzz (Software)
L2 (Software and God bless it)
NI Absynth 4 (Software and pure quality)
Just got a TLA Fat Man FAT 1 Valve Compressor ☺ – Love EBay!!
What 5 people or things inspire you or your work?
Travelling
Producers and tracks of all different genres
Party people and pandemonium everywhere!!!
Life – cliché I know, but true
Improving and trying to be the best at what we do, whether it’s at a production level or our shows
Are you afraid of piracy?
We are, but realise unfortunately, at the moment at least, it’s a very real reality – and one that is not easily changed. It is a job as well as a love and to continue to do what we all [producers] do, money has to be involved.
On the plus side, it means tracks of all producers and genres could find themselves in the hands of people that would not have brought it in the first place.
What are you most proud of in your life?
As Schadenfreude, it has to be playing at London’s O2 Matter.
But on a personal level for Mark: Travelling from Finland to Hong Kong (via Siberia) on my own, using just trains. Unf*ckingreal!! Also, getting a First at Uni, a big deal because I am in fact, stupid.
Dan: Probably climbing some Mountain in Kyrgyzstan when I was 17. It was a pretty awesome experience.
Any news, updates, new productions, events etc that you would like people to know about?
Blush in association with Black White and Orange Records @ The Doors, London. 10th October
The BIG ONE: Spinout Records 5th Birthday @ Horse and Groom, London. 31st October. Going to be an epic night!
Tracks:
‘Rio Bravo Del Norte’ EP – Schadenfreude Original and M.in, Adam Shaw and Reuben Keeney Remixes – Spinout records – Release Date: October 12th 2009
‘Norrec’s 24 Hr Street Carnival’ – Schadenfreude original and remixes – Black White and Orange Records – Released Date: January 2010
‘Yanagisawa’ – Caine N Anians (Schadenfreude remix) – Limbo Records: Release Date: Late October 2009
3 just finished tracks looking for a happy home…HINTHINT!!! :-P
‘Sibir’ – Schadenfreude original
‘Galapik’ – Schadenfreude original
On the production line:
‘Stop moment, rewind’ – Schadenfreude Original
‘Spitfire’ – Dan Baseley (Schadenfreude Remix) – Limbo Records
Finally, describe yourself in 3 words:
Mark: Young, Free, Single
Dan: Big Fat Ginger
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