Off the back of the release of his third album ‘Input-Output, out on his own imprint Tronic, Swedish techno icon Christian Smith is at the top of his game. With an appearance at Earthcore in just over a week, and Zoo Project with Julian Jeweil just after that, we thought it was perfect timing to catch up for a chat. His historical career, the concept of ‘EDM’, trends and the DJ lifestyle, we left very few stones unturned.

 

SR: How did you come to find yourself in the world of techno and continue to share and perform with the sound?

CS: I started DJ’ing when I was 14 years old. Back then I was more into house and late disco, but by 1990 I made a sudden transition from house to techno. I just loved the raw energy of techno, which I still do today. Then when I was at University in Sweden, I produced a few singles that got successful and I suddenly had booking requests in distant places like Japan and Brazil. I decided to go for it. This was in 1999, and I’ve never looked back. I have been touring the world over and over since then, and I’m currently busier than I have ever been. Its tough sometimes being away from home so much, but at the end of the day if you love what you do you really can’t complain.

SR: Sweden isn’t always the first port of call for Dance Music but has it’s own dance music pioneers and innovators. Do you feel like you were part of an early generation of producers within the country?

CS: Even though I’m Swedish I never really felt that I benefitted from the hype that Swedish techno producers had in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Sure I’m good friends with Adam Beyer, Cari Lekebusch, and Joel Mull, and I release on Drumcode as well. But I was more the foreigner when I lived in Stockholm when I moved there to attend Stockholm School of Economics. I lived in many places in my life, incl. New York, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo etc. I might be Swedish by citizenship but I feel more like a global citizen.

SR: The ‘EDM’ bubble seems to have burst and a growing interest in house and techno has taken it’s place. Do you think house and techno will replace the genre to an extent? Will it ever grow to the same size? Does it even matter if it does/doesn’t?

CS: The most popular music will always be lowest common denominator music. Right now techno and House are very trendy, but we always have many different styles within each genre. There is commercial techno, but also lots of less obvious underground techno like there has always been. One thing I love about techno is that it’s constantly evolving. EDM is going down but is being replaced with other commercial styles like trap or other pop stuff. I don’t even know. I try to avoid this music at all cost. Lol.

SR: Are there any producers/DJs who have always gone against the trend that you’ve always followed and respected? Why do you think they’ve still been able to achieve a successful career?

CS: I really like Laurent Garnier because he always does exactly as he pleases and could not care less about what’s ’hyped’ at the moment. There are very few people like him in this industry. I would not say that I went against trends, but I always pushed in what I believed in. I think this is one of the main reasons why my label, Tronic, is still so successful over all these years. Passion over fashion!

SR: What are some common things that people might not know about touring DJs? Is it a care-free life or just the opposite?

CS: It really depends. I had a period when I lived in New York, and my roommate would not see me for a month, then I’d be home for 2 days and gone again for another month. I loved it, but I also did not have a girlfriend at that time. The only disadvantage I felt back then is that my friends would not call me anymore to invite me to their parties because they just assumed I’d be gone on tour. Now I have a family, so my life is much more balanced but at the same time extremely busy. I still tour like a mad man, but for shorter periods. I try to not be away from home for more than two weekends at a time. This means I have to take more long haul flights. But at the end of the day it’s all about balance. As long as you are happy with yourself and the people around you it’s good.

SR: What are you expecting of Australia when you arrive for Earthcore and your sideshows? Where in Australia have you played before?

CS: I have been fortunate to play many gigs in Australia. From big festivals, New Year’s Eve parties, to small illegal clubs. I am very happy to come back to OZ now especially as the EDM bubble has burst there, and the alternative underground festivals are thriving again. When I started coming to Australia for Hardware in the late 90’s early 2000’s it was all about great underground parties. I have feeling this time is back now! 🙂

Pick up Christian’s album on Beatport here, snap up those final tickets to Earthcore here, and suss Zoo Project here.

Christian Smith AUS Tour Dates:

Friday 25 November – Earthcore Festival – Pyalong, Victoria

Saturday 26 November – Zoo Project – Darlinghurst, Sydney