{"id":10464,"date":"2024-02-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/?p=10464"},"modified":"2024-02-21T05:40:54","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T03:40:54","slug":"d-nox-from-sprout-music-exclusive-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/d-nox-from-sprout-music-exclusive-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"D-Nox (GER) – Exclusive Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

German-born artist\u00a0Christian Wedekind (D-Nox) is a veteran in the electronic music industry. Regularly performing alongside partner\u00a0Beckers, the duo is known for the fusion elements of Techno, Tech-House, Progressive House & Progressive Trance. Their broad sound and knowledge have led them to bookings at even some of the finest psychedelic parties including\u00a0Boom Festival\u00a0and\u00a0Ozora Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April, D-Nox will return to South Africa to perform at Timeless Festival 2024<\/a> alongside Vegas, Headroom, Booka Shade, John Digweed, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hey Christian! How did you fall in love with music?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To make a long story short, my name is Chris, also known as D-Nox. I have been playing Techno music since 1992, but started with school disco parties in the late 80’s. I run two labels \u2013 Sprout Music, and Plastik Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I write music together with my partner Beckers (more commonly known as D-Nox & Beckers). We are both German but live in different cities. I have been living in Berlin since 2007, and whenever I want to write music I have to hit the road and travel 550 kilometers to our studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music became interesting for me in the late 80\u2019s, I started recording music from the radio as there was no vinyl in the country I was living in. I became a collector of music and wanted to share my collection with others. My father had a band in the 70\u2019s and I inherited his equipment, which I later used to run my school parties I mentioned earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the fall of the German wall, the market for vinyl opened to me and I bought records, which was during the same time Techno hit Germany. I got hooked on Techno right away, and couldn’t leave from it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell me about your tight relationship with Beckers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I met Beckers about 12 years ago, he was a respected DJ but playing some sort of Progressive Trance under the alias Space Safari. Well, I liked his grooves and his company. We gave it a try and went to write some music in his studio \u2013 this was in 2004. Since then we haven\u2019t stopped and have celebrated more than a decade of creating music together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We never thought about getting an alias for the project – I guess that\u2019s because we are both too egoistic when it comes to our DJ careers. Beckers\u00a0is much more of a musician than I am. He knows how to play instruments but often gets stuck on finishing a song, and this is where I jump in.\u00a0 He is the composer and programmer, and I am the guide and the arranger. That would explain what we are in the studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you mentioned you own Sprout Music and Plastik Park. Has the digital age transformed the landscape?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the start, I was running the label with a partner, who quickly exited the music industry due to personal reasons. Since then, I’ve been working with Sally Doolally, who is also our booking agent.\u00a0She takes care of Plastik Park while I run the other label,\u00a0Sprout. I also have label management that helps me to do all the administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find the digital age easier to work with since it is easier to do a release. Back then when we started with vinyl, the whole production of a release was much more difficult. But of course, the sales have crashed big time and the win is smaller than it used to be. I run my labels to have a platform for my music or my friend’s music. I don\u2019t see it as a big business much more but rather as a space for the people I like. I still release only the music I like without looking at the current trends and hype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you ever see physical releases being phased out?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To be honest, I don\u2019t know. I see that an artist’s album is a reason for the media to push an artist while an EP doesn’t get big feedback from the media unless you have a hit EP or release. To receive the most promotion, interviews, and such I believe, is better to have an album out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there any added benefits to being a DJ and a label owner?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I get to play some unreleased tracks but I don\u2019t think it is essential. The way you play and transmit the music is more important. People need to see that you like what you do and stand behind it. I open myself big time when I play and lose myself during my sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t think that there is a benefit between being a DJ and a label owner. But I believe that there is a benefit to being a DJ and a producer. If you have a label on top then you even have a platform to release your own music. Probably the three things together make things easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your thoughts on Techno elements being incorporated into psychedelic progressive?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To be a hundred percent honest, I don\u2019t follow Psyprog at all, because every time I hear it somewhere at a party I think it’s the only music next to Psytrance that hasn’t changed during the last 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to follow the music much more, but that was 10 years or more ago. Nowadays I only follow my taste and let the music I like come to me. I am not after names or genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I see that producers like Maceo Plex are much more psychedelic than any other Psytrance act I have seen during the last few years.\u00a0 But I also see a reincarnation of Psyprog. It seems to be the new Full On. People in Brazil love this off-bass jump trance aka Neelix or Fabio & Moon. Well, that\u2019s good, but as I said it’s not for me. I prefer things more groovy and deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does your approach differ for certain events?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It doesn’t depend if it’s indoor or outdoor, it depends much more on the audience. I need to check the crowd first to see what they are all about. Then, I start and see if I can guide them, or if they guide me. After a while, we should be connected and go the right way together through my set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for the interview! Any last words before we finish off?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I hope I get a similar crowd as I had last time. If this is the case then we get first hot and then wet. Ready?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

German born artist Christian Wedekind (D-Nox) is a veteran in the electronic music industry. Regularly performing alongside partner Beckers, the duo are known for the fusion elements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":576,"featured_media":40380,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5452],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10464"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/576"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10464"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136573,"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10464\/revisions\/136573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psymedia.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}