Myths abound in the north when it comes to techno ground zero, and they refuse to go away. Oliver Huntemann is one of a handful of children of the north who, for what seems like an eternity, add an element of credence to the mythology. He does not, of course, live in a snowy forest or at the edge of the polar oceans. The sun does, on occasion, shine down on Hamburg. Nevertheless, there is a tendency towards hypothermic reduction in the rigorous efficiency of the Huntemann oeuvre. Images of cold storage warehouses, desolate heavy plant sites and bluish flesh are not entirely misplaced. Shards of German Engineering glimmer in his music, laced with persuasive logic, gruesome Darwinism. What remains: what works.
In “Brighter than the sun“, the English music theorist Kodwo Eshun depicts the birthplace of Kraftwerk, Dusseldorf, as the “Mississippi Delta of Techno“. Huntemann’s tracks may well have dragged themselves out of the same primeval soup, but it was the far north which fired them with the necessary steel for clubland. The resulting creations are linear, free of fancy, charmingly direct. One particular London arbiter of taste sought to label the nature of his skeletal sound as “bare and striped back to the metallic core“ – whereby Huntemann’s reduction does not end in thin minimalism, it draws attention to the core itself. Less is more to the max. The only luxury is a little dirt.
Whilst hordes of German producers and DJs set their satnavs for Berlin, Oliver Huntemann chose to head back home.
His epicenter is, and will remain, the north. Hamburg, to be exact. This is where he produces his music and it is from here that he sets out into the world, thrilling the populous with his DJ sets.
Oliver Huntemann’s concrete roots can be traced back to early techno. Had he been any younger, he would undoubtedly have sucked electronica like mother’s milk from a C64 chip. Like so many of his colleagues, his route to techno took a tour through electro and rave. He could tell the usual veteran tales when it comes to influences, his first record purchases, or on the subject of the good old days. Been there, done that! It was more difficult maintaining a low profile.
June 2017 saw the first Senso Sounds Day and Night Open Air draw in the crowds, a perfect springboard to extend the scope of label and booking operations. Both his label Senso Sounds and his Kontrast Artists agency have been up and running since 2014.
Huntemann the producer and collaborator has racked up remixes for the likes of Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode, Underworld (the list goes on) and his work with Dubfire now spans a good eight years (Elements, Dios, Diablo, Humano).
Since 2016, his residency at Watergate has been illuminating Berlin’s nightlife quite brilliantly, whilst he continues to play clubs and festivals all over the planet: from Warung in Brazil and the Rex Club in Paris to BPM Festival in Mexico, Strawberry Fields and Let Em Eat Cake in Australia or Woogie Weekend in California.
2017 sees the arrival of Oliver Huntemann’s 5th album “Propaganda”, trailered by two EPs entitled Rotlicht and Poltergeist. All three releases ripple with taut techno tunes as only he can deliver. Six long years have passed since the 4th Huntemann album “Paranoia”, but do not be fooled into thinking he was taking a break – on the contrary, he has been busier than ever.
That’s how it is in the north, actions count, not appearances!