>> D.I.E. interview DEXTER(klakson, clone) What is Klakson? Its my recordlabel that i own together with Steffi How would you describe the sound and style of the Klakson label in your words? Quality .. not only Electro ! . We try to release different styles as much as we can . Lots of funk of course . Who is Dexter? Who is Steffi? Who else is behind Klakson? Dexter is a producer/dj /labelowner and Steffi is a dj/labelowner . We started the label with Steven the Peven .. He left and runs his own label called Rednose District And who then is Klanosk? Klanosk was setup to release more experimental stuff .. minimal laptop house and idm kind of stuff . We decided that if we want to release something more 'experimental ' we dont need a sublabel . If its good we release it on Klakson . So Klanosk dies when the new websit is online . Not even ten releases, all pretty different, but one can already find a special Klakson sound in there. After which criteria do you sign your artists? Do you receive a lot of demos? Have you ever signed an unknown artist just on basis of a demo? We get quite al lot of demo`s .. but the people who released on Klakson are not the people who send us demo`s. We asked all the people who are on Klakson now . Al lot of times people dont understand what / who we are or what the stands for and they send us stuff whe really dont understand why did they send us . Like electro Trance stuff .. Do you dream of an artist you would like to sign for Klakson? Well ... That would be some of the Funk Veterans like George Clinton , Rick James . Or some one like Biz MArkie .. Kool Keith .. Tom middleton & Mark Pritchard if they would do a new Jedi Knights .. Donald Byrd . By now the Klakson label found its look too. Who takes the cover pictures? How involved are the artists in the photos / ideas? It have always been our work . Steffi usaly take the pictures . Except for the Seymour Bits cover . Seymour came up with a picture wich fitted perfect in our style and idea about the covers . Your remix discography shows a variety of artists and labels that one normally does not find together so easily. After which criteria do you decide to do remixes for other artist? I just have to like the label artist and the track. Do you just produce music as a solo artist? Or do you do work on tracks with others as well? I worked together with Alden Tyrel and Ben from Cosmic Force. Is there any artist you dream of working together in the studio? Hmmm . Beyonce .. Alicia Keys .. Mary J Blidge If ya know what i mean ! Dexter, Berserk, The Noodle Project, Cornflake Junkie. Are these all the projects you hide behind? Yep and some more that i wont tell you . What is your favourite breakfast? Are you really a Cornflake junkie? Yes i was . I switched to Fruit muesli and sometimes other Cereal .. Your track "I Don't Care" was played alike by DJs such as DJ Hell, Westbam, Laurent Garnier, just to throw in a few big names. Without a doubt it can be called a track of general consens, it somehow manages to stay around for years, people still play and even newly discover this track. Could you have ever imagined such an impact by one of your releases? Well i really did like in dont care myself . I dint thought it would as big as this . And what you say its still going . After "I Don't Care" and Intruder", when can we expect a new Dexter release? Very soon . Im trying to have enough material for an album . The thing is that i never finish tracks . so i have a lot of unfinished material . Klakson is based in Amsterdam, but distributed through Clone in Rotterdam. What in your eyes is the main difference between these two cities and its musical scenes? In Rotterdam there is more room for culture at the moment . Better partys clubs shops etc . Better vibe . Amsterdam is for tourist who want to get stoned at the moment .. And big trance and hip club partys . I dont like Amsterdam at the moment . How is your music and the Klakson label received in your hometown Amsterdam? First .. i dont live in Amsterdam anymore . I was born there but we moved when i was younger . I really dont know ... My records sell more outside of Holland . How related are you to the Amsterdam located Rushhour record store and distribution? I know them .. I buy records there sometime . Nice people nice shop . But were not related . What kind of developement do you see in electronic music? I mainly followd the developement of hip hop . Im really in to a lot of the newschool stuff . Less sampling more producing . In Electronic i dont know . I hardly buy records these days . Do you have some kind of "all time favourites"? Or could you at least name some records/performances/artists that are/were very special to you, that had a significant impact on you? Im a big fan of Raiders of the lost Arp 'Mario Pierro' His album '4' is the best thing i heard in ages ... But i do like all the stuff that coming out on Nature . All time favourite ......... dont know . One record that i really like and always have with me when im spinning is - The Swarm : Protecting my hive on UR . And the album - New School Science from the Jedi Knights on Evolution an Donald Byrd - Places and Spaces on Blue Note . Im a big fan of the Mizell brothers who produced Donald byrd and a lot more .. What is your musical background? Can you tell us about your first musical and/or club experience? For me it started in the breakdance periode around 85/87 . Breakdancing was i big hype were i lived . i was a poor breaker .. Only thing i could do was the backspin . We always use to practice with guys who were dutch champions . They had a dj . On a sunday afternoon"we were to young to get in the clubs at night' there were batlles in a local club . I hang around the dj boot and saw the guys scratching and playing with a Roland tr-909 . And thats were it happend for me . Soon after that at the age of 14 i was djing and producing for several Hip Hop crews . OK, so far nobody could really pin it down for us, maybe you can help: Do you know who these "Men Youšll Never See" are? I never saw them . So is there anything left here you want to tell us, ask us, let your fans know or just want to get rid off? Im really afraid of flying . THANK YOU >> artist link Dexter discography I Don't Care, 12" (Klakson) Intruder, 12" (Klakson) Dexter rmx Emerge (Dexter Remix) on Emerge, CD5" (Ministry Of Sound) Motorcity (Lab Mix) on Winter Chill 2, 2xCD (Hed Kandi Records) Happy House (D.funked Remix By Dexter) on Happy House Remixes, 12" (Virgin France) Serious Trouble (Dexter Remix) on Serious Trouble, 12" (XL) Serious Trouble (Dexter Remix) on Serious Trouble, 12" (XL) House Panic (Dexter's D-Funked Mix) on House Panic (Disc Two), 12" (Hooj Choons) House Panic (Dexter's D Funked Mix) on House Panic, CDr (Hooj Choons) >> D.I.E.interview