"Collaborating on a remix project is a great way to connect with other artists," says producer Richard Dorfmeister, speaking from his home in Vienna. "Because normally you can't say 'Hi, let's do something together.' Music-making is such an intimate process; you'd rather do it either with people you've known for a very long time, or alone."
He has chosen the former for both Kruder & Dorfmeister and Tosca, the two projects in which his other halves are long-term friends, Peter Kruder and "old school partner" Rupert Huber respectively. The projects are separate by virtue of Dorfmeister's co-conspirators, yet linked both by sound and label; Kruder and Dorfmeister release all related material via their own G-Stone. This has meant a home for both Kruder's solo Peace Orchestra project, and Tosca's two full-lengths, Opera and the recent Suzuki. This month, we will also be treated to Suzuki in Dub, an album featuring remixers such as Baby Mammoth, dZihan & Kamien, Burnt Friedman and Groove Corporation making Tosca tracks their own.
"For me, it's especially interesting to work with people who are not so well known," shares Dorfmeister. "Most of the people involved with these remixes are more underground, especially the Austrian ones like Uko. For them to be part of this dub project is great, and they know it can help them, so they won't just hand in a remix. They'll really try to do something special."
It is an ethic that Kruder & Dorfmeister have lived and worked by, having spent much time creating complete reworkings of songs for artists ranging from Roni Size and Rockers Hi-Fi to Madonna. "We would work at least two weeks on every one," stresses Dorfmeister. "We're not so genius that we can do these mixes in one day and have them be great. We really have to work hard at it."
It paid off. When Kruder & Dorfmeister's many remixes were compiled and released last year as the K&D Sessions, the duo's international profile skyrocketed, and they found themselves offered hundreds of new remix jobs. They turned them all down. "There was no way of selecting any more; somehow, it felt like we'd already done it," says Richard simply. "I'd rather release nothing than something that is half and half. This is a philosophy we've really followed for the last few years. Perhaps we don't have so much output, but at least then we don't release some bullshit."
He has chosen the former for both Kruder & Dorfmeister and Tosca, the two projects in which his other halves are long-term friends, Peter Kruder and "old school partner" Rupert Huber respectively. The projects are separate by virtue of Dorfmeister's co-conspirators, yet linked both by sound and label; Kruder and Dorfmeister release all related material via their own G-Stone. This has meant a home for both Kruder's solo Peace Orchestra project, and Tosca's two full-lengths, Opera and the recent Suzuki. This month, we will also be treated to Suzuki in Dub, an album featuring remixers such as Baby Mammoth, dZihan & Kamien, Burnt Friedman and Groove Corporation making Tosca tracks their own.
"For me, it's especially interesting to work with people who are not so well known," shares Dorfmeister. "Most of the people involved with these remixes are more underground, especially the Austrian ones like Uko. For them to be part of this dub project is great, and they know it can help them, so they won't just hand in a remix. They'll really try to do something special."
It is an ethic that Kruder & Dorfmeister have lived and worked by, having spent much time creating complete reworkings of songs for artists ranging from Roni Size and Rockers Hi-Fi to Madonna. "We would work at least two weeks on every one," stresses Dorfmeister. "We're not so genius that we can do these mixes in one day and have them be great. We really have to work hard at it."
It paid off. When Kruder & Dorfmeister's many remixes were compiled and released last year as the K&D Sessions, the duo's international profile skyrocketed, and they found themselves offered hundreds of new remix jobs. They turned them all down. "There was no way of selecting any more; somehow, it felt like we'd already done it," says Richard simply. "I'd rather release nothing than something that is half and half. This is a philosophy we've really followed for the last few years. Perhaps we don't have so much output, but at least then we don't release some bullshit."
