Press

Thank you for taking the time for the interview. First of all, could you introduce yourself to our reader?

My name is Cio. I live in Cologne, Germany in a little paradise. A flat with a garden & some trees around so I can love & live music in combination with peace and quiet. While producing tracks or making mixes I am taking lots of care for every single sound and every mix or track that I work on feels like the most important ever. Music is a mirror of soul and I am always in progress... never finished! If you like to know more details about my work, you are kindly welcome to visit my webpage: http://www.ciodor.de/

I heard you were playing congas in a jazz band before. How did you get into the electronic music? Any influences?

After I was playing in a band and learning a bit of guitar, flute, piano and kalimba, I studied Modern Dance (Graham Technic) & Ballet in a professional dance school in Berlin. For my own dance choreographies i was always looking for new or deep influenced music, so I used classical music & Brian Eno and David Byrne o. This was probably my first contact with electronic Music.

Could you tell us how you started the Prologue label? I'm sure you are getting lots of demos everyday. How do you select the tracks to release from your label? - this is not true so new question! Could you tell us how became a part of the label Prologue?

I knew the Label owner Tom Bonaty from the time i used to live in Munich..we met in our favourite record store and we had interesting talks about music & as I progressed in the making of the album he was very cooperative with all my wishes for remixers, graphics and ideas. We have a similar music taste ... So, he through Prologue released my first album "Die Faser".

The track 'Cotton (La Petite Geisha)' is quite unique name. Is is the Japanese geisha? Could you tell us the story behind the track?

I was reading a book about Geisha's and was very surprised and impressed, that they are very artful educated woman.

You have been collaborating with deep producers likes of Donato Dozzy, Peter Van Hoesen, Sleeparchive and Samuli Kemppi. How did you meet them?

Well... i would say: All of them are music friends with a big respect of each other. All of them did a remix for a track of mine and i am very glad and thankful for their fantastic work! I really enjoy a lot there own productions, too! Also I played with all on them in different venues and cities. It was always a big pleasure for me! Donato Dozzy is the closest friend, because we spent much more time together with our co - production "Menta" in his home, played some gigs together, even cooking for each other.

On the Resident Advisor interview I read that you love traveling and get lots of inspiration from all over the world. What is the most recent memorable trip?

Yes, I was travelling a lot..& had many amazing, thankful moments around this world. Gigs, music & people! My most memorable recent "trip" was over the past few months making my podcast for Resident Advisor. Working in the heat, escaping to the lake, swimming, watching the birds, working on the mix, sleeping, going back to the lake, dying in the heat again, getting caught in a huge unusual thunderstorm, running in strange winds, seeking refuge on my flat again with the music, etc etc, Sometimes interesting trips don't have to be that far away!

On the same interview, you named Sinai in Egypt, Formentera in Spain and Okinawa in Japan for your top destinations. Also you were talking about India and Thailand. Do you like hot (as in temperature) countries? You don't mind backpacking? No offense but you always look so stylish and cool so it is kind of difficult to imagine you doing backpacking though ;)

Hahaahaa you're right about the backpacking. Maybe! In the past I loved backpacking though. Still now on all this trips i still always inhale nature, the silence & while I have free time sometimes learning a new program or producing tracks, or remixes, too. It's perfect to start to produce in holiday where you cant be disturbed. The inspiration for sounds and dramaturges come often, ready for a mixdowns at my studio at home later. I love see only the sea, or a lake or feel the wind. For work i prefer max 25¡, for running 20¡. Any hotter and I need air-con!!!

Talking about styles, I love the way you dress! Your hairstyle and makeup are quite eccentric (in a good way!) and so are the record cover artwork and the profile photos! So every aspect of Cio D'or is very "arty" How do you get that inspiration?

Thank you. You know...everybody has to look into a mirror before walking on the street...so in my life i tried many different styles of haircuts (long/short/ different colors ectect)& also dresses. To have more time for music, i cut my hair myself! With this style i feel most comfortable with, for me it's ÒnormalÓ.

I really love your music video clips. The visual and your sound perfectly match! Could you tell us about VJ Heiligenblut?

She is a Munich/Berlin based Vj and a very good friend of mine and i adore her creativity & professionality . My ideal is to travel & to perform always together with her, because her visual language fits perfectly my sounds. For more details you are welcome to click here: http://www.heiligenblut.de/

So you are coming back to Japan in a few days! Welcome back :) How was the last tour? Did you enjoy the stay?

Thank you, I am very glad and thankful. My last trip with Dave Twomey and Mike Parker was outstanding, because of great venues, perfect crowds & wonderful people around me, with good & inspiring sounds and good hearts, only! Everything was so well organized (by Dave) and the soundsystems were great, too. Also i enjoyed lots of amusing moments! It was a very intense trip, that i will never forget.

Compared to last year, you will be playing the bigger venues (except for Okinawa) this time. (both Unit and Joule are 800 + size club). Can we still expect the deep and hypnotic set? Tokyo organizer has also invited Donato Dozzy in January and it was a great one. Did he tell you anything about the party?

I think i will play deep & hypnotic & some breakbeat & dub techno, too @ Unit, because i have time for a longer journey of 3 hours. @ Joule i might playing a little more power-concentrated, because of less time & probably a bit different athmosphere. But i will choose the way that I will go when I feel the venue & crowd, too. At ÒGÓ i might play more warm, but hypnotic too... I am well prepared for any situation! ;)

After playing in Okinawa on August 28th, you have some spare time till the next gig in Tokyo and Osaka. Do you have any special plans?

Yes. I want to spent 3 days at the sea in Okinawa, snorkeling, relaxing, good food & of course working on my sets, too! On the 1st of September I will play together with the wonderful Tr nch (Dave again!) at Dommune and i am looking forward to that gig, too!

Any exciting news in a near future? (releases, tour etc.)

Yes! I am excited 2 weeks in Sardinia at the end of September in the studio & house of a friend Claudio PRC to relax and work on a new release for Prologue.

Any message to the Japanese fans?

A life without music is like a bird without wings but follow your heart!

With huge respect and thanks for the translation to Dave Twomey!