Daniel Steinberg’s magnificent new album “Shut Up” is released on Front Room Recordings next Monday. An eight-track masterpiece of cross-genre madness, the German tech house guru really excels himself on this LP, sampling anything from train sounds to classic Latin records. Be sure to catch him as he passes through London on his upcoming world album tour. For now, here’s what he had to say about the new release:

Firstly congratulations on completing your new album, it’s fantastic. Are you proud of it?

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I am proud. It was a lot of blood, sweat, and maybe a few tears, but I’m extremely satisfied with the end result.

How long did the album take to produce?

It took about a year and a half to complete. I came out of the studio with a ton of tracks, so I had quite a bit to choose from. I have to admit it wasn’t easy to choose, but I think the final selection goes quite well together.

Was there any concept behind the album or did you treat each track individually?

Actually, I like to be spontaneous when producing, and I enjoy surprising myself. The album is rather multi-faceted and covers a range of styles. It was very important for me to include varied musical influences on the album. My track ‘Atencion’ was definitely inspired by my Brazilian tour. I am also a huge fan of old jazz, blues, and disco from the last century, and you can see where that has left its mark.

Do you have a favourite track off the album?

That is really hard to say. Is it terrible to say I like them all?  Ok, I’ve had one or two favourites. ‘On The Train’ and ‘Shut up’ - the titles alone make me imagine a silent, peaceful train ride. They’re all my children. They might be a bit strange but I love them.

You obviously take influence from all sorts of musical genres from disco to samba. ‘Attention’ and previous EP tracks such as ‘Bailando’ are heavily Latin flavoured, have you ever been to South America or do you simply take influence from other records?

That’s true, I love the Latin sound.  Even as a child I watched the Carnival in Rio on television and felt a thrill. They have a wonderful zest for life. Because of my productions and DJing I have been fortunate enough to play in Brazil and Mexico.  It was all so incredible. People knew my songs and the crowd sang along!  Pure goose bumps!

Percussive house music is very much in fashion at the moment across a number of house labels. Where do you see the future of percussive house music in a couple of years time?

For me, it is a bit of a shame that lately everything is just house. From labels you never would have expected it… house. Honestly, I hope the trend is leveling off a bit and producers will be a bit more experimental in the future. It isn’t much fun to go to the record store and hear so much similar-sounding music.

How did you come to be involved with Front Room Records?

I have had a long, fantastic relationship with the Front Room guys. Since we’ve worked so well together in the past, the new release is really important to us. Also, we get along so well outside of the clubs… just great guys.

Do you have a favourite piece of studio gear you like to use when you produce?

I love to produce on older machines. I often use old tape decks or tape recorders, and lately I have been playing digital sounds on the older equipment. This technique produces a larger sound than with just a computer. The samples and vocals then sound much warmer. 

Will you be touring the album in the new year?

Yes, there will be an album tour. From Japan to Brazil to Australia… hitting all the corners of the globe. I am really excited… there are so many cool cities and clubs to experience!

Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

Have fun and stay techno!

SH