DD: So I’ve gotten to know you through Rubix, he’s been featured on my blog quite a lot of the past few years. Very happy to see him hook up with you! What do you love most about your label, No Brainer Records? 

M: The good thing about your own label is you can sign exactly the music you love the most, unless someone else signs it first of course. For me it’s not so much about a pre definied style of music, but about a certain vibe I want in the music. This certain vibe can also be found in my dj sets. I know it’s not that common anymore, with most dj’s playing only one genre: only house, only tropical, only bangers, only breaks. Also, many clubs are forced to do these genre nights. I try to break these genre boundaries with the music I do on No Brainer. It’s a tough job to do it that way, but I still haven’t lost hope that people understand, and moreover appreciate the open minded attitude of the label.

 

DD: How did you come to build this roster of artist releases? Do you first connect with a lot of these people online, or maybe through shows? 

M: I got sent tons of demos before I even had a label. A lot of young producers asked for advice and I was always trying to help when I had the time to do so. I had some material laying around when I started No Brainer Records. Additionally, I contacted some people I knew to send me tracks, and encouraged people to send me demos if they thought it could fit on No Brainer. So send me your stuff and gimme two weeks to answer. But before you do please make sure it’s not something that doesn’t fit the label at all. No Brainer certainly doesn’t do trancy stuff, full on distorted stuff or dubstep for example.

 DD: How if any has your environment growing up influenced your current production style? I see your from Germany, and these songs have a very tropical feel.. 

My music never really reflects a german lifestyle. Even when I started with funky breaks in 1999 on my soon to be re-released first album ‘The Spirit Of Malente’, you wouldn’t notice that I’m from Germany. Also the name Malente is a city in northern Germany, but it doesn’t sound german at all. The name Malente fits to my music. It’s changed through time very well, and captures the positive vibe and fun gained from playing around with styles, synths and samples. Germany has a minimal impact on what I do. I feel far more european or global.

 

DD: What’s the most important to you as an artist? 

The freedom to put out what I like, when I like it. This is sometimes difficult. It can often be confusing to the listener and is arguably bad for my career. All this means I would recommend releasing a tropical and a techno tune and a re-releasing an old funky breaks album within a month to any other artist. But I am Malente and when I have the freedom to do it, I’ll just do it and don’t give a fuck. I do gotta say that I love all the fans who understand that attitude and dig all my releases.

Respect.

No Brainer Records on Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud and http://nobrainerrecords.wordpress.com/

 

 

– Jimi Jaxon