German DJ and producer Tilman, out of Mainz, supplies us with the feel-good tunes for our 162nd Hometown Heroes episode.

Focusing on his productions, Tilman has released original house music and remixes on labels like Colours, spontanMusik, Neovinyl Recordings, and his own label, Klamauk. His latest release on Klamauk, Let’s Work It Out EP, is out on November 20th.

It’s always a pleasure featuring up-and-coming artist like Tilman. Peep his groovy house tunes and learn more about his journey in the interview below. Enjoy!

Hometown Heroes: Tilman from Mainz

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Interview with Tilman

How did you get into dance music and DJing? Do you remember a specific moment of inspiration or was it an evolution?
I was 17 or 18, can’t remember it in detail to be honest. At that time I went to a friend of mine quite often to hang out. He was listening to a lot of vocal house and also possessed a DJ-setup. That was the first time I got in contact with house music and I also took my first steps with mixing and playing records. Before that I mostly listened to Hip Hop.

So there was not a specific moment, it slowly has built up. I really enjoyed mixing records and I also had the Reason software installed on my computer and used it to produce music. Those tracks were more or less danceable back then. But, too be honest, I really didn’t know what I was doing. My musical roots really helped me a bit. The drum and piano lessons, plus practicing a lot helped me to get a good sense for rhythm, melodies and harmonies.

Describe the scene in Mainz in five words or less. What parties, clubs and restaurants would you recommend?
Mainz is a small and cozy student city and belongs, together with Frankfurt and others, to the vibrant Rhein Main area. My favourite places are…

Clubs: Robert Johnson (Offenbach), Gutleut (Mainz), Galerie Kurzweil (Darmstadt), Tanzhaus West (Frankfurt), Schlachthof (Wiesbaden)

Restaurants: Möhren Milieu (Mainz), Im Herzen Afrikas (Frankfurt/Mainz), Zimt und Koriander (Wiesbaden), Spiritus (Mainz), Vevay (Frankfurt)

Do you have any residencies?
No, not really. I had two residencies in Mainz, one with “Klamauk“ at Kulturclub Schon Schön and a labelnight with “Fine“ at Gebäude 27.

Sadly, Schon Schön stopped electronic music parties and Gebäude 27 had to close last spring. Now I am djing every two month all night long at Gutleut, where I can play what ever I want and test things out. But these days I am more concentrating on making music and DJing outside Mainz more frequently.

What BPM does your heart beat at?
It depends on the music and situation. More or less between 118 and 124.

What gigs do you dream about?
Nothing particular. Like any other DJ, I love gigs with an open minded crowd.

What cool things do you have planned for the remainder 2017 and beyond?
There are a lot of records coming out in the next months. First my “Let’s Work It Out EP“ on Klamauk, which should be out when you read this. In the next months the “In My Mind EP“ on Faces Records, the “Love EP“ on Fine and I am part of some VA records on Needs, Whyte Numbers and Super Tuff. Right now, I’m working on new material for next year. And maybe some day, my album will be finished.

Tell us about your mix…
For me, it’s quite hard to do a mix for just one hour. Often I can’t decide what to play. So, my idea behind the mix was just to get people into a good mood and fit that into 60 min.

Drink of choice…
Gin Tonic


CHEERS!

– jams
Jimbo James
Editor-in-Chief
jams@musicis4lovers.com