David Keno is one of the hottest names in Berlin’s dance music scene. He started off his journey in music as a teenager, learning classical instruments like guitar and drums when he was 12. After playing in different rock bands he discovered his love to electronic music. He bought a drum machine and an old Korg synthesizer and started experimenting with it. It took a few years until he was ready to show the results to someone but it was worth the wait.

The guys from the Pocketgame label loved his melodic tracks and signed him for his first record: Vernis - Bubble Bath EP which came with a fantastic Trentemoller remix. At that point things started getting even better for David. He released on labels like Meerestief, Karateklub, ELP and made Remixes for Samuel L. Session, G-Man, da Fresh, Robert Drewek, Hugg & Pepp, DK8 and even the old 80ies heroes Trans-X wanted a remix for their “living on video” that came out on ZYX Music.

The next step in Keno’s carreer had to be his own label so that he could make his own thing without any compromises. In January 2007 Keno Records 01 was released with huge success. In David Keno’s DJ sets or also as a Livect his musical range goes from minimal techno to electro and house. Very floor-oriented but often with a certain melodic touch. Maybe these are his roots from the 80ies shining through. And today David talks to Earworm…

What have been up to lately and what can we expect from you over the next couple of months?
I was pretty busy in the studio doing an EP and two remixes together with Jaxson. The stuff will be released on Kindisch and MyBestFriend. My latest records on Morris Audio and Hi Freaks have just been released these days. In Winter there will be a David Keno EP on Kindisch which I am really excited about.

Who or what has been the biggest influence?
First of all it was my parents’ record collection. From a very young age I went through all these records which was pretty exiting for me. The most important thing for me were the covers in these days. When I liked it I played it. After several years I started also playing the boring looking records…Some of them had a great influence on me. There was much 80s stuff like Depeche Mode, Talk Talk or Duran Duran. But also rock music like Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple and Pink Floyd. I still love these records and I think it can be heard that in my music too sometimes.

What was your first big breakthrough as an act? What would you rate as the best experience that you’ve had in the music scene so far?
There was no real overnight breakthrough in my career. I was just making records and one day I realized that some people know my name and play my stuff. That’s a nice thing.

What’s the first record you bought?
That must have been some rock record maybe from Iron Maiden.

Which one do you enjoy the most, Djing or producing?
The most important thing for me was always making music. So I would describe myself more as a musician but DJing became more and more important the last years.

What do you see as your main strengths as a producer?
Maybe I have a different approach to the music than many others because of my classical music education. This can be confining too, sometimes I have to force myself not to think about harmonic stuff and just focus on beats and percussions. Now I am finding a way somewhere in the middle.

What can people expect from your live show?
In my live shows I always try new stuff and mix it with my old tracks. When something doesn’t work I throw it away. I think it is getting better and better with every gig. That’s why I love playing live again. One year ago I had computer problems and wanted to stop doing live sets. A friend of mine talked me into doing one for his birthday so I bought a new laptop and started having fun with it again.

What’s the key to getting noticed?
Find your own style.

When and where was your best gig?
That was on a Sunday afternoon in Berlin on a crazy afterparty. I made a spontaneous liveset and the people just went crazy.

Who is your all time musical hero?
David Bowie.

Worst Gig?
That was a liveset between two really hard techno DJs. I did my best to save the situation by playing faster and only my most functional stuff but it didn’t really work out.

What makes a party good & bad?
The are a lot of factors like the crowd, the location, the sound system, but the most important thing is the dj!

What’s the biggest crowd you’ve played to?
About 1500.

What’s the most ridiculous promotional thing you’ve done?
I am not doing much promotional things. Maybe it’s a little bit naïve but I think that when you are really good it will work out anyway.

Where do you go out?
Panorama Bar, Watergate, Bar25 and lots of smaller parties here in Berlin. There are so many of them.

What do you think about dj mag’s top100 poll?
I don’t care much about these polls.

Is there an all-time favourite track you wish you’d produced?
Knights of the Jaguar.

Which is more appealing to you while djing - to dig out a relatively old track, or play the newest release?
For me it’s more important to find your own style as a dj. Playing the latest records is easier, sure. But that’s not what it is about. Of course it can be fun to play all the hits that everybody knows but that won’t bring you far as a dj.

What is the most interesting comment you have heard about your music?
A girl once said after a gig that my music touched her soul. It sounds like bad pop lyrics but that’s really what I am trying…

Is it the technique that is important? Or the selection or the looks or the moves?
A good selection is the most important thing but if the technique is really bad then it destroys the feeling too.

Is there something that you don’t like about this scene or things that pissed you off along the way?
Less talking and more action please.

What inspires you?
All extreme feelings like love or sadness.

If you could have anyone remix any of your tracks, who would it be and why?
I would ask Hot Chip because they have a really unique style.

What is the magic hangover cure?
pizza and tv.

What’s going to be the next big thing in music?
After the abstract minimal music it is going back to natural sounds. Like every trend it will be pushed so far that the people get annoyed with it and the next big thing has to come up. Right now you can see that some are heading back to house music or more towards techno.

If you ever walk around the house in pants and slippers and what do you listen to?
Hercules & Love Affair, Muse, Pink Floyd,…

Was there a moment when you knew you wanted to make music your life?
I always wanted to become a rock star as a kid but this band thing didn’t really work out for me.

Where’s your favourite place to play?
Small clubs with crazy music lovers.

What’s your best tip for getting money out of dodgy promoters?
Until now I have always been lucky with that. No one really wanted to screw me until now.

Which is your personal favourite track that you’ve produced & why?
My favourite track until now is Karacho, the B2 on Kindisch21. So simple but really rocks when it is played in a club. People went crazy.

What would you say is the most difficult aspect of music production?
Coming up with a good idea is the most important and also the most difficult thing. The technique can be learned by everybody and that is getting easier and easier… So it will be even more important in the future.

What are your favourite production tools /gadgets?
I recently found an old multieffect processor and really like the crappy sound of it. It is important to have some unique sounds in your tracks in times that everybody kind of sounds the same.

What do you think about this whole minimal craze and do you support that?
I think that is over now.

If you had to do something different what do you think you would end up doing?
I would be doing webdesign / programming, that’s what I learned.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
During my internship in a music studio I was taught how to work with equalizers and compressors. That pushed my sound to a real higher level.

If there is one rule in life to live by, what is it?
Believe in yourself.

What destroys music?
Narrow-mindedness

What keeps it alive?
People who have their own vision and keep on following them.

What are your plans for the rest of the year in terms of production and general music related business? What is your aim as a producer, what ambitions have you got?
I am looking for the perfect track. Hopefully I will never find it so that I keep on searching.

Any news, updates, new productions, events, etc that you would like people to know about?
David Keno – Discoteca EP (Kindisch 21)
Jaxson&Brede – Dolli Rock (Mona Maki Remix) (MyBestFriend)

How would you want to die?
Old, just sleeping away.

What’s the last thing you bought on eBay?
Grundig Audiorama speakers

What was your worst ever job?
As a Pizza driver when I was 18.

If you had only six months to live, what would you do first?
I would travel a lot.

If you could have one super human power what would you choose?
Flying.

Your favourite movie of all time?
One of them is “2001 – A space odyssey”

Favourite actor
John Malkovich

Are you obsessed about anything?
I spend too much money on sneakers

If you could time travel to the past to correct any mistakes you feel you’ve made would you?
I would go back and focus more on the music.

What makes you cry? What makes you laugh?
My girlfriend.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I can live anywhere in the world. Right now it is Berlin. When I had enough from that city I choose another one. Maybe Barcelona, New York or London. We will see.

David has compiled a top 10 for DJDownload recently, so check it out!

And to download David Keno releases simply click here!