Konrad Black Details

Time has accelerated ten-fold for Konrad over years since the dark, shadowy tones of "Draconia" & "Medusa Smile" enveloped dancefloors around the Globe, christening his influencial Wagon Repair label in style as well as establishing him as a highly innovative producer and much sought after remixer (just check out his work for Tiga, Snax, Audion and Martini Brös if further proof is required).

His relocation to Berlin 5 years ago also gave him the opportunity to express himself more regularly as a DJ, resulting in a fast expanding reputation for sending crowds into a frenzy wherever the call of duty takes him. Konrad knows it’s about living and breathing the music, it’s not just a question of turning up, spinning a few tunes and then disappearing back into the night, it’s about getting to know the people, understanding what makes the club tick and always delivering a night of memorable tracks and seamless transgressions. He quickly found himself holding down one of the much coveted residencies at the Legendary Panorama Bar as well as regular spots at dance musics epicenters; Fabric in London, Rex in Paris, Tenax in Florence, Privilege in Ibiza to name a few…

After 5 years of a hectic touring schedule, Konrad relocated to Los Angeles and teamed up with fellow producer Martin Buttrich to record a yet unreleased album. For Konrad the aim was to remove himself from the day to day influence of the dance scene in Berlin and "clear the sonic palette" by relocating to a place whose palette couldn't be further from that of techno's mecca of Berlin. "We wanted to be as far from the scene's influence as we could be; Away from any outside musical influence. Berlin is full of musicians of the electronic variety so we decided to do the album in L.A. in the winter time…and I'm happy we did! "It was nice to be back in that west coast laid back way of life…one that I actually missed…which I never thought that I would. "One that couldn't be further literally and figuratively from the 24/7 Techno of Berlin."

In hindsight, Vancouver’s laid back way of life was the perfect environment to patiently prepare for the whirlwind his life has now become. Free from the restraining influences of established scenes and trends, Konrad was able to develop his own individual take on dance music under the guidance of Patti Schmidt’s Brave New Waves late night radio show. Digging through the junk bins in Vancouver’s coolest record stores - Basics & Odyssey Imports - also unearthed hidden gems from artists like Tikiman and Maurizio, along with early Klang and Perlon releases that had been shamefully overlooked by the uninitiated.

Although his initial instincts had led him in a Drum and Bass direction, it wasn’t long before he began transplanting his ideas into a 4/4 context. Hooking up with Swayzak in 1998 had a large part to do with this and led to a string of releases on 240 Volts including the Busting Down The Door With A Shotgun EP and the inspired Swayzak / Headgear collaboration on In The Car Crash in 2002. During this period Konrad also relocated to London, producing both Drum and Bass for Ed Rush and Optical’s Virus Recordings, and Techno (together with March 21st) as Headgear including a remix of In A State for James Lavelle’s U.N.K.L.E. project.

On returning home, Konrad finally met up with fellow Vancouverite Mathew Jonson who was already having massive success producing on the much lauded It Is What It Is label. Together with Graham Boothby and Jesse Fisk they founded Wagon Repair, basically “to do whatever the hell we wanted to do’’ and in a relatively short space of time it’s developed into one of the most respected labels around. Konrad’s own approach to music basically sums up their original mandate – “It’s important to let music mature and resonate. It’s important to know who you are and to embrace the things that drive you forward even if they seem strange to others’’.

...like dreaming darkly on a sunny day. There’s certainly a Byronesque quality to Black, a perpetual struggle between external light and inner darkness that unearths moments of beauty in the darkest corners of our collective consciousness. But fortune seems to favour the brave and it’s with this firmly in mind that he leads the crowd through the night towards another Berlin sunrise.