Wigbert’s music is his form of communication. He uses equal parts of analogue machines influence and human input to create energetic, explorative, authentic and fresh music for labels like Second State and Sci+Tec.
Wigbert’s ‘Distorted Matter’ album on Second State is followed up by a remix EP including some big names like Jeroen Search, Matrixxxman and Pan-Pot.
Take a listen to the remix EP, Wigbert’s mix for Klubikon Podcast and read about his thoughts on his ‘Distorted Matter’ album, pandemic, plans and expectations in the interview below.
Thank for chatting to us Wigbert. Congratulations on your first album in January, and on Second State – a great label. How was it completing an album and what made you feel like it was time to do an LP instead of an EP?
Back in the day, when I started to make music, for me it was important to do an album as an artist. So, I told myself, that I want to do an album in my career, but I didn’t know when. I think with an album you can show more personality and you can express different sides from you as artist. When I started to produce this album, I had the right feeling that the time was right to do an album and I followed my intuition. This was in 2019. Also I think at the moment the people need music much more than ever before, which helps to stay strong during the pandemic.
Do you think there is still a place for albums in today’s fast paced online society? Many people suggest that the format is dated and now with so much being available to the listener. If you disagree, why?
Sure, viewed from the business side, music is very fast paced these days and many people just gobble it down like fast food. But as soon as music is created, whether it ends up being a single, EP or an album, music is an art form that is created out of nothing. It enriches the world and the temporal aspect is insignificant for me, because the art is created in a certain moment and will last forever. For me it is timeless.
How do you go about producing an album – is this differently to an EP? How long did the whole project take from start to finish?
Yes, definitely. While producing an EP, I usually don’t think so much about a story or a concept. With the album, however, it was important to me that there was a story behind it – something profound. Therefore, in the beginning it was very exciting to find out where the journey is going. I started producing the first pieces and sketching out ideas. Sometimes I also worked on ideas in parallel, depending on my feelings and emotions. Not every idea was strong enough in the end. Often I discarded them at the next studio session and started again. When I finished the first potential tracks for the album, a picture slowly formed and as soon I was producing the track ‘Distorted Matter’, the topic for the LP became clear to me. Every track that was added over the time was like another piece of the puzzle. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. I tried to feel and to reflect what the album might still be missing until the whole work felt holistic to me. An exciting creative process that I lived through for months. I started in summer 2019 and then isolated myself in the studio for an additional 6 weeks in winter. In January 2020 the album was finally finished.
Do you feel like you achieved your goals for the album? If so, what were those goals?
For me it was important to tell a story and express my feeling thru that. The story behind ‘Distorted Matter’ is, that I expressed emotions of different situations in a kind of a compressed diary. Every tracks stands for something in my past and everyone can interpreting or guess what I want say with the respective track. Another important thing was, to show different sides from me as artist and how I can make it compatible as a holistic work. That every track make sense on the album and doesn’t drift apart. I’m super happy with the result and I think the achieved all the goals which were important for me.
Can you sum up the album in 3 words?
Versatile, Emotional, Techno
A heavy remix pack is out! Wow, some great remixers including Matrixxman, Pan-Pot and Anthony Linell. Did you choose these artists yourself? Is there a remix that stands out for you and why?
Yes I choose every Remixer by myself and they are all some of my favourite artists. It’s hard to tell you my favourite, because I love every remix in this package.
Have you found it hard to create an album and test tracks when we have not been able to play in clubs? As this is all very much dancefloor and club focused music.
Yes, it definitely helps when you see how the crowd reacts on your tracks. But it’s not absolutely necessary and I trust my feeling and intuition when I make music. In terms of a club sound system, I found a good solution for that. I builded up a second creative studio with a small Funktion One PA System. It was my dream to recreate a club sound. It’s great to have always the access to test my stuff in an environment which has a similar vibe like a proper club. This makes fun and helps a lot.
Now the world is starting to open up again, what is the first thing you are looking forward to doing with your friends and colleagues?
Feeling more free and dancing with all of my friends in a club or where ever we want. Also I’m looking forward to meet and socialising people in real not only on the screen.
Aside from the album, what other projects have you got planned for this year?
Next to new productions I’ll continue my visual streaming series on my YouTube channel, which I started last year. Slowly I learned more and more about creating visuals and the interaction with my music. For me it’s nice to emphasize my sets with a kind of audio visualisation art.
Thanks for your mix for Klubikon Podcast, can you tell us where this was made, the vibe of your mix and tracks selected?
You’re welcome and thanks for having me. I did the mix in my studio and I tried to capture a hypnotic vibe and atmosphere. I wanted that the mix builds up slowly and keeps the energy in one hour. I love when you get lost in sets in a positive way and I tried to replicate something like a cut from a longer club set. I played tracks from artists like Antigone, Modullar (Lewis Fautzi Remix), Neel, Claudia Anderson, Oscar Mulero, Orbe, UBX127, Subjected, Acronym, Anthony Linell’s remix of my track ‘Reflection’ and a few more.
