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Reared in a small village near Frankfurt, Basti Grub has always been obsessed with sound. Heavily influenced by his father's reggae collection, the young Basti would spend hours twiddling with the treble and bass on his families stereo system. From the moment he finally acquired his much sought after Roland MC 303 synthesizer at the tender age of 14, he's never looked back. His teenage years continued in a similar vein. These were spent in some of Germany's most renowned clubs, be it Omen or Robert Johnson, a relationship which simply served to heighten the young mans love of electronic music.

Clubbing though - simply wasn't enough. Sebastian wanted to control the party. Armed with a set of 1210's, hours were spent perfecting a trade which would come to fruition through his "Electronic Headache/Massive Frequenzen" parties which he helped establish and Dj at in 2005. In 2007, Basti founded his own label, Hoehenregler records.

Basti's productions, typically a fusion of groovy techno and African vocal samples, are not only unique, but highly creative - a formula which has seen them land in the boxes of some of the world's most renowned Dj boxes. I Voice caught up with Basti to discuss his record label, his upbringing and the recent trend of blending foreign sounds with a techno beat...

How did your background influence your sound?
I grew up listening to a lot of reggae and Afro which has actually had a huge influence on my sound.

Do you have a musical education?
I didn't have a musical education as such, although I can play the piano and I'm learning to play sax and drums at the moment.

Any ideas what you'd be doing if you weren't involved in music?
None! There is no Basti Grub without music.....music and my girlfriend are my life!

Why is electronic music so popular in Germany?
I'll answer that with a question - Why is electronic music so popular in Ibiza?!

You grew up listening to reggae then. When did you first experience electronic music?
As a kid I used to spend a lot of time recording tapes. The Hr-3 Clubnight which was on air on Saturdays. For one reason or another I was always drawn to this sound and after a while I wanted to produce something myself. So I decided to get an MC 303 synthesizer which came out around this time.

How did Hohenregler records get started?
I just did it. At the beginning I ran everything myself. It was quiet a hard, but fulfilling time. After the third release, I realized I need a distributor.

Can you tell us about your latest album?
The album is composed of highlights from the two different Basti Grub sounds. From now on, I plan on bringing my sound in different directions. You'll see what I mean half way throughout the year. Stay tuned!

Your music is often influenced by foreign sounds. What do you feel they bring to techno music?
First of all music is music, whether it's instrumental or electronic music. Therefore, there's no right or wrong with producing - if the music sounds good when it's fused together, then so be it.

Matias Aguayo recently stated that "putting samples of traditional songs on a techno beat is in very bad taste." How would you respond to that?
There are always different opinions and tastes. And that's good.

Do you consider yourself more of a Dj or producer then?
First and foremost I'm a producer, but I also love to DJ.

You mentioned your 'sheltered upbringing' on your Myspace. What do your parents think about what you do now?
My parents like what I do and are very supportive of me when they can be.

You're perhaps best known for your track 'Marchgang' on International Freakshow. What inspired you to make such a track?
I have a very wide music interest and one day I decided wanted to try something unique with Gypsy music. The track is 'Marchgang'!

Electronic music aside, what are your other musical passions?
Big Band sound, Orchestral music and much, much more. I like all music, if it's good.

Any plans for 2010 we should know about?
I have a lot of plans with some big projects coming on some big labels......as I said - watch out in the middle of the year!

www.myspace.com/bastigrub | www.hoehenregler.de | www.myspace.com/hoehenregler