On The Record With 999999999

By Clara Tehrani.

999999999 hit the scene hard this past June with incredible response: the vinyl sold out in no time, and one could see their tracks drop acid across podcasts and dance floors all the summer. And yet, very little is known about the project apart from their music, a conscious decision by the artists who choose to define themselves simply as a ‘mysterious duo’.

To crown the end of a great year, 999999999 are going to have their debut in Berlin. They will be presenting a 1-hour live set at Griessmühle on the 24th of November with Techno Scene Offline. Ahead of the event, we had a chat with them.

What is 999999999?

“999999999 is an abstract concept coming from the minds of two people who don’t feel the need to define it; it is spontaneous, random, and without limits…”

Tell us a little about your production process: what is you setup, your creative approach (please include nerd photos if you can)…

“During the production stage we use mostly analogue gear. The Cyclone 303 is our heart, it’s the pivot of the whole setup to which we add hybrid machines like Octatrack or Analog Four, and analogue effects (reverb, delay, filters, …)

We love to create by improvising — going to the studio with a predefined idea in mind isn’t how we like to do things. We prefer to squeeze the 303, then work on the sampling process with the Octatrack for rhythm, and use the Analog Four to craft good synth lines for the lead. This process is unpredictable both in terms of outcome and of time involved to actually get to something we like. It implies long periods experimenting things out and other equally long ones selecting, editing and post-producing the sounds in the DAW before we get to finalised tracks we’re happy with”.

Why create a label for your work, and not look to come out on a label that you identify with? Will NineTimesNine exist exclusively for 999999999, or are there other projects in line to be released?

“Being free to express our own sound and give it a unique identity is the main focus. Unfortunately, many young artists nowadays ‘produce to sell’, but the real question one should ask is “Do I like what I’m creating or am I doing it only to emerge more quickly?” The music market is already oversaturated with too many similar records. What really distinguishes an artist from another is his identity and coherence.

It does not mean that we were not influenced by other artists, but we want to give our music the space to be original, to reflect what we feel without having to think about how many copies will sell or if it is going to be supported by everybody. For this reason, at the moment, we do not feel the need to involve other artists on our projects, but we do not rule out the possibility of future collaborations.”

Starting off straight with a vinyl release is a bold movement…

“Today a vinyl release is considered more of a risk than a good investment. But for us it is simply a matter of practicality: Touching what you produce is a different feeling. It’s the same thing concerning our studio approach.

Having said this, we acknowledge the importance software-based production and digital platforms have nowadays, and that format (vinyl / digital) is not a synonym of quality, or lack of it: there are many good digital releases out there, and many mediocre vinyl ones. What’s important is quality of the music released, not the format.”

Yet, it sold out so I guess it paid off. How did you get the techno scene to stop and listen? For all producers and new label owners: how do you get to the right ears?

“To have had such a positive feedback is very rewarding and motivating. But as we said before, it’s not what we are working on/for. For a producer it ‘s definitely important to follow the techno scene, providing you don’t let it affect the way you work and the music you produce.

Experimenting a lot and believing in what you do — those are our highest priorities, and thus are our advise to young producers. To label owners, our advice would be to go beyond the artist’s name/reputation… there are millions of anonymous talents around the world whose music doesn’t fall any short than that being released by the best known producers.”

What can we expect for your first live gig in Berlin with Techno Scene Offline at Giressmühle on the 24th of November?

“We’re bringing a live that best represents what we are, in and out of the studio — our spontaneity.

Improvisation is the key element of our performance, and so it means it is a one-off thing, impossible to replicate fully even if we tried. There are the sounds that define us, like the acid, that will always be there at the centre, but it is also important to let the situation influence the performance, and the music. For this reason we do not prepare a live act too much. We love interacting, creating, adding or editing patterns in real time. The only way to understand what we mean is to come see, and listen to it for yourself.

See you all on the 24th.”

About On The Record

Techno is machine-made music. But to get sounds of these machines, there’s the necessity of human input. This kind of unavoidable element gets us to the point of these series of articles. On The Record will deliver you articles of various kinds like interviews, event reports and more.. always with the involvement of at least one artist to get an idea of what’s going around in the current business of techno. On The Record files insights, pieces of music and whatnot, to broaden your idea on techno.