Paàl is one of the most credible figures in Berlin’s younger scene. He is best known as co-founder of the label and collective Voitax, but also as a producer and as a DJ who moves freely between tempos and genres, which has taken him to Berghain and Tresor as well as to clubs across Asia and South America. Latin America has been a second home for him since 2013. He recorded his GROOVE mix right after returning from his latest tour there: at eight o’clock on a foggy autumn morning in his Berlin living room, on a hybrid setup of two borrowed CDJs and two turntables.
Instead of peak time, he goes for slow tempos, space and hypnosis. The mix moves through dubby house, minimal and deeper territory, from Claro Intellecto and Efdemin to Mr. G and Baldo. In between are his own unreleased tracks and new music from his circle, including the young Cape Town producer June and Regal86. In the interview, Paàl talks about playing in Colombia, Chile and Patagonia, his return to his own studio and a new label set to launch next year.
GROOVE: What did you have in mind when recording this mix?
Paàl: I had just come back from my LATAM tour and landed straight back in Berlin autumn, which always hits me quite hard. It was one of those grey, foggy mornings where everything feels a little heavier, but also strangely beautiful.
This year has involved a lot of self -reflection for me and getting to know myself better, which has actually been a really beautiful process and still is. I have been thinking a lot about where I want to put my energy and how I can transform some of that into music. I think that naturally found its way into this mix. I recorded it around 8 in the morning in my living room, looking out of this big window into the fog, and the whole thing became almost like a transcript of how I was feeling in that moment. I wanted something slow, deep and emotional, but still with a certain sexiness to it. Quiet, trippy and warm rather than peak time.
The mix also contains quite a lot of my own unreleased music, and I wanted to use the podcast as an opportunity to support some of the people around me who are making music I really believe in. There are unreleased bits from my friend June, a super young upcoming talent from Cape Town who I find incredibly inspiring and who you should definitely keep an eye on.
There is also new music from my homie Regal86, who seems to produce about 500 tracks a day. Slightly joking, but honestly not that far off. He is constantly creating and recently sent me some new bits that found their way into the mix as well. I also included unreleased material from Confidential Recipe around his new Blau Series project, and from Daniel „NAP” and his own imprint. I like putting music from friends and people close to me alongside older records and classics that have stayed with me for years.
The mix moves through dubby house, minimal and deeper, more hypnotic territory, focusing a lot on rhythm and texture. About an hour in, the sun suddenly came through the clouds and filled the apartment, and the mix naturally became a little warmer and sexier too. Lately I have been getting a bit tired of constant peak time energy, so this also reflects where my head is at musically right now. Slower BPMs, more space and letting things unfold.
Where did you record it and which setup did you use?
I recorded it in my living room in Berlin. It is always a bit of a hustle because I like using CDJs but still do not own any, so I am constantly bothering my friends to borrow theirs. This time, big shout out to Markus and the Acid Kids crew at Funkhaus for helping me out with a pair.
The setup was two CDJ 2000NXS2s and two turntables, so the mix became a hybrid of vinyl and digital, which was really fun.
I really love recording and making music at home. I have all my plants around me, my two little Chihuahuas, warm lighting and a space that gives me a lot of peace and lets me slow down a bit. I had a clear feeling for the selection and the crates I wanted to go through, but I did not map out the mix track by track. I just started recording and let it develop from there. For me, DJing is still very much about feeling the music and reacting to the moment. If I prepare too much, I can become quite stiff, so I like leaving enough space for things to happen naturally.
What is the most memorable gig you played so far?
It is really difficult to choose just one. Playing Berghain definitely remains one of those moments that stays with me, especially because of what that place meant to me growing up musically in Berlin.
At the same time, some of the smaller and more unexpected shows I have played in places like Colombia, Chile or southern Argentina have been just as memorable. Sometimes you arrive somewhere without really knowing what to expect and suddenly there is this incredible connection with the crowd. Those moments where people are completely present with the music, almost no phones, just dancing and giving you their energy, often stay with me the longest.
Can you name a secret weapon that you use frequently?
For almost two years now, Baldo’s Ex Machina has pretty much never left my bag. I think he made a few different versions of it, but there is one ravey, acid-heavy version that I keep coming back to. For me it is one of those tracks that somehow works in almost any kind of set and at so many different moments. It starts super trippy and fast, then builds tension for what feels like forever before it finally drops. And every time it happens, you can see people smiling.
I use it a lot as a transition when I want to shift the energy or open things up a little. It just has this magic combination of tension, rave energy and playfulness. Shout out to Baldo. Fucking great producer, fucking great DJ. Ex Machina is basically always somewhere in my crates.
Three recent releases that caught your attention?
Definitely Nicola Cruz’s Telemagenta EP on Kalahari Oyster Cult. I love that record. Super detailed, psychedelic and still really functional on the dancefloor. It is one of those releases where every track has its own little world. Also Etienné B.’s It’s That Time Again / Perspective on Stuck in Time. I have been really into that kind of stripped-back, rolling sound lately, and both tracks hit that sweet spot for me. And one upcoming release I have already been listening to a lot is Pico by PICO on Isla, the project from my friends Daniel Rincón and Pablo Arrangoiz. It moves between dub techno and cumbia in such a natural way. Super warm, trippy and playful. Really beautiful record.
What do you have coming up?
Lately I have been putting a lot more focus back into my own project as Paàl and finally giving myself proper time to finish music. I feel like I have found my direction again and I am really happy with what is coming out of the studio. I am finishing a dub-influenced EP with my friend Rizla Ops, and I am also starting a new label and white label series focused on stripped back house, techno and everything in between. The first release is planned for next year. I also have quite a lot of tracks finished now for labels that have been asking me for music for a while. I cannot say too much about those releases yet because they are still a bit top secret, but there is definitely a lot coming next year and I am really excited about it. I have also started working on an LP.
I am going to spend around two months in Latin America again too. I have been travelling there since 2013, I have so many close friends and connections there and honestly a big part of my heart is over there. I want to use the time to make music, spend time with my people and push my Spanish towards fluency. Also I am working on a cultural project connecting Berlin and Latin America through music and sound design, which hopefully I can share more about soon.
Tracklist:
OK EG – Open Sky
Claro Intellecto – Another Life
Daniel (i) – Reduce
Pico – Diversion
June (Otima) – Sentient (unreleased)
Stephen Brown – Clock Time Ep
Efdemin – Love
XDB – Dial Fonk
Makam – Club Night
Paàl – Fil (unreleased)
Malin – Agaric Fly
Paàl – Fan (unreleased)
Huey Mnemonic – Oracle
Ryan Elliott – The Move
Maxim Vukovic – Leichlingen
Regal86 – Pixis (unreleased)
Pancratio – Be Yourself
Ferrari – Worksense
Deuteron, Ben Westbeech – Deep In Your Soul (Drum and Bass)
Mr. G – City Heat (Work)
AnG – Dancehall
Ernesto Rulli – Epidrome
Baldo, Third Son – Acid Uppercut
Etienné B – Perspective
Pancratio – Deep Beat
