The owner of Kling Klong Records and partner of The Riverside Studios, Martin Eyerer on IBR
Today we have among us a stunning German Producer and DJ, owner of the Kling Klong Records and partner of the Riverside studios in Berlin.
No doubt, you know who we are talking about, Martin Eyerer.
For more than 25 years we have had the honor to have you in the electronic scene, so please tell us something about you and your new projects.
1.-IBR .- You have more than 150 releases on labels like Get Physical , Rejected, Renaissance, My Favorite Robot and of course in your own label, which one brings you special memories?
Martin Eyerer .- Actually there are so many releases bringing me Lots of memories. Maybe it's every record :-)
It's always hard to point out to one release or one gig after 30 years but definitely what was one of the records with the biggest impact was Eyerer & Chopstick - haunting. This record sold more than 100 000 vinyls and got licensed to many countries and was the one that brought me heavily around the globe. I was already playing over Europe but releasing this record led me from Australia to Southamerica and sent me on big tours around the globe.
Funny Wise I just today talked with Chopstick about a tour we did together in Brazil that was 13 years ago And we had so much fun!
2.-IBR .- How did you get the idea of opening your own studio in such an emblematic place like you are?
What kind of services you offered besides production and mastering ?.
Martin Eyerer .- I decided to move to Berlin in 2012 (I was living in Stuttgart before) and was looking for a studio there. After I arrived I took a part time room to get my work done for 6 months and started to look everyday for available spaces.Like this I got the city known already pretty well by the way. I was clear I wanted to be located centrally and more in the Kreuzberg/Friedrichshain district since all the creatives want to be there.
When a friend called me to tell me about an available space where we are now I checked and found the best location ever but looking like a warehouse. So it was clear I had to build everything from scratch. My partners Tassilo and Jade jumped in and we started to work on 3 studios just for ourselves. After everyone called us to ask if we have more space there weg decided quickly to extend and took more space there for rent. On the one hand we ran out of cash and had to find solutions. On the other hand we started to create something big.
Today we run 27 studios (we extended a few years ago when more space was available) and operate a community of around 60 artists.
Everyone does different things. From production to songwriting , mixing, mastering and recording.
We as a company offer Recording rooms, help to find engineers and musicians wirth our networks and promote events from songwriting camps to listening sessions with record industry or concerts with Spotify.
I personally did many years mixing and mastering, ghost productions and of course my own stuff.
3.- IBR.- Tell us what new projects you have in this immediate future?
Martin Eyerer.- I just released this week a new single on bar 25 with Benno Blome together. Furthermore I work on a new Kling Klong and a new collaboration with Craig Walker. I have a few collars moire I started and have to find time in the studio to finish these. Since we run this company I have less time to produce which is the downside of running a successful company. Riversidestudios Berlin is known worldwide and we are happy to be Berlin's biggest Studio Network.
4.- IBR .- What is it like to work with so many fantastic producers?.Tell us what is It the easiest and the hardest ?.
Martín Eyerer .- It's always a pleasure to work with other people. I love collaborations and spending time with people I like in the studio. You always learn mutually from each other and no matter if someone is commercially successful or not - if I decide to do such a collaboration it makes sense and brings fun.
usually it always works well. I am a collaborative person and for it's clear If I cooperate in a creative process its different than being by myself. So compromises have to be made and usually this works out always well in my experience.
5.- IBR .- Your music is contagious, endowed with a great quality. Where or what do you get your inspiration from, to make such good songs ?.
Martin Eyerer .- I guess its the traveling, meeting new people, listening to new music. Everything that gives me input out of the usual is what makes me being creative.
In collabs its mostly easier to get something together in a direction that is new. But as I said before: You have to be open for that.
I also love working with great songwriters and singers. The mix of a great producer and a real musician is unbeatable.
6.- IBR .- What advice would you give to the new generations?.
Martin Eyerer .- Try top stay open for change. Experience new methodologies and be open to new influences. Its the biggest challenge of getting older: Once you found a formula for success you want to keep it and risk less.But it’s good to move further and explore new things.
This can be on the creative side but also on the technological side.
7.- IBR .- Due to this pandemic, Ibiza Clubs unfortunately donot open during this season, How do you see the future of the electronic scene and the clubs of the island ?.
Martin Eyerer .- I really don’t know. Its the hardest question for the moment. I believe that people want and need personal experience and the magic of the island will always stay. I guess its generally on the club and also DJ scene to find answers and solutions to this situation. Sometimes its a crisis that forces us to reinvent ourselves.
8.-IBR .- Do you think this social distancing has influenced you or your music?.
Martin Eyerer .- I don’t think so . I was a lot in touch via zoom calls and remote sessions. Actually I had more time to talk to my friends and other people than before. By the way I didn’t do more music than before but I took a lot of time to screen sample libraries and got my studio updated.I started a few new tracks as I said and will take the time to finish these in the next weeks.
9.- IBR .- If you could choose a producer you have not worked with , who would it be?
Martin Eyerer .- I never work with producers I just like from their style or skills. I always started collabs with people I knew or know personally. A personal connection of trust is essential to have a collaborative session I believe. From that side there is no one at the moment I didn’t work with who I really wanted to work :-)
10.-IBR .- You've become a fan of sport and healthy living, what made you change your life?.
Martin Eyerer .- Actually I was like that when I was younger and lost it somehow on the way. Since I started to feel not very happy with my body’s and also the energy I had I realized that the only way to deal with all stress from touring and such an intensive life is to live healthy.
I have much more energy and feel already the effect. I changed my life heavily 3 years ago and makes me less feeling my 50 years of age :-)
11.- IBR .- Do you wait for inspiration to come naturally or do you sit in the studio every day as a habit and start creating?
Martin Eyerer .- I never have studio time as a habit but surely I have to plan it. Otherwise my calendar is full every day with other stuff. But I actually do both ways. Finding inspiration was never a problem for me. A bigger problem is always to find enough time and peace to work in the studio without being disturbed or distracted.
Thank you very much Martin, for being with us and showing us a little more of you.
Humble and committed, Martin leaves us a very human vision of seeing the music.