A graceful fall off the stairs leading to a broken wrist, the girlfriend leaving to her parents for a month and, on top of it all, a shutdown of the internet connection. Paint it all on a canvas of a disturbingly cold December. And there you have it. Solitary? No, the perfect creative clarity. One, that lead Daniel Steinberg to straining over every little sound of his colourful and most fresh 9-track album ‘Left-Handed’.
“Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” – Frida Kahlo.
This quote by the famous Mexican artist comes as an introduction to the idea behind the conversation with the Berlinese producer and DJ Daniel Steinberg. Creativity comes from constraint. This idea goes as far as the history of mankind discovering fire. Challenged with problems or constraints of any kind, we face a change of our usual circumstances, that lead to stagnation or use of creativity. Inspired by the broken wrist, Daniel’s now already third album ‘Left-Handed’ is a collection of house, electronica and jazz, soaked with the artist’s positive and adventurous musical personality.
Similarly to the latter, his album ‘Shut Up’, radiates the positive character and playful confidence that sets Steinberg apart from many of his techno contemporaries. Released in Front Room label in 2011 it was his first LP as Daniel Steinberg, and it confidently established Daniel as a producer who is very much out on his own.
With ‘Left-Handed’ Steinberg delivers his most expansive work yet; from opening track ‘Corn Dog’ – a melting pot of Latin tech, funk, rap and jazz to the bluesy ‘No One Can Change Me’ and the jacked-up ‘90s inspired breaks of ‘Crucial’. Heavy on highlights, while still working as a cohesive whole, Daniel Steinberg’s ‘Left-Handed’ album is due out 12 October on Arms & Legs.
We caught the artist for an exclusive interview on his newest LP, music of adolescence and left-handedness.
“A blurry trip to the hospital later I returned home with a fractured right arm, just in time to farewell my anxious girlfriend who was leaving Berlin for a month, homeward bound for Christmas.”
Your album combines diverse music styles and influences, it goes from of Latin tech, funk, jazz, blues to even some rap. Does your personal music taste also range in a similar diversity?
When I’m producing I listen to all manner of music for inspiration, I’m a CD collector and I have thousands of CDs from all the above mentioned genres. As a music lover I’m really interested in the sounds. But regarding my personal taste, if for example I’m going on a road trip I would never put in a Hip-hop or jazz CD. I’d always listen to an electronic music mix.
Actually, what do you listen to now and how has it changed (if it has) over the years? I am always interested in artists’ early influences (by early, we could even go back to teenage years)? Especially the ones you would now be ashamed of?
When I was a 14 year old raver I listened to a lot of gabba and break beat I especially loved the Dutch stuff and the Thunderdome compilations. But I’m not ashamed of it! Other early influences that are perhaps more embarrassing would be eurodance producers for example Snap, Culture Beat, MC Sar and The Real McCoy. I wish pop producers still made stuff like this! I would definitely still listen to it.
I’ve heard that there is an interesting story that burst the inspiration for this album. Would you mind sharing it with the public?
Sure. It was December last year and my last gig before some time off, I was celebrating. Returning home in a drunken stupor, dancing up my stairs to Barbara Tucker number, I twisted my ankle falling backwards landing on my wrist. A blurry trip to the hospital later I returned home with a fractured right arm, just in time to farewell my anxious girlfriend who was leaving Berlin for a month, homeward bound for Christmas. I was alone and in hurt (my ego more than the arm) also with a broken Internet connection. With no distractions, I started to make what would become the album. As luck would have it I am left handed, the fracture nevertheless really slowed things down. At first it was super annoying, but as the days past I realised what a blessing my drunken fall had been. The pain from the fracture forced me to take my time, which I had. Actually I had a perfect producing environment – the trifeca of time off, no girlfriend & no internet. Distraction free, I geeked out, labouring over every little sound. What initially had looked like a pretty grim December ended up being an awesome one.
Your team mentioned that “often a misfortune” works as a creative driving force, is that true? Thus, have similar stories occurred in the past? Does it mean that happiness is not your driving force for creativity?
Sure I think so. It’s quite often through challenging circumstances that creativity occurs. But a challenging circumstance or misfortunate event does not necessarily equate to unhappiness. I was really happy while I was making the album, I think you can hear that in the music.
