‘Everything is cyclic’ - Terence Fixmer Interview

Photo: Sven Marquardt

Since releasing his debut album ‘Muscle Machine’ on DJ Hell’s Deejay Gigolos imprint back in 1999, Terence Fixmer is something of a household name, remaining a stalwart in the electronic music scene for young and old generations alike.

Having become entranced by EBM in the 90s, Terence has gone on to cover multiple sonic aesthetics with releases spanning upfront, in-your-face productions to more haunting, darker rhythms. With a multifaceted approach to making music along with atmospheric selections and deft mixing behind the turntables, it wasn't long before the French producer earned a residency at none other than Berghain.

Live sets are also part of Terence’s repertoire, something which shows a different side to the French producer. As a soft-spoken and charismatic character, when Terence plays live he’s known to smoothly navigate a monstrous live set-up to produce an array of hard-hitting sounds - a stark contrast to Terence's gentle demeanour beyond the booth.

Although he's been producing and DJing for a significant amount of time now, Terence certainly showing no signs of slowing down. He’ll be joining us this Saturday 22nd June with EBM heads Schwefelgelb (Live) and the enigmatic industrial duo SHXCXCHCXSH (Live) along with with JoeFarr, Jasmine Azarian, Xavier Lacchesi, GiGi FM, & more in (arguably) Tottenham’s answer to Berghain, The Cause.

Ahead of the night, we had a chat with him to see where it all began and what he thinks of the new wave of talent in the EBM realm and trends in techno amongst other things…

You’ve been a resident of Berghain for quite some time now, can you remember what it is was like to experience the club as a punter before you became a resident?

I would say my very first "Berghain" was before it was Berghain, but the club was named OstGut. It was the Berghain's predecessor at a different space. The vibe was incredible, underground, in an industrial building, with a cool crowd. When OstGut closed, the same people opened Berghain. I knew they'd keep the spirit of OstGut but it was in a new dimension, bigger, and more impressive.

When you enter Berghain, you are just impressed first by the building, and when you get in, the sound, the atmosphere submerge you. Everything fits for having a perfect night: the sound system, light, crowd, atmospheres and of course the music quality. I was really impressed about this kind of freedom and this open-minded and peaceful attitude people have inside, combined with the best electronic music. It was like the best of what you could imagine for a techno club.

Do you think the club changed a lot since then?

Of course, the club changed in the sense it has become a legendary club, so it has now history and becomes an attraction in Berlin, but technically nothing has changed. It is still a great place to go, to party and enjoy the music non-stop and the crowd there is always special and unique.

EBM has played quite a part in developing your sound and taste in electronic music, and we’ll have Schwefelgelb live for us on 22nd June. Are there any particular EBM artists like Schwefelgelb who emerged in the last few years and have caught your attention?

Yes, I see a lot of new artists from the new generation who are into this EBM and techno EBM, which is interesting for me to hear. There are different ones who caught my attention, I would say Alexey Volkov is one I really enjoy listening to and Phase Fatale to name a few.

How do you think your sound has changed since you became enticed into electronic music all those years ago?

In the early 2000s I was really pushing and establishing this mixture of techno with EBM, I did it for many years – through my solo releases, 12"es and remixes, even going further by launching the Fixmer/McCarthy project with Douglas McCarthy from Nitzer EBB. But I didn’t realise that I kind of became a prisoner to that sound, and I didn’t like it because I felt I am more than this genre. I love techno, dark techno, the hypnotic kind - electronic music where you feel a soul, a story. Of course I like it when there is dark atmospheres, with different kinds of energy. I kind of left this EBM techno sound a bit around 2010 to focus as well on real techno. Of course I try to avoid repetition, but still trying to express myself with my own sound. Nowadays, I feel more free in my expression.

When I play, I like to go from techno, dark techno, heavy techno, hypnotic and change to mood to EBM techno, EBM… and back to classic techno. I don't like to stick to a sound, it is more about waves up and down.

Your latest EP ‘The Swarm’ on NovaMute certainly has touches of EBM throughout, ‘FFR2’ being a particularly dreamy track whereas ‘No Dreams’ is a brasher, meaner tune. Do you think it’s important for artists nowadays to show their versatility in production? I notice a lot of the newer techno artists stick to one sound in the techno spectrum…

I would say that The Swarm has not really an EBM touch to it, for me it is just techno with a strong energy. The EP is a good reflection of what I like in techno, and as an artist I don’t want to limit myself to one sound…but of course it will be my sound spectrum.

I read in an interview with Kaput Mag where you mentioned you saw the beginning of techno from in 89. Your career spans two decades now so you must have observed some trends in techno along the way, some of which might have seemed like a gimmick. What do you think of the current techno scene in Europe at the moment?

I see that kind of circle, there was this techno EBM revival, and as well I realise that now in techno it goes harder, the speed goes faster...some years ago I would say it was about 128 BPM, and now it goes easily to 134 or even more. In the 2000s there was this moment when techno became harder and harder until a point when people wanted something else…so let's see where it all goes. Everything is cyclic.

Being a travelling artist can be somewhat demanding at times, especially when lugging live gear through the airport. What’s the most unusual incident you’ve had at the airport?

I never really experienced bad things. Of course some damage, maybe one time I was touring as Fixmer/McCarthy and had maybe 7, 8 concerts in a row in different countries, and my luggage was always arriving at the airport the day after I left. My cases were kind of following me with one day delay.. which was unpleasant I can tell you!

What’s been a stand-out gig for you from over the last two decades?

There are a lot, maybe one more special one for me was was when I was a teenager, being a fan of Nitzer Ebb. So I did this project Fixmer/McCarthy with Douglas McCarthy, and when we did our first gig around 2001 it was an incredible and strange moment to be on a stage, and Douglas singing along to my music as a joint performance I was like a fan playing with his hero.

Leave us with a track that’s fairly likely to make an appearance at The Cause next week?

Well, I don’t know, probably my latest release The Swarm EP on Novamute, and the last Fixmer/McCarthy, but we never know.

Catch Terence at The Cause on Saturday for our second MOTZ event of 2019 with Schwefelgelb (Live), SHXCXCHCXSH (Live) JoeFarr, Kalli, Maedbh O' Connor, Lacchesi, GiGi FM, Jasmine Azarian, Xavier and Niamh.

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