1. When did you begin the label, and what were your main reasons behind it?
I started working at the WOHNTON Label in 1998. The first release, a Vinyl-EP-Compilation called “A selection of underground Trip-Pop for Lounges” had been released early 1999 in self-distribution & via mailorders.
The main reason to start the label was the fact, that I had (and already have) loads of great electronic- & indie-musicians, bands & projects in my direct friendship-neighbourhood that are all worthy of being released on a label.
And so the story begins…

2. What previous experiences did you have with the music scene before pursuing this venture?
Before starting WOHNTON, I´ve been DJ´ing for 15 years in different Germanwide Indie- & Wave-Clubs, playing a sick alternative all mixed-style from Electronic/KrautRock/80ies Wave/Industrial via AcidHouse & Dub/Reggae/Ska to IndieRock- & Pop. Otherwise, in the 90ies I worked as a freelancer in the editorials of different German alternative-radiostations (for example “Delta Radio” in Kiel/Hamburg) and interviewed loads of important Indie- & WaveArtists, like HÜSKER DÜ, THE CURE, SISTERS OF MERCY, BILLY BRAGG, DEL AMITRI…
As a result from all these experiences, I decided not to work anymore with major German record companies or commercial radiostations, cause of the real high portion of definitive assholes in these genres. The only way for me to work with music again was to get in direct contact with the artists I like to work with: As an A&R for my own label.
Since the birth of my son in 2000, i´m also working part-time as a chief-assistant & Booker in an Indie-Club in Mainz / Germany.
Just to make sure, that (if my label doesn´t work anymore) I will bring home enough money to pay my rent and buy food for my son…

3. Having spent some time within the UK, what did you learn about our alternative music scene, how did you find our clubs, zines and bands, and what do you feel we need to achieve in order for our scene to become as good in comparison to that in Germany. Finally, keeping on the subject, how do you feel this opportunity has helped you to assess your UK promotions?
The alternative music scene in the UK is more experimental than the scene in Germany. Bands and labels are combining more musical styles in their songs & releases. I loved living & working in London for a period in the early 90ies. It gave me a feeling of being able to live my life, whatever would happen…
Perhaps, it was the really special “Manchester Rave Freedom Feeling” – every musician & every band was able to produce a hit.
Working in the UK-Music business was more personal than working in Germany. It was easier to get in contact with bands, producers & DJ´s.
I could definitely say, that none of my German experiences helped me in my UK-Promotion-Job´s.
Every time I start a release on WOHNTON, I look back to my time in London with a smile, and think that everything is possible. That was my main experience…

4. How many bands have now signed to Wohnton, what made these bands appeal to you, and what do you think attracted them to sign to such a small label?
Right now, 3 bands have signed to WOHNTON:
USER´S ATMOSPHERE, RED SPARROW & BIO BONSAI will be the artists to work with in the forthcoming future.
They´re all doing tracks in a style between electronic beats & ambient soundscapes. But every artist has it´s own note in doing it.
USER´S ATMOSPHERE are a bit more straight & easy downbeat with 80ies wave, RED SPARROW is going more to Dark Ambient & Industrial and BIO BONSAI (their debut on Wohnton is coming up in January 2003) are combining their electronic beats with a bit dub & worldmusic sounds.
Everything from my electronic-DJ-Sets out of 15 years is included…
It´s important for me, to release more than only one style in electronic music. WOHNTON releases should be attractive for an industrial-freak as well as for a techno-kid or an indie-pop-girlie….
Finally, once a year I´m going crazy by releasing our “Flooristik” compilation-series, which features loads of artists out of the “lounge”- & “chillout”-genre, I never would release as single artists on Wohnton, but I often played in my DJ-Sets…

5. The only bands I have encountered so far from the Wohnton label are Red Sparrow and Users Atmosphere, both of whom produce music of a more Ambient nature. Is this the theme that Wohnton as a label are focusing on, or will there be more diverse areas of the electronic scene covered eventually?
This is the place to talk now about the bands No. 4 & 5, I´ve signed in the past…“Spherical” from Hamburg, a typical “TripHop”-Band like Morcheeba or Massive Attack & “Holm” from London, a songwriter who combines Electro Beats with Indie-Guitar-Pop.
Both signings have been really important for me as a label, to try more styles I really like and the CD´s of both artists have sold not bad.
But finally, it´s really a fact, that WOHNTON as a label is focusing on artists, who produce music in a downbeaty-electronic style with a touch of wave or industrial / minimal electronic. More for the living room at home, a lounge or a museum, than for a club or a livestage…Of course, with parts of 80ies wave, dub or Industrial-Sounds, cause that´s the sound of 80ies & 90ies where I´m coming from.

6. Red Sparrow seems to have already made a reputation for himself by remixing for Haujobb and Assemblage 23; this is before releasing any material himself. I can only assume this has provided a good head start for you in aiding your advertising campaign?
Ha, ha, ha – this is a friendly laugh…I realised AFTER signing RED SPARROW (Matthias), that he did remixes for Haujobb or Assemblage 23.
I liked his unbelievable complicated soundscapes on the “Endless Loop”-album, the industrial-80ies-Pop-Touch, which reminded me on acts & labels like BEEFCAKE, SCHLAMMPEITZIGER or ANT-ZEN.
Perhaps it could have been better in asking him before ´bout his remixes done…I´ll do it with my next new artist-signing…

7. Do you allow your bands total artistic freedom, do they ever feel the need to come to you for advice. Would you be honest with them if you did not approve of any of their tracks?
Believe it or not – all our artists have total artistic freedom.
They´re doing their songs and I´m going to release them. They´re doing their own layout for the graphics and I´m going to print it.
Before signing an artist, I decide in a long-termed decision, if the artist will go hand in hand with my label philosophy. From this point, the artist has my full trust and his full freedom.
Not the best marketing strategy, as you perhaps wil guess…But it takes function!!!

8. You have released a various artist’s compilation “Floorstik 01”. Was it a hard job for you to compile, and how did you select the artists to contribute?
It wasn´t and isn´t a hard job. I love to listen to demo-cd´s- & vinyl´s I received from unkonown and unreleased artists worldwide.
I select the best ones (don´t ask me what’s “the best”) and combine them with released tracks from artists that I play in my DJ-Sets.
I try to get the licence for these tracks, and then the “Flooristik”-Compilatons are on the way.
Some people love these compilations for their “rawness”. Tracks from completely unknown homerecording artists stand next to well-known artists out of the electronic music genre. Everybody can decide for himself, if the well-known artists are doing a better job…

9. Being a small label, there must be a limit to the amount of promotional material that you distribute worldwide. How do you control your promotion and do you feel you receive fair criticism and airplay?
I’m doing all of my promotion activities by myself. With help from a few friends, who also have small labels. We´re bringing our contacts together, and so we have a really good promotion base, including hundreds of promotion partners in radio, tv, dj´ing, online, press, publishing, label makers….worldwide.
Sure it’s expensive to pay for the postage, and sure it’s also expensive to produce hundreds of promotional copies…But be sure, most of the promotional contacts are personally known.

10. Many labels are suffering financially from Internet sites such as Morpheus, Kazaa and Audio Galaxy providing artist’s material to freely download. Has this been of any concern to yourself, or do you see it as another way to get your bands heard?
It´s a shame, that two of the best and biggest Internet sites for free downloads (Audio Galaxy & Napster) are now closed….
For me as a small indie-label, it definitely is not a problem in having label releases offered at free download sites.
It´s just another way (and not a bad one) to get my bands heard!

11. What is planned next for Wohnton?
Right now, I’m looking forward to the release of USER´S ATMOSPHERE´s album “Dreamsharing”, to be released worldwide on August 3.
Because of their German & Austrian radio hit “Watership Song”, it’s going to sell very good in Germany. It’s really exciting for me to wait for reactions out of other countries, especially the USA, where we have promoted the album to loads of radiostations & magazines…
Our artist RED SPARROW finished a cover version of DEPECHE MODE`s “In your room” for a big tribute CD-project and is now working at another remix for Belgian electro band IMPLANT, both are to be released later this year.

12. Any further comments you may like to add?
I hope, that HARD-WIRED will be back again soon as a printed magazine…