When Marc Romboy makes music, he’s following a philosophical passage. “It’s important to make music from the heart. It’s important that my music has meaning and soul. It doesn’t matter what people do in life, if it has a purpose and it’s a belief then you are following what you believe,” he explains.
The past few years has seen the championed return of the tech house genre. Tech heads have been rejoicing as the underground favourite has continued to innovate rather than deteriorate. Like that old tale about how all the good music is buried deep underground, German national Marc Romboy reckons high-quality music is there to be had. Romboy speaks of his sound intimately and intently. “I never tire of trying to invent new and innovative sounds. Tech house is my passion and obsession. I find it fascinating as it consumes most of my energy. I make a hybrid of computer based music that uses vocals and melodies. My way of making music is to do it with soul and warmth. Music should not be stupid,” he says.
Stupidity, he says, is reserved for music with little meaning or minimal production. Now, after being in the music biz for over a decade, Germany’s Marc Romboy says the music’s gone back to where it all started. “I think tech house has gone back to a more raw and innovative sound. It’s certainly become bigger over the past few years.”
Based in Düsseldorf, Germany, he started DJing aged 10 after being introduced to the robotic sounds of Kraftwerk.
The Acid House glaze of the late ‘80s had taken Romboy into an unexpected direction and territory. He describes the music of the day as “strange”, particularly the sound that reverberated from Chicago. He tells, “I remember hearing Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley’s Jack Your Body for the first time and thought it was the strangest sound I ever heard. I became hooked and wanted to know more.”
Despite his interest in Acid House, come the early ‘90s music was not primary focus for Romboy. In 1992, while he studied human medicine, he produced his own material with friend Klaus Derichs. Two years’ later the duo formed the Le Petit Prince record label. A few years passed before his DJing career expanded. At the time Romboy was a fresh faced German eager to please. He scored a gig at the 1994 Tribal Gathering festival in Munich, which he describes as “one of the first great parties I was lucky enough to play at.” He says the decision to ditch biology for beats was all-consuming.
“As a teenager, I didn’t think I could make a living from DJing. I couldn’t pay the bills or afford to survive purely being a DJ. But after studying biology for two years the music took over me. Techno had become bigger and better. Initially people thought this new music was a fashion craze but I soon came to a point where I decided to say ok, let’s give this music thing a go,” he says.
With his reputation growing in his home nation, the next step was to take the Romboy show across the globe. To complement the growing interest in tech and dark house, Romboy was soon in demand. With DJ fame arrived production notoriety as his material also started to hit the A&R men from respected labels.
So who is Romboy and who are his influences? He lists a cast-list of many. “When I was five I listened to the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. I’ve also listened to New Order, Joy Division, The Smiths, The Specials, Grandmaster Flash, Iggy Pop, Jeff Mills, Laurent Garnier, Robert Owens, Westbam and Kraftwerk, of course,” he reveals.
The latter reference is particularly poignant as Romboy’s inaugural vinyl purchase was The Robots by fellow Germans Kraftwerk.
Yet Romboy’s something of a silent achiever. He’s worked behind leading dance labels including Alphabet City and Terminal M. His 2004 venture, and one of his most ambitious, was his own Systematic Recordings. Romboy’s enthusiasm and business nous is evident as, thus far, his work for the label has included collaborations with Booka Shade, Phonique and Abysm. Every Day in My Life, which was produced by Romboy and Booka Shade, was the first record from the Systematic stable before the label released EPs from Robert Owens and Stephan Bodzin. He also released his 2006 debut artist album, Gemini, followed by his 2008 offering Contrast via his Systematic imprint.
Romboy the business man is different from Romboy the creative force. “The success of the label is difficult to put into the words. I run the label according to my thoughts and feelings. I only want to work with people who want to work intensively with me and Systematic. It’s far more than simply delivering music. It’s a community,” he says.
A regular partnership is that with Stephan Bodzin. The duo has released material via Systematic, 20:20 Vision and Bodzin’s own Herzblut label. The result has been largely triumphant with Callisto and Atlas arguably being the most popular. “Well, firstly we’re very good friends (but) I’d compare our relationship to that of a couple. Whenever we’re in the studio it’s always a special combination and we always seem to generate a special atmosphere. It’s always fun when we work together,” he tells.
Despite the hints at the more minimal angles with his music, Romboy’s a fan of using vocals and soul within his arrangements. “I’ve done a lot with singers in my music. My style really comes from the Chicago sound, so a lot of the stuff I like is more soulful house and techno,” he says.
Romboy sums up his take on other DJs and electronic music’s divide. “Music is a universal language. It doesn’t matter where in the world you come from. If you understand and like music, then you have one language and one conversation.”
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