VIRTUS //
SPEKTRE
A BEATPORT NUMBER ONE AND A UK LABEL TOUR TO FOLLOW, THINGS ARE REALLY HOTTING UP FOR FORMIDABLE TECHNO DUO SPEKTRE...
Hello guys, a lot has happened in the world of Spektre since we last spoke in 2017...first of all we would like to congratulate you on your massive Beatport Number one hit 'Back Into Consciousness'. Did you have a feeling the track would be received so well once it had been finished?
Thanks for having us back! Yeah I think once we had finished the track and decided on the final version there was a definite feeling that this record was going to be big. It’s very difficult to predict exactly how well a track will do in the Beatport charts as it depends on a lot of other factors. However after reaching number 3 with our previous two Kraftek releases it was awesome to finally reach the summit with ‘Back Into Consciousness’ - a great way to end an amazing year for us, so a big "thank you" from us to everyone who has supported it.
Your constant rise into the techno echelons is great to see, do you feel you have stayed true to your sound and that the current state of techno really suits that?
We have been going for almost 15 years now and our sound has definitely evolved a lot over the years. We started out much more stripped and deeper than we are now but we have always incorporated our shared love of melodic, riffy elements. Recently there seems to be much more acceptance towards the things that we have always been into, so it definitely feels like there is a confluence between our natural style and current tastes.
The last year has also been just as big for your label Respekt Recordings, what are the stresses of running such a respected (no pun intended) label and what are the challenges you face in an ever evolving stream-based society?
We're not a big organisation, so most of the day-to-day stuff is done by the two of us. This can be stressful on occasion, but we love what we're doing, so it rarely feels like hard work. With regards to the streaming side of things, we just embrace it, and accept that Beatport (and the other download stores) will represent an ever-shrinking niche that really only includes DJs, and that the vast majority of our fans now consume their music through streaming services.
Any upcoming Respekt releases we should keep an ear to ground for?
Yeah for sure, next up we have an EP from Stiv Hey which includes Juliet Fox and Brennen Grey remixes. Then in March we have our own Spektre EP called ‘Gates Of Dawn’ with another tasty remix package. Both releases have been tearing it up in our sets so definitely keep your eyes peeled for those two. Plenty more to come later in the year too, but you'll have to keep your eyes out for news on that!
Some massive news for Spektre & Respekt Recordings fans is that you've just announced a slew of dates for a debut Respekt UK Tour. Is this something that has been in planning for a while and how did you go about choosing each particular venue?
Yeah we have secured a total of nine dates, primarily at a number of the UK’s best nightclubs. We have always wanted to expand the brand and start to do more showcases so this is a natural progression for us. We're both looking forward to hitting the road with some of our label mates and taking Respekt to the people.
There must be a great sense of pride being able to put your brand out there into events, do you think you will eventually expand the Respekt tours outside of the UK in the future?
We already have Irish and Swiss dates confirmed on this tour, so we already have our sights set on Europe and beyond. The next tour will definitely be wider in it's reach, but we're glad to be focusing this one on home turf.
What artists can we expect see playing alongside you on the UK Tour?
Alongside us on the tour are plenty of the Respekt family including SAMA, Juliet Fox, Transcode, Gary Burrows, Luca De Santo, Patrik Berg, Phutek and Paul Jamez as well as a special guest Thomas Schumacher when we head over to Dublin. Tickets are selling fast and we could not be more excited!
Finally, for those that don't know...tell us where you are playing on Friday January 18th...
Our debut at Fabric in London. Definitely a special one for us. To be on the line-up alongside Pleasurekraft, Deborah de Luca and OC & Verde in the famous room one of such a special UK club is a dream come true. Would be awesome to see as many of you there as possible!
Check out all the latest Respekt Recordings tour dates below and keep up to date with all things Spektre at
www.soundcloud.com/spektrelive
All event tickets here: https://www.skiddle.com/artists/spektre-123460802/