VIRTUS //
PATRIK
BERG
THEY SAY THAT THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER, WELL IT CERTAINLY IS IN THE CASE OF COLOGNE NATIVE PATRIK BERG WHO FEATURES ON TERMINAL M FOR THE THIRD TIME WITH A SCORCHING HOT EP 'LIKE FOREVER'...
Hello Patrik, thank you for speaking with us at Virtus. Where in the world are you right now?
I'm in my home studio working on new tracks
How was life for you during lockdown, did you find it a productive time for studio work?
It was a shock for me initially and I went through different stages of hope and disillusionment but overall I try to take the positives from it and spend more time with my friends and family. Musically, I was having difficulties since I need the experience of playing new material live but after a while I've found a way to get to work again and develop a method. I’ve been doing a lot of sports in the meantime and trying to always stay active somehow.
Can you tell us how you first became interested in electronic music, specifically techno?
Dance music had always fascinated me, but looking back I think one of the key moments was the fact that I went to the 2002 Love Parade in Berlin when I was just 16 years old. The whole event, the music and the spirit really left a long lasting impression. I loved the anarchic attitude of those festivals and just the sheer joy it bought anyone who wen tot the event. After that, I started to go to some local clubs like Boothaus and The Rheingoldsaal – those experiences lead me to be actively involved as well.
As a producer, you have earned the right to release on some prestigious labels in the past, which release do you feel was the most important for your career so far?
I can‘t really rank them in order of importance as I feel each of those releases played an important role in my development as a producer and allowed me to progress.
Your latest Like Forever EP on Terminal M is another showcase of your versatility as an artist on the label, how did your relationship with Monika come about and what was the process of making the EP, did it take a long time start to finish?
Thanks, glad to hear you like the EP. I first got into contact with Monika in person at a show in the 'Übel und Gefährlich' which was preceeded by a great artist dinner where we first talked and got along really well. She played amazing set and afterwards stayed during mine. had played some unreleased tracks and she basically asked me about them and whether I would be interested in releasing them on Terminal M.
When working on a project like this, what is your go-to hardware/software when in the studio? Do you have any favourite plug-ins that you just cannot be without in your tracks?
My DAW of choice is Ableton. My first go to synth when it comes to quickly getting things done is definitely Sylenth by LennarDigital which is a great and very versatile additive synth. I'm also a big fan of the Kombinat by audio damage which is a distortion/bit crusher plugin.
As a DJ you have played some huge gigs in your career so far as well as a regular slot in your home city, what has been your most memorable gig to date and do you think a regular slot has been helpful for you when testing new music you have not long finished in the studio?
Very difficult to narrow down but I'd say my most memorable show was in Tokyo since it was such an inspiring trip overall. The club itself was fantastic, but the hospitality from both the club owners and fellow artists I played with was exceptional. The culture and attitude of Japanese people is something to be admired. Getting an immediate response to new tracks I have in the works has been essential, so the residencies have been super important in my development as an artist as well as just having a feeling of community. Having played internationally, I still love playing there just as much as I did the first time.
Which other artists are you really feeling at the moment?
At the moment Ellen Allien and Egbert.
If you could give one piece of to anyone starting a career as a DJ/Producer, what would it be?
Aim high and stay aware of your goals, try to find companions who share a similar dream/outlook and try to build something together which will be mutually beneficial. Have self belief and continue to progress.
Do you have any upcoming shows? Where can we hear you next?
Unfortunately not. All my shows have been cancelled and the lockdown is still in full effect when it comes to clubs and parties all over the world. Even though it has been a tough time, I'm all for it since I would never want to jeopardise anyone’s safety.