On the song selection approach for the new album, he said, “Every song had to serve a purpose, it had to be there for a reason. There were quite a bit more than 10 songs to choose from when it came time to select the track-list, but I didn’t want to put anything on there that didn’t make the album better, if that makes any sense. Maybe what I’m trying to say is I wanted it to be a no-filler album. ”
He selected “Hurricane Slurricane” as his favorite song on the collection. “It’s basically a disco track, but I made it from scratch without sampling disco records, instead of taking a shortcut. I was pretty proud of myself for that track, then Dam Funk and E-40 came along and it turned into a monster,” he said.
His plans for 2016 are to make more music, as well as to play some shows. “And definitely at least two short vacations,” he added.
On March 12, Gartner will be performing at Webster Hall in New York City.
For Gartner, dance music has been his world for the past two decades. “I’ve devoted my life to it, a decade before I made my first dime from it, so I can say it has been the biggest part of my life for a majority of my life. I think what I love most about it are the memories I have, associated with songs, that have shaped me as a person and shaped my relationship with the music,” he explained.
Each day, Gartner is motivated by creative impulses. “And on days I don’t get them, I generally don’t do much. I have to wait until these creative impulses hit me, and when they do, I have to drop everything else and let them take over. It’s almost like being bipolar, or having an addiction, when it hits – it completely takes over your life, and when it’s over, you crash. That’s how my creativity works, and I have to let it run my life in order to get the most of it. Sometimes it can even have a negative affect on relationships and other things, much like a drug, but for me it’s my job and I have to let it run the show when it decides to surface,” he said.
While he has performed in most European countries, Gartner has yet to go and visit Greece. “I may just have to go as a vacation,” he said.
For his fans, he concluded, “Thank you for all of the kind words about this album that people have been sending my way. It’s been a huge motivating factor for me lately, as I think I forgot how good it feels to hear from people who appreciate my art. I feel like there’s an unprecedented surge of positivity in my life right now and I owe a lot of it to my fans and people digging this album.”
For more information on DJ and producer Wolfgang Gartner, check out his official homepage.
