NWS Cast #028 - Asmus Odsat (BULK, DK)

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NWS Cast is now two and a half years old and still we are proud to present great mixtapes for you! With alot of mixtapes flourishing around, we are proud to present not only vinyl mixtapes from established and well known DJ's but also from the talent that we find in our own backyard. 
We like to present them to you because these guys are simply great DJ's - they know their records, they have the skills and most of all, they are extremely nice people.

Asmus Odsat is a perfect example of this. A ph.d. student of nano science and co-running the succesfull techno club Bulk in Copenhagen, Asmus likes to break down barriers and build bridges. Most copenhageners will know Asmus for his powerful techno set's and Culture Box, but recently he has been shaking things up with old school house records. One year ago if not more we asked our friend Asmus Odsat to make a mix for us. Every once in a while we would receive a mail from him saying that he was now a little closer to finish the mix. And now after all that tension we finally get the drop - the drop of a mindblowing mixtape.

We asked Asmus a few questions about his club in Copenhagen and about the difference between vinyl DJ's and digital DJ's.

NWS: You are a longtime friend of NWS. Can you tell a little about yourself to people who might not know you?
 
A: Hi, my name is Asmus (not Rasmus), I'm a 28 year old music aficionado running the BULK nights with Mads Rehl. In the weekdays I'm doing a Ph.D in quantum chemistry & molecular dynamics. I like long walks at the beach and romantic candlelight suppers...

NWS: You've been struggling a bit with completing this mix. What's been your thoughts and difficulties with it?
 
A: Hah, "struggling a bit" is an understatement. I dunno what happened, I made the first half a year ago, then spent a lot of time deciding on the second half. Finally ended up discarding it, and recording a new second half a few weeks ago.
I always try to make something "special", which often ends up meaning "too much", instead of just recording a proper mix. -And then I get annoyed with myself :)
Knowing your limits and exercising self-restraint are not my strongest sides apparently. But it's something I really appreciate in the more accomplished DJs. -As long as it doesn't get too boring ;)  

NWS: Your crew BULK is doing some of the finest Techno parties in Denmark. Why did you start BULK and where do you want to take it?

A: Thanks, we try our best! Check out www.itsbulk.dk :) Shameless plug!
Anyways, we've been consumers of techno and house events for so long that we felt like giving something back to the scene. It might sound cheesy, but I think our love for the music is so large that it's always been really hard not to preach it to the yet uninitiated. - Ask my non-techno-friends, they'll tell you… ;)
So, for me, BULK is very much about trying to get more "new" people to appreciate the music and way of going out, without compromising the music. I think there's plenty of room in the underground!

NWS: It seems that Copenhagen, but also Aarhus (the second biggest city in Denmark), are now flourishing with new crews doing parties more freely and disconnected from one single venue. Just a few years ago promoters and DJ's where more connected to a single venue. What do you think about this transition and it's ups and downs?
 
A: Copenhageners really like novelty, so I can understand the compulsion to try new locations every other week. For me, the person behind the decks is more important than where the decks are located, as long as the sound system is decent.
There's always been crews coming and going, but I agree that there's a lot of really good colleagues out there right now that share our dedication: Vektor, Bunkerbauer, C.U.P., etc. - Which is also why we want to work at making more people from "the outside" to discover the wonders of proper electronic music on its own premises.

NWS: You've played a lot at Culture Box and have an upcoming gig there with C.U.P.. How do you like the venue?

A: Culture Box has really meant a lot to me, and formed me quite a lot as a person. I started working there as a bar-back a year or so after they opened, and continued to do so for 3 or 4 years if I remember correctly. Culture Box is home.
I'm looking forward to playing in the new basement, haven't tried that before, but even more so, I'm looking forward to playing with the awesome C.U.P.-crew, and dusting off the house records for a change!

NWS: Your mix contains some really deep tunes and also some pretty banging old skool joints. The old skool sound has had a revival during the past 2-3 years. Where do you see dance music going in the future?
 
A: To space!

NWS: What's your opinion on DJ'ing digital formats compared to vinyl?
 
A: Heh. I started DJ'ing using Traktor, but it just… Felt wrong. I had no respect for the tracks I was playing, everything could be looped and fucked up using the (terrible) effects. I guess digital can work for some (really genius) artists like Surgeon, but he's not DJ'ing, he's doing… Something else. Something amazing, but it's not a DJ set. It's great that the technology enabling geniuses like Surgeon to do their things, but it's really sad that the same technology can be abused so terribly. - Like with all technology! ;) And the majority of my great DJ experiences has been from people playing vinyl. Physicality, focus on selection, skill, respect for the music you're playing: It all grows out of that sweet, black wax.