With a new mix album set to drop, a live tour with Luciano on the go and a profile that's going through the roof, Reboot could be one of this year's biggest success stories. ROB CHADWICK meets the fast-rising German star to find out more…
Frank Heinrich is a popular man. He's got Luciano dragging him round the world as part of his Æther live show. He's also got Luciano's label Cadenza badgering him for his debut album as production alter ego Reboot. Then there's Cecille Records, which has collared Frank – and Sascha Dive – to mix its first ever compilation, From Frankfurt To Mannheim. And that's not to mention the fans all over the world who are screaming out for more DJ sets from the German spinner, who can count the likes of Sven Vath among his followers.
It's safe to say Frank's on a bit of a roll – not that he doesn't deserve it. He cut his teeth with his production partnership with Marco Delle Donne – Delle & Heinrich – which lasted until 2006 when Reboot was born. His first track as Reboot, Charlotte, was released by his friends at Below, but it wasn't long before he made his debut on Cadenza with Be Tougher, a darker track that Luciano nabbed for his Fabric album. Then came his Disco Invaders mix for Cocoon – alongside Johnny D and Chris Tietjen – last year, which brings us nicely to his current escapades. So with that Reboot album in the pipeline, that new mix album just around the corner, and an increasingly hot profile, we collared Frank for a chat…
Before you started your Reboot project you released tracks as Delle & Heinrich. What's the difference?
Marco (Delle) and I have been friends since we where kids. We made or first steps in producing music together, and I learned almost everything from him. Delle & Heinrich was pretty much a playground for every type of electronic music we liked. From techno and house to jazz and breaks, we just experimented with anything we fancied. But when I moved away from Frankfurt I made the decision to start a solo project. The music I produce as Reboot is totally my personal taste and I don't have to make any compromises.
What were your main influences when getting into the underground scene?
Around 1990, I started listening intensively to dance music. I was totally fascinated by the vibe of one of the first radio shows by Sven Väth (Clubnight on HR3 Radio). After that I started to go out to Sven's Omen club in Frankfurt. Omen and, of course, Sven, have been a really big influence for me. I also went to the Dorian Gray, the Box and to the Nachtleben (WildPitch party). All the DJs who played there have been a huge inspiration for my work.
Tell us a bit about the new mix album, From Frankfurt To Mannheim.
During the past three or four years, Frankfurt and Mannheim have gone through an amazing progress. A lot of the producers and labels from this area were responsible for the so-called house revival. This was really important, and a strong community grew out of this. Regional musicians, DJs and label heads met, became friends and exchanged their ideas. So with this compilation Sascha and I just wanted to share this process with everybody. We want to present this special sound to people who don't get the chance to run to a record store every day.
You also worked on the 2008 Disco Invaders compilation for Cocoon with Johnny D. Like yourself, he has risen through the ranks over the past couple of years. What was it like working with him?
Working with Johnny was great fun and very easy. We have a similar idea about dance music. It was more or less like working with a long-time studio partner. We just hooked up our gear and started jamming. A few hours later the compilation was finished. We also had huge support by Cocoon. They gave us all the creative freedom we needed for this project.
Can you tell about Lakof, the project you did with DJ Meat?
Carsten (DJ Meat) is a very close friend of mine. We met when I was living in Konstanz and went to the studio for a little jam session. We had a lot of fun and decided to carry on working together whenever we get the chance. After a while we got a request to do a remix for the Maus & Stolle classic Adore. Both of us love that track and we gave it a shot. It worked out amazing, so we'll keep working together. We just made a mix of DJ Doves' Roots & Culture on BELOW Rec. The project name is a combination of Lake Constance & Offenbach. We should rename it to Ofof as I've moved back to Offenbach now.
How much influence do labels such as Oslo, Cecille or La Pena have on the international music scene?
I think these labels (just to name a very few) have had a really big influence on dance music in the past two or three years. My opinion is that they are sort of representative of the return of groovy and funky house. I'm convinced that house never really went away, it just lost its freshness for a while. These labels helped bring the freshness back.
What can we expect from Reboot in the future?
I am constantly working on new productions and remixes. At the moment I am pretty occupied with touring all around the world. Also, I am working on an artist album for Cadenza. It`s planned to be released beginning of next year.
From Frankfurt To Mannheim is out on Cecille Records on August 18. Visit www.myspace.com/rebooot and www.cecille-records.de
