WetYourSelf!: Catching Up With Stephan Bodzin & Livio & Roby's WYS! Mix

Ahead of their Easter Bank Holiday spectacular this Sunday night and with his fourth appearance for team WYS! around the corner the WetYourSelf crew caught up with the Herzblut and Systematic Recordings signed German producer, Stephan Bodzin. WYS: First of all, we’d like to know your most influential artist or an artist who inspired you and your sound from childhood to the current music being released right now? Stephan Bodzin: I grew up surrounded by a wide range of music. My father used to run this massive Kraftwerk-like studio and was himself a big fan of those electronic pioneers. He was also very much into jazz, fusion and experimental stuff from artists such as Phillip Glass, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Tangerine Dream, and all that ‘70s/early ‘80s stuff. I remember playing the Roboter vinyl by Kraftwerk day in and day out in his studio when I was around 10 years old. At that age I already started to reproduce their sounds with my dad´s Moog Modular and Arp 2600. As unbelievable as that might sound, it’s the truth. Later on, I went through a 3 year heavy metal period and was the biggest Iron Maiden fan ever, but it was more of an experience to find my own place and receive the hate of my father. But I guess composers like John Adams, Hans Zimmer, Jerry Goldsmith and Enio Morricone have also always had a big influence on my understanding of harmony. Since the Power Of Ten album it seems like you have like you have evolved your sound from the classics like ‘Pendulum’ or even collaborations like ‘Atlas’. Has this been a natural music evolution or a specific change in your personal taste in music and production style? Definitely a completely natural evolution to an even more authentic style, I never put this much into my productions as I do now. What was your funniest experience during a gig? I kinda got kidnapped by some Mexican fans who pulled me out of the club to take some pictures with me and forced me to drink mescal, I barely made it back onto the stage…. Sometimes people tend to somewhat overlook all the amazing playing experiences and focus on some of the most embarrassing ones - tell us yours? But also tell the most unexpected positive experience as well? My most embarrassing experience was in a well-known club in southern Germany when a fellow DJ didn't realise that ‘Phobos’ Synthapella (without beats) is a part of my still running live show and cut my set in the middle of a very emotional and great moment. That was a WTF!? moment. My most unexpected positive experience was actually witnessing the reactions on my new music when I played Powers of Ten for the first time, half a year before it was released. I will never forget that moment - it was in South Africa. The Romanian duo of Livio & Roby will also be appearing at this weekend's celebrations and in anticipation of that fact they went and put together a mixtape exclusively for WYS!