The Regelbau crew have been key players in putting their home city of Århus, Denmark on the map with their hazy, organic brand of house. One of the key members of the family is DJ Sports who, as well as producing alongside friend and collaborator DJ Central, has made homes on labels like Firecracker, Yield and Help, the label he runs with Central.
Earlier this year he took a break from touring to focus his efforts on producing and promoting, and now he is pouring his time into a new collaboration with local venue Tape who have enlisted Regelbau to host a regular pop up record shop and bar, catering to local music, merch and zines.
Ahead of playing alongside Erika de Casier at our joint party with Five Miles he answers a few questions and delivers a mammoth 3 plus hour mix of downtempo house, twinkling breaks and everything in between, the majority of which was crafted by producers from Århus…
DJ Sports plays Five Miles ‘n’ Stamp The Wax on 1st Nov.
First, our usual ice-breaker – what’s your first ever musical memory?
Haha good question. When I was little, probably around 5-6 years old, I remember very vaguely dancing in our living room with my mom and my brother. I can’t remember all of it, but I’ve talked about that memory with my mom a couple of times since, so some parts might be highlighted due to her framing of what took place. We would move a big round chair in to the middle of the room and run and dance around it. The music I connect with the vibe around this memory is amongst others, The Police, Fleetwood Mac and a danish singer named Anne Dorte Michelsen. Other than that I more clearly remember travelling around with dad, mom and brother. He is a conductor and we would travel to different places with his choir or orchestra.
How’s your 2019 been going so far?
Its been going pretty well I feel. In the beginning of the year I decided to take some time off from playing abroad. Which gave me quite a lot of time and energy to work on new stuff, both music-making wise and party-making wise. That has been super nice.
How are things going with Regelbau and the various labels? Anything coming up you’d like to shout about?
Two of the folks who run the local venue Tape asked us (Safe) if we’d be up for opening a new space in Århus. For some time now time we’ve felt like having a place to do pop-upish record shops so people can come down and connect through the music in a different way than when you go clubbing, to concerts or when you buy your music, mostly online. I’m very excited to work on this new project. The space will function as a record shop/daytime bar stocking mainly local music, merch, posters, a new zine series (that Natal has been working on for the first edition) and cheap beer and hangout vibes – mainly open in the last half of the week.
Honing in on your local scene, in both Aarhus and more broadly Denmark, are there any new or emerging names we should be keeping tabs on?
Yeees. My impression is that there is more and more activity in and around the “independent” music scene. First shout goes to Janus and Phillip, they’ve been running a night called In Orbit at Tape and now they’re starting a new label under the same name – first release being techno from Picture (aka. Central). DJ Popup from the N.E.S label came out with his first record on his own label a couple of months back. Really top guy, DJ and producer, so make sure to check that. RB10 consists of new Maizena tracks that C.K, Manmade Deejay, Central and I have recorded. Optic and C.K are doing a new 2 Bit Crew twelve that I’m sure will rock some dance floors quite hard. There is also coming a new USB-release from 3.11. Out soon too on PRS. The new one on Extra Help is downtempo and ambient work by Mitro. Other than that make sure to keep an eye out for new stuff from pH 1, K. Dallas and my mate Magnus. More info soon’ish. And On No Hands we’re putting out an EP that I’ve produced and we also just announced the new Help release that I did under a new name. Out the 8th of November.
Could you tell us about the mix you’ve made for us?
If I’ve counted correctly it has 38 tracks in it. 30 of them are made by people from Aarhus and some from friends I’ve made from travelling around. Eight of them are from some of my biggest inspirations at the moment.
Are there any standout tracks that hold a special significance?
Of course I appreciate all the versatile and beautiful work from people around me, but I think the mix itself already clearly states that haha. So maybe its more interesting to point out some of the work I’ve chosen that are made from artists I don’t know.
One of the tracks towards the end of the mix is called Low Vibrations from one of the all-time masters of ambient music (IMO) who goes by the name Tetsu Inoue. I was introduced to his work by my mate, Simon [pH 1] and it opened up for another sonic world that I hadn’t dug that deep in previously. So I started virtual-digging through the Fax +49-69/450464 catalog. I’m not sure how to describe what I found in these hour-long pieces. In lack of words or inner clarity I’ll stop describing what happens when I listen to his work, so I’ll just say it’s highly spiritual. One thing I’ll say is that any person who is interested in or is already enjoying patience in music and intricately evolving soundscapes, I’ll recommend putting on a pair of headphones, taking a walk or lying down while listening to Inoue’s work. Perhaps Ambient Otaku, World Receiver or Inland is a good place to start.
What else is on the horizon for the rest of the year? Any plans for new releases and tours?
We’re doing a couple more parties this year, next up is the 23rd of November down at Tape with our “Festaften” nights. Inviting Doc Jay play. Doing the second of a event series called Public Relations in December with Janus and Phillip. Natal and I are also returning to Australia for the first time in two years. Leaving late December for two-three weeks time.
DJ Sports plays Five Miles ‘n’ Stamp The Wax on 1st Nov.
