Too many cooks spoil the broth? Not when speaking of Amberoom, a music collective consisting of Adrian Hoffmann, Manuel Tur and Ramin Nouyan, who spread their deep House music vibes from the Ruhr-area to places near you. With EPs and singles on Hamburg based label TAU, Josh Wink’s Ovum or André Hommen’s These Eyes, the trio has already left their marks within the scene. Additionally, Amberoom’s contribution, ‘Kastell’, to Dixon and Åme’s Innervisions earlier this year gained the big three even more recognition for their project. Nevertheless, the artists already worked on new material, which was tested by the Innervisions head-honchos at Woodstock Bloemendaal, which is waiting to be released. In order to bridge the gap until new music will see the light of day Amberoom recorded Torture the Artist’s latest art:cast, thus following in the footsteps of artists such as Marcus Worgul, Sandrino or Toto Chiavetta. Aside from taking on the bi-monthly tradtion, that of contributing a podcast, the trio brought their humor to bear and told Torture the Artist about their drinking… studio habits, the meaning of democracy in their relationship and why they could never write a proper poem.
Torture the Artist: Hello guys, tell us something about your day.
Amberoom: Hey guys, our day has been great so far; we got up, had breakfast, grabbed some lunch, took a nap, and are now looking forward to dinner and a few drinks at the bar before going back to bed. We are likely to repeat that pattern tomorrow.
Torture the Artist: How did you all meet and what was the pickup line for your musical relationship as Amberoom?
Amberoom: We met at the bar, singing songs, drinking cocktails… telling bad jokes.
Torture the Artist: Your ‘Jazire EP’, which was released on TAU earlier this year, has been the only EP so far for 2019. What’s coming next for Amberoom?
Amberoom: Quantity is not our strength but there might be another release coming up later this year. Some tracks are currently being road-tested by DJ friends of ours, and the reactions have been pretty good so far.
Ramin prefers to sit in the back and have a few drinks.
Torture the Artist: What’s everyone’s task in the studio when you produce together?
Amberoom: Manuel and Adrian are predominantly taking care of the production side of things. Ramin prefers to sit in the back and have a few drinks, making stupid remarks and talking too much anyway – behaviours that are better off in the DJ booth.
Torture the Artist: Following from the question before, how do you proceed when you disagree on something in the studio when it is something personal, e.g. if Manuel does not like a certain element in the track? Do you talk things out or have democratic decisions?
Amberoom: In the studio all decisions are made unanimously. If anyone is not satisfied with a certain element yet, we know we have to keep working.
Torture the Artist: What’s the last thing you disagreed on?
Amberoom: Whether to accept or decline incoming remix offers and what the next drink should be.
Torture the Artist: What was the next drink and what remix is up next for you guys?
Amberoom: We agreed to disagree on all remix offers so far. The drink was probably a Pegu Club – a drink the three of us can all agree on.
One key advantage is that our different backgrounds lead us to know that something is actually good when we unanimously like it.
Torture the Artist: What are the benefits and downsides when working as a trio?
Amberoom: One key advantage is that our different backgrounds lead us to know that something is actually good when we unanimously like it. On the downside it might take us a bit longer to get things done.
Torture the Artist: What’s a musical piece you can all agree on that represents the relationship between the three of you, and why?
Amberoom: Grace Jones – Nightclubbing. No further explanation needed.
Torture the Artist: You’ve been working together for a few years; what do you appreciate most about each other?
Amberoom: Having known each other for some time, we enjoy the freedom to express our thoughts honestly without the fear of stepping on anyone’s toes.
Torture the Artist: Even though it’s already three of you, what’s an artist you would love to work together in the studio with on your Amberoom project?
Amberoom: Everyone of us has his own preferences, but we could certainly agree on working with the likes of Melanie De Biasio, Solange, Anderson Paak, or Cory Henry.
Torture the Artist: What’s a sound or element in a track that immediately causes you to stop listening to the track?
Ramin: A flute, or Rammstein.
Manuel: Cicada hi-hats.
Adrian: The fade-out.
Torture the Artist: Do you find it more comfortable to express yourself with music rather than with words, as music offers an intimacy within its anonymity and is therefore more likely to be a safe haven?
Amberoom: We do not consider ourselves great poets and prefer to tell our stories through music. That being said, we are currently looking into bringing vocals into future productions.
We are always on the lookout for new music.
Torture the Artist: Who are among your greatest artistic influences? Name some artists that lured you into music; is there any other style besides electronic music that inspires your creativity?
Amberoom: Given our vastly different backgrounds, it seems impossible to name any specific artists or genres. One thing we do have in common, however, is that we are always on the lookout for new music.
Torture the Artist: What music or artists have you discovered recently?
Amberoom: A few names we can mention that have recently caught our attention are Charlotte Adigéry, Kadhja Bonet, or Baba Ali.
Torture the Artist: Name three places where you can be found, if you do not DJ or produce music.
Amberoom: Bar, university, chess club.
Torture the Artist: Who’s to be found at university and what do you study / teach there?
Adrian: That would be me. Aside from producing music, I also teach courses in psychology at the University of Dusseldorf.
Torture the Artist: What’s the biggest lie you have ever told and what was its purpose?
Amberoom: Of course, we have never told a single lie in our lives (or have we?).
Torture the Artist: Aside from the one just now, of course!
Amberoom: That’s a very good question!
Torture the Artist: Of course, let’s continue more emotionally, what was the last thing that deeply touched you?
Ramin: Love.
Manuel: The octave-down button on the Crumar Performer 2.
Adrian: A flute.
Torture the Artist: What’s your musical approach for the art:cast?
Ramin: The idea is to present a snapshot of the music that currently moves us (and hopefully you?) both in the club and in the living room.
The last podcast I did for TAU was under the influence of meeting the love of my life. (Ramin)
Torture the Artist: Do you have a certain musical direction in mind when doing a mix?
Ramin: It always depends on the current mood. The last podcast I did for TAU was under the influence of meeting the love of my life, as opposed to the first DJ mix for our Soundcloud page, which was under the influence of the separation from my ex-wife.
Torture the Artist: What would you like to achieve with your music?
Amberoom: We hope to reach an open-minded audience with our music without having to adapt too much to current trends. Being able to pay the studio rent this way would be a plus.
Founding my own political party and changing the economic system. (Ramin)
Torture the Artist: What’s your contribution to saving the world?
Manuel: Taking the tram to the studio.
Adrian: Eating home-grown vegetables.
Ramin: Founding my own political party and changing the economic system.
Interview by Holger Breuer
Torture the Artist 