For some people it’s hard to categorize your style since both as a dj and producer you touch many genres. Is this a issue you deal with a lot?

I don‘t mind that people find it hard to categorize the music I make and play as I think when a style of music reaches a point when it can be easily categorized it is usually due to the fact that the original ground breaking tracks of the genre have been copied and emulated. So much so that a set of stylistic rules have developed which people tend to adhere to in order to be successful in that genre. Most exciting music starts out as being difficult to categorize and existing outside of current genres, then new genres typically grow around the style of music as it beco- mes more popular and as the people who first started writing music in that style were imitated by others. So basically, I think that if people describe my music as being hard to categorize, I can only take this as a compliment and as a sign that I am doing so- mething right. As for djing, I play records I love and am open to all kinds of music. It‘s not like I am playing totally weird stuff, it‘s basically all pretty melodic electronic dance music in a bpm range of something like 110-125bpm which I try to piece together as best I can to give a coherent direction and mood.

How would you describe your sound and what you do?

I think maybe it is easier for others to describe my sound and what I do than it is for me. For me it‘s changing all the time but I guess there are some constants which re- cur in my work, there is usually a lot of melodic elements and I try to make every song special in some way. It‘s really important for me to keep improving and to challenge myself with every track, I try my best not to make filler tracks or to repeat myself. I guess I just want to create songs that express who I am and I hope that people like them.

You have been running your very successful night ‘Passion Beat‘ for over a year now. Have you had thoughts to take it on the road? What does the future of Passion Beat have in-store for us?

The last year running Passion Beat at Kleine Reise here in Belin has been great. I run it along with my best friend Mark Flynn aka The Drifter. He is a talented dj and musician, he has started producing his own tracks and has done guest vocals for the likes of Tensnake and Erdbeerschnitzel. The basic concept for Passion Beat was to run a monthly party in our local Irish-run club Kleine Reise and to book up and coming artists who we think make really interesting music, and as it has turned out who have mostly been good friends. The night is always really fun and we think we have created a night with reliably brilliant music and a great atmosphere. We have brought it on the road a tiny bit, just in Leipzig and Dresden so far but it is definitely something we want to pursue in the future. There will also be more Passion Beat edits and eventually a label.

Lately you remixed some Pop oriented songs like your remix for Aloe Blacc on Universal (licensed from Stones Throw). Are pop productions a direction you are interested in getting into?

I am definitely open to more remixes of quality artists like Aloe Blacc. I love working with vocals and well recorded live instrumentation. Pop production and songwriting is definitely something that interests me. I started off writing music in my teens that was based on traditional song structures and it is something I want to do in the future. In some ways I think pop music or electronic pop songwriting/production - or whatever you want to call it - can be more interesting than making a house or techno track. The restrictions of making something that has to work in a club environment are removed which can mean more creative freedom, which is I guess, the most important thing.

What’s next for Mano Le Tough and what can we expect from you in the near future?

So the Mano Le Tough train is picking up speed in the next few months with plenty of productions, remixes and touring. My next E.P. is out soon on Internasjonal and I am very excited about it. It‘s called ‚Those lights are lives‘ and consists of three original tracks including my debut vocal on wax! Then there is a track on the upcoming Permanent Vacation compilation „If this is house I want my money back Pt. 2“ as well as remixes of Iron Curtis, Aera (Alewwwwph music) and some other exciting stuff I can‘t really talk about yet! Watch this space.

Taken from SLIM Mag July Issue

Artist of the Week: Mano Le Tough will air Tuesday July 12th at 18:00, with repeats Wednesday at 12:00, and Saturday at 10:00.