ELLEN ALLIEN: LABEL, MUSIC AND FASHION

The combination of Apparat and Ellen Allien brings the best of both worlds together. Do you see yourself doing other collaborations in the future? Miss Kitten for instance?

"Right now I am working on remixes and my fashion summer collection. I am doing a remix for Thom Yorke and just finished one for Beck. I am not thinking about my next album or other projects. It's all still up in the air and I need some vacation first (January)."

I heard you in Amsterdam recently with Sascha Ring playing "Stadtkind". For me that was a wonderful moment as it's one of my favorite tracks from you.

Has all this inspired you to do live sets on your own in the near future, bringing albums like "Thrills" to another level?

"Stadtkind really is a nice song. I don't think I will play live by myself - too boring! Maybe Apparat and I will play live again in the future with a new set. We don't know yet. It was fun and we really liked it. We actually wanted to stop playing live together next year but somehow it makes us sad to think about it."

First time I saw you play was in 1997 in Amsterdam as part of the MFS tour. The years after that you haven't been sitting still with your label Bpitch control, dj-ing all over the world and producing albums like "Thrills" and "Stadtkind". What is your best memory of all these years?

"I saw the world and I love to travel and to make music. The label, music and fashion are my way to express myself, to do my thing. I need movement and I love people. It's important for me to have an exchange with people and places and to move things forward."

For me the best DJ-set of last year was your set at Lowlands Festival 2005 in Holland. You kept me in that tent for two hours straight; lost in space and very happy!

"It was a nice evening indeed. I was somehow nervous but the floor was boiling. I liked the festival - I like it when rock and techno come together."


We asked Ellen to compile a shortlist of her current favorite non-dance related albums for us. Here they are:

Thom Yorke "Eraser"
Mogwai "Zidane"
Conjoint "A Few Empty Chairs"
Xela "The Dead Sea".

Enjoy!

  Ellen Allien Fashion

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