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In 2014 I learned more about the debut of the Dutch Linda Zimmerman a.k.a. Fraulein Z: “My edgy choice of music was best received when I was the closing DJ."
“In 2006 TanzMan Herr Zimmerman and I started a club-night together a former meat factory. We also programmed the line-up of course.”
Hectic period
“My first gig ever was around that same time, when the weekly Herr Zimmerman-night was introduced. To be honest, I hardly remember my first performance though. Not because I was drunk or otherwise intoxicated by this or that, but because it was such a hectic period.”
Fixer
“In reality I simply didn’t have the time to be nervous. Aside from playing I had a lot of other stuff on my mind. I was incredibly busy with running the club-night and when there was a register- or bar problem, it was up to me to fix it.”
Unique fusion
“We started our club evening with a complete personal and innovative vision as far as sound was concerned, as well as the unique fusion of the audience. It was great to see that they like our sound, which was soon afterwards called ‘the Herr Zimmerman sound’.”
From the beginning till the end
“Since I didn’t have time to be nervous, I obviously had no time to prepare a set. I just monitored the crowd to decide in what direction I would take the music – of course within my repertoire. This is how I still go about it. My goal is to get people to dance from the beginning till the end and that’s exactly what happens.”
Progressive thinking international artists
“In those days I played with several renowned and progressive thinking international artists, for example DJ Hell, Dr. Lektoluv, The Hacker, David Caretta, Adriano Canzian and the, at that point still unknown Gesaffelstein.”
Edgy choice of music
“Pretty soon it became obvious that my edgy choice of music (back then I only played with vinyl) was best received when I was the last DJ of the night. In 2009 we started organizing a monthly party in club Factory 010. Since then I’ve been the closing DJ of almost every event. TanzMan always opens the night en in between us, we book an international guest-artist.”
Lake in the middle of a forest
“(Inter)nationally I’ve been the closing DJ at some great events. I was in Flex in Vienna, I played at the Italian Electrode Festival in Rome and at the Platonic Love Electro club-night on Sicily. Herr Zimmerman and I also hosted a Herr Zimmerman tent at Dance Valley and at Music Republic in Rotterdam. This summer I will play with Anthony Rother and Arnaud Rebotoni at the Italian Free Field Festival, which takes place next to lake, in the middle of a forest, situated a little south of Rome.”
Photo credit: Jeff Lanet, FR
This interview with Fraulein Z was originally published on May 7th 2014.
Who is Fraulein Z?
Fraulein Z is a Rotterdam-based, dark techno-electro producer and DJ, and also founder of the Herr Zimmerman record label. She is also the powerful musical and creative force behind the amazing Herr Zimmerman techno parties in Rotterdam.
Even though Fraulein Z sets are not like typical ‘mainstream’ techno, her techno sets are very energetic and accessable for big and mixed crowds, and drives people to dance like a machine.
Fraulein Z also produced some very cool music-video clips such as The Pharmacist, Zug nach Herr Zimmerman, and Sex Shooter, that were also broadcasted and featured in worldwide press and media such as Tilllate Magazine (UK), Bigshot, and Xite TV. Various Fraulein Z tracks and remixes have been released on other labels, or selected in very cool techno compilations, such as Gastspiel Records.
Fraulein Z has been headlining with many respected techno DJ’s, such as: Gesaffelstein, The Horrorist, Klaudia Gawlas, Niereich, Bjorn Torwellen, Sven Wittekind, Angy Kore, Marika Rossa, Brodinski, Vitalic, Erol Alkan, DJ Hell, Zombie Nation, The Hacker, Al Ferox, Black Asteroid, D-R-U-N-K, Tony Rios, Anthony Rother, Tony Rohr, and many more.