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This week in the feature MY FIRST GIG, the German techno DJ/producer Thomas Hessler. He was super nervous because he had to perform right away for a seasoned techno audience. "I convinced them of my skills."
“My first gig took place about six years ago. It was on a Monday in a small club called Edelweiß, near Görlitzer Park in Berlin. The venue was a freaky, small, cold basement with brick walls. It could hold a maximum of a hundred people. I got the gig through a friend and was super excited.”
Wild Night
“On top of that, I was quite nervous. Actually, I still get a bit nervous before every gig. I love that feeling; it pushes me to give my very best. The audience mostly consisted of people who had a lot of knowledge about techno, which made me even more nervous. However, once I convinced them of my abilities, it turned into a wild night.”
Crazy Crowd
“After that first time, I have done more gigs for the same promoter, and every time I am warmly welcomed by a crazy crowd. I will never forget that.”
Critical
“Was I disappointed about anything or did I make terrible mistakes? Well, I’m always very critical of my own sets. The audience and the organizers thought it was great, but I always remember those little moments where I could have done something slightly differently. Overall, though, I was happy and could hardly wait for the next time. I still have that feeling of anticipation.”
Heart and Soul
“I believe we never stop learning. You have to give everything and put your heart and soul into your sets and track selection. If you’re able to do that, people will feel it. My approach to DJing is that I always aim to create a set that I would want to hear myself, one that would pull me onto the dance floor.”
“People come to your party because they want to forget their daily problems for a few hours and immerse themselves in something better temporarily. Every DJ should realize that and be motivated by it to focus as much as possible on their craft and everything related to it.”
This interview with Thomas Hessler is originally published on This Is Our House in April 2018.
Who is Thomas Hessler?
Within a short time Thomas Hessler played his way from small underground clubs of Berlin all the way to various venues in Europe, South & North America. Earning his respect in clubs like Berghain, Fabric, Khidi and Tresor is just proving that his approach towards DJing with high energy, emotions, intensive journeys of electronic music and its recent history is the right way to go.
Thomas Hessler’s productions are set within energetic driven techno and deep melancholic electronica, informed by classic Detroit and Berlin sound. Thomas Hessler also likes exploring more modern experimental boundaries. His early releases on labels as IMF, Graphene as well as countless remixes gained Thomas Hessler the deserved recognition from a wealth of contemporary DJs and further laid out the foundation to his story.
In 2022’s Thomas Hessler released his “Intermission EP” on Ben Sims Symbolism label. Resident Advisor described the EP as “Hood-ian techno of the highest order”, as a reference to Robert Hood is just another piece in his selective list of releases on labels like Unitas-Multiplex, Blocaus and Crossing.
Thomas Hessler’s art inspired Laurent Garnier to select “Perception” for the exhibition “Electro” with a focus on the history of electronic music, at the Philharmonie de Paris in 2019 while Luke Slater remixed it in 2018. The way Thomas Hessler comprehends this fast-paced world is nostalgic but still with a glimmer of hope for the future. Always preferring quality over quantity in his productions, patience and perfectionism are two qualities Thomas Hessler prized over all else.
More Thomas Hessler?
More First Gigs? Check all of them here!
