The following interview with Dennis Horstmann (Special D.) was taken on Friday May 1^st 2009 for An Focal, the ULSU paper. Audio of the interview is available in MP3, OGG and FLAC formats.

DD: I’m here with Special D, who just played in the University of Limerick, how did it go?
SD: Great man, I really enjoyed it, it was good fun because the crowd were really easy. I just played some records, hands go up and everything was fine, so, allot of fun for me.

DD: Do you’ve any new records coming out?
SD: I’m working at the moment on some stuff, but for the last few years it’s been a bit quiet around me, because I did so many other things.

DD: Can you tell us about any of this stuff you were doing?
SD: I did allot of pop music.

DD: As a producer?
SD: Yeah, I’m a producer, I produce my own stuff. I started really early, then I did some work, music for commercials. My music is in the new Crank: High Voltage movie, you’ll see my name fifteen minutes into the credits.

DD: As a DJ, what do you use to DJ? What software and what kit do you use?
SD: I started, like every DJ with vinyl’s No, first I started with CDs because I didn’t have the money for turn-tables. When I reached a professional level I earned money, I bought turn-tables, and I started to play with vinyl, that was 14-16 years ago. I’ve played vinyl’s since ‘95. Three or four years ago CD’s became bigger again because DJ’s were sending MP3’s to each other with new tracks, and that’s the reason everybody starts using CD’s. Then you have the MP3 market becoming bigger and bigger, you get the tracks earlier and earlier, and every DJ wants to play the hottest stuff. One and a half years ago I bought new Pioneer CD players with USB sticks, 8Gb can play for 10 hours, that was really easy. I’ve been DJing for a long time, and I feel I need to change something. Two months ago I started to play with a laptop, using Ableton. It’s isn’t only a DJ set any more, it’s a bit more like a live set, I can remix and everything. I think it’s a new generation, one can be different to other DJ’s. I’m one of the first guys in this scene doing this. There are allot of guys in the minimal and electro scenes playing live sets, but in my scene it’s not so big. So I think I’m one of the first guys, and I think that’s good.

DD: So, have you been having fun with Ableton?
SD: Definitely. I think sometimes other DJ’s think it looks like a computer game, it seems like it’s not real DJing. But belie me, when you have Ableton, there is so much functionality, it is so much more than only two CD players. In the first sets I did with Ableton I was so confused. It’s not only two tracks, now you play maybe eight tracks at a time, don’t forget the filter here, don’t forget the loop there, so there really is allot of stuff you have to look for. But for the last two months I’ve been getting more into it, the set you heard today, it was OK?

DD: Yeah, there was some original stuff, it wasn’t just all off CD’s. You mixed some stuff live.
SD: Yeah, I just put some a capella’s or only melody parts from some songs, then put another kick on it. That makes DJing more interesting to me now, because there is something new.

DD: Do you have any collaborations coming up with other DJ’s or artists?
SD: First I have to get my own stuff out, because it’s been a long time since I released some Special D stuff. I’ve tried to do some new stuff, but it didn’t work, I was in my studio and I wasn’t happy with the stuff I did. I only want to release records when I think they are really good. I don’t want to release 80% or 90% work, I only want to release 100% work, and that’s not easy. Because there are so many talented guys out there it’s really hard to make good stuff. The level of production is getting higher and higher.

DD: What advice would you give to DJ’s who are starting out?
SD: DJing or producing?
DD: DJing first.
SD: As a DJ, you definitely have to do something really exciting, crazy stuff, otherwise you don’t have a chance to become big. There are so many people DJing, and it’s so easy today with Ableton or Traktor. I came from the old-skool, I learnt how to play with vinyl’s for years, and now I know how to play with Ableton, because I know that if Ableton won’t work I can go back to vinyl’s But everybody can DJ now.

DD: Are you talking about someone like Mark Ronson where you’d mix different genres, you’re doing something really fresh?
SD: Yeah. I know some DJs out there that play hardstyle and dance, they came from hip-hop so they’re really good at scratching. That’s something really cool, but nobody from the techno scene normally can. It’s not easy, when you want to become a big DJ really fast, really urgent, you have to do your own productions, successful productions.

DD: What’s important in being a producer?
SD: The same, be fresh, don’t copy the old stuff. If you are in my scene, you notice that every song sounds really similar, so it’s really boring. If all the stuff is so similar, then it shouldn’t be so complicated to do something different, but you have to have the balls for it. That’s what I’m looking for, that’s the reason I haven’t come out with new stuff, I defiantly want do do something fresh. That’s not easy, hopefully I will release something this year but I can’t promise.

DD: You’re too much of a perfectionist?
SD: Yeah, that’s bad, that’s really bad. Otherwise I would have released maybe 12 albums in the last three years, but my mind kills me. I’m working in my studio, and I think “That’s not good enough”, “I don’t like that, I don’t like the kick, I don’t like the bass, I don’t like the melody”. I’m working hard on it, I do my best. Every time I see crowds like this, and parties like this my heart is pumping, I really feel it’s my profession, what I have to do.

DD: You’re quite big in the Netherlands. How is your Jumpstyle?
SD: Can I dance? No man. I play football and go to the gym, but I don’t dance jumpstyle, I never learnt it. It’s also big over here, with Scooter?
DD: It’s coming up.
SD: It’s coming up, I thought it was big? I’ve already stopped playing jumpstyle, but it’s coming up here? Huh, for my set tomorrow I have to put some more of the Jumpstyle in.

DD: Thanks very much. Have you any closing words?
SD: Yeah, let me say that you have a really nice University. I was in a University in Hamburg too, and it looked like shit, but this, it looks like… I don’t know. We came in a car, and it’s so big, everything is so clean, nice and big. It’s a really nice school man. You can be happy to be a student here.
DD: It’s a very good University, yeah.
SD: Maybe if it takes me some time to release a new record maybe I will come to study here, for some years.

DD: Best of luck, hopefully we’ll see you back here soon.
SD: Yeah, thanks man, hopefully.