Music producer Dean Demanuele returns from a successful three-year stint in Berlin to his homeland. He tells Ramona Depares about the challenges particular to the local underground music scene, before flying off to Prague to play a Dazed & Confused event.
How do you describe your experience in Germany?
I lived in Germany for about three years, until recently deciding to return to Malta. Before discovering Berlin, I was based in London, where I was working on an album with techno and deep house artists Pig & Dan. The duo is very well-respected, internationally and I have done a lot of touring with them.
The idea to leave London was born after I attended a house party they threw in Mallorca. While there, I met a DJ who kept repeating how Berlin is buzzing and how it is less about the pop, like London, and more about the underground – which is what I was doing, of course. I took his advice and just moved there and, happily, it turns out that he was right.
Berlin is really all about the avant-garde and the underground. If you’re original and you’re good, no one cares where you come from, or who you are friends with. They will support your work. Also, it’s like the clubbing never ends, seriously. There’s always something going on.
I was pleasantly surprised by the cost of living, which is much lower than I expected. I would say that it’s actually a tad lower than in Malta. The lifestyle is all about a diversity of subcultures. Even just walking down the streets, you see rockers, punks, DJs, electro-heads… and there is no pique among the different cliques. The ethos is very much to keep cool and not stress out, which is very much what I’m all about. And yet, they’re also extremely organised, so you get the best of both worlds.
How did the experience affect your approach to the music industry?
Over the three years I lived in Berlin I experienced the feeling of what music is. In Malta, clubs do not really give you the stimulation needed to create. In Berlin, every time you bump into an artist, chances are that he is much better than you. It motivates you to become better than you are. I remember one particular occasion, at Watergate club, there were some DJs doing a live PA, showcasing Freddie Mercury style music. It was different to what you would expect in a club, and it was energising to see how people reacted.
Can’t this be replicated on the clubbing scene in Malta?
The clubbing scene here does have potential, but the market is cornered by (give or take) four people. There’s this worrying trend where, if someone new attempts to organise an event, the established names just organise an event with bigger names on the same night. This kind of thing doesn’t augur for a healthy scene.
The clubbing scene here does have potential, but the market is cornered by (give or take) four people
Organising a party in Malta takes a lot more time, effort, money and stress than doing the exact same thing in Berlin. If I’m organising an event in Berlin, I just need to do the usual groundwork, travel there the day before, and everything’s sorted. In Malta, you have to do more than triple the work, with all the obstacles that get thrown at you.
I’d love to take a more active part on the scene, even by organising events, but as things stand I’m unsure whether it’s worth my while. For me, it’s not about the money, but about doing something in my home country. Still, if it brings more pain than fun, then it’s not worth it.
Does your moving back to Malta mean you will not be doing any more DJing abroad?
Far from it. For starters, I am maintaining a regular presence in Berlin. I have regular gigs booked there and I’m also touring other countries, like Mexico, Argentina, Hong Kong, more European countries… I perform in Switzerland about three times a year, and they really love my style, there. The culture is different and there is a lot of focus on the artist when people are out clubbing, as opposed to ancillary things like drinking.
What other challenges do you see in Malta?
DJs here find it difficult to cooperate within a multi-artist event. They don’t care whether it is 11pm or 2am – they will go in for the kill immediately, playing peak-time music even when it’s way too early. This is one of the first things you learn when DJing for foreign events; the importance of timing. You’re not competing against one another, you’re working cohesively to provide a great night out to the audience. But few DJs get it, in Malta. Of course, licensing hours are another issue. Here, by 4am it’s all over. In Berlin you start peaking at about 3am, then you get a good three hour set in before you start winding down.
Besides music, what else are you working on while in Malta?
I’m also doing some work on sound design for films and TV series. I love being in the studio and one of the things I do is help people find their niche. They show me their sound and I guide them towards developing it and completing it.
One thing I’ve noticed, however, is that people like to do everything themselves in Malta. Specialisation is not very popular. To give you an example, I work in sound, so I won’t attempt to take up visuals as well. It’s not what I do. But many people, here, tap into everything.