Interviews

Jakob Hildenbrand (Format:B, Formatic Label)

0 Comments 23 July 2012

* This interview was originally published on 22 February 2011 on the old stylistberlin blog and was newly formatted

Format:B is famous for it’s unique sound and live sets:

Format:B are Franziskus and Jakob. Jakob is a Berliner, from Kreuzberg to be exact. As all good parents do, his wanted him to play an instrument. After years of successfully dodging music lessons and his parents wishes, he finally at the subtle age of 15 decided that he desperately needed a bass guitar, which then through diligent practice manoeuvred him from hardcore bands to funk and jazz bands. But suddenly, there was a small problem: he liked Techno parties much better than rock concerts. So, as one does, he began buying the odd techno maxi here and there until one day little Jakob thought to himself: Why heck, I can do that too! So off he went and bought himself an overpriced Atari St40 and a cheap synthesizer, only to realize that oops those guys from Detroit really do know what theyre doing and that it wasnt that easy after all. Well, that is basically where Jacobs ambitiously planned out life suddenly took a screeching of the wheels turn in another direction. Franziskus is from Erfurt, a small and rural part of Germanys quite rough and wild East, which didnt stop him from starting piano lessons at the innocent age of 6. His musical interests took him from the usual suspects like Michael Jackson and The Pet Shop Boys through to Hardcore (obviously not on the piano). But then one day, or night to be exact similar to Jakob, all was to suddenly change.. A fortuitous night out at the legendary E-Werk in 1993, made this young mans heartbeat skip from Chopin over to a 4/4 beat where it was to remain, probably forever. Three years later Franziskus took up residency at the infamous Sub ground Lighthouse After hour, resulting in numerous further bookings. The paths of these two young men crossed whilst they were both studying to be sound engineers. Seeing as all the other students in there year were long haired Metal heads it was only a matter of time until their paths crossed. So, after spending a few long Berlin party nights together they decided to see if they could start a project together. And so the story ends or better yet, begins with Format:B (for more info, check out: Format:B) 

 

 

Franz and Jakob are constantly on Tour and it is quite an event when both are playing as Format:B together in one location because usually, they tend to have separate gigs all over the world. Around NYE 2010, I got in touch with Jakob Hildenbrand, one of the Format:B DJ duo and went to Alte Münze to meet him.

Being a huge fan of the album Steam Circuit (2008) and the track Bootcut, it was quite an adventure to se the guys live on stage, and Münze offered a cool opportunity to watch the crowd rocking from above.
Meeting the two guys all at once was a pleasure, since they had a good sense of humour and delivered a great set that rocked the main hall of Münze before they started off to their next NYE gig at Maria.
Jakob was nice enough to make NYE at Münze happen for me, and now he realized this interview – big shout outs to him! I am very happy to present one of my favourite DJs from Berlin: JAKOB HILDENBRAND from FORMAT:B!

 

*** Interview from 09.02.2011 ***

stylistberlin: What are you doing at the moment?
Jakob Hildenbrand: It’s 1pm, I am home, just got up and I am having my first coffee;)

 

stylistberlin: Your Soundtrack of your life currently, reason…?
Jakob Hildenbrand: Hmm seems that I have completely stopped listen to music at home…
I still get influences from everywhere ….very often when I sit on the back seat of a taxi and the radio is playing…

 I sit on the back seat of a taxi and the radio is playing…

 

stylistberlin: What are the plans for 2011? You seem to be on the road almost every day of the year!
Jakob Hildenbrand: Smoke less, do sports regularly, get up earlier;) all goals I tend to miss….hehe

Smoke less, do sports regularly, get up earlier

 

stylistberlin: Do you have any projects going on?
Jakob Hildenbrand: Yeah we are about to finish our next album…it will include over 10 tracks…so still a lot of work until we are finally satisfied with every single tune…
But as a result it will have a wide array of styles….

 

stylistberlin: How often do you have a Formatic label night in a year?
Jakob Hildenbrand: So we will make 2 label nights at Watergate per year….
Should be enough to keep it fresh every time…

 label nights at Watergate per year

 

stylistberlin: How long have you been doing your job and how did it become your life?
Jakob Hildenbrand: My way of getting into this is maybe a bit strange…because I never thought about how to become a DJ…Basically I just loved to produce music…so somehow it leads to performing it on stage for me…so the Djing followed more as a side effect of playing live…but obviously I felt in love with it;))

I never thought about how to become a DJ (…)  the Djing followed more as a side effect of playing live

 

stylistberlin: How do you combine private life with being on tour?
Jakob Hildenbrand: I often feel that, compared to “normal” working people, my time for private life and work seems to be the other way around…most people tend to concentrate on their work during the week and chill out and see their friends on the weekend…when franz and I am away…so sometimes you have to make sure that your friends don’t get out of sight…

 

stylistberlin: Do you still feel at home in Berlin (Kreuzberg)?
Jakob Hildenbrand: no matter where I have been in the world, Kreuzberg always feels like home when I am coming back…and I wouldn’t say because its so beautiful…
but this city relaxes me like no other place in the world…even if I don’t have specific reason for that…..

 

stylistberlin: What makes you happy the most at the moment?
Jakob Hildenbrand: As there is nothing you can do outside at this time of the year it’s the successful studio days making me happy even if its completely gray outside…

 

stylistberlin: What is your dream now?
Jakob Hildenbrand: Hmm…to have the freedom to do what I love as long as possible…

Dream: “to have the freedom to do what I love as long as possible” – Jakob Hildenbrand

 

stylistberlin: Where will you be in 2015? 2020?
Jakob Hildenbrand: In 2015 hopefully still behind the decks!…in 2020 I see Franz and me on our 30m Format:Boat in St. Tropez doing only important phone calls all day and get a wooden tan…haha;)))

 

stylistberlin: A last word?
Jakob Hildenbrand: Keep it smooth and creamy;)

Keep it smooth and creamy;)

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH OR YOUR TIME, JAKOB! LOVE!

PS. Format:B T-Shirt available from 07.03.2011!

———————————————————————————————————————————-

Format:B on the internet & schedules 2011 so far:

http://www.formatb.com
http://www.myspace.com/formatb
http://www.myspace.com/formatikrecords

FEBRUARY 11
22.02 (tue) – Zvezda ( The Star) / Samara, Ru – Jakob Dj
24.02 (thu) – Rex Club / Paris, Fr – Franz dj
25.02 (fri) – Muffatwerk / Muenchen, de – FRANZ live
26.02 (sat) – Coconut Club / Potsdam, DE – Jakob dj

MARCH 11
04.03 (fri) – Robinson @ TBA / Berlin, de -BOTH
10.03 (thu) – Camera club / Wien, AT – Jakob dj
12.03 (sat) – Palazzo / Bingen, De – BOTH LIVE
18.03 (fri) – Geisha / Perth, AUS – Jakob dj
19.03 (sat) – INDUSTRIE BESCHALLUNG / Stendal, DE – Franz dj
19.03 (sat) – TBA / Sidney, AUS – Jakob live
25.03 (fri) – Monastery / Brisbane, Aus – Jakob live
26.03 (sat)- Trinity / Camberra, Aus – Jakob dj
27.03 (sun)- Revolver / Melbourne, Aus – Jakob live
26.03 (sat)- Dokk Arena / Budapest, Hu – Franz DJ

APRIL 11
01.04 (fri) – FORMATIK / Bamberg, DE – Franz live
02.04 (sat) – Kugl club / St. Gallen, CH – Franz dj
08.04 (fri) – Hunderquadrat / Rosenheim, DE – Jakob dj
09.04 (sat) – KNAST / Landshut, DE – Jakob dj
16.04 (sat) – Plus Minus Fest / Memmingen, DE – JAKOB dj set
21.04 (thu) – Highgrade Nacht @ Watergate Berlin, DE / BOTH
22.04 (fri) – Elektron Festival / Geneve, CH – Franz live
24.04 (sun) – Showbox / Dresden, DE – Franz live
30.04 (sat) May Day Fest. / Dortmund, DE – BOTH live

MAY 11
07.05 (sat) – Airport club / Wuerzburg, De – Franz dj set
07.05 (sat) – Maria / Berlin, DE – Jakob dj
08.05 (sun) – Pollerwiese / Leverkusen, De – Jakob live
14.05 (sat) – Formatik Nacht @ Nachtamt / Schwerin, DE – Franz
14.05 (sat) – Kunst Akademie / Trier, DE – Jakob dj
21.05 (sat) – U60311 / Frankfurt, DE – Franz dj
21.05 (sat) – Rakete / Nuernberg, DE – Jakob dj

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LISTENING TO:

JOSHUA RADIN "Song for you" from "The Fall" Album

JOSHUA RADIN "High and Low" from "The Fall" Album

yuna "Good Times" (party) - DJ set @ 60Hz, Berlin

JOPLYN "Cold Flames" EP

OUER (Live Set @Watergate)

STYLISTBERLIN TRIBUTES:
GLIMPSE & MARTIN DAWSON (R.I.P) "OUR FRIENDS ELECTRIC"

AJAX (R.I.P.) "DANCE TILL DAWN", 2007 MIX

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