A new year, a whole new year of new exciting challenges. Happy New Year everyone.
A little over a year ago we had an interview with the charming Switzerland-based Yuko. Back in the days, we talked about her music and career. Ambitious as she is, a lot of things have changed ever since. So it was about time to have another chat.
MASCH + YUKO dropping a first great track on Kittball records
In the past months, she teamed up with Masch to form the duo Masch + Yuko as a producers duo and DJ team. There first release ended up on Kittball records compilation samples, Kittball Konspiracy Vol.12. Not bad at all for a start.
Please enjoy our interview and let us know what you think.
Hey guys, how are things in Switzerland these days?
Yuko: It’s really cold here. If the dog didn’t have to go out now and again, I’d happily stay in the whole time (laughs). Apart from that, living in Switzerland’s great. The quality of life’s really high, especially here in Bern.
Mash: I live in Germany, and it’s about the same there. Just half as expensive as Switzerland (laughs)
Anything new you want to tell us that happened over the past year? Experience on the road? Exciting news? Anything?
M: It’s been a great year. We’ve seen a lot of new cities and made lots of new friends.
Y: In terms of travel, for me Japan was a high point. Because my family lives there, I was able to combine gigs and private things. Our friends Drunken Kong and Yui:chi showed us their Tokyo away from the tourist hotspots. That was a really cool month.
M: Probably the high point of your year was when you decided to carry on as Masch + Yuko instead of just Yuko (laughs)
Yes, that was the next question. You are teaming up together to form the duo Masch + Yuko. Do you get along well?
Y: What do you want me to say – he’s sitting right next to me (laughs). Basically, we love working together. We put on our own event at the Notlösung in Lörrach, called WE LOVE TECHNO. We were doing it together before we got together musically. That’s where we started playing b2b and noticed that it goes together really well musically. In terms of character, we’re fairly different. I’m even-tempered and quiet. That’s my Swiss-Japanese background coming through. And he’s typically German: he likes to talk a lot (laughs). He’s definitely the salesman out of the two of us. And I like the fact that he’s got an answer for everything. He’s a walking encyclopedia.
M: Yes, we complement each other really well. I like the fact that she’s a workaholic. And we have great fun touring – that’s important.
If we are not mistaken, you have a first track ready and it’s released on a Kittball compilation.
M: Yes, we couldn’t have wished for a better label for “Talking About House”. And we’re happy that the track is soon to be back on Kittball with a remix.
What else can we expect in the near or long term future?
Y: Our EP “My House” is coming out in February on Run Deep and we’ve already signed some new songs on labels like Milk & Sugar Recordings or Prison Entertainment. As things stand, we’re chockfull of releases until midway through next year.
What does your music sound like?
M: Hard to say, because we don’t want to put our music in a box. When we’re in the studio, all kinds of things come out depending on the mood. We release what we like, regardless of the genre.
A year ago we asked you about your main challenges as a DJ. Tell us about the challenges you are facing as a producer.
Y: In the beginning, the thing I found most difficult was finding a label. You send your track to labels, and they don’t even listen to it if they haven’t heard of you. But everyone has to go through that to start with.
Less DJ-ing, more producing?
Y: Rather more DJ-ing and more producing? (laughs). Or what do you mean?
Claudio: Question was if you would spend more time producing and less DJ-ing. But you do not seem to be willing to compromise. 🙂
M: Yes. We try to do both as much as possible because this is our passion.
If you think back, why didn’t you start producing earlier?
M: I’ve been producing for some time, but under other names. Masch + Yuko is a new project, and in future it’ll be the only one.
Y: In my case, it’s just that I never had the time. Unlike Masch, I never quit my job. I could carry on without my daytime-job, but I love both the things I do. Then comes family. Dog. And now studio work. One thing I can never get enough of is sleep (laughs).
Let’s end with some fun things:
I am a (morning/evening) person because I …
M: Evening, because there are better TV programmes in the evening.
Y: I’m definitely a morning person.
I am in love with my dog because …
Y: He smothers me with love. And never reproaches me of anything.
The most embarrassing moment in my life would be …
M: Playing in front of 10,000 people and the sound system turns off. Which would never happen to us. Ahem.
In 50 years I will regret I …
Y: You should never have regrets in life. Old Japanese saying.
Cheers guys!! Let’s smash 2017!