CHRIS MAICO SCHMIDT aka Mike S.,
1966
Janet Jackson, Mike Tyson, Lisa Stansfield, Marusha and I see the light of day. Walt Disney is death, the Vietnam war is alive like never, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock start in the vastness of the universe. The famous Wembley goal is scored on the earth - or maybe not.
The Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and of course the Beatles worldwide dominate the charts. Rock music become psychedelic. "We all live in a yellow submarine"!!!!
1978
Disco and the balls to this, everywhere. Record entertainers mutates into disc jockeys and I buy my first LP: "Masterpiece" by The Temptations.
1981
While U.S. President Reagan and Pope Johannes Paul II. were injured seriously in assassinations, the DJ of a dance hall near Stuttgart slips in the bathtub one Saturday night. I, the Lightjockey, must take his place. 14 vodka lemon, 5 times "Thriller" and 4 times "Young Guns" later, I have my first permanent booking as a DJ.
1985
Researchers discover the ozone hole, the charts are occupied by "Modern Talking" and I make my own business as a "organizer in the music trade", become a DJ with trading license.
1989
Mourning of i.a. Salvador Dalí, Avicii is born in Sweden ... I discover "House". Opening of wall and frontier and finally the reunification of the two German states ... I discover "Techno".
1993
In love with Whitney Houston, impressed by Frankfurt productions such as "Snap" or "Culture Beat", inspired by "Dark and Long" by Underworld, i go to the music studio. My second project "Cybordelics" makes it on place 1 and 2 of the UK-Underground Dance charts.
1995
While "Forrest Gump" sees the world with other eyes, the Loveparade has to change the way in Berlin because of increasing numbers of visitors. I become a co-founder of the record-chain of stores "Delirium" in Stuttgart and the record label "Suspect Records" on which my first LP appears in co-production.
1997
The cyberpet Tamagotchi and clone sheep Dolly are the darlings of the media. Carl Cox reaches place 1 at the first "DJ Mag Top 100".
With me as a managing music editor and later then as program director, "Evosonic Radio" start broadcasting in Cologne. The worldwide first radio station which plays non-stop electronic dance music for 24 hours.
1999
The music industry makes profit again - thanks to internet. Digitization rescues the music, but for "Evosonic Radio" every rescue is late. The broadcaster goes down like the Titanic in the movie.
2000
The discovery of BSE infected cattle is topic just the same as the successful world exhibition EXPO. Paul Van Dyk conquers the USA and I am honored with the German Dance Award for my work at "Evosonic Radio" with a delay. However, for the start in the new millennium it is the best for me that I become a father.
2004
We are Pope and DJ Tiesto accompanies the parade of the athletes with his music in front of millions of TV spectators at the Olympic Summer Games in Athens. I become an instructor at the "VibrA School of DJing" in Cologne.
2011
"Stresstest" rightly is word of the year. The Arab Spring, the nuclear power plant in Fukushima and the euro crisis also provided it. I start a small comeback stress-free and recovered through the long music break.
2013
EDM is a swearword meanwhile and David Guetta has sold to date valued 90 million sound carriers. I can register a couple of remixes and the re-work of one of my classics.
2016
While the German DJ Felix Jaehn reaches place one of the American Billboard charts, my label "Evosonic Records" starts with my first solo LP "Two point Zero". From "Mike S." becomes "Chris Maico Schmidt", because that is my name.
2017
Donald Trump becomes President of the USA. Evosonic makes podcasts and again radio. The record division reaches the iTunes Dance Charts with the second "Cybordelics" rework "Adventures Of Dama", the videos have over 12000 views on YouTube after a short time. Finally I start on the trendy Cologne label "BluFin Records" with my forest roads EP!
2018
Prince Harry from England marries American actress Meghan Markle. Evosonic is still making radio and the "Mikerobenics" classic "Julika" releases 16 remixes on 4 EPs on BluFin Records, also the Elisenstrasse EP; and is celebrated by the professional world. Dr. Motte: "Cool Techno Package with a Vibe and Story. Will play this weekend for sure! 5/5!"
2019
(My) Word of the Year: "Automation". The Jahnstrasse EP on BluFin will be the record of the month in the English magazine Zone. My fourth longplayer will be released on the Cologne label, too. While among others Robert Babicz, Jens Lissat, Dompe, Helmut Dubnitzki, Ramon Zenker, Lützenkirchen and Henning Richter are working as a remixer for my album "Automation", Evosonic Radio will broadcast 4 weeks in summer on the FM event frequency 106,4 MHz in Berlin. Whatever it does and with great success. So big that the year 2020 will start with the sentence: Chris Maico Schmidt and Evosonic have a new phone number. +49 (0) 30 .........
Dimitris: Your biggest music career achievements in 2019:
Chris Maico Schmidt: 4 weeks with my station Evosonic Radio on the event frequency 106.4 VHF in Berlin
Dimitris: Please rate your online presence/visibility in 2019 from 0-10?Please elaborate with short comment.
Chris Maico Schmidt: 5. Could have been better. But I always have to manage 2 profiles. My station Evosonic radio and me as an artist.
1) Best track(s) and short comment for each track from other fellow artists in 2019
Chris Maico Schmidt: Peter Juergens - Der Kuckuck - 99% perfect, There is no best track this year. It was one of the worst quality years.
2) Best of 2019 personal productions with short comment about them:
Chris Maico Schmidt: Jahnstrasse EP auf BluFin. In the end, the tracks have become exactly what I wanted.
3) Best Remix(es) from other fellow artists in 2019 with short comment :
Chris Maico Schmidt: Onur Ozman & Lazarusman-It Hurts (Audio Junkies Remix) - it is so cool (Compost Records)
4) YOUR Best Remix which you have produced in 2019 with short comment?
Chris Maico Schmidt: The Electronic Advance meets Somnia-Solaris (Chris Maico Schmidt Remix). He is balanced.
5) Best electronic dance music album in 2019 with short comment:
Chris Maico Schmidt:
BODO FELUSCH - LOST PATTERN (Unvirtual-Music)
http://bodofelusch.bandcamp.com/album/lost-pattern.
http://www.unvirtual-music.com/.
Kristian Heikkila-Neo Romantik Reflektions. Simply good.
BODO FELUSCH - LOST PATTERN (Unvirtual-Music)
http://bodofelusch.bandcamp.com/album/lost-pattern.
http://www.unvirtual-music.com/.
Kristian Heikkila-Neo Romantik Reflektions. Simply good.
6) Best electronic dance music compilation in 2019 with short comment? :
Chris Maico Schmidt: Zug der Liebe Compilations 1 and 2. (Neuhain Records) Varied and 99% very good productions.
7) Best electronic dance music label for 2019 with short comment:
8) Best electronic dance music video for 2019 with short comment:
9) Best online social media for 2019 with short comment:
Chris Maico Schmidt: Facebook. Still the best of evils.
10) Best social media response you may have received about your music or your DJ performance in 2019:
https://www.facebook.com/funkdvoid/posts/10156558991208604 - great honor
11) Best music composition software in 2019 with short comment:
Chris Maico Schmidt: Ableton Live 10. The best for me.
12)Best Club event /Festival/music conference in 2019 with short comment:
Chris Maico Schmidt: Zug der Liebe 2019, Berlin. Without a commercial ulterior motive.
13) Best DJ set from other fellow DJ in 2019 with short comment:
Chris Maico Schmidt: deKai at "16 Jahre Ostfunk", Osthafen, Berlin. 16.11.2019 - 120% perfect.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1579506448853525/ - perfect set
14) Best radio show/podcast or Vlog(video blog) in 2019 with short comment. It can be yours or from other artists you respect:
Chris Maico Schmidt: Evosonic Radio, Evopool Update, Monday-Friday, 2-6pm. Listen to it.
15) Best review that you have read in 2019 about your tracks or for other artists tracks(please provide the link if this review is online):
Chris Maico Schmidt: https://evosonic.de/portfolio/jahnstrasse-ep-review-zonemag/
+ https://fluxbpmonline.blogspot.com/2018/08/review-mikerobenics-julika-2018-part-1.html.
16) Best music related website in 2019 with short comment:
Chris Maico Schmidt: https://www.musikexpress.de. Report something of everything.
17) Best production or DJ equipment (a)software & (b) hardware) in 2019 with short comment:
18) Best technical tips that you learnt in 2019 in relation to your DJing or music productions:
Chris Maico Schmidt: Native Instruments Stems
19) Best travel tips in 2019 to survive the long travelling hours and jetlag:
Chris Maico Schmidt: No drugs.
20) Best hobby or creative activity except music production in 2019:
Dimitris: Do you have any concrete plans for 2020 regarding future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, DJ gigs? Please provide us the juicy details.
Chris Maico Schmidt: My new album "Automation" on Blu Fin, the following remixes and Evosonic Radio.
Dimitris: Your message & wishes for 2020.
Thanks to Andrea at Blu Fin for arranging this top interview
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