Besides Omega, have you been working on other projects?

“I can’t really say what they are. We have tremendous prospects, so I’m really looking forward to doing this. It goes with putting M-Plant back on the map, because after 9-11 we sort of slacked off with distribution and getting new music out. Now, the room for self-expression is just tremendous. I regret that I can’t go into details about that, but fantastic things are bound to happen.”

“Minimal techno has taken on a life of its own. It’s become an art form. I slept on that one, I didn’t realize how strong it had become.”

You’re one of the fathers of minimal techno. In the past few years, “minimal” has made quite a career, especially in Europe. How do you feel about that?

“Minimal techno has taken on a life of its own. It’s become an art form. I slept on that one, I didn’t realize how strong it had become. And I’m excited about it! As long as producers think in terms of art, and realize it’s an artform and not a commodity. It’s not a product. The more we’re going into the future, the more things will start to evolve into minimal forms. I just want people to realize this is such a great art form to express ourselves with essential elements. And not get so caught up in the fact that we’re trying to be minimal.”

You speak of copycats…

“I’ve seen so many people trying to be minimal for the sake of being minimal! And trying to be someone else and not focus on what’s inside of you. God has given each of us an individual vision of how we are to interpret music and our opinions towards life and the world. To me, I’m a black man from Detroit, growing up in Detroit has shaped my vision of the world. And this has shaped me into an individual. My approach is different than anybody else’s. But if you look inside you, you’ll find a wealth of creativity and ideas that are completely your own. There’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from certain artists, I certainly listen to my fair share of artists.”

Talking about inspiration: many of the creators of the so-called Berghain sound – propagated by Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann or Shed – cite you as one of their main inspirations. What is your opinion on these guys?

“They are an ideal example of drawing inspiration from some other people. Inventing something that is their own. Starting a new movement. They realized, we come from where we come from, and this sound that we have is an indication of our growth, of our generation. That’s why the movement is so strong, because they ultimately identify with themselves. I think it’s great.”

“One day Derrick May called for a meeting at his loft and everybody was there, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Octave One, the UR camp and the Planet E camp…”

‘Detroit: One Circle’ is one famous track you released as The Vision. Was that a wish for the Detroit techno scene to unite?

“I remember when I was with Underground Resistance [one day]. Derrick May called for a meeting at his loft and everybody was there, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Octave One, the UR camp and the Planet E camp. And I just thought that was great! We talked about doing something together, I think Kevin Saunderson was doing a mega-rave. And we just started to come together in a circle and started to brainstorm, and I remember just listening and thinking, now, this is great, if this could just continue. You know, not to be separate from the world, but to make a statement to the world, that we as black men from Detroit can come together and make something good for the world. It was a sort of wishful thinking. If God could just lay the egos at the door. And do something that’s bigger than us, bigger than techno, bigger than our individuals or labels.”

But it didn’t turn out that way…

“Not necessarily, because when everybody left the building everyone got back to their lives and running their labels, and everybody started being the top man on the totem pole, you know what I mean? And so, I just wished that could have continued instead of everybody competing against each other trying to be the top cat. There’s nothing wrong with good healthy competition. Take Ray Charles and Quincy Jones and Miles Davis: they admired each other. They had no problem working together. They came together and created something as a collective that was bigger than themselves. They changed the world. There’s strength in numbers, but not everybody will see the big picture.”

“It’s not trendy, it’s music that is both ancient and modern at the same time.”

As an artist, you have been releasing in recent years solely as Robert Hood, as opposed to the various monikers you used in the early days of your career…

“I just try to re-invent myself. You know, the techno scene is getting younger. Back when I did Minimal Nation, back in ’93/’94, and now it’s 15 years later, so the kids from then are now adults. Their hearts and minds have been changed by technology and trends, I saw that as an opportunity to say, hey, this is the sound of Robert Hood. This music here on M-Plant is timeless, it’s not trendy, this is music that is both ancient and modern at the same time. This is just another opportunity to getting people familiar with my sound.

Bjørn Schaeffner

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