With his recent outing on 20/20 Vision we caught up with 'Nathan Jonson' the man behind the edgy electro cuts served up on his Business E.P earlier this month.
Business hits home with a very fresh slice of edgy electro funk, what are your thoughts on the current standing of the genre?
Edgy electro funk is my favv genre.
Tell us about your studio process, is there any hardware you couldn’t live without?
My laptop is the only piece of hardware I couldn't live (produce music) without. It's the only piece of equipment that supports my workflow of TV, Writing, TV, Boobs, Regret, Messaging, Movies, TV, Writing, repeat. I do really love my Vermona Mono Lancet, and Electron Octatrack, but I wouldn't die without them.
What was the best show you’ve played in the last 6 months and why?
Well....definitely Berghain... I finally got to play all the songs in the folder named "RAM". But to be serious for a moment, there is just a freedom that I feel when playing there. When the people are with you for the right reasons with goodness in their hearts, and all the equipment feels so tuned and works perfectly....It allows you to focus entirely on what's happening inside that room and for a moment, levitate.
Was there any key inspiration for the Business E.P?
It all came from a new understanding of my surroundings and myself.... It's much easier to sell a painting that you were commissioned to paint rather that one you painted for yourself. This song marks the moment I implemented that idea into the foundation of my being.
What’s in the pipeline from here for you as an artist?
Just more hits....this time I'm serious though.
You grew up in Canada, how influenced by Detroit just across the border were you?
Actually, I lived about 3000km from Detroit. I lived in Windsor more recently for a couple years though, and having Detroit 10 minutes to the north was quite lovely. Everyone I met there was so generous and honest. I was surprised to feel so welcomed and oddly at home. I really miss my Detroit family.
How did electronic music first enter the Jonson house?
It must have been about 1988 or 89. My brother and I were taking piano lessons and to practice we had a MIDI piano, and a Roland MT-32 and PR-100. We were making electronic music before I really even knew what that was. I loved Harold Faltermeyer's Axel F, Herbie Hancock's Rockit, and Kraftwerk's Tour De France but wasn't, at the time, consciously differentiating between electronic and non-electronic music. It was all just music. Nowadays there is a stronger distinction between genres but back then I wasn't aware.
You’re part of a very musical family, are you all trained musicians or self-taught?
I am not great with people telling me the way things should be, so for the most part, I was self taught. Not that it was a venture on my own... I was surrounded by many incredibly talented musicians in Victoria BC who inspired me endlessly.
Did you jam together with Mathew growing up?
We never grew up.
You recently moved back to Berlin, how important is the city for artists?
I actually didn't move back to Berlin, though I am here for a month at the moment. I loved living here without pressures I was feeling in Canada in regards to what I should be doing or who I should be. It helped my development as a person by allowing me to be incredibly extreme with myself. I had so much time to investigate... Splashing water with more force than ever before, saying yes to every proposition and examining the outcome. Then, practicing restraint, I let the water settle and I was able to look into the reflection for long enough to feel comfortable, uncomfortable, and then comfortable again. I found my limits and I found the things that matter to me.