Feature: Roland Leesker [Interview]

Hi Roland, thanks for joining us. Can you tell us what it’s like to be the label boss at Get Physical and what a day in the life of this role entail?

Hi there, thanks a lot for giving me this chance to promote our work a little! So, being the boss of Get Physical is the best job in the world, it entails a little bit of everything, from administration to creation, from building and leading a team, to empowering people to be able to release the kind of music I love.  But also because I have a fantastic business partner and friend,  Mr. Phillip Jung, and our beautiful team of course!

Have you experienced any life changing moments in your career and what challenges have you faced as an artist and label owner? 

Yes I've experienced many of these moments, where you look back at and wonder why it just happened as it happened. I am thankful for all the moments with all these interesting people and artists I was blessed to meet around the world so far. I am grateful for having experienced all of these moments, no matter if they were "bad“ or "good“ on first sight.

For over three decades you’ve contributed to the music industry, with previous high-class roles at EMI Music, Ministry of Sound Germany and Artist Alife agency. Can you tell us some more about your passion and what it’s been like to play such a huge part in the music scene? 

To be straight forward with you, I don´t think that I play a "huge part in the music scene“. On my own and alone I would never have been able to get where I am and where we, with this kind of music, are today. Without the love and support of my family, my friends and also all of those people I had my "challenges“ with, I would not be who I am today. At the end of the day we are all just (star)dust in the wind...And, Yes: music is indeed my determining life’s passion. When I was young I faced some really difficult challenges within my family situation and if it hadn´t been for the music, I might not be alive today.

Your second edition to your 'Acid Love' series sees a host of the music scene's biggest names, including one of Get Physical's founding fathers DJ T. Can you tell us some more about selecting music for the album and what can we expect on this release compared to Acid Vol.1?

https://open.spotify.com/album/1F2N0D2n6qyK86mX8u0MFI?si=hvsNSmPMTr2oszA-ZNzZwQ

I think the first edition is a really good one, it flows very well, it's kind of a timeless summary of what Acid House is all about in reference to our Get Physical repertoire. Volume 1 was more historically focussed in a way,  hence my target for Volume 2 was to showcase many more new talents and exclusive productions, the future so to say. I have been working on Vol 2 for over a year and I think one can certainly say it contains no fillers, just killers !

Following on from Acid Vol. 2, you've created a new compilation concept this year, offering a two-week internship placement each November that leads to the compiling of an album. The project's first album, 'ElectrRUNic' sees tracks being selected by this years intern - 14-year old Leo Pelzer. Can you tell us more about this incredible opportunity and the back story behind it?

One of my first attempts to get into the music business was an application for an internship at the Bertelsmann group. The personnel director invited me to an interview which was very stiff and conservative within which I really felt very uncomfortable and I was not given the position… So now that I am the owner of a label myself I would like to do things a little differently and give young people a chance, to learn to know the work I love in a nice environment with friendly people and to empower them with trust and positivity, to make them believe in themselves.  It´s also an "egoistic move“ in a way as I enjoy learning from the younger generations as well, especially when it comes to them listening to our vast catalog with a fresh ear, they usually find some pearls I wasn't even aware of anymore. So if you are still at school or at the beginning of your studies and would like to have a taste of how we do it at Get Physical, simply send us your application to info@physical-music.com

You've previously worked with Placid Flavour label boss Ricardo Villalobos in the 90's as 'R&R' can you tell us some more about that? How does the content you produce today compare to the that time period?

Ricky and I became friends and starting sharing and producing music together when we were both very young. He used the living room at his parent´s house as a music production studio, equipped with only a very small amount of gear, mainly a drum machine, a sampler and a 4 channel mixer. We jammed, whilst his parents were cooking lunch for us. We recorded these jams on DATs to play them during our self organized party nights as well as in a record store, Delirium Records, were we worked together, selling vinyl….well ...pretending to, mainly we were working there to get the best records for ourselves!

We were full of energy, very naive in a positive way and not aware of where all of this would lead to one day. We just did what we loved and were free and happy. And that was also kind of our approach when it came to DJing and producing music: free spirited, experimental, just doing what we liked. And of course everything was live, no computer to re-arrange our ideas or anything like that, just recorded the way it came out of the machines and cut to DAT and to vinyl, only very much later down the road of our careers. I have never produced like this since. Nowadays it´s all software based. I actually would love to try it again, now since you have asked me about it… let me give him a call right now, ha!

There have been a lot of major changes in the industry with social media being one of the many factors affecting the perception of an artist. How much emphasis do you put on this and what are your current thoughts regarding social media?

I hope that we would all try to focus more on the music again, the making of the music as well as the many positive effects our music can have on us and our environment. We all do have a potentially huge influence and big reach and I feel ashamed of how little we actually have made of our potential power so far.

What inspires you the most in day to day life to produce music?

Nature, especially the sea inspires me the most. And of course the music of and exchange with artists I adore. Just a few weeks ago for example I had the honor to play before and after Derrick May. We spent some good times and had deep conversations about many different topics that weekend. The time with him inspired me so much that I reorganized my whole vinyl collection once I was back at home and threw away almost half of it haha...

Can you give us three of your favourite records from the past and present?

Abacus - Erotic Illusions (Poetic Illusions) on Fragile Records / FRG-12:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R9wuNm9I1U

Ismistik - Oasis  on Djax-Up-Beats / DJAX-UP-140:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oMAYogQjdQ

BIZ - Autumn Blues on Transmat Records / MS086:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU3kPPE1jcw

Can you give us three of your favourite clubs you've had sets at or events that have stood out from the crowd for you?

There are many great people around the globe, trying to do things differently besides those Instagram driven money makers who have all the same line ups. This year alone I was extraordinarily lucky to be invited to play at The Great Wall of China festival, run by one of the most impressive woman I ever met: Rainbow Chao from Shanghai. Our back 2 back set at Rock In Rio with my friends Bruce Leroys of course and last but not least our Cocada showcase at "Abare Sup“ near Manaus in Brazil: a dance floor on a big float in the middle of the black river in the Amazonas, where my good friend and partner in Cocada Music, Leo Janeiro and I managed to let the crowd go completely nuts! We managed despite our mixer breaking down as it was super hot and humid and there was no back up mixer for a few hours as the promoter had to take a boat ride in the middle of the night through the jungle to the next city and back to us to get a new one ….

Have you got any major plans for 2020 as an artist and label owner you would like to mention?  

Our goal for Get Physical, our sub labels Kindisch and Poesie Musik, as well as our newly born Meta Physical label brand as well as all the external labels we manage (Avotre, City Fox, Tropical Beats to give you an example) is to permanently improve the quality of our music as well as the way we distribute, promote and market it. We will keep on shining the light on rising talent from all over the world, especially Africa, Brazil, Croatia and India, who will all 'Get Physical' again.  If all goes well we will also be able to add China, Cuba and Mexico for the first time to our “….Gets Physical“ series in cooperation with some outstandingly great talents from these countries and I will go and play and produce music there and with them myself. And of course I will work in my second home Brazil again in order to further develop our Cocada Music event and label platform. Last but not least we will launch a new DJ trio, uniting John Aquaviva, Phillip Jung and myself under the disco balls of this globe …