A German DJ Hochschweise is something of a rarity in the DJ circuit. Born and raised in Kassel, Germany, DJ Hochschweise is best known to the public as one of the “school DJ’s” in Europe. Hochschweine studied music theory before pursuing a career as a DJ, but he soon found his true calling while playing in a local club. He quickly became renowned for his high energy, energetic trance music and, along with German techno legend Ciel Kubler-Kubler, was one of the first DJs to use a drum kit synthesizer. While clubs in Europe have always had DJ’s on board, they were traditionally unheard of in the United States. As a result, he has gained popularity in North America and is one of the best-known DJs.
Like many DJs, Hochschweine started as a “thule.” This is a student who travels from club to club, school to school. When he’s not DJing, he enjoys spending time with his friends playing street games like” Troll and Roll” and “Tag” on the ukulele. When his friends are bored with their day-to-day routines, they can gather at DJ Hochschweine’s house and listen to music, dance to his beats, and talk about what’s happening in the world.
The world of professional DJ’s is a diverse one. There are the DJs that spin records and promote music events, there are the ones that travel across the globe entertaining crowds, and then there are the ones that create the DJ impression. Hochschweine is one of those rare breed of DJs who are true stars in their own right. He’s won numerous DJ competitions and made a name for himself as a DJ that enjoys being recognized.
Hochschweine’s main studio in Berlin is called “Werkstation,” which translates to “work station.” It has a state of the art sound system with eight radio stations and over forty different CD sets. All the equipment is top of the line and represents a true performance of high quality. The walls are lined with portraits of famous DJ’s from various genres and eras, as well as a permanent poster of DJ Hochschweine himself.
In the past three years, he has produced four albums that have reached the United States top ten. “Replay” stands out as his best work to date. The album is filled with tracks from “Reckless” and “Beggarly.” As the title would imply, the songs on this album are all performed in the original German language. In addition to that, there are also many English words mixed in with the German, ensuring an English listener that they are not lost at any point during the mix. If you’ve ever been to a German concert, then you know just how important the correct pronunciation of words can be.
Each of these discs contains original material. Each song corresponds to a specific era or decade from the past. There are tracks from the jazz era, disco, folk, as well as classics like “I’m a Believer.” All of DJ Hochschweine’s songs were recorded at what is known as a bootleg studio. This is where DJ’s from all over the world come together to perform before an audience, much like an outdoor version of a classical concert.
Along with a large and colorful mural covering the wall, the DJ will bring several pieces of equipment to display for your listening pleasure. You will first notice a big screen TV above the DJ booth. Then there are a rack full of racks and a couple of large speakers on either side of the stage. Usually there is a soundboard where the DJ can set up a beat, and a mix.
The actual DJ stands at the front and interacts with the audience through a podium. Sometimes there is a microphone, but often the DJ switches out microphones for different songs. At other times, the DJ will play without any microphones at all. There are also sometimes fans that enter the venue to provide music and light to the DJ. A special light shows up behind the DJ that glows blue when the DJ starts something and changes to red when it is finished. The lights change, so that everyone can easily see the DJ.
