In Interview with Markus Suckut: “For Me 6am Is The Perfect Time”

Anja Schneider created Sous to provide a new platform where she can evolve her sound and play around with new creative ideas. It’s also fast become a home for some exciting collaborations with a new wave of outstandingly talented and accomplished producers Schneider admires.

Making his Sous debut is hypnotic techno king, Markus Suckut with two exceptional original cuts – ‘6AM’ and ‘Float’. Since bursting onto the scene back in 2009, Markus has stayed faithful to his minimal tech roots, creating mind-altering releases for everyone from Rekids to Figure by way of his own SCKT imprint. An artist at heart, his music is very often made without a dance floor in mind: a testament to his studio craft that he’s become such a potent force in the scene.

With an EP title we are certainly fond of, 6AM sat down for a chat with Markus to talk about his relationship with Anja, the meaning behind 6AM and more.

Hi Markus, how is it going this fine summer? I hear it’s gotten really hot in Germany — how have you been keeping cool?

I am all good thanks, for the first time in a while I am going to spend two weeks on holiday. One of those weeks will be in Sweden and the other in Denmark which I am really looking forward to, as they are interesting destinations! I actually left Germany a few days ago.

In Europe and most of the world we are in full summer festival swing. Played any dope ones this year?

Played a live set in the south of France in June, which was quite fun – but I prefer playing in clubs.

Are you more of a big stage DJ or a small intimate club DJ?

I prefer the club. I can’t feel the vibe when I am six meters above the crowd or far away from them. For me it’s ideal to be on one level with the crowd, so you can connect and create something special.

Let’s talk about your releases. You’ve been a prolific producer throughout your career, with releases on a lot of diverse and well-respected labels. Next one is Sous Records, fairly recently launched by Anja Schneider. Why do you feel it’s a good home for this latest ‘6AM” EP?

Well, I’ve been in touch with Anja for a year now, because she asked me to do a mix for her radio show, when I released my album “Heaven Is A State Of Mind“ on Rekids. I knew her productions and label work for years and I have a lot of respect for her and what she does.

Back then she told me about her new label Sous and that she would love to have an EP from me. I kept that in mind and somehow, with no intention I sent her the track “6AM”, just to get some feedback. I wasn’t quite sure about releasing it because somehow it sounds different, it’s more functional but Anja wrote to me like every day and that she would love to release it. After two months or so I thought “fuck it – let’s do it“, so I sent her a second track which was ‘Float’ and here we are now.

Nice name by the way! What does it mean to you?

Well, for me 6AM is the perfect time at a club, the crowd is sweaty and moody, everyone is happy, and the clubbers become one. If you’ve done everything right, you can put the party on another level. Some people leave the club, get blinded by the sunrise and they go the next party or home

What is your favorite thing to do at 6am?

During the week, sleep (laughs). But on weekends of course, it’s to hang out in the club I play and have fun, then get a cab, go back to the hotel and take a long shower.

Why did you not release this on your own imprint?

As I said before the tracks feel a bit different to me, and I was quite unsure if I should ever release them at all to be honest. But with Anja’s experience and a great team behind her, it just felt right to release it on her label Sous.

How is it going with SCKT by the way? What’s been your experience as a label owner so far?

So far everything is good with SCKT, I’ve ran it since 2012 and I always just released one EP a year, but this year it’s the first year I’ll release more of my own. I also will start a sub-label called ‘Portal’ soon, which is the same title as my podcast series I launched this year. Also, I recently decided to release everything in digital format from now on, which took me ages to decide because I love vinyl and nearly everything I play I also buy on vinyl but nowadays you need to do both!

With all the streaming and digital market available now, you can reach so many more people and I don’t want to exclude some fans just because they aren’t able to buy vinyl in their country.

Techno as a genre and industry is underground massive changes all the time. How do you feel about the current state of things?

I don’t like it to be honest. Everything gets bigger and more expensive. I hope and I think that there will be a change soon.

Do you have any predictions on the immediate or near future of the techno scene and sound?

Years ago I said acid will be back and it just got big again. However, I didn’t expect the trend of playing out all the trance and rave stuff from the late ’90s and beginning of 2000s. I hope it will get a bit slower and groovy again.

Your soundscapes, through your own productions and DJ sets, are diverse but always profound storytelling. What inspires you in the studio these days to make the tracks you make?

Daily life experience. Last year my mother passed away and I would say since then my productions got more soul and more melodic. It’s my way to handle things, go to the studio and speak this way.

Finally, and this is more of a personal Q: I have been wanting to bring you to the States and I know there has been other interest. Do you think we can finally make it happen in 2020? I think we can!

I hope so!

6AM EP Track Listing

1. Markus Suckut – 6AM
2. Markus Suckut – Float

Markus Suckut’s 6AM is out on Friday the 26th July on Anja’s Sous imprint and available HERE

Connect with Markus Suckut: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud