Thanks to Special Housin Association and Jordan Cochrane we were introduced into bootleg mastercrafter Romain Gutknecht hailing from Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane in Switzerland. We asked him for an interview and he obliged, not only have we got an interview with Romain though, he’s given us a mix full of all our favourite tracks. BOOM!
First of all, define your style and tell us a bit about yourself…
Hi guys ! So.. My name’s Romain Gutknecht, as known as “Romain G”, 18 years old, from Neuchâtel (Switzerland). I can’t really define my style… But all I can say is that I LOVE music.
How did you get into Music? Take us right back to the young days of Romain.
Music and me: a lovely story.
When I was 4, I was always playing drums with my fork and knife on my plate before the meals. My mother didn’t like it at all, so she enrolled me in drums lessons. My father and grandfather were playing music too, so we formed a band. We had a lot of success, people liked me because I was very young but really talented. Finally, I played drums until about 13 yo. But after 2 years, I was missing music so much, so I decided to start again, but in a different way.. I was often in club, always watching what the DJ was doing, and really liked it, so I decided to buy my first gear (Stanton C.314 and Behringer DJX 700). Now, I have Pioneer stuff : CDJ-400s w/ DJM-400. Perfect for training at home.
How does it all begin when you start producing your bootlegs/mixes?
For my mixes I like to start with a good intro. For me this is nearly the most important thing in a good mix, because it announces the rest of the set, you know, Then it’s ALL about the feeling. I try some tracks that I feel, and see if the transitions are good. Don’t forget, a set is not only playing tracks, it’s telling a story!
For my bootlegs, there’re different source of inspiration… Sometimes when I listen to a track I can hear some parts that can be mashed well with another track, like in “Waitin For The Island” where the vocals are the same, or “We Will Sexx You With The Best” where I turned the melody of We Will Rock You into Sexx. I like to reboot live mashups done by big names like Axwell, Dirty South, Erick Morillo and others. A lot of people are asking me for reboots. I also find ideas simply by mixing behind my decks, trying to mash some tracks together.
What’s your ultimate direction? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
I’m not seeking fame or fortune. The only thing I want is to live my life being a DJ/producer and making that my full-time job.
Do you like to work alone or with other people?
It really depends on who works with me. If I have a good feeling with somebody, it’ll be a real pleasure to work with him/her. Otherwise, I clearly prefer to work alone.
Who is your dream artist to work with?
Without hesitation: Axwell. He’s like god to me. This guy is so talented. When I see him behind the decks, I always have goosebumps. Definitely the best DJ in the world in my opinion.
What do you like the most about people hearing the music?
I love to see people reaction when I play one of my tracks. It’s one of the best feeling you can have when you’re DJ.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
My biggest challenge was to conciliate work, school and music. But for the past 2 weeks, 100% of my time has been free for music. I’m producing way more original tracks/remixes now and I am really happy with that.
What’s your Best/Worst gig?
In fact, I didn’t have a lot of gigs till now. Only clubs, you know, basic things, I can’t really pick out the Best/Worst. But now that I am in a Booking Agency (NightWaves) I’ll have way more gigs these next months!
What’s your dream gig?
EDC, UMF, WMC, and all the big festivals like this. But the best would be Sensation White!
What music do you listen to in your spare time and enjoy?
House music of course.. ! Swedish House Mafia, Erick Morillo, Laidback Luke, Thomas Gold, Dirty South (to quote only my fav’s). Otherwise I like almost all type of music. There isn’t really a style I hate. My favourite “non-house” artists are Coldplay, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Michael Jackson (R.I.P.).
What’s your all-time favourite track?
It’s really hard to choose… But if I have to choose only one, it would be “Leave The World Behind (Original Mix)”, because it always makes me have goose bumps.
And what is your guilty pleasure track?
“Yann Tiersen – Comptine d’un autre été”. It’s the most emotional track I’ve never heard. Each time I listen to it I get tears in my eyes…
How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?
If you wanna have news, like my Facebook Fan Page. Also, all my tracks are on my SoundCloud.
Do you have any tips for other young DJ/Producers who want to succeed?
For sure… These days, there’re a lot of new DJs/Producers. I would tell them to not want to be a DJ only because it’s “cool”. Do it if you love music! Best tip I can give: “Live your dreams, don’t dream your life”.
Tracklist
01. Noir – All About House Music (Acapella) w/ Paul & Fritz Kalkbrenner – Sky & Sand (Original Mix) w/ Chris Lake & Marco Lys – Cross The Line (Main Club Mix) w/ Julie McKnight – Diamond Life (Acapella)
02. DJ PP – Lanza Perfume (Original Mix) w/ Temper Traps – Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix) [TOOL]
03. Mastiksoul – La Sucia Pimpa (Original Mix)
04. Mario Ochoa – Fuckin (Original Mix) w/ Candi Staton – You’ve Got The Love (Acapella)
05. Boys Will Be Boys – We Party (Original Mix) w/ Justice – We Are Your Friends (Acapella)
06. Style Of Eye vs. Queen – We Will Sexx You With The Best (Romain G Bootleg)
07. Steve Angello, AN21 & Max Vangeli – Waitin For The Island (Romain G Bootleg)
08. Planet Funk – Chase The Sun (Melodic Acapella) w/ David Tort & Norman Doray vs. Kings Of Leon – The Sun vs. Use Somebody (Romain G Bootleg)
09. Firebeatz & JoeySuki vs. Robin S vs. Tim Mason – Tell Me The Moment Love (Romain G Bootleg)
10. Swanky Tunes & Hard Rock Sofa vs. Carl Louis & Martin Danielle vs. Madonna – Just The Smolengrad You Are (Romain G Bootleg)
11. Dot Larissa & Hit2Gether feat. Leilah Moreno – Dreaming (Romain G Remix)
12. Max Vangeli & AN21 – That Sound vs. Smells Like Teen Spirit vs. Where You Are (Romain G HIYH Bootleg)
13. Antranig vs. Tristan Garner & Gregory Klosman – Shake That Ass And Bounce Bounce (Romain G HIYH Bootleg)
14. Romain G – Mas Que Nada (Original Mix)
15. Erick Morillo & Eddie Thoneick feat. Shawnee Taylor – Stronger (Stronger Club Mix)
16. Romain G vs. Praxis feat. Kathy Brown – Turn Me Out (Romain G Club Mix)
17. Green Velvet vs. Sander van Doorn vs. RHCP – Flash vs. Intro vs. Otherside (Romain G Pump Up The Chilli Reboot) w/ 2000 And One vs. Calvin Harris – Spanish Flashooga (Romain G & Óli Geir Reboot)
18. Axwell – Heart Is Open (Andrew & Romain G With Love Mashup)
19. Swedish House Mafia vs. Tim Mason – One Moment (Romain G & Nick Svenson Bootleg)
20. Swedish House Mafia – Save The World (Instrumental Mix) w/ Romain G Is In Da House Yeah (Tool)
