Teenage Mutants: “Creative Freedom to Experiment is Important to Us”

We caught up with Teenage Mutants to chat about their brand-new EP, ADE, the Berlin scene, their experience on Filth On Acid, and more!

Techno duo Teenage Mutants are fresh off of the release of Doppelgänger, their latest EP on Filth On Acid. This wild three-tracker with Martin K4rma and Replay M has been working ravers up all summer long, a tried and true addition to the German artists’ most recent sets. It’s easy to see why.

The party kicks into overdrive with “Take A Look Around,” a dark and quirky body mover that draws the ears to an unsettling vocal expression. Once the crowd is dripping in sweat, “Doppelgänger” ensures that the energy continues to flow through every corner of the club. It features a voltaic tempo and lightning-charged sound elements that’ll make the hair stand on end. The experience levels up with “Vertigo,” slamming down the hammer and twisting the brain into a pretzel.

With the late-night beats pumping and Teenage Mutants preparing to fill the new year with fresh and filthy basslines, we had to catch up with them. There was a lot to talk about, seeing as how they’ve been quite busy with performances at ADE and their Berlin residencies while even preparing for the relaunch of their very own Tragedie imprint. So, dive in to discover what Teenage Mutants have been up to and what’s to come, and smash play on their brand-new tunes!

Stream Teenage Mutants – Doppelgänger on Spotify:

Hello guys. Thanks for taking time out to chat. First things first, earlier this summer, you took an extended break from touring, citing health reasons. How are you feeling, and what have you learned about yourself through the healing process?

We’re feeling good. We learned that although our music might suggest otherwise, we’re not machines, and sometimes we just need a break from the very busy touring schedule to collect some energy again.

Now fully back in the game, how was ADE? Can you go over some of the highlights?

ADE was great as usual. We really enjoy meeting up with fellow artists and fans in a different setting than usual. Have a nice dinner and catch up on a more personal level. Amsterdam is also the perfect city to enjoy playing for great crowds, as we did at the Drumcode Central party and at our event in Club Atelier, which was a great success as well.

By the way, if you missed the livestream of our DC set, Beatport just uploaded it to their YouTube channel so you can have a sneak peek of some unreleased tracks we’ve been playing and will come out soon.

From the looks of it, you’ve also been having quite the wild time at your Berlin residency at Ritter Butzke. Tell us about that club. What makes it unique and can you fill us in with some special memories you’ve made there?

Yeah, Ritter Butzke in Berlin and Waagenbau in Hamburg are the clubs where we have residencies and really feel at home. We have the freedom to explore, play longer DJ sets, and party with our closest friends too, which is always special. The last time we played in Ritter Butzke was insane! We played for five hours, and the crowd didn’t want to let us stop! We’ll be back for NYE, so I’m sure we’ll start the new year in the best company.

Speaking of the techno capital, if you could change one thing about the Berlin scene, what would it be?

Quite a few clubs are closing down because of real estate pressures and the construction of the new highway, so we wish that there was more support from the local government to help with the relocation of those clubs and the creation of new ones.

Let’s switch gears and talk about this week’s focus, your brand-new EP for Filth On Acid. You’ve become a staple on the label, so tell us, what keeps you coming back to this specific techno platform?

Again, the creative freedom to experiment is something very important to us, and on Filth On Acid, we have total freedom to do so. Doors are always open to us, and we feel welcomed and appreciated.

As Filth On Acid representatives, is there anything you’ve learned from label boss, Reinier Zonneveld, that you can pass on to the up-and-comer hoping to land on the imprint someday?

Be yourselves and own it.

Doppelgänger is a collaborative effort with Martin K4rma and Replay M. Can you open up about what you love the most about their artistry?

We have a solo track (which gives the name to the EP) and two collab tracks with Martin K4rma and Replay M who have quite different approaches to the sound and techniques. This is what we’re looking for when we join other artists, the different input each one has in the process, and the new ideas that sprout out of “shaking things up.”

Walk us through a day in the studio creating Doppelgänger. What are some of your favorite elements in the package, and did the final product compare to the original vision?

On this EP we wanted to push the boundaries of distortion and bring it back to a groovy outcome. Not just making something harder but also something groovier. We test the tracks constantly on the road and so all these tracks changed quite a lot from their first versions.

Did you run into creative differences along the way? If so, what were they, and how did you overcome them?

Sure. You always do. But that’s part of the process. Can’t even remember anything in particular. It’s a compromise, and that’s great.

What’s up next for you guys? Any new projects in the works or performances you’re really looking forward to?

We’re already looking forward to our next release on our own label Tragedie!! It’s a track we did with the amazing Argentinian artist D3FAI, and we’ve been playing it for a few months now. It’s always a highlight of our sets, so we hope it will be a hit. We’re also relaunching the label with this EP after a few months to restructure internally and create a new visual image. We are really hyped about it!

Concerning touring, we’re looking forward to next weekend! We’ll be playing in Strasbourg and Montpellier and then do a quick stop in Paris just because we always take any opportunity to pass by and enjoy the city.

Finally, if you were to ever run into your Doppelgänger, what’s the first thing that you’d ask them?

Haha. “Hey! What are you doing here?“

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