Who is TribeGut and where do we find you today?
Hey man, first of all, thanks for reaching out! I havenโt had many chances to share a bit more details about my music before, so I am genuinely excited to go through your questions. I would say Tribegut is a part of Mario, and there is a lot of Mario in Tribegutโs music โ itโs something very personal and special to me.
Right now, you find me enjoying a day off.
What’s the story behind the name?
Honestly, the name just found me. It sounds and reads similar to the German word for โdriftwoodโ, and thatโs probably how I felt at that time (and maybe still sometimes today). Also, I listened to a lot of Q-Tip back then ๐
How do you describe your sound?
Warm, harmonic samples with punchy drums. Lots of Rhodes, lots of Sax and lately, more synthetic influences. I put a big emphasis on sound selection, textures and a balanced production.
You just released Tears to Roses on Dezi-Belle? How does this release differ from Duality?
Thantโs a great question! I would say that Tears to Roses is the evolution following Duality. Where the sound of Duality still has its rough moments, I feel that TTR brings more clarity to the table. For me itโs the more polished of the two, while both hold their individual character and aesthetics. At the end of the day, they are almost three years apart and I have developed over the course of that time โ and so did my music. To give you a few specific examples, for TTR I have worked with a bunch of instrumentalists from different countries who supplied me with some of my sample material. Also, I have sung some vocals myself. Nevertheless, Iโd say that both releases share a similar basis โ would you agree?
What are your early musical influences? How did you get your start in production?
Probably the earliest influence you can discover in my music today is the Saxophone which I started playing very early on. When I was in elementary school, my homieโs big brother ripped me a CD with song by 50 Cent, Samy Deluxe and whatnot. Later when music became more accessible to me, I found my love for Boombap and German underground rap. It was also in that time when I met Linus who was producing beats on his SP404 already back then โ this is now 13 years ago, so having him contribute a remix on TTR truly is a full circle moment for me. Also around then, I fell in love with the instrumental music of Figub Brazleviฤ and Wun Two โ thatโs when I took my first baby steps into music production.
What is your music production setup? Tell us about your process to produce a new track?
I am lucky enough to have a spare room, dedicated to making music only. The setup I am working with has changed over the years:
starting with 2000XL, moving on to in-the-box production, back to a hybrid analogue setup. Right now, I am enjoying the speed and comfort of the DAW to bring my ideas to life and keeping myself in the loop. But I always like to change things up and discover new gear.
What has never changed over the years is the initial vibe I feel when finding that little sample section to loop or flip. I usually begin by stacking some instrument tracks before adding the drums and doing some basic arrangement.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Currently itโs a wild ride through a variety of different genres and eras. First thing that comes to my mind is GoGo Penguin, a British Jazz trio. When thinking of instrumental hiphop, I am into the music of Bluestaeb, Plusma, El Jazzy Chavo, Space Windu, MZ Boom Bap, just to name a few.
What do you have planned for the future?
Being happy and making music that Iโll still enjoy listening to many years from now on.
I have a million ideas in my head and will probably decide soon on what will be the next โbigโ project for me. As of now I am working on a few collabs and a re-issue of my first release (Im Wendekreis des Loops). Also, I am mixing/mastering for some other people.
What will you be on the plate or in the glass later this evening?
Probably a Peroni 0,0 (Iโm their best paying customer this year), and some good pasta.
