Stefan Erhalder is a Basel, CH based sound engineer and musician, specialized in jacking Techno, Acid, and Classic Electro. He runs a YouTube Channel where he shares insights about his production techniques.
An ex-drummer, Erhalder has played many electronic live performances and hosts the FM radio show «SlackJackerz – The Rave Channel» with friends. He releases Electro on his Chip Stress label and is one-half of Aux Couture, together with Nenad J. We got him on the line this week to chat about the release of his latest single.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and your project?
I started Chip Stress in 2020 primarily to release my own electro tracks. My previous techno and acid stuff was on other labels, but my plan was to get myself in shape with regular releases before knocking on an established label's door.
I like to work fast on production and get the tracks out in a timely manner. Musically, the recipe for Chip Stress is quickly explained: classic drum sound, mostly from the TR-808, simple structures, no frippery.
On my YouTube channel some people asked if you can get the tracks from the Jam Sessions somewhere, or just the request "Bandcamp it!". I liked the idea quite a bit and decided to start with the electro stuff. I like to make music and videos, but I didn't feel like being a no-name in the electro circus with demos ringing up other labels. That's why I started my own. That was also the reason why I came to iMusician, because I also wanted to use Beatport.
Can you tell us something about your new single?
In a nutshell, it's an energetic old-school electro track, with influences from Kraftwerk, Drexciya, Model 500, LFO, and a 90s youth. I've created a YouTube video briefly explaining the making of it. Technical info and a bit of history on the sounds used. Info that would interest me even in other productions.
What can you tell us about your experience with Spotify and the other streaming and download platforms?
As a user, I often listen to Spotify and Youtube Music. Unfortunately, music podcasts have been discontinued on Spotify, probably for legal reasons. For that, there are alternatives like Youtube Music or dedicated podcast platforms. Techno, electro and many other forms of dance music work better in a DJ mix, though. The long intros and outros are less exciting. Also, many tracks just work even better when pitched up a two percent.
As a creator, I think YouTube is currently #1 because you can comment there and have a simple dialogue. That's completely missing on Spotify. Commenting and interacting is also possible on social media, but social media is not ideal for listening to music or watching longer content like making-of videos. Anyway, I usually zap on after a short time, unlike Youtube.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
A Chip Stress release every month, keep going with YouTube.
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