5 Minutes With – Minos (Germany)

27/05/202212/08/2022 Dan Inside Four Corners Music, German DNB, Minos DNB, Relik Records

Minos is a name you may have seen floating around over the last few years. He is based in Heidelberg, Germany and has been producing some of the most elegant liquid DNB you’re likely to hear anywhere.

He cites Alix Perez, Calibre and Dawn Wall as among his influences and the attention to detail is clearly evident in his production style.

After garnering the attention of Fokuz Records in 2019 he has released music on Integral, Celcius and his own imprint, Relik Recordings amongst others. He returns to the scene this month with a stormer of a release on the mighty Four Corners Records.

With one half dark and menacing and the other his signature style of atmospheric trickery, we found ourselves wanting to know more about this talented German producer.

Minos! Welcome to INSIDE DNB!

Thank you!

Before we start proper (and because we’re curious), what does the name Minos mean to you and why did you choose it?

Minos doesn’t really mean anything personal to me. I just liked the name because its sounded nice! It’s short and easy to remember!

Since I started the Minos project I have stopped using the old Moniker of Dub Berzerka, because I’m not into jump up anymore, and that’s what I used to play under that name.

This latest release on Four Corners Music is a departure from your usual style of liquid. At least ‘Lose Control’ is anyway. What inspired you to create such a dark, brooding monster? It’s pretty filthy!

I can’t really say to be honest. I started a new file in my DAW and created that foghorn kinda dirty bass in Serum, which just caught me, and after I found some nice deep atmospheric pads for the intro, I was pretty sure it had to be filthy a darker / filthier one. Maybe it was Dub Berzerka coming back to haunt me!

And the other track ‘Simple Choice’ sees you producing in your usual style. What inspired that one?

I always become inspired by the samples I find or sounds I create. This time it was that melody in the intro, and those vocals I chopped to create a nice atmosphere with it.

This is your Four Corners debut. That label is consistently good, so you must be pretty pleased with that?

I’ve known Sonny for a long time now and he always supports my music when I send it to him, so it was about time to send some demos for his own imprint and yeah, of course I’m very happy that he signed them and worked it out with me.

You’ve managed to pick up support from the likes of Rene la Vice and Fabio and Grooverider. That’s pretty big!

Yes Indeed ! The first time when Rene played a tune of mine , I think it was my tune Illusions from an older EP, I was like WTF! Did that really just happen? I also appreciate all the support I’m getting from everyone at the moment. I’ve had some mad support for this EP too.

Big up to everyone who’s supporting my music !

You’ve done a couple of colabs over the last few years. How do you find that experience, and what is the general way of working? Who does what?

To be honest I’m not a big fan of doing Colabs via internet. I mean, it’s always great to make new experience , learn new stuff and meet new people, but sending audios back and forth is stressful for me.

I prefer doing Colabs when you can sit next to the guys you’re working with, like with my pal Messiah! He always coming up with new ideas, and its always fun sitting together in the studio with him. Mostly I’m the guy who chops up all of his ideas to create something new, that’s why he calls me ‘The Butcher’ !

Regarding the question about who does what, I guess it depends on who’s coming with the first idea and what works well. I had a great collaboration with Air.K & Cephei, where I sent them a nearly finished tune and they turned it into a big tune by adding their own signature to it.

I’ve also had collabs with SolR. He gave me an idea where I just swapped the drums and slightly added some atmosphere to it, so who does what depends on who starts the idea I guess?

That said, who would be your dream colab partner, and why?

That’s hard to say, but I guess Alix Perez and Monty. I love the versatility from those guys and all everything they touch seems to turn into gold!

You are from an area of Germany known as the Rhein-Neckar-circle Tell us a bit about the area, and the DNB scene there?

I live nearby Heidelberg / Mannheim and Mannheim has been the hot spot for jungle & drum and bass since the early 90´s in Germany. That where I heard it in touch with it in my younger years. We had big events like Meditation, Kings of the Jungle, Emotion and Desire to name a few. I also met some great DJ´s & producers here in the Rhein – Neckar – Kreis region. Big Ups to Bassface Sascha / Soulpride / Edecay / Phlex

So you used to make jump up?

Yes, as mentioned earlier, before I switched to liquid DNB I used to make jump up with my old alias Dub Berzerka. I enjoyed it for a few years, but I just had the feeling that I needed to discover a new chapter and that’s why I stopped it.

Tell us a bit about how your production style has developed over the last few years then. What is it you look for in a production, and what do you expect of yourself in the studio?

I don’t really look for anything specific in the lab, I just try to find a nice vibe and go with what I have, but yeah I started with the classic liquid stuff I guess but I’m coming more and more into deeper rollers at the moment, like my tune ‘Simple Choice’. I just love short crisp drums with fat deep subs!!

Name us a few of your favourite plug in’s. What’s doing the business for you right now, and what couldn’t you live without in the studio?

Serum is my hero for sure, but I also highly recommend all the Fabfilter Plugins. I’m also about to explore more and more VST´s, but cant really pick a favourite of one these yet. Something I also use a lot is the Raum from Native instruments. I just love that one.

Do you have a musical background? Was it a big thing in the family home growing up?

Nope! I don’t have a musical background and nobody in my family is musical either!

Relik Records is your own label. What inspired you to start it and how do you find running it alongside your music projects and other work?

Well, back in the days when I made jump up I also ran a label called Hooverbass Records. At first I didn’t want to start a new label for my liquid stuff, but it just ended up like that!

So, you DJ as well as produce, and if so is it getting a bit easier to get back out and party now?

To be honest, I’m not that much into DJ’ing anymore. I played out much more with my other alias. Now I prefer to produce, but I will probably play some more shows throughout the year.

Would that include any plans to play outside of Germany in the near future?

I was due to play on Liquicity Festival, but sadly had to cancel because of my normal Job.

You haven’t decided to get yourself on to any web based platforms such as Twitch yet then?

Not yet, but maybe in future.

There are some more releases in the bank then, right? What can we expect from Minos over the coming months?

Not that much in 2022 is planned as yet, because recently also an E.P came out on Fokuz, but a few will drop this year. There is a colab with Syren Rivers which will be released on his Album for Fokuz Records, and I am also working on another release on my own label Relik and also a bootleg thing on vinyl will drop around September. Keep your eyes peeled!

Good luck with all of your future projects fella! Remember to keep us in the loop!

Thank you very much ! will do!