The global House crowd has been yearning for a new original release from Tensnake for a while now, and today is the day they’re getting just that. A grand, sumptuous House cut that sees the electronic music tastemaker launch himself into the thick of the scene again, ‘Rules’ (feat. Chenai) is also his debut release on Armada Electronic Elements.
About the track, Tensnake said: “For my first release in two years, I wanted to create a new classic Tensnake sound – a touch of ‘90s house, but with a modern twist. ‘Rules’ reminds me of some classic Chicago House tracks and the amazing vocals by Chenai lent it that instant feel-good sound. Chenai and I met at a gig in Barcelona a while ago and when I started working on ‘Rules’, I instantly had her in mind for the vocals. Then we hooked up in L.A. while she was touring with Gorgon City and we recorded the whole song in just a few hours. It is one of those songs that came together very quickly and naturally which is always a good sign”.
A swirl of alluring chords, thick bass tones and fresh vocals, ‘Rules’ is the first taste from a trove of new music that Tensnake made in Los Angeles and Hamburg these last few years. His first original release since 2017’s ‘Hello?’, this track will set the mood and provide the groove whilst heralding Tensnake‘s true return to form in the coming year.
But Tensnake also backs in the game under his side project Gemini Rising, a band comprising Fiora, Lester Mendez and himself, as they released their debut-album “Best Case Life” in September. For the occasion, we had the chance to meet Marco for an exclusive Interview on Sidekick, to discuss his side project and the new album, upcoming music, secret plans, and more.
Hey Marco, thanks for your time! Let’s begin with yourself, can you tell us a bit more about Tensnake?
I have been producing music & djing under the moniker of Tensnake for almost 15 years now. Originally from Hamburg, I moved to Berlin and to LA in the last years, to find new inspiration and to meet new people to collaborate with.
I guess most people know me from my “Coma Cat” release, while also a lot of people came across me when they heard my first album Glow which came out in 2014.
You’ve made a great impression recently with Gemini Rising on the album Best Case Life, what a masterpiece! What’s your recipe to cook these treats? Any inspirations?
Thanks a lot. I think it is noticeable that the sound of Gemini Rising is heavily influenced by the 80s. As I grew up in the 80s and was heavily influenced by the music of that decade as a kid. Working on the Gemini Rising album was like a journey back to my childhood. That sort of sound instantly creates a feeling of nostalgia and is a lot of fun to produce. But in the end the project is a result of Fiora, Lester Mendez and myself, I think all 3 of us work really well together and writing these songs felt very natural with them. It is quite overwhelming how much positive feedback and support we have received. We did not do a lot of PR and it started really as a fun side project without many expectations. But we all love the band so much that we have already started working on the second album.
You’re always experimenting with new sounds. Is it important for you not to stick in just one genre?
Absolutely. I always felt uncomfortable with being labeled as a house, nu disco, or whatever artist or producer. I just love a lot of different styles and being limited to just one genre would be too boring for me. This can be good and bad. For some people it can be confusing if they found you through a certain song or remix they love and then you come around with a completely different style the next time around. And for the career it can be definitely helpful to just stick to one genre and to release copies of your biggest track. But like Billie Eilish said recently in an interview “Fuck genres, it is all just vibes.” Music is a way for me to express my feelings and they are all over the place.
What can we expect for the rest of the year, do you have some secret plans to share with us?
There will be a lot of new music coming out in the next year. The first release is “Rules feat. Chenai” which is now out. I can’t say too much about the next singles at this point, but I am extremely excited about 2020. More news will come shortly.
Quick bonus-question, what makes a good party for Tensnake?
My favorite parties to play at are actually the smaller ones. A cozy club with an excellent sound system and open minded smiling people on the floor. Just like in the studio, I do not stick to just one genre when I DJ. I play pretty much everything from Disco to House to Techno.