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Interview with Kristian Kotarec, of NextEra Records in Prague
20.01.2001
Repeatedly since 1999, we've kept hearing of this Czech electronic band Ohm Square. In search of their label, we landed upon NextEra Records, a foremost Czech independent electronic music label who released the first two albums by Ohm Square. We met with NextEra label manager Kristian Kotarec, to ask him a bit about new electro/techno and NextEra:
T: What's new in electronic/techno here in Czech and Slovak, in your opinion?
KK: Well I think that loads of new music is breeding now! Aside from the obvious various activities of Ohm Square members, there is also Czech funky legend and great producer Roman Holy´ who is starting some decent electronic dance studio projects. Czech strange individualist with the nickname HERMAFRODIT is further developing breakbeat and hard drum & bass. Czech "new age" composer Robert Jísˇa is producing interesting ambient soundtracks and also experimenting with drum & bass. Czech techno producer with the nickname HOBORK returned after a two years of silence with great new exciting material. Ex slovak techno DJ Igor Pataky with his friends is building studio and doing new material in his Prague residency. British DJ and producer Duncan Forbes (ex Spooky) is moving from UK to Prague and other DJs are thinking about their own productions (for example dj Moskito). But not only Prague is interesting for new electronic music. Brno rediscovered great techno djs called LEO LYCRA and KAISERSOZE (both preparing great techno material and both due for release of vinyls with NEXTERA later this year...), czech trance dj no. 1 Electromajk recorded one new exciting track for Nextera and with another one been released his first int'l vinyl by Berlin legendary trance label MFS. Also DJ Manio from Olomouc delivered a new material to our offices and sounds better then ever before - great deep house record!
T: What are the biggest problems that Nextera has in Prague, working with independent electronic music from Czech DJs???
KK: CD burners, free mixed CDs with magazines and lack of specialized shops. All of this makes people think that music should be for free! On the other hand good sound equipment that DJs should work with to sound properly is still not easy to afford for most of them and they need time to practice and get familiar with it. Hopefully after 10 years of evolution some people found money, time and courage to make music which sounds how it should.
T: Which of Nextera artists have been on tour across the border?
KK: Ohm Square, Electromajk and all the others hopefully break through this year!
T: What new plans do you have for new artists from Czech DJs???
KK: Mainly our goal is to have vinyl releases for worldwide distribution and to promote our CZECH TECHNO compilation. Obvious House Party and Techno Energy should continue as well...
T: What is your DJ name, and what kind of stuff do you do?
KK: My DJ name is simply Kristian and I like to play both techno and house records which I think are good and not necessarily brand new. Best is for me to play long set enough so I can change the styles and do kind of house - techno crossover. Of course nowadays tekhouse and trance records sounds mainly like crossover anyway... However I am recently orienting my energy and mind towards exclusive worldwide releases of music I like and from people I respect. This should be this year another project with Jeff Mills, brand new album of post industrial legend Lustmord and more to be discovered later....every day can be surprising and you cannot plan such a things really...important is to be open for the ideas & new music (not always necessarily "dance music") and try to make sure to be correct what is worth to release. 
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