VISIONARY ISSUE VOL. B – LEN FAKI

PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL ROCHÉ
STYLING TABASSOM CHARAF
HAIR & MAKEUP PASCAL WINTER
TALENT LEN FAKI

FEW ARTISTS HAVE SHAPED BERLIN’S TECHNO SCENE QUITE LIKE LEN FAKI. WHEN HE STEPPED BEHIND THE DECKS ON BERGHAIN’S OPENING NIGHT, HE BECAME PART OF A MOMENT THAT WOULD DEFINE AN ERA — AND, IN MANY WAYS, THE SOUND OF A GENERATION.
HIS MARATHON SETS, FULL OF TENSION, PRECISION, AND RELEASE, TURNED INDUSTRI- AL POWER INTO SOMETHING DEEPLY HUMAN. THROUGH FIG- URE, THE LABEL HE FOUNDED IN 2003, FAKI BUILT HIS OWN UNIVERSE OF RHYTHM — RAW, HYPNOTIC, AND CHARGED WITH EMOTION. TRACKS LIKE “RAINBOW DELTA,” “MEKONG DELTA,” “BX 3,” AND “MY BLACK SHEEP” BECAME AN- THEMS FOR DANCEFLOORS ACROSS THE WORLD, JUST AS HIS REMIXES “WIDE OPEN,” AND “STRANGER (TO STABILITY).” MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS LATER, FAKI REMAINS ONE OF THE GEN- RE’S QUIET VISIONARIES — A PRODUCER, DJ, AND MEN- TOR WHO NEVER CHASED FAME, JUST FOLLOWED HIS OWN PULSE.

ANN-KATH- RIN RIEDL: YOU GREW UP IN SOUTH GERMANY, STUTTGART — NOT EXACTLY A STRONG- HOLD OF TECHNO. HOW DID A VISION LIKE YOURS TAKE SHAPE THERE?

LEN FAKI: I’M WHAT MY OLD FOOTBALL COACH USED TO CALL AN “OT- TOMAN SWABIAN.” NOT TURKISH, BUT AN OTTOMAN SWABIAN — THAT WAS HIS ROUGH WAY OF SAYING: YOU’RE ONE OF US. I FIRST DISCOVERED THE CLUSCENE IN STUTTGART, BUT BACK THEN, THE AUTHORITIES AND THE POLICE KEPT CLUBS UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE. THERE WERE ENDLESS DRUG CONTROLS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE WHOLE EASY LISTENING AND LOUNGE BAR THING STARTED –STANDING OUTSIDE WITH A COCKTAIL TO BACKGROUND BEATS. THAT WASN’T FOR ME. AT SOME POINT, I KNEW IT’S TIME TO LEAVE. SO, SHORTLY AFTER THE MILLENNIUM, I MOVED TO BERLIN.

AR: WHERE DOES SUCH DRIVE COME FROM? SOME PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMETOWN ALL THEIR LIVES AND LIVE CONVENTIONAL IDEALS, WHILE OTHERS — LIKE YOU — BREAK OUT AND CREATE SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW

LF: THERE HAS TO BE AN INNER FORCE, A PASSION THAT DRIVES YOU. THAT’S HOW IT WAS FOR ME. I COME FROM AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY, THE FIRST GENERATION TO GROW UP IN GERMANY. THERE WASN’T MUCH SUPPORT FOR THE PATH I CHOSE; PEOPLE AROUND ME SIMPLY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND IT. EVERYTHING I’VE ACHIEVED, I’VE BUILT THROUGH MY OWN WILLPOWER. I COULDN’T ACCEPT THE IDEA OF FINISHING AN APPRENTICESHIP, GETTING A STABLE JOB, GETTING MARRIED, BUYING A CAR – THAT WASN’T MY LIFE. INSTEAD, THERE WAS THIS POWERFUL FORCE IN MY HEART AND GUT THAT JUST WOULDN’T LET GO.

AR: WAS THERE A SPECIFIC MOMENT THAT SET YOU ON YOUR PATH? THAT OPENED A NEW WORLD FOR YOU?

LF: YES, THERE WAS. WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, A FRIEND SAID TO ME, “COME WITH ME TONIGHT –THERE’S SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING WITH ACID AND TECHNO.” I WAS LIKE, WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO BE?
I WENT ALONG WITH HIM TO A CLUB AND IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. LIKE SEEING A PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME AND JUST BEING COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY. THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM WAS OVERWHELMING – THAT SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS. YOU COULD FEEL THAT NATIONALITY OR BACKGROUND DIDN’T MATTER. NOBODY CARED. IT WAS ALL ABOUT FEELING THE MUSIC. I
SOAKED IT ALL IN THAT NIGHT AND IT COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED ME. AND AFTER THAT, I JUST KNEW: THIS IS MY THING.

AR: IT’S FASCINATING WHAT ULTIMATELY DETERMINES OUR LIFE PATHS. WHEN I WAS 15 OR 16, SITTING IN MY CHILDREN’S ROOM IN A SMALL BAVARIAN TOWN, I DISCOVERED YOUR MUSIC – AND THROUGH THAT, ARTICLES ABOUT BERGHAIN AND BERLIN’S CLUB SCENE. I THOUGHT: THAT’S THE WORLD I WANT TO BE A PART OF. YEARS LATER, I MOVED TO BERLIN AND LIVED IT. DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU MANIFESTED SOMETHING? DO YOU BELIEVE IN THAT?

LF: I ACTUALLY DO. IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY, AND THERE WERE DEFINITELY MOMENTS WHEN I ALMOST GAVE UP – WHEN I’D GIVEN EVERYTHING BUT COULD STILL ONLY AFFORD POTATOES WITH KETCHUP. BUT I STAYED THE COURSE. AND EVENTUALLY, I REACHED THE GOALS I’D SET FOR MYSELF. SO, YES – I BELIEVE THINGS CAN WORK OUT IF YOU HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF AND IN WHAT YOU’RE DOING.

AR: HAVE YOU EVER FELT DRIVEN?

LF: OH, I’M VERY DRIVEN. ESPECIALLY IN MY 20S AND 30S –NOTHING MATTERED TO ME EXCEPT MUSIC AND THE POSSIBILITIES IT OPENED.

AR: BUT YOU SAID YOU WERE DRIVEN BY MUSIC – NOT BY SUCCESS. I BELIEVE THAT TRUE VISION ISN’T ROOTED IN INTENTION.

LF: EXACTLY. IF YOU ASK THE YOUNGER GENERATION TODAY, YOU MIGHT GET A DIFFERENT ANSWER. I DON’T MEAN TO POINT FINGERS, BUT IN MY GENERATION, SUCCESS WASN’T THE PRIMARY MOTIVATION. YOU JUST WANTED TO BE PART OF IT – TO PLAY, TO SHARE YOUR MUSIC, TO HAVE A COMMUNITY. I WAS JUST HAPPY WITH EVERY CLUB GIG I GOT. I DIDN’T CARE WHERE I PLAYED. I ALWAYS GAVE 100 PERCENT, JUST WANTED TO ENJOY IT AND SHARE THAT ENERGY. OF COURSE, YOU DEVELOP GOALS, AND EVENTUALLY YOU BECOME MORE SELECTIVE. BUT THE INTENTION TO BE FAMOUS IN MY GENERATION CAME MUCH LATER – IF AT ALL.

AR: TRUE VISIONARIES WERE NEVER GUIDED BY OTHERS’ DESIRES. THEY JUST FOLLOWED THEIR OWN. THAT’S CHANGED A LOT TODAY, AS YOU SAID.

LF: YES. I’VE ALWAYS DONE WHAT INTERESTED ME, WHAT I FELT CONNECTED TO. EVEN WITH MY LABEL – SUPPORTING YOUNG ARTISTS, GIVING THEM A PLATFORM. WHY? BECAUSE WHEN I STARTED, I HAD ALMOST NO CONNECTIONS. BACK THEN, WE STILL HAD FAX MACHINES! IT WAS A HIERARCHICAL WORLD. YOU COULDN’T JUST DM SOMEONE ON INSTAGRAM. IT TOOK REAL WORK AND TIME TO GET NOTICED. THAT EXPERIENCE STUCK WITH ME, AND NOW I WANT TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE WHO TRULY WANT IT, WHO HAVE THAT SPARK, WHO WORK HARD, WHO LOVE WHAT THEY DO.

AR: HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE WHEN SOMEONE REALLY HAS THAT POTENTIAL?

LF: I’M NO FORTUNE TELLER. I’VE MADE MY SHARE OF MISJUDGMENTS, TOO. SOMETIMES, IT TAKES TIME TO REALLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLE. AT FIRST, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC — THEN YOU GET TO KNOW THE PERSON BEHIND IT. OVER TIME, YOU DEVELOP A BETTER SENSE FOR THAT.

AR: WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE IN THIS WORLD AS LONG AS YOU HAVE?

LF: THERE’S NO FORMULA. YOU NEED PASSION, ABOVE ALL. AND AGAIN — IT’S ABOUT WHY YOU DO IT. IF YOU CAN ENJOY WHAT YOU DO EVEN WITHOUT FAME, THEN YOU’RE ALREADY MILES AHEAD OF SOMEONE WHO’S JUST CHASING RECOGNITION.

AR: BUT DO YOU ALSO NEED A KIND OF SELF-PROTECTION? IT’S A WORLD THAT CAN EASILY CONSUME YOU.

LF: ABSOLUTELY. YOU CAN LOSE YOURSELF VERY QUICKLY. YOU NEED PLACES AND PEOPLE THAT GROUND YOU AND GIVE YOU STRENGTH. FOR ME, THAT’S HIKING IN THE MOUNTAINS IN SUMMER. THAT’S WHAT BRINGS ME BACK DOWN.

AR: INTERESTING, BECAUSE AS YOUR SOUND IS QUITE DARK, ONE WOULDN’T IMMEDIATELY IMAGINE SUCH A GROUNDED LIFE. IN GENERAL, DJS, BEFORE SOCIAL MEDIA, WERE MYSTERIOUS FIGURES – UNLIKE POP STARS.

LF: EXACTLY. IN DJ CULTURE, IT WAS NEVER ABOUT WHO YOU WERE. YOU DIDN’T SHOW YOUR FACE. THE IDEA WAS TO LET THE MUSIC SPEAK FOR ITSELF.

AR: THAT’S CHANGING THOUGH. DJS ARE STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT MORE AND MORE.

LF: YES, THAT SHIFT STARTED A WHILE AGO. I’VE NOTICED IT, TOO, ESPECIALLY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, POST-PANDEMIC. THE SCALE HAS DOUBLED. WE’RE AT POP-STAR LEVEL NOW. BUT THAT’S NOT MY WORLD AND I DON’T WANT IT TO BE.

AR: IT’S GOOD TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT’S NOT FOR ME AND IT’S FINE.

LF: EXACTLY. I’M NOT A POP STAR. NEITHER MY PERSONALITY NOR MY MUSIC LENDS ITSELF TO THAT. SURE, IT’S FUN TO PLAY FOR HUGE CROWDS SOMETIMES, AND I HOPE THAT CONTINUES IN SOME FORM. BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT KEEPS ME GOING.

AR: HOW MANY SHOWS DID YOU PLAY IN YOUR BUSIEST YEARS?

LF: AT PEAK TIMES, ABOUT 130 SHOWS A YEAR — AROUND THREE A WEEK.

AR: THAT MUST HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTING — TAKING ONE FLIGHT AFTER THE OTHER, LIVING OUT OF A SUITCASE, BEING ALONE IN HOTEL ROOMS.

LF: THAT’S THE HARDEST PART OF THE JOB – AND WHAT MAKES SOME PEOPLE EVENTUALLY BURN OUT. BUT I’M GLAD I PUSHED THOSE LIMITS FOR A
WHILE. YOU’RE FULL OF ENERGY, HAVING FUN, TESTING YOURSELF. BUT AT SOME POINT, YOU REALIZE: OKAY, STOP — THIS IS TOO MUCH.

AR: HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN EXCITEMENT WHEN TOURING SO MUCH?

EVERY SINGLE ONE WITH THE SAME ENTHUSIASM. ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE IS LYING. YOU’RE HUMAN – YOU ARRIVE TIRED, SOMETIMES, WITH ONLY THREE HOURS OF SLEEP. SURE, THE CROWD GIVES YOU ENERGY
BACK, BUT SOMETIMES IT’S JUST WORK, NOT ALWAYS PURE FULFILLMENT. IN THE PAST, YOU HAD MORE TIME TO GROW INTO IT, TO MATURE. TODAY, YOUNG ARTISTS ARE PUSHED TOO FAST AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. MANAGERS AND BOOKERS SHOULD PROTECT THEM MORE.

AR: BUT YOU HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT ON YOUR OWN, RIGHT?

LF: OF COURSE. YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO FALL. I’VE FALLEN MANY TIMES AND ALWAYS LEARNED FROM IT. THAT’S IMPORTANT. FALL, BUT GET BACK UP.
AND PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE YOU TRIPPED, SO YOU DON’T FALL AGAIN IN THE SAME PLACE.

AR: HAS PAIN EVER BEEN A CREATIVE DRIVER FOR YOU?

LF: DEFINITELY. OVERCOMING PAIN OR RESISTANCE HAS ALWAYS HELPED ME – IT’S LIKE TRAINING. WHEN YOU PUSH PAST THE PAIN THRESHOLD, YOU REACH NEW GROUND. FOR ME, NOTHING HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. THERE WAS NO ROCKET START. IT TOOK YEARS TO REACH ANY KIND OF STATUS. OF COURSE THERE WERE MILESTONES THAT GAVE ME MOMENTUM, BUT THAT SLOW GROWTH HELPED ME BUILD REAL CONSISTENCY.
MY STRENGTH IS PATIENCE, ALSO IN PRODUCTION. ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, I REALIZED HOW MUCH WE GET STUCK IN A HAMSTER WHEEL. SHOW AFTER SHOW, WITHOUT CREATIVE EVOLUTION.

AR: YES, ARTISTIC GROWTH NEEDS SPACE — OTHERWISE, YOU START REPEATING YOURSELF AND IT BECOMES SHALLOW.

LF: YOU HAVE TO GIVE YOUR SOUL TIME TO EVOLVE. MUSIC CAN’T BE SEPARATED FROM WHAT’S INSIDE YOU. THAT’S WHY, AFTER THE PANDEMIC, I STARTED PLAYING FAR FEWER SHOWS. I REALIZED I ALSO LOVE SPENDING TIME IN THE STUDIO – EXPERIMENTING, REDISCOVERING THE PLAYFUL SIDE OF CREATING. I TRY TO FIND BALANCE NOW, LEAVING GAPS IN MY SCHEDULE – A FEW WEEKENDS WITH NO BOOKINGS.

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AR: LOOKING BACK, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY?

LF: ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, THAT I’VE KEPT MY LOVE FOR WHAT I DO. THAT MUSIC STILL EXCITES ME AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. I NEVER EXPECTED THAT.

AR: LET’S TALK ABOUT A KIND OF HISTORIC MOMENT IN TECHNO HISTORY: YOU PLAYED ON BERGHAIN’S OPENING NIGHT. WHAT WAS THAT ATMOSPHERE LIKE?

LF: IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW GENERATION OF TECHNO – THOUGH WE DIDN’T KNOW IT THEN. ANDRÉ GALLUZZI AND MARCEL DETTMANN WERE THERE, TOO. OVER 20 YEARS LATER, THAT MOMENT HAS DEFINITELY SHAPED THE GLOBAL SCENE.
BERGHAIN WAS A VISIONARY SPACE — THE RIGHT CLUB, IN THE RIGHT CITY, AT THE RIGHT TIME.

AR: AMONG THE DJS WHO SHAPED THAT ERA – IS THERE STILL A SENSE OF COMMUNITY?

LF: YES, A CERTAIN BOND REMAINS FROM THAT SHARED EXPERIENCE. BACK THEN, THERE WAS MORE EXCHANGE, ESPECIALLY AMONG ARTISTS ON THE SAME LABEL. THAT CREATED A COMMUNITY. TODAY, EVERYONE WANTS THEIR OWN LABEL, THEIR OWN BRAND, TOTAL CONTROL.

AR: IS DJING A LONELY PROFESSION?

LF: IT CAN BE. BUT WHEN YOU PLAY, YOU FEEL A DEEP SENSE OF CONNECTION. YOU STOP EXISTING AS A SINGLE PERSON BEHIND THE DECKS. YOU BECOME PART OF SOMETHING LARGER. THAT’S THE FEELING I SEEK – WHEN PEOPLE MERGE INTO ONE ENERGY. FOR A FEW HOURS, THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS DISAPPEAR. THEY COME BACK, OF COURSE, BUT PEOPLE LEAVE RECHARGED. I REALLY BELIEVE THOSE SHARED MOMENTS CAN CHANGE SOMETHING.

AR: IT’S PRIMAL, REALLY. DANCING TOGETHER HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF HUMAN NATURE. DO YOU SENSE WHEN A NIGHT WILL BE SPECIAL?

LF: YES — SOMETIMES YOU CAN FEEL THE ELECTRICITY THE MOMENT YOU ENTER THE ROOM. BUT OFTEN, IT’S THE UNEXPECTED. YOU PLAY A TRACK NO ONE KNOWS, TENSION IS BUILDING UP AND SUDDENLY, THE WHOLE CROWD ERUPTS. THAT’S WHEN YOU KNOW YOU’VE CREATED MAGIC.

AR: SOMETHING AI COULD NEVER REPLICATE.

LF: EXACTLY. YOU COULD FEED 50 TRACKS INTO AN AI, TELL IT TO CREATE A SET – AND IT WOULD. BUT IT’S THE HUMAN ELEMENT – SENSING THE CROWD, CHOOSING IN THE MOMENT – THAT CREATES THOSE IRREPLACEABLE EXPERIENCES. AI WILL BE PART OF THE PROCESS, SURE, BUT EMOTION IS HUMAN.

AR: THAT HUMAN ELEMENT WILL BECOME A MARK OF QUALITY. SPEAKING OF CREATION: YOU’RE WORKING ON A BIG NEW PROJECT.

LF: YES — IT’S CALLED X-50. IT’S OUR LABEL COMPILATION — THE 150TH RELEASE. THE “X” STANDS FOR 100. IT FEATURES LONG-TIME ARTISTS AS WELL AS A NEW GENERATION. IT’S A KIND OF REFLECTION: WHAT WAS, WHAT IS, WHAT’S COMING. THE ARTWORK WAS DONE BY ERIK WINKLER, AN INCREDIBLE BERLIN-BASED ARTIST — GRAFFITI-INSPIRED. I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THE VISUAL SHOULD COMPLEMENT THE MUSICAL.

AR: IF YOU STOPPED YOUR CAREER TODAY — HOW WOULD YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

LF: I HOPE PEOPLE SIMPLY REMEMBER HAVING A GOOD TIME WITH ME – MAYBE THAT INSPIRED SOMEONE. AND IF A FEW OF MY TRACKS ARE SEEN AS TIMELESS SOME DAY, I’D BE HAPPY. I DON’T NEED A MONUMENT. [LAUGHS] I JUST ENJOY WHAT I DO, AND AS LONG AS I FEEL I’M CONTRIBUTING SOMETHING, I’LL KEEP GOING. WHEN THAT STOPS, IT’S TIME TO ASK: WHAT’S NEXT? UNTIL THEN, I’LL GLADLY PASS THE TORCH TO THE NEXT ONE AND SAY: RUN WITH IT, AND SEE WHERE IT TAKES YOU.