54 > Mark, how are you and what have you been up to the last couple of months?

MH > All good. I just got back from New York this morning so am pretty knackered to say the least! Was a short, but cool trip. I've been gigging here and there.. last week I played with the Soma guys at the Rockness Festival (situated at one end of Loch Ness - literally right near the water) - that was wicked. I've been really enjoying Berlin - making the most of the amazing weather.. been playing a fair bit of golf. And I've been really busy in the studio too - working on new collaborations (with Den from Op.Disc and Jug from Autoreply) and have lots of new music out and soon to be out (on labels like Frankie, Tic Tac Toe, Hypercolour, Vitalik, Om and Clink).

54 > Your debut album was only released last year, although on legendary label Soma, has it taken you by surprise how quickly you’ve risen to such a globally recognised status?

MH > Well it's nice to know that you think so ; )

54 > You also hold residency at the Home parties near Frankfurt, how did this come about and how has it been throughout your residency? What’s the electronic scene like in Frankfurt for anyone unfamiliar with it?

MH > It's been cool - the parties always go off.. it's a really young crowd but I usually play in the 2nd, smaller room so I can take it deep and not worry about having to crank out peak time tracks all of the time. It came about due to my German booking agent who is involved in organising the parties. As for the rest of the Frankfurt scene I really don't know that much about it actually. I know there is a lot of history there. It's a very healthy scene - I know that much, e.g. clubs like Robert Johnson and U60..

54 > You’ve played at every legendary club going, Watergate, Fabric, Privilege… how do you find the scene differs on a global level and where could you pick as your favourite venue to play?

MH > Favourite club to play I think was Fabric, followed closely by Panorama Bar. To be honest, I don't find massive differences in clubs across the globe. Sure, there are little things that are different (e.g. like kids with glow sticks and white raving gloves at a club I played at in Russia) but in general a good party is a good party.

54 > Having productions regularly played by the Luciano, Villalobos, Steve Bug and Richie Hawtin must feel pretty special, where were you the first time you heard someone of that calibre play one of your tracks?

MH > Actually for a long time people would just tell me they saw 'so and so' play one of my tracks. I always missed out. Then I found some videos floating around of Ricardo and Richie playing my 1st Einmaleins record with a siren sample over the top. It was the summer of 2006 when they did the whole back2back thing. I've seen a ton of clips, including them playing it at Mutek and Sonar - it's pretty trippy - I wish I'd been there! Most recently I was at Panorama Bar in May when Sammy Dee played my new Frankie record - that was a great feeling.

54 > Your productions are not only highly regarded, but also highly diverse and difficult to put into a genre bracket, is there anything music wise you won’t touch or do you make a concerted effort to explore as many options as possible?

MH > Well, I'm open to pretty much anything (aside from Trance or Proggy tripe). When I first started producing years ago I made mostly breaky stuff and trip hop - basically non 4:4 electronic dancefloor.. then drum & bass. None of it was ever released though, as I had my laptop stolen whilst living in London in 2003. Recently everything I've made is essentially 4:4, though it does vary a lot as you say. I definitely want to spend more time on other styles. I'm working on a new project, which will see me releasing tracks under a new moniker... basically more musical tracks, slower and not always 4:4 - less techno.

54 > What’s the absolute first thing you do when stepping into your studio?

MH > I hit about 15 'on' switches and power-up everything, then I check craigslist to see if anyone's selling any vintage music gear on the cheap ;)

54 > Remix wise you’ve also created some gold, for the likes of Tigerskin and Matt Star amongst others, what do you look for in a track to rework? Would you ever turn an artist down if you didn’t like their style?

MH > The decision isn't always based on the track.. even though it really should be. Sometimes I've agreed to do a remix for someone up front without having heard the original. But more and more I try and only take on those remix jobs where I have a good amount of original material to work with.. the more interesting sounds the better (and less work I have to do ;))

54 > You are currently living in Berlin although grew up here in the UK, what was the turning point that made you want to move and what is it about Berlin that keeps stealing artists away?

MH > Well my wife and I wanted to get out of the UK anyway and as I'd already lived in Berlin before as a student in 1999 (and loved it) it was right at the top of the list of places to move to. Added to that, the fact that I'm half German and could speak the language already, and obviously the music/party scene and the lower living costs compared with other cool cities in Europe made it an easy decision. Had my wife not got a job here then we would have gone somewhere else but luckily that wasn't the case. I think it's the combination of the party scene, space, low cost of living and indie / chilled-out vibe of the city that attracts so many people. Saying that, I can't see all the artists that I know who have moved here staying long term.

54 > You are playing in July at 54 Music 2nd Dark Label Party, are you looking forward to the night? Are you familiar with the venue and the ethos behind their label?

MH > Definitely looking forward to it - I haven't played in London since Fabric in February. I'm familiar with the venue - I played there once last year.. was a great vibe in the basement room - my favourite set up (low ceilings, small intimate space).
And the label ethos - the Light vs. Dark is a cool idea.. especially as how 'house' has recently invaded what is essentially the techno scene, so I can safely leave my more housey records at home, knowing the crowd will be up for more of a techno vibe :)

54 > What do you think to the London electronic scene at the moment?

MH > I couldn't say!

54 > What’s the one thing above all others that you’d like to achieve this year?

MH > Get my golf handicap down to 12 or so.