One of techno’s most celebrated duos, Joyhauser has been breezing through career milestones at break-neck speed since forming in 2017. Releasing their globally acclaimed debut album In Memoro last year, the seasoned pair have since gone on to establish their acclaimed live project host stages under the same name at some of the industry’s largest events. Continuing this rich vein of form Joyhauser now announces the launch of their debut record label MEMORO with their brand new, two-track EP “Dark Of The Night”.
Interview With Joyhauser:
Hello Guys, just wanted to say that I recently saw your show at CUBE in Prague, and I absolutely loved it! Thank you for such a fantastic performance.
How did you enjoy the crowd?
Hey! Ah that’s super kind to hear! It was a night remember. We immediately felt a really good connection with the crowd. Very nice energy and that’s the kind of energy you want as a deejay since it motivates you to play a better set. I think we did a great job there that night and hope those who were there would agree. When is the next one?! Can’t wait to be back…
How important is it for you to share your music through live performances?
After several years behind the decks it was time for us for a new chapter. We love to spin records, but we felt a need to perform live too even though it was a big challenge. With the first live set we were a bit anxious, but we prepared very well so after 2-3 tracks we immediately felt the energy and fun. It’s also a special feeling to just have a performance filled with your own tracks and people seeing going crazy on a 100% based Joyhauser set. We don’t do it every week because we wanted to keep it special, so we select carefully which venues and cities.
How has your musical style and approach evolved since your debut in 2017?
In electronic music, music changes in a cycle. Some subgenres become dominant and popular and others less. As an artist, you can choose to adapt to the popularity, or you keep your own identity and stay true to your roots. In our opinion it’s super important to keep your identity if you want to be in the game for a longer time. We adapted of course with the harder and faster trend but playing a whole hard techno set because it’s now the most popular subgenre. No, that’s not what we do and want. We have big respect for every artist genre and style, and we love to be eclectic but we want to write our own story. That’s why we started own label, which we feel is the perfect moment.
What challenges and opportunities does running your own music label present in today’s industry?
We waited very long to start our own label. Our vision was to first show the world what Joyhauser could achieve musically by signing the biggest techno labels and building a reputation. Now after many years and releases on Drumcode, Terminal M, and Filth on Acid, it was the right time to create our own label. There are a lot of labels nowadays, so it isn’t easy to stand out but with this strategy, we didn’t have to start with zero. We worked hard to build a fanbase, so people know our sound. As a result, we can also immediately attract the right talent and other artists. We can give now the same chances to new talent as we received back in the days from Monika Kruse for example. MEMORO will be a label without musical boundaries and which will reflect our music taste. Lots of energy, rhythm and groove but not too soft. A perfect balance between peak-time techno, melodic techno, and harder techno.
What were your main inspirations and influences when founding your new music label, MEMORO?
All the labels we released on in the past are inspirations and influential to the creation of the label. We always liked to show the versatility of Joyhauser but only by selecting the right labels which fit our style. MEMORO is a mix of musical influences from the labels we released on from Drumcode, Terminal M, Kraftek to Second State, and so on. Throughout the years, labels have changed their musical taste, so we want to jump in where gaps are created as a result.
Could you tell us more about your EP ‘Dark Of The Night’? What story lies behind it?
Dark Of The Night is a homage to the transformative power of nightlife. It’s inspired by those moments when we lose ourselves in the flashing lights and pulsating beats, escaping the mundane routines of our daily lives. During the day, we often wear masks, conforming to societal expectations, but at night, we can shed those facades and embrace our true selves. The EP explores the duality of human nature – how we can be both sinners and saints, navigating the shadows and light of our existence. Through this music, we aim to capture the essence of those nocturnal adventures, where our souls are set free, and we connect with a deeper, more authentic part of ourselves.
Is there any other news, or maybe collaborations scheduled for your label MEMORO?
We have already planned some nice music for the upcoming months on MEMORO. A good balance between very well-known artists and talent. MEMORO bombs are coming in the next months from artists like Simone Zino, Franco Smith, Push and Rebel Boy, Gray Cosmo, Oscar L, Ignacio Arfeli, Sam Kit, and many more! Also, there are some interesting collaborations from the likes of Weska x Joyhauser. More collabs are on the way but it’s too early to talk about just yet.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the techno scene, and how do you see it evolving in the coming years?
In the beginning, we liked the new evolution after covid. We liked the faster bpm’s but honestly today it’s too much. Hard techno became a bit the new EDM and a lot of musical creativity has gone lost in our opinion. Always using those same rave synths. These are not interesting and new anymore in our humble opinion. Also, the education of the younger generation is lost a bit. Back in the days when we were 20 years old, we opened a lot before headliners, and we saw this as an honor and an important task to create the right vibes in the beginning of the evening. It was a big responsibility and a task from you to create the right circumstances for the headliner. Nowadays we see young artists playing 170 bpm with 10 people in front of them during a warming up. It’s ruining the whole vibe of the night and not respectful to other deejays. We hope this will change again when bpm goes lower again, and younger artists will understand the true value of a good opening set. We love to see more groove and creativity again.
What has been an unforgettable moment or experience in your career so far?
We have a lot because we don’t forget a lot of nights or moments, except when we have a big hangover… just kidding! Every club or festival has its own true unique vibe and identity and between countries and even cities, you have that too so it never gets boring. Furthermore, we don’t have a preference between big festivals or small clubs. After a festival season, we love to go back to the smaller darker clubs and after winter it’s time to search the sun again and feel the summer festival vibes. If we really must choose… then our first Awakenings performance was the most remarkable one. Why? Because Awakenings is just the biggest techno festival in the world, and we had to open a stage in 2017 and in one hour the dancefloor was completely full so we were surprised, and from then onwards, we grew a bit as residents there. The experience truly became like a family.
What are your touring plans in the upcoming months, which summer festivals are you the most excited to play?
We have a lot of nice shows coming up. Too many to mention all of them but some highlights are: Toffler Festival, Awakenings, Tomorrowland, Fabric London, Mystic Garden, Monegros, R2 festival, Extrema Italy, Hive Air Festival, Nibiri, Airbeat One, and so on! In June we have also a new Asia tour (Kuala Lumpur, Singapor,e and Tokyo) which we are really looking forward to and some MEMORO shows and showcases are coming up also!
Thank you, guys, hope to see you perform somewhere soon!
