IMPROVISATION AS A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

Our phone conversation begins in the car, somewhere in the mountains. A sunny day at Lake Chiemsee, his recent return from a tour in Canada – we are already deep into a life between the Alps and the clubs of the world. From Brooklyn to Montreal to festivals in England and clubs in Brazil, Japan, and Australia. What connects all these places is DJ Hell’s special relationship with his audience, how much he engages with the energy of a space: “If it moves me, it moves the people too,” he says. And even after decades of performing, an evening can still surprise him. Each set is created in the moment: “I don’t know the selection and compilation of songs beforehand.” Timing, intuition, and the right breaks are particularly important: “When I’m in the flow, I make perfect breaks. But at the wrong time, it can destroy everything.” That’s how a Sunday in a small club can become the best night of the month, or a perfectly prepared festival set can be completely overturned last minute. His attitude toward improvisation is also the driving force behind NEOCLASH, a contemporary reinterpretation of electroclash, 25 years after the early impulses of the genre, which he sees as a cultural experiment. His personal approach to music meanwhile remains existential: “Music is a form of philosophy; it thinks and acts and inspires and has a healing effect.”

NISHA MERIT You’ve been active as a DJ since the late 70s and have witnessed the evolution of the scene and society. Which moments have had a particular impact on you?

DJ Hell For me, music is like a social archive, a storage of data, information, experiences, and emotions. When I perform, I tap into a collective body memory. What happens on the dance floor often anticipates social and global shifts. New directions and new ideas emerge there, tectonic movements become visible, so to speak. When house and techno arrived in Europe in the late 1980s, they created an entirely new sense of space, body, and sound. This music was a response to a society in upheaval, which is why music history can’t be separated from social history.

NM You released your own music for the first time in 1992 with My Definition of House Music. What drove you back then, and is there a work that feels like a “Gesamtkunstwerk” to you?

DH The record came out on R&S Records in Belgium, probably the most innovative label in Europe at the time. I wanted to give house a new sound and rethink it. For me, house has always been a philosophy of freedom, body, and identity – almost religious. Teufelswerk, released in 2009 on International DeeJay Gigolo Records, probably comes closest to the idea of a “Gesamtkunstwerk”. From my perspective, music, fashion, and art fused perfectly there. Looking back, working with Bryan Ferry on the track U Can Dance was one of my most valuable and enjoyable collaborations.

NM This issue is about madness. How do you define madness in club culture, especially from your perspective as a DJ?

DH For me, madness is an essential part of club culture. Without madness, there’s no escalation, no break from routine, no crossing of boundaries. Madness also means freedom—ecstatic moments, collective escape, where everything feels possible, right up to excess. My definition of a DJ always includes tuning into life and entering new, undiscovered territory.

NM How do you balance long club nights with creative studio work? Do you have personal methods to rejuvenate?

DH Absolute silence and seclusion are best for deep recovery. But the most effective approach is simply no alcohol, no smoking, no stimulants – no doping – and plenty of sleep, along with a balanced diet and low chronic stress. As a DJ artist, I’d also say: besides DJing, you should focus intensely on making and producing music, constantly developing your skills and cultivating your own signature style. Music is a form of philosophy; it thinks and acts and inspires and has a healing effect. But I prefer absolute silence, because it has become the rarest commodity of our time.

NM How did your friendship and collaboration with Jeff Mills come about and what role did your label International DeeJay Gigolo Records play?

DH I’ve known Jeff since the early 90s. We’ve played worldwide together, shared stages, traveled, and have deep respect for each other. Jeff is one of the most innovative artists and thinkers; his release on Gigolo Records sent the label into orbit in 1997. It was a platform for all facets of electronic music – electro, techno, pop, Italo house, new wave, electronic avant-garde, old-school house, indie dance, new wave… I wanted a label that embodied a certain attitude and aesthetic, not just one that distributed music. As the “godfather” of electroclash, the attention from the art, fashion, and music worlds was enormous, but it also led to the genre’s rapid decline.

NM You often work between music, fashion, and art. Why are such collaborations important to you, and what projects are currently in the pipeline?

DH For example the video for I Want U and the collaboration with the Tom of Finland Foundation. Here subculture, identity, the gay community, and physicality came together in a very distinct fusion. There was also a limited-edition underwear with Agent Provocateur and Gigolo Records. Collaborations with Balenciaga, Chanel, Raf Simons, and Drykorn followed – partnerships that benefited both sides. I’m currently working on a new project with Jonathan and Brigitte Meese in Berlin. In 2026, I’ll celebrate my 50th anniversary as a DJ, and a new album will be released to mark the occasion, NEOCLASH.

NM From village discos to global stages, you earned huge international success, how do you stay true to yourself?

DH Staying true to yourself is what gives you credibility and authenticity in the long run. “Every beat counts” is my new mantra. Integrity is what matters. I believe that constantly questioning and reinventing yourself is the only way forward as a producer and artist. Mainstream thinking has always seemed incomprehensible and absurd to me. I’ve been living in Portugal for two years now, and I can’t say exactly where the journey will lead. Country life is what I value most, and I can’t exist without mountains, lakes, or rivers. It’s in that tranquility that true radicalism emerges – concentration. At some point, you want to hear and understand what you actually think.