Fresh off his contribution to Lumière Noire Records’ ‘DESTIINO (Yuksek) – rem(ii)xes (EP)’, we caught up with German producer Lauer to discuss his approach to reimagining music, the philosophy behind his productions, and the stories that have shaped his distinctive sound. From his punk and skateboarding roots to the mystery of Pyramide III Studios and his celebrated remix work for iconic artists, Lauer reflects on a career built on curiosity, creativity, and staying true to his instincts.
WWD: Welcome to When We Dip! Let’s dive into your upcoming remix for DESTiiNO and his 2025 album tracks – what direction did you want to take this remix?
Since DESTiiNO aka Yuksek is a very skilled and legendary producer and everything sounded perfect, my main thought was not to ruin everything, and the tempo suggested to take it to Balearic Proto Electro territory.
WWD: How do you approach remixes compared to creating your own original music? Are there some trademark sounds of Lauer that you implement into every track?
I treat remixes like riddles. Hidden in all those elements of a track I’m supposed to remix, always is the solution, aka my version. You could call it trademark sounds or simply a lack of variety / limited palette.
WWD: Can you tell us more about your affiliation with Pyramide II Studios?
It’s actually Pyramide III since I’m in the third incarnation of my studio. The first 2 versions were directly underneath rooftops with – google says – sloping ceilings. So you could imagine to sit in the top of a pyramid. The current studio is in a barn, but I kept the name, it adds a bit of mystery I hope.
WWD: You’ve remixed for artists including Sven Vath, Pet Shop Boys, Falco and Tears For Fears – stretching far beyond and out of just the dance genre. What excites you most about working with different artists?
The main approach stays the same – see Q2. But it gets more difficult if it’s a well-known song (to me), because seeing all the elements in a different context easily feels wrong .. in contrast to remixing new music – if that makes sense. I guess the exciting thing to me is always to come up with something I like. Very simple…
WWD: Your punk roots…let’s go back to that. What and who has inspired you from that genre?
I was a skater in the early 90’s (I broke my arm 2 years ago when I started again).. I got to know lots of music through skate videos. Punk / HC being a firm part of it. Also, in my school it was quite normal to be in a band, there were many concerts all the time. Not like today, I guess.
WWD: Finally, you are also one half of Tuff City Kids, a duo project with Gerd Janson. Are you both still actively producing music under this alias? If so, can we expect something to come soon?
Probably not!
WWD: That’s too bad! Thanks for the chat 🙂
Thanks a lot!
Lauer’s ‘Musique Electronique Répétitive’ Remix is available here.
Credit photo: Tobias Becker