Mano Le Tough - The Buzzin' Fly Q&A
Where were you born and when?
Holles Street Maternity Hospital, Dublin, 1983.
Your father's occupation?
Garda, that's an Irish policeman. He retired a couple of years ago, so he is no longer solving mysteries on the mean streets of Bray/Greystones.
Your mother's occupation?
Teacher, she's actually a principal of a secondary school.
Brothers or sisters?
One brother.
What is your earliest memory?
The living room in the first house I lived in, but it's pretty hazy. I have quite a few memories from before I was 4 years old but it's difficult to date them.
What was the first poster on your wall?
There was a poster on the wall of my brother and I's room when we were toddlers, I think it was some sort of rabbit in a shoe or something. Does that count?
Describe your room as a teenager
Changing all the time with whatever pastime I was currently obsessed with, the constants were music and books.
What was your first car?
My dad's old Opel.
What do you drive now?
A bicycle.
Favourite footwear?
I have a pair of blue suede shoes, they are a lot less Elvis than you would think. I also really like Nike dunks.
Pets?
We have a dog at home called Benji, He's pretty ancient now and totally deaf, poor fella.
What watch are you wearing?
I don't wear one. Mobile phones meant the end of the wristwatch for me.
What is in your pockets?
I am writing this on a train in Russia somewhere between Moscow and St. Petersburg so my passport, Roubles, Euros, wallet, phone.
What would you wear to a fancy dress party?
Something abstract and funny. Once I dressed up as luggage.
The last time you cried?
At the weekend, from laughing.
The Beatles were ...
A real obsession of mine when I was younger, now I rarely listen to them but still love them. John Lennon is one my all time heroes.
Are you a city or countryside person?
I am trying to decide, currently I am a city person but I love nature too much to stay here indefinitely. My dream is to have a nice house with a studio that is in nature, maybe in the mountains or by the sea.
When you look in the mirror what do you not like?
Always something, but to varying degrees. Self image is very complex and something I used to have real problems with. I think as I have gotten older I have become less self conscious and more confident in my dashing good looks. :)
You get three free days of solitude. Where do you go?
The alps, I was just there recently in the Romanisch part of Switzerland. It was amazing, there is something about the quiet and the air quality high in the mountains that makes it quite unlike anywhere else.
What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought (apart from a house or flat)?
An Apple MacBook Pro. I haven't really made any extravagant purchases and don't have a car. In the next few months I am going to expand my studio so I will probably make some relatively big purchases then.
The oldest record in your DJ set this week.
Grandstand Theme Tune - 1975. I played it as the last track at my party "Passion Beat" that I run in Berlin. The party has gained a cult following and it's always fun at the end of the night (which in Berlin can be very late) to play some fun stuff. I love serious, emotional and heartfelt music, but I hate to take things too serious for too long. Music, like life, should be fun.
The newest record in your DJ set this week.
A few days old, something I made myself. I like to try my stuff out in DJ sets sometimes, particularly at Passion Beat, I think it's easier to do it on home turf.
Your house is burning down. What three things do you grab as you run out?
I originally answered this "computer, guitar, drum machine" but to be honest I don't think that's true. I would probably just panic and grab something close at hand and personal.
Can you recognise any wild flowers?
Edelweiss, forget me nots, bluebells, foxgloves.
The most personal thing in my wallet is ...
I used to carry personal stuff in my wallet like photographs of my girlfriend, but I lost it so I don't anymore. I do however keep fortune cookie messages in my wallet. Their oriental wisdom is a constant source of inspiration and guidance.
Your favourite book?
Since I was a child I have read a lot. There are few things I enjoy more than a good book. I don't have one favourite, but in last couple of years I have loved Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald - I just read "Tender is the Night" and it is a new favourite. Very good music books are Miles Davis' autobiography and Rip it up and Start Again by Simon Reynolds.
What's on your bedside table today?
National Geographic (German version) Bernhard Schlink - Der Vorleser. I am trying to improve my German so I am limiting my reading to German books and magazines for the moment. I hope that my will to read and understand will out-way the tedium of having to look up words and work out sentences like a puzzle.
What does jazz mean to you?
I first started to listen to Jazz in my teens when a friend turned me on to Miles Davis - Kind of Blue. I have listened to quite a lot of jazz since then and love it but I think it is still my favourite album. It is a case of first cut is the deepest I suppose, I will always love that album and it will in someway always be the first thing I think of when I think of jazz.
What would you most to like to receive in the morning mail?
A letter from someone I love, or records... Ideally records from someone I love!
Do you like custard?
Yes!
A perfect breakfast consists of ...
Coffee, bread, cheese, smoked salmon and most importantly the company of my beautiful girlfriend.
A world of free downloads means ...
There is more crap available but the good stuff is still the good stuff. How people consume music and value it is changing. I buy all my music apart from promos etc. but I know many people never buy music anymore, if you don't have to choose between tracks because you're paying for them then inevitably you will download more crap. Buying music is a filter, downloading for free means you maybe have to filter out the good stuff afterwards. But in the end quality music is still quality music, it's a pity that artists don't get the revenue from sales that they once did, but then again their music has the potential to reach far more people now.
Favourite sport to watch?
Rugby.
Favourite sport to play?
Golf.
What is your greatest achievement?
Maybe persevering with a life in music - can a passion for and commitment to something be an achievement? I guess I am really proud of how my music and ideas are progressing but I feel I am just starting to achieve my goals. I hope my greatest achievements are yet to come!
Do you have a major regret?
Of course.
What colour is your DJ sound?
Black and white and blue.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Someone Irish. Maybe the greatest Irish actor of all, Colm Meaney could play me as an ouldfella and someone else as a youngfella.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Max Richter - On the Nature of Daylight.
What will clubland be dancing to in 6 months time?
Dance music!
What record are you best known for?
I suppose Mano Le Tough - Baby, let's love, or my remix of Aloe Blacc - Loving you is Killing Me, but I think that might change pretty soon.
>> back to archive