Terminal V Podcast 071 || Janis Zielinski

Good luck finding out much biographical information about Janis Zielinksi. We asked, but the German remained tight-lipped, so instead we’re left only with his music as a window into his world. It is, make no mistake, high energy and colourful with shiny arps, trance melodies and an irresistible sense fun. That is not what you usually get from typical German house or techno producers but, he explains, he takes plenty of inspiration from the UK and Dutch scenes.
He is a party-starting DJ who began in his early teenage years and has now played all over Europe and dropped a number of well-received club tunes that are thoroughly of the now. His entry into our mix series is packed with unreleased exclusives from the likes of DJ Heartstring, NewTone and many more and is a summary of everything Janis is all about right now. Dive in and read on for a little more insight into his process and what he has coming up.
Can you tell us about your journey into music, how you got to where you are, what landmark moments have there been so far in terms of releases or moments of realization in the studio etc.?
When I was 12, I was taking drum lessons, but I wasn’t part of a band, so one day my teacher decided to give me a fun lesson on how to play vinyl with dub techno vinyl. The following Christmas, I got a record player and started playing vinyl regularly at 12/13 years old. Eventually, I started playing at parties with friends, and when I was around 19/20, I started producing.
My friends kept telling me to release ‘Everytime’, which was one of my first tracks that had a real impact. Another big step was the release of ‘Take It Back’, followed by the collab remix with Malugi. The biggest landmark moment was my first self-organized tour weekend, during which Bad Boombox called me and asked if I wanted to join Hot MealAgency.
You have a high-energy sound, are you a high-energy person? Does making and playing this sort of music serve as a release for you?
Not really, I’m more of a laid-back person. So it’s actually the other way around, the music gives me the energy.
Your sound seems generally at odds with what we usually expect from Germany – it’s more hyperactive and bright. Is that my ignorance or are you something of an outlier do you think?
My sound is shaped by the UK sound and the cheerfulness from the Netherlands. So it’s a combination of Eurodance, Dutch hard house parties, and the energy from UK speed garage, that I am trying to spread in Germany.
Tell us about your mix, the aim you had with it, and what you wanted it to say.
The mix is essentially very simple: it’s a short summary of everything I love right now. It includes tracks from friends and idols alike, trying to combine different genres and styles: hard house, speed garage, and a touch of Eurodance.
Tell us about your mix, the aim you had with it, and what you wanted it to say.
With this mix, I intended to start slower with some trance/hardgroove tracks and slowly progress to play some faster hard bounce tracks as I do in all my sets. In addition to this, I always like to showcase some unreleased tracks by me and also some talented friends.
What gear did you use, is that important to you in any way whether in the booth or studio?
It depends. In the booth, the gear plays an important role in the sense that it’s nice to have a certain standard of working equipment, but in the end, you can play on anything. When it comes to producing, I personally follow the “less is more” philosophy.
What are you working on for the rest of the year?
I have 2-3 releases in the works, as well as an Australia tour coming up at the end of November that I’m really looking forward to. Apart from that, my focus is on building my new studio.
Interview by Kristan Caryl