Though Boris Dlugosch's name isn't perhaps as recognisable as those of his fellow countrymen Paul Van Dyk and DJ Hell, he's commercially more successful than both, notably via tracks like Sophie Ellis Bextor's Groovejet or Moloko's breakthrough smash hit of 1999 Sing It Back.

"In my circle, it's still all about pure house. We have this big house music community, where life is made very easy for DJs. You have your 20 hits in your box, plus some extra nice tracks, you get flown around the world, business class, stay in first class hotels, get paid big money, big everything."

For Groovejet, he talented-spotted the former failed indie princess Bextor to helped transform her into a star, while for Moloko he single-handedly reworked Sing It Back, turning it into one of the biggest house records of the 90s. With his Peppermint Jam label also releasing Ibiza/ hen party anthem Horny (the one that goes 'I am horny, horny, horny, horny) and a DJ career spanning 15 years at the top, he's practically the epitome of the superstar house DJ but for one thing- his recent embrace of electro.

The vehicle for his change in tack is his first ever mix CD Bionic Breaks, which features classic hip hop (Grandmaster Flash), old skool breaks (Man Parrish) and brand new disco (Zoot Woman), blended together smoothly into a high quality electro mix across two CDs. That he's waited 15 years to do it is another sign of its significance both for him and his future as a DJ.

"There was a period before when I thought there were too many compilations around, so I waited," he explains.

"Now that a more electro influenced sound has resurfaced, it's made me decide that the time is right to put out a compilation. Back in the day, I did a compilation for Peppermint Jam, which used to be my label, but for that I was provided with a selection of mixes they did that I had to include in the compilation so I wouldn't consider that my own mix CD. This one instead is totally my own concept."

Chatting to Benedetta Skrufff in a Little Venice hotel (that's small though first class), he's as friendly and articulate as he's enthused about his music.

"Playing four to the floor records at 120-125 bpm is still the core base of my DJ sets I just think that the music scene is a lot more open now, there are rock and also electro elements that are OK to add. I still love vocals and I still love songs, it's not that I'm moving away from that, it's just that my sound has evolved in another direction. Everybody changes; why should I stick to the same style all my life? I did it for way too long."


Skrufff (Benedetta Skrufff): Do you have any concerns that your fans could feel disappointed by your change in musical direction?

Boris Duglosh: "Clubs have always been about change, and I've also always tried to play different clubs, so much so, that I still get people approaching me sometimes, telling me how much they've enjoyed my set and asking what's my DJ name. This happens even in Hamburg where I've lived all my life and where I used to play at the same place for ten years. The reality is that new people start going out all the time and obviously they don't know who I am, which I think is fantastic, I'm only 35 and I'm not thinking of retiring just yet, so it's important for me to keep things fresh."

Skrufff: What's your assessment of the state of dance culture right now?

Boris Duglosh: "Sometimes I get booked in clubs where they play nothing but house music, it happened last year in Australia, though I find that whenever I introduce new sounds in my sets the crowds absolutely love it. The promoters instead still seem a bit reluctant to embrace new trends fully, I guess out of fear or for whatever reason; they prefer to stick with what they know."

Skrufff: Has this happened because there are too many DJs around?

Boris Duglosh: "Perhaps. Also to blame is the whole Miami/ Ibiza thing that has transformed the club scene into a big money making machine. The British invasion of clubs around the world has taken its toll too. When you go to Thailand, to Bangkok, for example, there's a Ministry Of Sound there. That's why the underground scene needed to grow, as a reaction to all this."

Skrufff: How much do you look at London for new trends and inspirations, new ideas?

Boris Duglosh: "I love coming to London at least three times a year and every time I come, I realise how far ahead this place truly is."

Skrufff: DJ Hell has recorded his whole new album in New York; is he someone you've crossed paths with much?

Boris Duglosh: "Yes, I know who he is, he knows who I am... but I've never met him personally. I think it's a good idea to choose a place like New Yok to record an album for inspiration. Good luck to him, though I couldn't afford to do that."

Skrufff: Is there a German sensibility towards music and clubbing that differs from the UK?

Boris Duglosh: "I was talking before about the greed of certain UK promoters, but to a certain extent I could appear greedy too, since when I was making my music in Germany and nobody really cared, I profited from the blooming market over here in the UK, where I was appreciated and where my music was marketed properly. Eventually it all came back to Germany, but I have to say that they must have taken into account the fact that I became successful in the UK first. In Germany, they look at the UK to pick up the trends, and we need that. I'm not sure about the pop market now though because it all seems to have shifted towards a 'Pop Idol' type of affair... in Germany too, which is bullshit."

Skrufff: Are you still in touch with Moloko?

Boris Duglosh: "Every time I'm in London I see Roisin (Moloko's singer), in fact I saw her yesterday. She also comes to my gigs or if I play at festivals, so yes I am."

Skrufff: Are you ever tempted to try and repeat the little burst of magic you found with "Sing It Back"?

Boris Duglosh: "Both for Moloko and for me that was a peak moment in our careers, and of course you'd want to repeat things like that, though for me, she's a genius, full stop. I love her song-writing, and I loved their album even before we ever worked together. anyone I'm going to work with in the future is always going to be compared with Roisin and her ability to write songs and perform."

Skrufff: What do you think of Sophie Ellis-Bextor?

Boris Duglosh: "Sophie was different, that was more about my project with Spiller. She was quite unknown to me at the time, she came in one evening, recorded the song, she was nice, and that was that. That was just a job. She took the chance and that was it."

Bionic Breaks is out now.

http://www.bionicbreaks.com