Stoneface & Terminal
Stoneface & Terminal, aka Matthias Gierth & Henry Nix, are a German DJ-duo known for several trance releases and remixes. The dynamic group has produced tracks with the likes of Paul van Dyk, Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, as well as other high-profile artists.
Gierth and Nix founded their label Electric Department Records in 2004 alongside tracks “Merkur” and “Sidewinder.” The two have since been gaining momentum in the EDM world, playing on the stages of Sunrise Festival, Euphonic, as well as many of their own headlining shows.
Interview
OneEDM was privileged with an exclusive sit-down with the duo, who touch upon their experiences among different cultures such as the music scenes.
OneEDM: When did you arrive in Miami?
Stoneface & Terminal: Thursday evening.
What have you gotten to experience so far?
A lot of meetings, going to parties, all this great stuff you know.
How many times have you ventured down here for MMW?
Oh, it is the first time for me. Yeah, really the first time!
Have you been able to experience the culture? Like visiting the beach or eating the food?
Yes, of course, they have very good pizza and perfect sushi. Great Asian stuff, too. I love Asian food. Also, going to the beach of course. It is beautiful here.
Where are you from?
I, Matthias, am from Hamburg, Germany. Henry, aka Terminal, is from Gorlitz, Germany.
Would you say you like the American culture of dance music or do you prefer the European culture?
It depends, you know. The American culture of electronic dance music is bigger than the culture in Germany. In the states, a lot of people like EDM, but there is an underground scene. They love trance-music, techno-music, this culture I really love. You have the feeling that it is going up and up, and it is a really cool feeling.
When you are not making this type of music, what genre is your favorite to listen to?
Sometimes I have a radio station in Germany from the 80’s and it plays only 80’s music. Music like Art of Noise, Yello, that kind of stuff I really like. Or pop-music. Not the pop-music of today, you know, it is completely different.
The music scene is always changing, so what would you say was your favorite part of the 90’s and 2000’s?
The faster techno stuff, maybe Marco Bailey. Either 138 or 135-faster BPM’s. Tribal techno also, or maybe like 2001 Tiesto “Lethal Industry.” It was a mix of techno rhythms and trance. This is the sound in the scene I would like to have back.
Back in the day, they would use vinyl. Is that something you would prefer to use again? Or do you like the USB era?
At the moment, of course, it is easier traveling around the world a lot. Yes, 15-years-ago we traveled around as well, and we had 25 kilos of vinyl. To play a vinyl is so special and great. It is what a DJ is, you know? Today, the DJs do not understand how it really was or how good it was.
The feelings you got from the vinyl, it was so exciting to put it on the decks and get the first listen. Today, you get 150 promotions in your email, which is not exciting like 10-15 years ago. You would get a promotion as vinyl.
What is the craziest thing you have seen while touring or while on stage performing?
The craziest thing? There is a lot. There was a guy in a festival in Montreal five or six years ago. It was a DJ playing after us. He was dancing so crazy, he was jumping and he fell to the ground and hit the back of his head and knocked into things on the stage. He was so ridiculous.
What is a crucial part of producing music for you?
The critical part for me is the basslines, the bass-drops, and the rhythm. That is what is important to me on a track. Henry loves to create melodies, feeling, and atmosphere. So then we bring it together.
What is your favorite city to play in?
London, Ministry of Sound. I love to play there.
Is it the people, the scene, or the culture?
In London, it is because of the people. When you play in London, they are coming in just because of the music. You know today, at the festivals and big events, everything is about the show. Nobody talks about the music. If you go to Ministry of Sound, they are just there because of the music. Luminosity as well, the people are there because they like the music and it is great. That is my second favorite place to play.
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