A Non-Belieber

Germany's Michael Mayer may be equated with underground techno, as co-founder of Cologne's Kompakt, but he has his guilty pop pleasures. Just don't imagine that Justin Bieber is one of them.

Mayer is returning to Australia to DJ at Rainbow Serpent – traditionally a psy-trance fest yet increasingly eclectic. It won't be his premiere. "I think I've even played there twice," Mayer says fuzzily. "The last time was about six or seven years ago, I think – and that was fun. I remember at that time it was still more of a psy-trance festival, but we definitely had fun on our stage. I don't get to see psy-trance artists all that often (laughs) so it was kind of interesting for me to watch I think it was Raja Ram playing with his psychedelic trumpet or whatever instrument he was playing there [it was a flute]." Mayer is good-humoured, laughing frequently. As luck would have it, he'll have some techno companions in 2014, being joined by The Orb, James Zabiela and Donato Dozzy (of Italian outfit Voices From The Lake). Regardless, Mayer enjoys an adventure. Recently he hit Guatemala City. "It was my first time in Guatemala, so I didn't really know what to expect, but all my expectations were exceeded by the warm welcome I had there – I've rarely had so many pictures taken," he chuckles, noting that the coffee was "amazing".

Mayer grew up in the Black Forest, encountering DJ culture as a teen. He moved to Cologne in his 20s. Here, after rubbishing the limited stock of house and techno at the Delirium record store, Mayer was appointed buyer, eventually becoming a co-owner. From there, alongside Wolfgang Voight, he launched Kompakt – today not merely a label but also a large distribution company. Kompakt developed a Cologne electronic aesthetic (and counterculture), specialising in minimal techno, microhouse and ambient. Gradually, Mayer eased himself into production. He released his debut album, the Italo-disco-ey Touch, in 2004. He went on to form the Supermayer project with Superpitcher, the pair touring a live show. Mayer has likewise remixed major acts – some obvious (New Wave heroes Depeche Mode, big on remix commissions), others less so (Rufus Wainwright). But, mostly, Mayer has concentrated on DJing – in 2003 he proffered a Fabric mix-CD – and on building Kompakt. He has kids, too.

In 2012 Mayer put out his first album in eight years. Title aside, Mantasy was more techno-pop than disco camp. "I was really happy with the response," Mayer says. "Being a DJ in the first place, and a label owner, production is not really my forte because I never really had a lot of time to do that – so I still look at myself as a bloody beginner in this game! [But] the response to the album was really good. People seemed to accept that I didn't just deliver 10 dancefloor nuggets – I tried to do something slightly different. It turned out to be a very personal album, and less focussed on a dancefloor, but it was more about writing music, really."

Among Mayer's unlikeliest influences are Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who, on breaking away from the Prince-affiliated funk band The Time in the '80s, emerged as early urban-pop superproducers, guiding Janet Jackson and others. The Minnesotans even helmed The Human League's Crash – though Mayer especially digs their work with soulster Alexander O'Neal. "At the time I think they were just the most outstanding production team on this planet," he enthuses. "If you listen to it now, it maybe sounds a bit plastic – it's the '80s, you know! But they were hyper-modern at the time." The DJ pays little attention to contemporary pop, only listening to the radio when taxi-ing to gigs. Instead he buys old psychedelia or exotica – like '60s Pakistani pop. "That's what really interests me at the moment, more than maybe [Lady] GaGa or Justin Bieber," Mayer quips. "Fair enough that they exist. I listened to all kinds of shitty music when I was a teenager, so every generation deserves something like that!"

In 2013 Kompakt celebrated its 20th anniversary – an achievement in the digital age. Nevertheless, Mayer's commitment to Kompakt is such that his own output continues to be limited. Does he occasionally resent the label? "Well, I chose this path at a very early stage," he replies. "It was my decision to take on this responsibility and to take on this workload – because I really like this balance between creative work and administration work. It keeps me grounded and gives me good reason to get out of bed in the morning. But, yes, there are always these moments when I'm angry at myself that I didn't make this decision differently and that there's this constant lack of time for my creative efforts. But I've learnt how to live with it. Running Kompakt is such a rewarding thing as well." Indeed, Kompakt is opening 2014 with its annual Pop Ambient compilation. It will also issue a new album from Iceland's GusGus this year.

Mayer was lately asked cheekily by DJ Mag if he'd ever play Las Vegas, EDM's epicentre – and surely the antithesis of everything he represents. He said no ("I can't imagine that it's my kind of environment"). However, Germany's original techno hipster isn't as horrified by America's 'EDM' revolution as might be anticipated. "I'm not very scared of what's happening there. I mean, first of all, it's not a bad thing that so many more people have started dancing to techno-related music. What's a bit scary is more the business side of it – that there's big corporate companies trying to buy their way into the scene… But the foundations of techno now are running so deep and they're so strong, I don't think it can do any damage to it."