T.H.E Interview – Manuel Bayer

Manuel Bayer is a German DJ/producer and head honcho of Daisy Dans Records.

For over a decade Bayer has forged his path in the industry starting his career in running events at the likes of like the legendary CocoonClub and for the party series FAKE and ENVY MY MUSIC. In 2014 he also started his own radio show called Wohnzimmer FFM.

Bayer now returns to his own imprint for his next single ‘Jumping’, a slick dancefloor-ready house cut. We caught up with Manuel Bayer to learn more about “Jumping”, how to successfully run a label and more.

T.H.E – Hey Manuel – how are you, how has 2022 been for you?

Manuel – The year 2022 has started great and Daisy Dans Records and I are excited about what this year still brings great with it.

At the end of last year we got a grant from “Neustart Kultur & GVL” from the german government, for which we are very grateful and with which we want to take off.

The grant has been very supportive for me and Daisy Dans Records. I had the time to produce new tracks, and my team had time to deal intensively with marketing so that we can promote the tracks best possible with the grant money. I also had the time to perfect my Spotify profile, so check it out and follow me.

Otherwise, we hope that now everything normalizes again and that, that party life 2022 starts again.

T.H.E – How have the last 2 years been for you, what’s kept you going?

Manuel – The biggest challenge for me was that I could no longer devote myself fully to music. I had signed my international booking contract in January 2020 with the agency Omega Artists, which has its headquarters in the Netherlands, and unfortunately, Corona came immediately. Due to the fact that I had no bookings, my financial cushion was quickly depleted and I had to look for a part-time job. I think that’s how a lot of aspiring artists felt. In June 2020 I decided to move from Berlin to my hometown Freiburg. I built my own external studio here and of course, continue to work on my music. Due to the fact that I couldn’t perform in front of a real audience, I put my focus on live streaming via social media for now. With the weekly online event “From Home with Love” I was able to reach thousands of people. Furthermore, I played at the festival “Virtual DJ Stages” by “Killed With Kidness” (California). Even though the last year was not always easy, I never thought of giving up. I am a fighter and I know that I inspire people with my music.

T.H.E – Tell me about your DaisyTech style – what’s it all about?

Manuel – With love and a great sense for detail, a lot of time and heart and soul, I developed the music style DaisyTech, a mixture of techno and tech house.
Typical for the sound is the rhythmic interplay of hard kicks and basses with the incoming, positive melodies.

With DaisyTech I want to encourage people to have fun, to be happy, to put a huge grin on the faces of music lovers while the beat flows through their bodies.
The purpose of this style of music is to bring people together, to make them feel free, to let them dance and live in the moment.

I am still working on the development of DaisyTech, I will continue to push and perfect it, polish the finer details and incorporate new creative ideas. I am very excited about how DaisyTech will develop and where it will go.

T.H.E – Jumping is your new single on your own label, tell us about it! When and where did you write it?

Manuel – The track was mostly created in Daisy Dans studio, because that’s where I can best develop creatively and let my thoughts run free.

I had the idea at the end of last year and I was working on it for about 2 month’s.

This track by me is pure joy of life. Behind the title “Jumping” is the desire for freedom and a better world. The bright seasons of spring and summer bring light back into a gloomy time. The warmth is reflected in my positive sound. The track is cheerful, invites you to dance and sends love into the world. The vocals “Jumping to the DaisyTech” are striking.

My individuality is also reflected in this release. Friendly synthesizers and a powerful bassline make my sound something very special. Perfect for sunny hours and extensive parties.

T.H.E – Who was the record written for, who was in mind?

Manuel – I was inspired by the desire and hope to live a normal life again, to be able to party again, to meet new people again without having to observe any restrictions.

Jumping is a track for the warm sunny season, it spreads a good mood, encourages people to do something, to meet friends and to party again.
Jumping should get people dancing and jumping to master the jump into better times. The warm fun-loving DaisyTech sound is perfect for the beginning of summer and the regained freedom.

T.H.E – What was your setup like? Do you use lots of hardware?

Manuel – I use the program Cubase for producing, which I am very enthusiastic about. Most of the basses I create with the Moog Subsequent 37, an incredibly versatile synthesizer whose sound I love and appreciate very much, in addition, breathtaking melodies can be created with it. For my drums I prefer the rythm composer ”Roland TR09” and among other things I like to work with the Machine from Native Instruments.

T.H.E – Tell us about the label, is it just for your music or anyone with the right sound?

Manuel – We live for beats and bass and have made it our mission to make people happy with our music.
The whole team is proud of their work and consists only of people who are fully behind the product and the message of the label. We convince not only with passion for techno, but also with professionalism. Daisy Dans embodies technology, experience and ambition with only one goal: to share their own enthusiasm for electronic music with the world.

Daisy Dans Records is a German techno label based in Freiburg im Breisgau and was founded in 2018 by me ”Manuel Bayer”. The company stands for passion and dedication to electronic music. The name of the label is composed of the English word “Daisy” and the Danish word “Dans” dance. Just like the popular flowers, the spirit of Daisy Dans blooms all year round.

In 2018, we started with Daisy Dans Records and it went full blast with the release of ”Summer Bells”. Unfortunately, like everyone in the music industry, we were almost completely shut down by Corona and their restrictions. But I made the most of the time and spent a lot of time in the studio producing tracks and thinking about my label. In the next few years, I want to focus on the label and its expansion to allow talented artists to release and market tracks through Daisy Dans Records if their style of music fits DaisyTech.

I would also like to support young, fresh artists and give them the chance to work with us.

T.H.E – What are the key things to successfully running a label?

Manuel – It’s not always easy because I run the label and I’m a music producer at the same time. In the last few years, I have overcome many challenges. The whole bureaucratic effort alone, for example to get a label code, was enormous. Right after starting the label, I started looking for suitable people to accompany me on my way, which also proved to be a challenge. The move from Berlin back to my hometown Freiburg. Furthermore it was not easy to survive the last 2 years with Corona and the uncertain standstill of concerts and gigs.

But no matter how big the challenge, with a lot of love and dedication, no effort is too good for me to make my dream come true. Sometimes I would love to split up to realize everything I want, but unfortunately that’s not possible. Luckily, I work with an incredibly great team that actively and passionately supports me in making my vision come true with Daisy Dans Records and DaisyTech (our own style of techno music). So a big thank you to my team for always being there for me.

T.H.E – How did you get such a warm sound the is ready for summer? Do you always like to play this sort of stuff as the sun comes out?

Manuel – I wish for a carefree world where you just live in the moment, full of love and security. This is the feeling I get most of the time when I produce music and this is the most important thing to create DaisyTech – you have to feel it and it has to come from the heart.

Yes, this is exactly the music I love to play when the sun comes out to give us energy and to inspire the good mood.

Summer, sun and beats to dance to…. what could be better.

T.H.E – What else are you working on/have you got coming up for the rest of the year?

Manuel – We have just recently started to remodel and optimize the studio of Daisy Dans Records. As soon as the remodeling is finished I will dedicate myself to producing and expanding the label again. My next release will probably be in autumn and I’m really looking forward to present you the new track.